Marketing Archives - Page 4 of 4

In a world where you’re constantly on the go from job to job, project to project, having a method of communication like email to keep your customers instantly in the loop can seem like the greatest technological invention since the computer or smartphone itself. But did you ever think how the smallest of missteps in one email may cause more harm than good?

Part of the challenge of email is that for all its convenience, some things can get misconstrued compared to ordinary conversations in person or over the phone. In fact, some people can go through their workday committing these sins of electronic communication without even knowing it. Which means the relationship you worked so hard to build could be dealt a severe blow. Here are some of the more common missteps you can avoid to ensure your next client conversation is about the work itself rather than explaining what you meant in that email.

#1: CC’ing someone who shouldn’t be a part of the communication
One of the worst things you can do to damage trust is to bring another person into the conversation without first asking permission to do so – the dreaded “CC” on an email can quickly cause this kind of problem. All of the sudden, there’s a new name involved in what the customer thought was a private matter. Why? Keep the back-and-forth dialog between you and the customer if at all possible.

#2 Sending an email today to see if they got your email yesterday
Clearly you have some urgency to know if your message has been received. But let’s face it – your customer has other things going on in their life, which you should respect. A follow-up email just to “see if they received it” so soon after the first one could give the impression that you don’t care about those other matters. Just your own.

#3: Replying to a new topic with the same subject line
Here’s what we mean by this: Many times people go back and forth on email for the sake of being convenient. Which makes sense at first, right? They reply. You reply. And so on. But in the course of your conversations, new topics are bound to come up. Sometimes a month can go by and you’re still emailing customers with a subject line from a topic you haven’t discussed in an awfully long time. Why? It takes next to nothing to start a new email with a new subject line that speaks to the topic for today, not several weeks ago. It keeps you organized and everyone focused on the real subject at hand.

#4 Writing in a highly emotional state
The customer just sent you an email that’s gotten your blood pressure up. You feel a very natural urge to send back a reply to set him straight – and that’s exactly when you should hold off. But here’s the funny part. We’re not suggesting that you don’t write it out. You actually should. Sometimes the best solution is to truly write your thoughts down on paper (or in an email draft) so you can get all of your emotions virtually out on the table. Then walk away from it for a while. Chances are, this is not the email you will wind up sending at all but a more cordial, professional version will emerge once you've calmed down. That bodes much better for a more rational dialog that diffuses the situation rather than escalates it.

#5 Trying to fix a situation online that should be fixed in person
At the end of the day, our best, most satisfying customer relationships are often not only verbal but face-to-face. When it’s clear there’s a disconnect between you and the customer that’s not getting resolved by email, continuing to send emails to them to try and clarify the situation may very well only make it worse. Especially if it’s a complex concept you’re trying to explain. In that instance, you certainly could pick up the phone and call them to elaborate. But it would probably go even further with the customer if you offered to come to them to explain what you mean in person. They’ll likely appreciate you taking the time to invest in their understanding, which can certainly help build and preserve the relationship.

Small business opportunity You've had your prices at a certain level for a while now and with a new year, you've been thinking about – gulp – raising them. But if you’re like many people in your position, you’re nervous about raising those prices even a little and a possibly uncomfortable conversation with customers – especially if they’re hiring you for a second project.

Fortunately, what’s really a standard part of doing business over time can be manageable and not something to be afraid of, particularly if you keep these tips in mind as you give yourself a necessary “bump up” on the bottom line.

1) What kind of customer do you want? Choose value over price.
The customer who complains about the slightest price increase or the kind that sees you for your value? The latter will pay you what you’re worth and likely be far more enjoyable to work with. It’s understandable that you’d fear losing a few customers due to changing your price structure. We won’t lie – it could happen. But higher prices make it a stronger possibility that they’ll be replaced by someone who more than makes up for them by paying more, is more loyal for subsequent jobs and even possibly provides more referrals. The price complainer isn’t likely to have those qualities at all, so their loss should hopefully be very short-lived.

2) When you raise your prices, own it. Don’t backtrack.
There’s a good reason why you’re raising your prices – so explain these factors in a letter that elaborates but never, ever apologizes for the increase. Show them that you appreciate the business and look forward to working with them again in the future. If you’ve added certain skills and equipment that bring increased value and a better quality product to customers, you can mention this added value as a justification for raising prices.

3) Talk about long-term value. Not short-term tasks.
It’s going to be challenging for potential customers and repeat customers to focus on the rewards of your efforts for years to come if you’re talking a great deal about your time and hourly rate. You’ll be seen as a commodity rather than someone who can raise the value of a kitchen or bathroom, two of the most important rooms for increasing value in the home. In that context, one project can go an awfully long way. What’s it worth then? Quite a bit – enough to justify the customer choosing you.

You’ve had your prices at a certain level for a while now and with a new year, you’ve been thinking about – gulp – raising them. But if you’re like many people in your position, you’re nervous about raising those prices even a little and a possibly uncomfortable conversation with customers – especially if they’re […]

So you have a website for your business that isn’t that complicated. It tells visitors what you do, hopefully some examples of good results and how to get in touch with you. Nothing fancy but it gets the job done as far as communicating the most important elements, right?

Well, what would it mean to you if that website was down for a couple of weeks and prospects couldn't find you?

See, it’s easy to think that you don’t need to go to much trouble to protect a website that’s fairly basic. But the last thing you need is for some hacker to target the site and bring it down, causing you to lose out on potential opportunities.

That’s why it’s vital to keep these steps in mind:

1) Keep your passwords complex.
You’d be shocked how many people choose passwords like, “Password12345.” Really! That’s practically like leaving the door to your house unlocked at all times. Then those same people are surprised when their online “house” is broken into by hackers. Don’t be one of them. Instead, try a combination of letters, numbers and unique characters in a password that’s obviously easy for you to remember but would be extremely difficult for someone else to guess.

2) Change your username from “Admin.”
When you’re set up on some websites, like WordPress, the username you start with until you change it is commonly “Admin.” If you leave it as is, it may send a signal to hackers that your site is a bit easier for them to try and get into.

How big of a deal is this? In just the last couple of years, there have been thousands upon thousands of attempts by hackers to guess usernames and passwords – by using the default username, they don’t even have to guess and you've just made their path to getting into your website that much easier. So, much like your password, give your username a special name that’s easier for you to remember but the bad guys can’t.

3) When you’re asked to run a security update, do it.
Don’t worry – you don’t need to be a computer programmer to run a security update to your site. You just need to give permission for the update to go forward. So from time to time when you get a notification that your site is due for this type of update, do it. The more time that passes by and the more versions of security updates that you don’t run, the more vulnerable to hackers your website may become.

These relatively simple protective steps can help increase the chances that the right eyeballs from prospective customers view your website and the wrong people are kept far out of the picture. Which is right where they belong. Remember them for not only your site but also other sensitive places where company information is being stored, such as your email.

Perhaps you’re feeling like you’re missing an important skill set that makes you enter a room, charm the socks off of a prospective customer with some fancy talk and close a deal. That’s the image of the typical high-powered salesperson – but that’s not and shouldn’t be you.

While we all want sales, we know what it’s like to be “sold,” which is hardly comfortable. Let’s take a closer look at a style of selling that feels more natural for you and can feel calming to the customer at the same time. It’s called consultative selling and it could change everything you know about getting more business.

Advise, but don’t push.
Of course you want their business. But you don’t have to seem so desperate when you first meet them that you say things like, “So what do we have to do to get started today?” It’s better to approach the prospect with a view that you’re going to use your strong knowledge to help them find out some valuable answers so they can make a smarter decision. That puts you more on their side as an advisor they can trust rather than making you seem like a sneaky salesperson trying underhanded ways to get people to part with their money.

It’s all about their questions.
Over-the-top people who try to sell themselves too hard can go on and on about their qualifications, all the happy customers they've had, even how they’re better than certain competitors. That’s all a big turn-off, especially if you use most of the time to talk about, well, you. You’ll have an opportunity to speak to your experience but if you launch into all that up front, you’ll give an impression that you’re not that interested in listening to their needs.

Instead, communicate to the prospect that you’d like to ask a series of questions to help uncover what’s most important to them, gain an understanding of their budget, know how soon they want the project accomplished and more. That way, you can be a lot more efficient about what the next steps might be – an efficiency that both you and they surely want.

But what if your questions lead to more questions about them?
Let’s say you've asked about goals, timeline, budget and more. But you’re just not getting the definitive answers on some of those matters. Are you just going to proceed like it’s no big deal that you don’t know how much they want to spend or what their urgency is for moving forward? The more “holes” like this you have during the course of your conversation, the more red flags that should go up. It’s not that this prospect won’t ever be a customer – it’s just that the time may not be right for them to be a customer right now. In reality, if you've done your job up front to make them feel at ease, they should want to help you get the most complete and accurate information you need so you can get started. If it’s not that high of a priority to them or there’s simply not a connection being made, this lack of being forthcoming with information may be your sign that it’s time to move on. That’s often a lot smarter than endlessly holding out hope that the project is going to get started.

Paint the picture for them if they don’t buy.
Again, we’re not talking about being pushy but rather framing the problem for them in a way that pushes them to a definitive “yes” or “no.” Let’s face it. You’re a busy professional and there’s nothing wrong with that. So if you’re unclear on where they stand, give this a try – ask them what they think is going to happen if the project doesn’t occur. Then, being the expert that you are, help them envision the eventual consequences of not moving forward. How much is it going to bother them to put this off? Having that perspective could make the decision become more emotional – which may actually tip the scales in your favor for going ahead.

You don’t have feel like one of those old stereotypes of salespeople to do more business in the coming year. In fact, you may get a lot farther by giving your prospect all of the facts before they make a decision. It’s the kind of transparency and honesty that can instill a greater sense of confidence in your skills and trust in you as an expert. And that goes a long way toward getting down to business.

The situation seems right for you to start the job. During an initial conversation, the prospective customer has a need. You have the talent and tools to help them. It should be a no-brainer that you’re going to move forward, right?

That’s when you hear, “Sounds great. We’ll get back to you soon.”

While some refinishers may be tempted to think this means a “yes,” it’s actually a stall tactic prospects use to buy themselves more time. It doesn't mean it’s necessarily a “no” either, but sitting there in “maybe” land isn't going to feel much better. In fact, it may actually be worse.

What it takes from here is some deeper questioning on your part to see why the homeowner is pausing. View a variety of examples of questions you might consider asking to help your prospect take their finger off the pause button and convert them into real customers.

“How important is it to you to get this job taken care of?” “If this isn't addressed, how much is that going to bother you?”
Right now, it may not yet feel like a big problem to get a tub refinished. So paint a picture of a future in which it will be a bigger issue. The key is to get them talking about it – not you. The more they talk, the more they make the problem their own.

“It’s common for people before they get started to be worried about the cost of the job. Do you have similar concerns?”
There’s a funny thing about money – sometimes it’s not as much about the actual amount as it is about a fear of not getting what they paid for. Think about the person who puts a dollar in a vending machine and doesn't get what they want. There’s not a lot of money invested in that situation, right? But it’s the action of parting with money without getting the desired result that frustrates the person. What you think may be all about cost on the surface could be about something more, including a fear of getting “burned” and feeling foolish as a result. Get all costs out in the open so they’re seeing you’re not hiding anything to spring on them later.

“Do you have any questions about the time frame? Are you comfortable with me taking that block of time to get the job done right?”
Like money, time is a hidden concern on the prospect’s mind and not even just the time related to the job. They may be worried about how much of a disruption in their daily routine the job is going to be (perhaps they need to pick up the kids from school, go grocery shopping, etc. but don’t want to leave home for an extended period of time while you’re there). Be clear about how long you expect the job to take, even if it’s a reasonable range that gives them a sense of what’s entailed.

“Would you like the names and numbers of some people who have used me and are very happy with the work?”
Sure, they’re being friendly to you right now during an initial conversation, but how do you know they’re fully confident in your skill level? Put their mind at ease by offering to connect them with other homeowners who have had successful outcomes from working with you. After all, that’s an outcome that isn't in front of them at the moment and again, with money and time in the balance, being able to see the light at the end of the tunnel with examples of the finished product may go a long way.

“Hey Mike, I’m thinking about exhibiting at a Home Show, but I’m not sure. Do you think it would be a profitable experience?”

trade show

Sure, that upcoming home show on the calendar looks like it could bring some good exposure to your refinishing business – and it very well may. But if you have a booth at the show, how do you know if it’s going to be a profitable success? Even though you can’t absolutely sure, there are several things you can do in advance to improve your odds of a positive outcome.

Prepare Like A Pro.
You don’t just show up to a job without the proper tools, do you? It’s the same idea here. The most important thing you can do is appear very professional at a home show from beginning to end.

How does your display look? Is it easy to see from a fair distance?
How many business cards, brochures and other support materials do you have? Err on the side of having more than less if it’s a longer show.
Wear your brand with pride by having on a company shirt that shows your company name and logo.

Who’s Got Your Back?
Many people don’t see any issue with working a booth by themselves. That is, until they arrive at the show and realize how much they could have used at least one other person on hand. It’s a must, really. You’re going to need to take breaks for food, to go to the bathroom, to walk the floor yourself or simply to have a few minutes to breathe. Even when you are manning the booth, what happens when you encounter a rush period? You can’t talk to everyone at once, so eventually those people nearby you could be talking to will lose interest and move on if they aren’t addressed. Having someone else in the booth with you will help capture that potential lead in waiting.

What’s Your Attention Grabber?
There are at least two kinds you want to think about – the kind that lures them toward your booth and the kind that makes them linger longer so they buy today rather than put off a purchase.

For the first example, many tradesmen have used my DIY Refinishing video, which repeats over and over. Having something like this on hand and constantly playing will help keep their attention on your booth. Special “callouts” around the booth that have phrases such as “Best refinishing coating on the market,” “Use in just 2 hours,” and “State-of-the-art” clue people in to the benefits you and your product line brings.

In the second instance, your special offer can make a big difference. Is there an offer unique to the home show that you can provide, such as $50 off or a free slip resistant bottom? Again, the key here is that when it’s a special only for the home show, they can’t really “think about it” and get back to you. They have to buy during the show in order to take advantage of the offer.

Put An Inlay On Display
People don’t know a great deal about inlays, but home shows are great for displaying them and educating people on what a durable, long lasting fix for a broken tub or shower they can be. NAPCO has inlay brochures and samples you can use to your benefit.

For extra credibility, you may also want to display a variety of jobs you have done.

Closing The Deal
Too many people forget the all-important detail of collecting names for follow up after the show. That’s like having a revolving door of qualified people move through your booth and out again just as quickly. So make sure you have a schedule book to get their name, phone number, email address and other important contact information, including the date when someone may want refinishing work done. Don’t let them get away!

Finally, be realistic. Hopefully your next home show will be a hit, but sometimes despite your best intentions, it may not be the smashing success due to other factors outside of your control that you can’t predict (like the weather, for instance). Roll with it as best you can. As long as you can check off all the items above, you’ll be prepared for good things to potentially happen. Good luck and have a great show!

“Hey Mike, I’m thinking about exhibiting at a Home Show, but I’m not sure. Do you think it would be a profitable experience?” Sure, that upcoming home show on the calendar looks like it could bring some good exposure to your refinishing business – and it very well may. But if you have a booth […]

Believe it or not, everybody needs to be networking. Even tradesmen. Sure, your customers will hopefully refer you to others and that’s terrific. But in between those nice referrals, you’ve got to make connections among people who might be able to introduce you to prospective customers. Where do you begin? Especially if you dread the idea of networking with others?

Start here with these 5 tips:

1) Don’t be entirely out for yourself
“Huh? What am I here for if not for my own business?” We get that. But if you walk into a room full of peers and start talking about you, you and you, there won’t be much allowed for others to get a word in. Instead, approach the situation like you’re looking to get to know people. You want to understand what makes them and their business unique. You want to learn more so you can help them. You want to appear giving rather than taking. That’s a great way to start off with a strong first impression.

2) What’s your story? Tell it well.
So many people mention what they do and leave it at that. Kind of boring, isn’t it? But an interesting story that might illustrate your services could keep the conversation going in your favor. If you transformed a bathroom tub, how did you do it? How much money did you save the homeowner? What are some big jobs you’ve had to tackle? This could lead to more questions about the kind of work you do and for whom – which could inspire the person you’re speaking with to think of someone worth introducing you to.

3) See everyone in the room as an opportunity
“Eh, they probably won’t know anybody who might need me.” How do you know? Why jump to that conclusion before getting to know them better? Don’t judge a person on the surface based on their line of work. This is where asking questions could make a big difference, such as the kind of people they interact with, other circles they spend time in and more. You never know what relationships they might have that aren’t obvious to you right away. That’s the beauty of networking.

4) Keep your antennae up at all times
Naturally, you want people to remember important things about your business – well, shouldn’t you do the same for them? Listening is an underrated trait but if you master it, you can begin to pick up key things said in the conversation that someone else said to you earlier in the event, which leads to an opportunity to connect two people if they haven’t met already. This shows you’re taking an interest in their business beyond your own gain, which hopefully encourages others to turn around and do the very same for you. It’s not easy to refer business to someone who’s nothing more than a “taker.” It’s always easier to refer to a “giver.”

5) What are you doing in the next couple days? Following up.
Look back on those business cards the next day – or even that same day or evening if it helps. Who did you talk to? Did you speak to them about getting together for coffee for a one-on-one or arranging a quick phone call? No matter what your “next step” with these folks looks like, remember to do it and do it sooner rather than later while the connection is still fresh in their mind too. You don't want to try and jog their memory a month later. And if you said you’d do something on their behalf, such as making an introduction, follow through with that while you’re still thinking about it!

Question: Do you know what your very best customer looks like? A lot of tradesmen don’t or they’ll say, “Anybody who has money.” Sure, money is obviously important - but so is knowing where you should be spending your quality time.

Ah yes. Time. We all have a limited amount of it and in your case, you’re also spending your fair share working on jobs. For the time you have outside of the actual work itself, there’s the business of looking for new prospective customers.

If you’re like many professionals, you don’t have a great plan in place for finding potential new customers. Let’s do one better than that – by creating a plan for finding the right kind of new customers and not cold prospects.

1) What are your true goals?
Do you want to reach a certain amount of new customers? How many?
Do you want a certain amount of referrals? How many of those?

Now let’s think about the time frame for meeting that number. Is this goal over a month, a quarter or a year? What kind of dollars do you need from each customer? Knowing all of this is crucial for understanding what kind of prospective customer you need to reach those goals.

By the way, a lot of people mistake activity for progress – don’t fall into that trap. Is it good activity that’s leading to positive introductions or mediocre activity in which you both say, “I’ll keep my eyes open for you?”

2) What’s a quality contact to you?
Not all prospective customers are created equal. Some are ready to go into a project now, some are looking to get started in 3-6 months and some are just “kicking the tires.”

Among those who seem anxious to get started, you may notice important clues in their conversation with you – such upgrading elements in their bathroom for the bigger overall purpose of reselling their home in the next 6 months – as an indicator that they’re going to move on a project sooner rather than later.

On the other hand, how can you spot a tire kicker? If you can’t identify them by clues in what they say or do, you may wind up chasing that cold prospect who was never a real prospect in the first place. They’ll talk a good game and perhaps lead you on, (“I’ll get started in a few months for sure,”) but they’ll never really materialize. They’re letting you down with a gentle little lie. In the meantime, you’re knocking on that door again and again with emails and phone calls. Don’t let these cold prospects waste your time. It’s fine to take a meeting but try to move them to a definite answer one way or another by the end of the conversation. It’s better to have a “no” than a “maybe.”

3) Are you spending time in the right circles?
Are there quality customers in that circle? How about people who can introduce you to those customers? It’s a good idea to judge what you’re getting out of a group of contacts by how many introductions you get that are quality – not just random names who may or may not have a problem you can help them with. The best groups know your services, who you’re looking to meet and can recommend you with ease. If you feel like you’re just meeting people for the sake of meeting them, it’s time to put that group under the microscope and ask yourself if it’s worth staying involved with. Especially for the time and money you’re putting into it.

When these 3 steps are in place, you’re beginning to set the table for the right goals, people and environment to line up in your favor – and that can make for a great introduction. Not to mention those golden referrals from someone who can’t say enough about your services.

Doesn't that sound better than someone who may or may not ever pan out?

Question: Do you know what your very best customer looks like? A lot of tradesmen don’t or they’ll say, “Anybody who has money.” Sure, money is obviously important – but so is knowing where you should be spending your quality time. Ah yes. Time. We all have a limited amount of it and in your […]

As a tradesman, you know that good word of mouth is a key part of growing your network of potential referrals. But what about expanding your network online to complement that effort? Are you connected to clients and other people who have been good partners for you there too? If you’re thinking that your online network isn’t as visible as it needs to be, there are a few things you can do to change that. It doesn’t mean trying to connect with everybody and anyone (although you may need some more connections than what you currently have).

What we’re really talking about is making your online presence all it can be and the #1 online network for business, LinkedIn, is a great place to start. Let’s take your profile and your participation to another level with these simple moves and remind those who know you why they’re glad to be connected with you on LinkedIn.

Make It A Media Rich Experience

What pictures, videos or presentations can you add to your Experience section? Besides the static text that people come to expect in your Summary section, adding other types of multimedia can give the impression that your background is a more well-rounded one. You might add before and after pictures of projects you completed. You could also put up video testimonials from satisfied customers.

Jump Into Group Discussions

You can belong to a wide range of Groups within LinkedIn - some of which you may share with a prospect, client or strategic partner. Yet, if you simply exist among the other members with participating, they may not be aware of you. Take a moment to stay on top of the discussions regularly occurring and add your perspective to the conversation. The more consistently you participate, the more you can likely raise the visibility of your profile and potentially stand out among others in your industry category. Remember, many Group members also choose to receive email updates on the discussions occurring, so you can indirectly raise awareness of your company through the comments you contribute

Get Into Article Sharing Mode

How much more likely is your profile to be seen by others if you share a specific article with your network? According to LinkedIn itself, you could be up to 11 times more likely to be viewed! News relevant to your company is fine, but think about what else your customer values hearing about too – is there an industry trend that is worth them knowing about or type of technological advancement? By sharing articles relevant to their world too, you show a greater awareness and authority that establishes credibility.

Mini Cart

Marketing Archives - Page 4 of 4 - NAPCO Ltd.

Make It A Media Rich Experience

Jump Into Group Discussions

Get Into Article Sharing Mode

Follow US