Archive for the ‘Marketing’ Category

Newer Entries »

Are You Letting Great Prospects Slip By?

Friday, November 5th, 2010 by victoria

This year, we instituted a lead capture system on our web site to identify prospects who come to our web site via Social Media, Search Engines, or referrals. I strongly recommend this marketing tactic to every remodeling company which has a web site – and that should be everyone!

Our lead capture system uses what some marketers call the Law of Reciprocity to work.

The Law of Reciprocity means: to give and take mutually; to return in kind or even in another kind or degree.

The law of reciprocity, simply explains that that when someone gives you something you feel an obligation to give back — and visa versa.

I’ll share how it works for us and then help you see how to make it work for you.

Visitors to our web site see an offer for a free, value-packed informational report. The title and content of the report was written to specifically appeal the kinds of people who would be strong members of our Remodelers Advantage Community – motivated, improvement-oriented, remodeling company owners.

When interested visitors click on the link to receive the report, we ask them for information on themselves and their company as a condition for downloading. We don’t ask them for much, because asking for too much adds what ecommerce marketers call “friction” which can be a turn off – but enough to tell us if they are a good prospect for our services. Web site visitors don’t mind providing this limited information because they are receiving valuable information from us. The Law of Reciprocity in action.

If we find that the visitor is a good prospect, he/she is invited to join our community. Now, we all know that not everyone is ready to buy the first time they contact a company. So if they don’t choose to join immediately, we don’t give up. Instead we nurture this prospect so that, when he or she is ready, we are the first company that comes to mind for strategic business improvement help.

We nurture these prospects with a series of informational, personal emails—each one building on the next as we provide more information on the benefits of membership. Our nurturing program lasts about 18 months.

Let’s translate this to your company. What do visitors see when they visit your web site? Most web sites have no way to capture information and those that do are often an anemic link to “Sign up for our newsletter.” Boy, that’s exciting! (sarcasm)
Come on, you can do better than that!

Instead, create a 1-3 page special report that will capture their interest and compel them to take action to receive it. Think about what kinds of projects you want to attract. If you want to attract people who value sophisticated design, you might create a report titled Exciting Home Design Trends. To attract homeowners considering a new kitchen, the report might be titled Maximizing Your Kitchen Remodeling Investment. A report on additions might be Five Great Tips for Creating a Fantastic Addition.
Before they are allowed to download, ask them to return the favor by telling you something about themselves. The most essential information is email address so you can reach out to them again. Other information you may want to know: Are they planning a remodeling project and for what time frame? What is their zip code? How did they hear about your company?

Now, reach out to nurture this valuable prospect and make sure they remember you when their ready to take the next step: Hiring a remodeling company.

Posted in Business Growth, Marketing, Sales | No Comments »

Don’t Ask: Recommend!

Tuesday, September 14th, 2010 by victoria

The last blog post I created focused on the need to become a great salesperson if you are really interested in maintaining a successful business. Boy, the hits to the web site were off the charts! So obviously we hit a nerve with that discussion. So, I decided to give you more information on sales and to do this, I”ve asked our Director of Business Development, Ted Dubin, to share a few of his pearls of wisdom from his many years as a sales professional.
“One of the techniques that I recommend to all salespeople is that they need to be able to recommend the best option to their prospects, ” he says. “Too many salespeople will invest tons of time coming up with a great idea, developing an effective plan, working for hours to fit the budget, and they, they’ll turn it all over to the prospect and say ‘What do you think?’”

“Instead, be the professional you are, be confident in the solution you created and say, ‘This is the solution I recommend. . . ‘ and then go on to support your recommendation.”

Ted says, “People like to buy but they don’t like to make decisions by themselves. They look to you to be the leader and to tell them what’s best for them. If you know you have a great product, you’ve done your job and qualified them well, you’ve built the customer’s interest through a series of open-ended questions, then you should feel very confident in what you’ve developed and what you’re recommending.”

He goes on to say, “To feel that confidence. . .
1. Qualify the prospect with a series of open-ended questions designed to help the client recognize that they should accept your recommendation.
2. Be sure that the client can afford the recommendation.
3. Be sure that you’ve spent the time needed to really come up with the best solution that truly fits their need.
If you’ve done these things, then be the leader and tell they what they should do and why they should do it. That’ll be the key to also demonstrating why they should do it with you!”

Posted in Customer Service, Marketing, Sales | No Comments »

Stretch Marketing Dollars With Wrap Advertising

Monday, August 23rd, 2010 by victoria

Scott Robinson, president of Robinson Renovation and Custom Homes, Inc., in Gainesville, Fla., has the most eye-catching tool trailer in town. The 17-foot-long trailer is emblazoned with the company’s name, phone number, and Web site address, plus images of completed projects on the sides and a photo of the company’s sales staff on the back.

How did Robinson do it? With wrap advertising. “Everyone drives around with all-black or all-white trailers, and no one looks at them,” says Amy Kauper, the company’s design, IT, and marketing specialist. “We saw wraparound ads on buses and thought, ‘Why not have a rolling billboard?’ ”

After shopping around various signage companies, Robinson and Kauper decided to go with a local franchise of Signs Tomorrow. They paid $2,500 to have the tool trailer wrapped with custom-printed vinyl decals and coated with a UV-deflecting clear laminate. When the trailer was finished in February 2010, they told their crew not to bang up it up with their tools.

The trailer turns heads wherever it goes. “We’ve already gotten calls from it,” says Kauper. “It gets hauled around by one of our trucks and it gets a lot more visibility than a stationary sign would. On weekends, we park it in front of Home Depot, Lowe’s, and the office. It’s like the Web site, earning money 24-7.”

Born partly of necessity to differentiate Robinson Renovation and Custom Homes from the two other Robinson family-owned businesses in Gainesville, the wrapped trailer handily stretches the remodeler’s marketing dollars.

“The stickers and clearcoat last 5 years,” says Kauper. “The amount we paid divided by 5 comes out to $500 a year. If we get one call from the trailer that turns into a contract, the signage has paid for itself.”

Posted in Marketing | No Comments »

Growing Your Sales Team: Is the timing right?

Monday, August 9th, 2010 by victoria

I was reading an article from INC. magazine in which the author talked of attending a presentation given by a successful entrepreneur who asked the large audience, “Who here is involved in selling the company’s products or services?” Everyone held up his or her hand. The presenter responded, “Shame on you! If you are the owner of the company, you should hire salespeople to sell your products or services. You should be focused on selling the company!”

In other words, your highest impact activity as a company owner is to build the value of the company so that it is worth something to someone else — someone who will buy it! This was an epiphany to the author of the article and has struck a cord with the several remodeling company owners with whom I shared it. Their common response: “Boy, I’d love to be able to focus on building value in the company instead of having to sell the remodeling!”

Today, I’m seeing more and more remodelers and painters taking the first step and bringing on sales professionals, most for the very first time. I’m enthusiastic about this direction because it means more feet on the streets promoting your brand while uncovering prospects. We have a group of members in our Remodelers Advantage social network who are sharing commission structures, job descriptions, and working together to start the process of building a sales team right. So, first, establish a strong sales team which will allow you to move your focus elsewhere.

Second, focus on building value within the company with documented processes and procedures, detailed job descriptions, production systems and communication techniques, an organized client database, a proactive marketing program, and key managers that bring enthusiasm and creativity to the table. This level of organizational development shows that the company isn’t solely dependent on the owner’s experience to function but will continue to grow profits and a community of delighted clients based on the huge value within. It’s a business improvement strategy that could have huge positive effects for your company. Now that’s worth something!

Posted in Business Growth, Business Management, Marketing, Sales | No Comments »

Recycling Helps Sell Prospective Clients!

Wednesday, July 28th, 2010 by victoria

Today I drove by a remodeling site and saw a dumpster that was chocked full. Much of the debris that threatened to tumble over the sides was cardboard! Boxes and boxes made of cardboard–all recyclable. Because both in our home and office, we are avid recyclers, this made me ill.

And it hit me clearly that if I had to choose between two remodelers — both offering similar services and price points — with the only difference being that one recycled job site waste and one didn’t — I’d definitely choose the company that recycled! In fact, I’d pay more for it! And I know that I’m not alone.

More and more, people care about the environment and are taking steps to do what they can to help alleviate the stresses that we’re putting on the earth.
We’re doing what we can in many areas of our business. For example, when we plan our 50+ meetings each year, we prefer to choose hotels that are as environmentally conscious as we are. We print on both sides of the paper in the office and recycle everything we can get our hands on. This is just the start.

A year ago or so, Remodelers Advantage became endorsers of the EPA’s WasteWise Program that provides information and resources on how to reduce construction debris. In addition, we’ve been compiling information from our members, successful remodelers from across North America, on what they are doing to recycle.

We’re all heading in this direction so why start now. Do the right thing for the earth and get a great market advantage your clients will appreciate. Tell us about your recycling efforts, concerns and successes. We’re eager to hear.

Posted in Business Management, Marketing, Production | No Comments »

Make Referrals Pay Off For Everyone

Tuesday, July 20th, 2010 by victoria

Referrals pay big dividends for Amsted Construction and have the potential to pay big dividends for the people who provide them. Whenever the Stittsville, Ontario-based company receives a referral or testimonial from a client, it sends the person a preprinted thank-you card and encloses a lottery ticket. Company president Steve Barkhouse writes the words, “thanks a million,” on each card and signs it.

Clients tend to call up the company as soon as they open the envelopes. “They feel like millionaires when they receive the lottery tickets,” says Barkhouse. “Even though the monthly drawing hasn’t occurred yet, they’re already mentally spending the money.”

Barkhouse enjoys chatting with the appreciative clients and finds that they talk up the “thanks a million” program quite a bit to their friends and associates. “This client signed a contract and referred us to someone else,” says the remodeler. “That potential client also referred us to someone else. When we asked that person how he’d heard about us, he said he’d heard about the ‘thanks a million thing’ from his friends.”

The company mails about three to five thank-you cards and lottery tickets each week, ensuring a steady supply of referrals. That’s a great payoff from a $2 lottery ticket.

Posted in Business Management, Marketing | No Comments »

Planning in Uncertain Economic Times by Linda Case

Tuesday, July 13th, 2010 by victoria

In September of 1930, at the start of the Great Depression, business people and politicians gathered in Cape Charles, Va. to perform a mock burial. Caskets containing “Old Man Business Depression,” his wife “Mrs. Pessimism” and his daughter “Miss Misfortune” were unceremoniously dumped in a watery grave in the Chesapeake Bay. Unfortunately, while temporarily lifting the spirits of the onlookers, this act did nothing to end those troubled times.

Here we are in the Great Recession. We can do all the burying we want, but none of us – including our government – has an economic crystal ball. So how can we plan 2010 effectively?

I’ve got some ideas – but remember that all consultants have their biases. I tend to be conservative and value safety and security over big risks that lead to big wins or watery graves. My guts tell me that we’ll have a very slow, somewhat rocky recovery and that in the 5 year time frame we won’t see a rebound to anywhere near our 2006 levels. Maybe by 10 years out, we will see a significant loosening of the consumer’s purse and credit availability. So I would plan very carefully, with multiple scenarios and would be predicting a 2010 much like 2009 with a 5-10% loosening of leads and sales. Because of the uncertainty, I would focus on short term planning and make monitoring and updating those plans my best weapon in such uncertainty.

I’ve just come from a meeting of 30 of our clients, who tend to be top remodelers, and while this won’t be a scientific survey it may help you in planning. They come from all over North America.
• 5-8% are doing well, have enough work, have some backlog of unstarted work. A number of those are in Canada where the recession has been milder. Most are working harder than ever with fewer leads, a poorer closing ratio (1 out of 8 vs. 1 out of 5), and smaller job sizes.
• All of the remodelers now recognize that marketing must be a critical component of running their businesses. While it used to be a matter of pride to say “all my leads come from referrals,” that referral base today cannot support the company. While marketing expenditures of 1-2% were common, it now takes 5-6% of your projected volume to deliver a marketing plan that will support your downsized company.
• Marketing that works includes making clients deliriously happy with your work and substantiating that with third party surveying – that’s your base. It also includes marketing back to your referral base six times a year with a variety pack of communications, events and programs. Climbing high on the marketing hit parade is belly-to-belly marketing where you and your staff work in key organizations in your community, where you create your own networking group that agrees to exchange leads between top quality companies, and having your “elevator” speech ready about your company and being out-front but not obnoxious about letting everyone (yes, everyone) know what you do. Meantime you’ve got to be upgrading your website and optimizing how high it appears on search engines. Online newsletters still appear to be effective but you need to have gathered e-mail addresses for your database.
• Marketing outreaches that are much much weaker now include newsletters, postcards, virtually any mass mailing. I’m still not a fan of yellow pages except for phone listings (though more and more folks are using their phones and online to get listings). Yellow pages do work for trade contractors and specialty companies. Magazine ads usually do not work and newspaper ads are expensive and usually a bust. The jury is still out for pay-per-click on search engines and usually that would be a tactic only for a multi-million dollar remodeler.

So get planning and involve your staff – the bigger the brain trust, the better. It should be an exciting ride. Next month, I’ll give you some strategic planning tips so you can start with a bang. Maybe a quiet bang, but a bang.

Posted in Leadership, Marketing | No Comments »

Stay In Touch Marketing

Tuesday, July 13th, 2010 by victoria

Believe it or not, there are still business owners out there who do not have a consistent way to reach out to their previous clients and others who can refer business to the company. I recommend that you reach out to this valuable group at least once a month with something — a call, a letter, an email, a newsletter, an invitation to a home show, an announcement . . .something.

Some of these tactics can be time consuming so the more you can outsource, the better. Here’s information on one service called The Remodelers Newsletter–a customized newsletter that is produced for you. Our members receive a nice discount too.

So, Listen to Dennis DuRoff, president of The Remodelers Newsletter, as he shares his expertise in uncovering the gold mine of prospects that is hidden in your database of previous clients. Click here for the download.

Posted in Marketing | No Comments »

PowerTip: Six Great Web Site Tips

Friday, July 2nd, 2010 by victoria

Thompson Remodeling, Inc., has a strong presence in its Grand Rapids, Mich., market— and beyond. The company’s reach and image are augmented by a top-notch Web site (http://www.thompsonremodeling.com/). With its scrolling photos, prominent company logo and contact information, and regular updates about the firm’s doings, the eye-pleasing site is informative and never static.

Company president Ben Thompson puts a lot of effort into staying in touch with his clients. To that end, the site also includes a subscription area for the company’s free electronic newsletter. Thompson offers six tips for remodelers who’d like to drive more traffic to their company Web sites.

1. Define your Web site’s purpose. Is your site a business card? Is it a business card with a gallery? Is it a sales tool? “My Web site is in development for its fourth generation,” says Thompson, “and it has been all of the above. Generation 4 will be a sales tool that is all about what’s in it for my clients. (That message is ‘Love Where You Live’). My Web site is also an educational resource.”

2. Educate prospects and clients alike. “I am committed to providing free, relevant, useful home improvement information,” says the remodeler. “Right now, I am re-integrating my blog (http://www.thompsonremodeling.com/blog) back into our Web site because the content drives the organic Google ranking.”

3. Choose your text carefully. An organic ranking reflects a search that brings up Web sites based on relevant keywords and content. Non-organic rankings reflect Web sites that appear in search engines results because of advertising or other monetary compensation. In other words, those are Web sites that people pay to have listed on a search engine.

“Organic means the words on your Web site must relate to what the searcher is looking for,” says Thompson. “We provide useful information about bathrooms for people who want to know about bathrooms.”

4. Don’t try to trick Google with fancy phrases. “Put good content up and Google will find you,” Thompson advises. “Optimizing your Web site really just means putting useful content on your site and writing it with words that a consumer would think about. In my world, no one knows what ‘design/build’ is. They don’t care to search for a “high-end design-build full-service remodeler.’ They are searching for ‘kitchen Grand Rapids,’ so I focus on putting information about kitchens and Grand Rapids on the site.

5. Pay to play. Thompson doesn’t mean selling out and going non-organic. “I’d rather see a company invest $4,000 in having good content on its Web site (I mean paying an internal staff person or a consultant to think of useful wording) than pay Google $4,000 in pay-per-click advertising,” says the remodeler.

6. Think small for big results. “Target small areas of content,” Thompson suggests. “You’ll get better results if you have small bits of information like ‘5 Tips for a Better Kitchen’ and ‘3 Things in the Bath of the Future’ instead of ‘Everything You Need To Know to Have an Awesome Whole-House Renovation.’ Break it down and let people enjoy as much as they want on your Web site.”

Share


Posted in Marketing | No Comments »

Newer Entries »