See Your Results as Clear as Day
Zintoro helped Andersons’ Sales and Service focus on customer retention to grow its business across the U.S.
The world has changed for retail businesses, and Andersons’ Sales and Service is changing with it. A lawn and garden dealership with three retail locations in the Louisville metro area, Andersons’ Sales has seen their online business more than triple since 2021, growing to 20,000 shipments expected in 2023. They transformed from a largely local dealership to one that ships to all 50 states.
To achieve goals, Greg Hydes, general manager of online sales for Andersons’, focuses on his numbers: sales, accounts, invoices, retention rate. “Working in a family-owned business, relying on numbers helps take the emotions out of making decisions that impact sales,” he says.
To get the numbers he needs, Hydes relies on Zintoro, a forecasting tool driven by artificial intelligence that helps businesses document their current situation, forecast with certainty, and understand the actions they need to take to achieve their growth objectives. Since the company began using Zintoro, its focus has shifted to the customer. “We’re actively pursuing customer retention,” says Hydes. “You can retain seven customers for the cost of obtaining a new customer. Zintoro showed us the most profitable way to do business. You can see the results clear as day.”
How it works
The program begins with an initial analysis of three years of sales data and recommendations to achieve growth. An API with Constellation Software facilitates the exchange of data. Drawing on key metrics, including customer retention and engagement, the number of new customers, and customer satisfaction, Zintoro offers a comprehensive examination of the existing and potential structure for your business. Customers meet monthly with Zintoro managers to discuss how to grow most effectively. Progress is measured against expectations, and clients receive specific recommendations to achieve their goals.
“The program identifies what you’re doing right and what you’re not doing well,” says Hydes. “I use it for budgeting. It forecasts very well, and it gives you a direction.”
Hydes can look at results for the overall business, as well as separating out the parts and service departments. When he first began using the program, he was frustrated by not knowing the return on investment of print advertising, postcards, and email marketing. Now, through a marketing section in Zintoro, Hydes can clearly see how emails and calling programs impact customer transactions.
The Zintoro dashboard easily corrals data and enables Hydes to spend his time reviewing the recommendations and planning future actions, rather than manually retrieving and analyzing data. Hydes also finds value in the monthly calls.
“It’s not just a dashboard, and you are not left alone to figure it out. It’s six months to a year of monthly calls, where you review the numbers, and you can look at your dealership through another set of eyes,” he says. “Zintoro has smart people who understand our business.”
Success with Zintoro
Hydes manages a four-person ecommerce team that is responsible for writing web copy and search engine optimization for a half million SKUs. The website must be updated continually to reflect changes in pricing and engineering. Winsby Inc., their b2b marketing agency, develops and distributes emails and call programs that tie into Zintoro.
But the online business isn’t the only part of the business that’s growing with the help of Zintoro and Winsby. “The emails are really keeping traffic up in the stores,” says Hydes.
Working alongside Zintoro, Andersons’ Sales & Service has taken on numerous initiatives, such as an innovative fleet management program called Andersons’ Garage designed for commercial and government organizations who manage a fleet of equipment and do their own maintenance.
Hydes highly recommends Zintoro but at the same time cautions that results depend on your actions. “You have to be willing to put in the work,” says Hydes. “You need to be able to execute.” Andersons’ Sales & Service clearly shows the power of Zintoro in the hands of a dealer committed to growth.