Sears Home Services, the nation’s largest repair service provider, is a key constituent of the Sears Holdings brand that has been a mainstay in American homes for more than 100 years. More than seven million homeowners utilize Sears Home Services each year for their HVAC, Windows, Siding, and Roofing installation needs, making them one of the true titans of the home improvement industry.

In 2012, the Fortune 200 company partnered with Modernize to grow their HVAC, Windows, and Roofing revenue profitably by increasing their digital footprint. In a recent interview, Sears Home Services’ Senior Marketing Manager, Janice Barbosa, discussed the impetus to partner with Modernize. Watch the video above or read the interview below!

What is your goal in working with Modernize?

“We’ve established our position in search and email and a variety of places where we are capturing homeowners that are looking for a select Sears. There’s also the opportunity to work with partners like Modernize who also are attracting homeowners – homeowners who may not know who they want to work with. We want to make sure we have the opportunity to talk to those homeowners as well.”

How has your relationship with Modernize evolved?

“The biggest evolution has been in the transparency and data flow – between us and Modernize and Modernize and us. Also, the quality of insights that we’ve been able to gain. In the early days, our focus was on volume. As we’ve gotten smarter about how that volume performs, we can make decisions to make adjustments that makes that volume better.”

What are some fundamental elements to the relationship?

“Transparency. In a partnership like this, you have to be able to share information and use it to create better performance for both parties. We want to be sure we’re getting the right homeowners that we can satisfy. Obviously, Modernize wants to be able to deliver homeowners and satisfy them as well. If we can both do that by sharing information and learning more about what’s working and what isn’t, then we can both do a good job in that space.”

How important is lead generation to your marketing strategy?

“I think when you look at homeowners and where they go for information, there’s been a real revolution. Some homeowners will pick a brand or a company they want to work with, but many of them just want to be educated. They want to be matched with quality contractors without doing an enormous amount of homework. What we’ve seen is a big growth of homeowners that want to use a partner that’s going to match them with contractors they want to work with. I think for us, it’s understanding the importance of that channel, and making sure that we have relationships so we can talk to those homeowners as well.”

What is your advice for new companies that are looking to grow with Modernize?

“You have to focus on your own brand and your own efforts to have homeowners choose you. You also have to understand homeowner behavior and how it’s changed. Know that many homeowners want to have that matching process occur through a third party, and that you develop those relationships so you’re present with companies like Modernize who are bringing in homeowners through that process.”

Describe your relationship with Modernize in one word.

“Partnership. I think partnership means transparency and a joint objective for success on both sides. It means finding ways to solve problems together. I think in a true partnership, you’re creating scenarios that help you both grow over time.”