Trade Shows Provide Outstanding Educational Opportunities

RCS Influencers Seth and Ashley Pietsch say that attending shows support for the industry and the chance to learn about topics that are important to their customers.  

Editor’s note: Listen to the interview below to hear what Seth & Ashley Pietsch have to say about trade show strategies. You can also read the transcript below the interview.   

Hello. My name is Megan Ellsworth, here at RoofersCoffeeShop. Today, we are back with a February Influencer Response. February's topic, if you don't already know, is what is your trade show strategy? So, Ashley and Seth Piestch, you are here. Thank you for coming. 

Seth Piestch: Thank you for having us. 

Ashley Piestch: Thank you. 

Megan Ellsworth: What is your trade show strategy? 

Seth Piestch: First and foremost, anytime we go to the trade show, our main objective is to go there and show our support for the roofing industry as a whole. This has just been the most amazing group to be connected with. Even though we're not roofing contractors, we're still very supportive of what the roofing industry does, and if we can be a positive influence in any way, that's our main objective when we go down there. 

Megan Ellsworth: Yeah. 

Ashley Piestch: It's great because we are also able to join in on a lot of the classes and learn about the products that the roofers have. So when we are talking to our clients and getting an insurance policy put in place for them, we know the verbiage, we know the lingo, we know what you guys are talking about, and we're able to put a program together because we know your industry. 

Megan Ellsworth: That's fabulous. Do you guys attend, like if you're going to IRE or Western States, do you attend classes? Do you ever teach classes? 

Seth Piestch: So we haven't taught any up to this point, but, yes, I attend many of the educational classes and so does Ashley, and mostly it's the ones that are geared around safety. As you know, the roofing industry is dangerous. People can fall from many stories up in the air. And so learning about fall protection and what's new on the safety front is very important to know. Also, just the products that they're using and the new technology. I mean, it's not totally eliminated, but hot tar and torch down. That was very common in the past and is not so prevalent today. But new technologies coming out daily and monthly about heat application roofing with hot air welding and different things like that. From an insurance perspective, a lot of the roofing contractors, they pay more when they're doing hot tar, or open flame, or wand work where it's an educational process to educate your insurance company saying, "Well, you know what? Hot air welding is not the same process as hot tar. The likelihood of combustion and fires is greatly eliminated." So knowing your products and being able to relay that information to the insurance companies, it helps the roofing contractors that we work for as from a premium perspective. 

Megan Ellsworth: For sure. I think that's brilliant and I think that's why it makes you guys such a well-rounded company over there at Integrity. 

Ashley Piestch: Thank you. 

Seth Piestch: Thank you. 

Megan Ellsworth: Do you have any advice for any contractors going to trade shows? 

Seth Piestch: Absolutely. I feel that anybody, not just contractors, but let's focus in on the contractors... The technology piece right now is very crucial to just the way people do business now. Obviously, we've gone through this pandemic for far too long and the social distancing, not being able to meet in person, not being able to do bids the way that people have been accustomed to doing for forever. Having ways to learn new technology, to still be able to be successful and still be able to grow your business, but learning new ways to do that. You have to go in with an open mind wanting and willing to learn as much new technology as you can because that new technology is in our face right now and you have to grasp it now, otherwise you can be passed along the way. 

Megan Ellsworth: So true. So true. Well, I think you guys have answered February's topic beautifully. I guess I would just like to ask if you have any last thoughts on going into trade shows maybe in this new year? 

Ashley Piestch: I'm ready. 

Seth Piestch: I'm ready for it. I can't wait to see everybody's smiling faces. It feels like it's forever since we've seen everybody. But just go there and just be a sponge and just take in as much information as you can because we've missed a year. And so there's been a lot of advancements on the technology side in the last year that we really need to get caught back up on and understand what and the pros and cons of all of it. So it's, just go in there and really use the exhibitors and everything. Ask them questions because they've all missed everybody. And so it's just a great time to reconnect and learn new things. 

Megan Ellsworth: So true. I couldn't have said it better myself. Well, thank you, guys. 

Seth Piestch: Thank you very much. 

Ashley Piestch: Thank you for having us. 

Seth Piestch: Always. 

Megan Ellsworth: This has been great. I will see you all in March with the next topic. 

Ashley Piestch: Bye. 

Seth Piestch: Look forward to it. 

Megan Ellsworth: Thanks. 

Seth Pietsch is the president and Ashley Pietsch is vice president of Integrity Insurance & Bonding Inc. See Seth’s full bio here and Ashley’s full bio here.