As the ” Man in the Middle,” or person in the middle or being the owner, you are your company’s biggest asset and the best representative of your business.

Many business owners are more focused than ever on their marketing efforts. I have mentioned before that the definition of marketing that should be adopted today is about getting someone who has a need, to “know, like and trust” you. There is no better marketing plan than having the owner of a business visit his or her clients at their home and being involved in the project. So get out from behind your desk and be your biggest marketing asset.

When a customer hires you they expect that there will be consistent progress and quality workmanship to complete the project. These are their basic expectations and not anything they consider astonishing. What is astonishing? Astonishing is doing something no one else can do. When the owner of the company visits the homeowners and makes a concentrated effort to talk with them about the project and focuses on making their personal experience remarkable, then you are on your way to creating an astonishing experience.

If you want to learn something about your customers and the pulse of your business, visit one of your projects. Talk to your customers. Not only will you earn that “know, like and trust,” but you will learn more about your business, get to know neighbors, and develop relationships with your tradesman and employees. When your workers know you may be around the corner or on your way to their project, their efficiency and craftsmanship will reach their highest levels.

When I was operating my business, I would make daily visits to projects. I would review jobsite cleanliness and quality control, observe our workmanship and talk with the customers. When I visited the project and the customer was not home, I would leave a note that I was there and make written observations and leave them on the communications board. My clients knew from our first meeting that I would be very involved in their project. This was also part of my sales process. I wanted them to feel they had our team’s personal attention. I knew if I put forth this kind of effort that everyone on my team would and could be expected to do the same.

With regular visits to projects, I found that the quality of work, job staging and cleanliness of tradesmen improved. The most beneficial aspect of getting out from behind the desk was that our business was more “refer-able,” a key to success in today’s economy.