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Marketing and Advertising Archives - Page 2 of 9 - Construction Websites

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Marketing and Advertising

An Inside Look at 5 Things That Make Customers Crazy

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Part of what I do here at Darren’s is research. And part of that research is finding out what made people do business (or not do business) with you in the past. I typically do this through a series of phone interviews with former clients or leads that never closed. And the things I uncover when people feel they can speak freely will make your head spin.

But you can’t fix it if you don’t know it’s broken right?

I always try to explain to the homeowner that by not making my client aware of their displeasure, they had a 100% chance of their issue going unresolved and that if it was a simple fix, could we just get in there and get it done for them to make them happy. This usually does the trick, and we are even able to build referrals, testimonials and sometimes new jobs from the effort. [Read more…] about An Inside Look at 5 Things That Make Customers Crazy

Contractor Marketing Idea: Learn Marketing with Ebay

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I stole got a great tip this month from my Inc. magazine. It is by Jason Fried, the guy who founded 37Signals.com. Jason talks about the need to learn how to make money (anyone in business knows it is not as easy as it seems) and how you can improve your marketing chops by using Ebay to improve your copy writing skills. You can read the article here…after you watch my video of course! Have a great weekend! [Read more…] about Contractor Marketing Idea: Learn Marketing with Ebay

How to Handle Prospects Once They Walk in The Door

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Lead generation and prospect management is a complicated and often overwhelming task for many contractors. And it’s often the case that you spend so much time trying to just get the leads into your funnel that once you get them there you fail to take the necessary steps to keep them. In this post, I’ve outlined the 7 steps you should be taking once you get the lead into your sales funnel so you can CLOSE!

1. Focus on outcomes and value – As much as we may like to think people care about us, our prospects really don’t care about our products, services or solutions. They only care about the difference it can make for THEM. So, when you connect with your prospect, focus on the tangible outcomes your prospects would get from using your product or service. Drive home the benefits and keep those as the focus of every contact.

2. Take it slowly and let them come to you– When you get a lead, especially when you’re first starting out, it’s hard not to go for the hard press. But that rarely works. The more you push, the more resistant your prospect will become. So slow down, give them bits and pieces of valuable information over multiple contacts, and be secure in moving forward one step at a time. Remember if you push too hard (they’ll sense your fear and desperation) you’ll lose them, and you might as well consider them gone for good. [Read more…] about How to Handle Prospects Once They Walk in The Door

Quick Tips for Contractors #3 – The Business Card Challenge

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This one is super-easy. Throw out that last nasty, crusty, filthy business card you have in your wallet and go out and get a fresh batch made with your Twitter and Facebook addresses. Also get a proper email address on your new cards. No more AOL or Yahoo or even Gmail addresses. You run a big boy (or girl) company, act like it! Then give them out everywhere! [Read more…] about Quick Tips for Contractors #3 – The Business Card Challenge

Classified Ads Aren’t Just For Strippers

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There are contractors out there that still find value advertising locally in their classified ads, and classified advertising has transitioned well online on sites like Craigslist.org. In fact, some of the most successful contractors I know make it a point to steadily advertise their businesses on Craigslist as part of their overall marketing strategy.

But who reads the classifieds? Buyers do!

Classified advertising isn’t about flash or pizzazz; it’s about answering the reader’s question. And let’s face it, people reading the classifieds are buyers. Think about it, have you ever looked on Craigslist or in the classified section because you had some time to kill? [Read more…] about Classified Ads Aren’t Just For Strippers

You Have to Know What the Other Guy is Doing Too!

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I realize that running your contracting business is a full-time job, but you need to take some time to see what the other guys are doing. Sure, you may shoot the breeze at the supply house or in passing while grabbing a cup of coffee, but do you really know what they are doing to move their businesses forward?

Here are some things to consider when reviewing what your competition is up to:

First and foremost, what exactly is your competition doing in the market and how successful are they at their marketing?  Specifically, it’s good go keep an eye on:

  1. How they network themselves and their businesses
  2. Industry-wide research and who are the early adopters in your market
  3. Who belongs to the local associations, both professional and social, and how are they using these networks to their advantage
  4. Who has tight relationships with the people down at city hall? This can be crucial when trying to get permits or exceptions run through local government.

If you are like me, I trust but verify. In other words, if someone told me they were living off of referrals in today’s economy, I would take them at their word, but also make sure they really weren’t doing any marketing as well.

Why so paranoid?

In the famous words of Norm from Cheers, “It’s a dog eat dog world out there, and I’m wearing Milk-Bone underwear.” And some of the most successful people I know are the most paranoid!

 

Ad Creation for Contractors in 6 Easy Steps

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Remember Who – What – Where – When – Why and How? Well, I am going to show you how to create your own ads in 5 minutes or less using the 5 W’s.

Here we go:

Who: Your business name, company slogan, logos & USP

What: Information on your range of products and services. Customers need to know what you sell.

Where: Address, phone number (local to the market served), web site, e-mail and areas served.

When: Days and hours if applicable along with emergency numbers.

Why: Reliability, years in business, endorsements, brand names, payment methods, licensed, insured, memberships and affiliations.

WWW: Do you have a website that prospects can visit to learn even more about your business? If not, you better get one!

Once your ad answers the 5 W’s, the ad is well on its way to delivering effective results. Then, you just need to present the information in a way that is logical and pleasing to the consumer’s eyes while running it enough (frequency) to be effective.