Archive for February, 2010

There is an “Unfair” Truth about Business and it holds true for Remodelers & that Unfair Truth is This:

There is no direct relationship between being great at what you do, working honest, smart and working hard, then getting your potential customer to know & understand that so you can make money.

The industry is full of smart, talented, hard-working Remodelers who are not earning the type of income they deserve. However, there IS a direct relationship between being GREAT at what you do, and promoting that fact through EXCELLENT MARKETING, Sales Processes & making great profits.

We would

like to present you with a Marketing Awareness Survey that we have had very good success with getting a snapshot of your businesses marketing personality.

This will only take a few minutes of your time to complete. Please answer the questions in each field and be as honest as you can.

The questions are related to your company’s marketing awareness. If you decide to take the time to answer and submit the results, we will send you a score with areas of recommended improvement, if they are needed. Just make sure to leave your e-mail in the comments section to receive your recommendations.

Click on the button

to check your Pulse!

Make Your Process Remarkable!

It isn’t a secret that homeowners generally have a lack trust with the construction industry. It has been my experience through years of experience communicating with homeowners that this lack of trust weighs on homeowners minds when dealing with contractors. Consultants are even hired by some homeowners to work as an advisor and a communicator with the contractor. This just shows another level of the lack of trust.

How do you overcome that stigma, of a lack of trust?

Obviously, There Needs to be a level of trust, education & confidence for the homeowner to move forward and say,” you’re hired.”Do you have a remarkable Process?

A homeowners decision not to progress with you can be made very early on and they may not even contact or call you back for a proposal. The homeowners decision not to progress forward with you can definitely be made on the first meeting. I reiterate-if you don’t present yourself correctly, their decision against hiring you can be made fairly early on, even though you may not know it or realize it. Positive thoughts and decisions to hire you should be what you want formulating early. Build the know, like and trust with your potential client and educate them early in the relationship. First thing!

Having a remarkable process will be a huge step in the right direction. They may like you when they meet you, but they are never going to trust you until you can describe, from A -Z, exactly what you are going to do for them.  The best time to get that out is right up front! I take it a step further and educate a potential client before I meet them as well as when the first meeting takes place. Thats when I drive it home.

Your process is a tool, the lifeblood of your company, how you operate, and communicate. Your process is how you structure yourself, your business, present yourself to the homeowner and confidence builder.

This is your bible for the homeowner. Explain to them,” Let me discuss our process of how we proceed forward today & how our project with you would go when you decide to choose our business. We have a unique process designed for our customer that covers everything from the communication, to the details to the work progress, to the completion, and the meeting with you afterwards.

What you are accomplishing with you process is eliminating any doubt and uncertainty  that would make your potential client  hesitate from saying, “yes, you are hired.” Help them visualize the exact steps that will be taken from now, today, to the time they are enjoying what you have done for them. A true understanding and belief that you are taking them through a proven system will build confidence and trust.

Make your process remarkable!

Take your process and organize the steps from A-Z. Take these steps and identify and simplify them. Don’t make it confusing! keep it simple and easy for your potential client to understand. The process should have a name too. Mr. & Mrs Homeowner, I would like to introduce you to our “Customer Center,” or  present this as “Their Name and add  Project Center”  to the front of it. Any unique name you have to identify your businesses system will be memorable. Describe the steps involved and then continue to describe what is included in these steps.

The next step is the “Projects expectations or as many say, the NEEDS Analysis.” By the time you are completed with your process, your company’s system step by step and phase by phase, your customer will have a better understanding, visualize the steps, and the completion of their desires. Your customer will have a clearer understanding of how you intend to make their project remarkable and how you plan on being the right company for this project. Your remarkable process will lead to them knowing you, liking you and trusting you. All this ultimately leads to them buying from you and earning their business. What are you doing to be remarkable?

Your Process can also be a closing tool. Before reviewing your final proposal, review the process in person before presenting it. Here are some thoughts on creating a presentable process for your client. A sample process.

Thoughts on presenting your proposal

Always meet to review the final proposal. Do not mail or e-mail. You will never see their reaction, answer questions and may never see or hear from them for whatever reason. Plus, it shows they are a bid and not important. It doesn’t speak special at ALL! Don’t Bid! Present Proposals!

Never say , lets go over the numbers! Numbers?….. because then you are making it all about the (money). Do you want them to JUST think about the money? Then don’t say lets meet to review the numbers!

Get both decisions makers there. Always! Don’t you value your time? Don’t you want them to value your time?

“I can present you with your investment. When can we, you and yours meet. I request that I meet with you both as this way I can address any questions and thoroughly discuss this with you. Would you expect any less?”

After all, didn’t you just invest quite a bit of time on this? Don’t you owe it to yourself to give it the best opportunity to get the project?

Read the process over before presenting the proposal. This sets the stage for confidence, professionalism and the idea that you are going to expect an answer, its subtle and necessary, yet expected! And why shouldn’t it be?!

How to Create a Powerful Personal Marketing Message

DUCT TAPE MARKETING AND, AUTHOR, JOHN JANTSCH GIVES THIS GREAT MESSAGE Try this exercise to help you develop a personal marketing message that grabs your prospect’s attention. Quite often small business owners will ask me to reveal the most powerful marketing strategy I have seen. I can say without hesitation that the most powerful marketing strategy has little to do with advertising, direct mail, websites, referrals or blogs. No, before any of those things will really have an impact on your business, you’ve got to uncover and communicate how your business is different from every other business that says they do what you do. You’ve got to get out of the commodity business. You’ve got to stake your claim on a simple idea or position in the mind of your prospective clients.

You’ve got to create and bring to life a powerful personal marketing message.

Talking Logo- construction slogans

And the question is: What do you do for a living? The answer to that question is something that I call “Your Talking Logo.” Like a traditional printed logo, a talking logo is a tool that allows your firm to communicate verbally the single greatest benefit of doing business with your firm. A talking logo is a short statement that quickly communicates your firm’s position and forces the listener to want to know more. The talking logo is generally played in response to the comment, “So, tell me about your remodeling business or tell me what you do.” Everyone has attended a networking event where you are given a minute to describe your business…another great place to use your talking logo. When it comes to referral marketing, the talking logo is how you communicate the value of your business to referral sources.

How do you create your talking logo? Remember, a talking logo must be a short statement that leaves the listener wanting to know more. Think about your clients or potential clients … they want to know what’s in it for them. Don’t just tell them what your firm does- tell them in a way that matters to them. “I’m in the remodeling business.” “I’m a contractor.” “I’m a painting contractor.” “I’m a building specialist.” The only thing this type of response will get you is, “Who cares?” or worse. A talking logo grabs your prospect’s attention.

Your talking logo is created in two distinct parts. Part 1 addresses your target market, and Part 2 zeroes in on a problem, frustration or want that market has. You know you have a great talking logo when a person hears you deliver it and immediately says, “Really, how do you do that?” “So, if you ask Bill the architect, “what do you do for a living?” Which do you think is more powerful? “Oh, I’m a registered architect” or [Talking Logo] “I show contractors how to get paid faster.” Now if you’re a contractor you’ve got to know more, right? In the example above Bill has focused on addressing a key frustration that he knows contractors (his target market) have. What about this one? “I show small service professionals how to triple what they charge?” Do you see a pattern?

Here’s the pattern: Action verb, (I show, I teach, I help) target market, (business owners, homeowners, teachers, divorced women, Fortune 500 companies) how to xxxx = solve a problem or meet a need that you know your marketing has.

Now ask yourself, “Who wouldn’t want to know more when you heard a talking logo that spoke directly to you?” Communicating a powerful message like this will get you referral appointments too. Now, once you get their attention with your talking logo answer to what you do for a living, it’s time to deliver the goods. So, now they utter, “Really, how do you do that?”

You must be equally prepared to answer this supplemental question. Once your prospect says, “Tell me more,” you need Part 2, and that is when you tell them how you plan to solve their problem. The key to this tool though, is waiting until you have their full attention with your talking logo. Part 2: Again, the architect from above – “Well, we have developed relationships with every zoning board in the metro area and can make sure that your projects don’t get hung up by red tape, ensuring that you get to that first pay request faster.” By understanding your positioning and your target market and then communicating it through your talking logo, you will be miles ahead of most of your competition and well on your way to generating referrals and leads from anyone you meet