Contractor Marketing Blog

Expanding your Business in a Troubled Economy

admin — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 22:47:50 +0000

Business is slow, but stable. In fact, you’re already looking ahead to long-term growth. Despite the down market, in fact, because of the down market, now is a strategic time to open a second business. According to Unchartered Waters, Setting Sail for a Second Location Can Be a Great Way to Grow a Business, employees will be easier to find, property will be cheaper, and marketing costs will be down.

The key is to keep realistic expectations and stay on budget. This way, even if you open a second business in a location that’s hard hit, you can look ahead toward promising future prospects. Think about it. If you can succeed in these conditions, you’ll be in a great position once business picks up.

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Contractors Keep Things Cookin’ with Small Jobs

admin — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 21:13:07 +0000

Things have changed a lot in just the last two years, for contractors as well as homeowners. Not too long ago, homeowners had to compete for a contractors’ time, rather than the other way around. In the peak of the recent real estate boom, contractors were busy working on new homes and had to shuffle around to fulfill remodeling requests.

One of the biggest changes today is a lot of the new home work has stopped, making way for smaller remodeling jobs. Even builders are now focusing on remodeling as opposed to construction, just to stay busy. According to a recent Qualified Remodeler article, “Homebuilders Turn to Remodeling,” many homeowners don’t realize that general contractors also do small and simple projects. The good news is that the work for smaller projects is there, keeping contractors of every trade working. (more…)

Upping Your Efforts in a Stagnant Economy

admin — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 22:04:31 +0000

According to Jonathan Sweet, senior editor of Professional Remodeler, the biggest trend for 2009 will be a longer sales process than ever before, rewarded by smaller projects. Why? Given the state of the economy, even well-to-do homeowners are waiting things out before doing, well, anything when it comes to their homes.

Courting vs Selling

In his article, “Time to go a courtin,’” Sweet talks with Bob Gallagher, a Sun Design Remodeling Specialists owner. Gallagher’s advice is to “court” rather than “sell” the client. This doesn’t equate with sending customers roses and chocolates. In this business, it just means that you will need to give 150% percent effort as opposed to 100% before you see results. For example, more visits and phone calls may be necessary to get the business you hope for. Gallagher also says his team focuses on why to remodel as opposed to what to remodel.

Staying Active in a Competitive Market

The long and short of it? It’s not a time to sit back and ride out the downturn. Rather, if you want to stay active in a market where there are more contractors competing for fewer jobs, it may be time to step up your game. Focus on your best selling points, whether it’s persistent follow-up, creating great rapport on the telephone, or providing helpful, detailed consultations. And during your down-time, don’t forget to up your marketing efforts, following CalFinder’s advice on mapping and tracking leads.

Map Your Way to Effective Marketing

Dean — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 22:33:20 +0000

According to Exterior Contractor, 30 percent of leads that remodelers think are “dead” are in fact willing customers. To help these customers find their way back to your company, it’s vital to understand the path they take through your selling system. This can be done with the help of a lead map.

A lead map keeps track of your potential clients, from the moment they make their initial inquiries through the processes of sales, production, and even giving feedback. Luckily, making a lead map is easy, and even a simple version is effective to help you visualize how well your current system responds when leads don’t. (more…)

Defining a Lead: Understanding Quality and Avoiding Potential Traps

Gabe — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 22:58:34 +0000

For most businesses, marketing is the key to moving forward. Remodeling contractors, too, need to find and attract customers continually in order to stay productive. While referrals are the preferred method of generating business, they’re rarely capable of keeping even the most reputable companies busy at all times. Most business owners understand that hiring a lead generation service generates sales opportunities. At the same time, outsourcing the marketing function to a lead specialist frees contractors to focus on remodeling.

One of the most common methods of purchasing leads is individually, or on the “per lead” level. This is considered far less risky than hiring telemarketers or purchasing buying lists or direct mail materials. Why? Because these other methods may provide you with a long list of contacts, but many of these contacts may not even be looking for the work you provide.

According to Joey Liner, VP of Sales and Co-Founder of Double Positive, a mortgage lead generation company, 3 factors must be present to create a well-rounded lead. These factors are lead quantity, quality, and price. The following article is based on Liner’s principles for defining a lead.

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7 Tips for Setting the Appointment

Mike — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 19:22:09 +0000

As we all know, first impressions matter. The first time that you speak to a perspective client over the phone is no different. Many times we can rub a homeowner the wrong way if they are not set up properly. Other times we lose a potential sale if it is simply a race to set up a time to meet so we can get off the phone and continue on with our day.A balance needs to be made along the lines of building rapport while setting a client’s expectations properly for the meeting. The idea is that we don’t want to assume too much about a client prior to meeting them. The most successful estimators get in front of as many qualified customers as they can because they know that profiling a customer over the phone too much simply gets things started on the wrong foot. Here are some tips for setting up a good estimate while communicating what to expect from the building process. (more…)

Helpful Tips for the Initial Walk-Around

Gabe — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 21:25:54 +0000

You’ve come this far, and with the right focus, the job can and should be yours. If much of your contact with the homeowner up to this point has been through the telephone, it’s especially important to represent yourself professionally in person. It’s never too early to begin demonstrating your expertise; the homeowner will likely thank you with a signed contract. At this point, though, your focus should be on selling yourself and building rapport. Here are some easy tips to follow for the big day: (more…)

The Initial Phone Call: Setting the Tone for a Rewarding Business Relationship

Gabe — Wed, 21 May 2008 22:00:40 +0000

The initial phone call is one of the most important steps in the sales process. It sets the tone for the estimate and sets you apart from the competition. The average contractor will call merely to set up a time to meet, without building rapport or working off of a homeowner’s initial motivation.

We’ve found that the longer the initial call lasts, the better. In essence, spend time talking and making sure the client feels comfortable prior to the estimate. The degree to which this call goes well directly correlates to your opportunity of booking the job.

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Presenting a Contract, In Person

Chris — Wed, 21 May 2008 21:53:55 +0000

First off, in-person presentation should always be the ideal situation. No contract should ever be mailed, emailed, faxed, quoted over the phone, and so forth and so on. Make it face to face. Here are some guidelines to help you prepare for this important meeting.

Basic Check List

Make sure to come prepared with the following:

Two copies of the contract. The contract should look professional. It should be detailed and clear. It should address the clients’ main concerns.
Accompanying information, as needed.
Company brochure, including relevant photos, certifications to highlight your business (license, insurance, special awards, etc. ), and references.
Pleasant and professional appearance.
Business cards. Suggest having these distributed to neighbors.

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First Meeting Tips that Will Help You Seal the Deal

Chris — Thu, 15 May 2008 20:55:19 +0000

You’ve already made a good impression by telephone – now’s the time to drive it home with a great first meeting. Meeting a client face to face gives you the opportunity to showcase your integrity and professionalism. Homeowners are busy looking for cues to determine how well you will work together. It all starts with communication, even before you step onto a homeowner’s front porch. So before you meet your future client and step onto their property, here is a short list of DOs and DON’Ts.

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