Do You Have a Healthy Marketing Mindset?
The market conditions that made the phone ring 12 months ago are winding down. These tailwinds made finding clients easier, and as a result, many remodelers picked up some unhealthy business habits. This includes taking the focus off of marketing.
It is difficult to jump start lead generation once the gas has run dry, but it needs to be a top priority. You may not feel the sense of urgency because you have backlogs, however, you will soon experience the pain if you don’t address this now. You need to develop a healthy marketing mindset and ensure it never goes away.
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It Starts With Time
If you want to get fit, you need to carve out time for exercise. This is also true with creating a healthy marketing mindset. Most remodeling business leaders spend only two or three hours a week on marketing-related activities.
As your fitness coach, I will tell you that it is akin to a casual walk a couple of times a week. You need to increase that to five to 10 hours a week (for most owners, that is only 10 to 20% of their time).
With this time, you need to be intentional in working out many areas of marketing and lead generation, not just a singular activity. The following are things you can do. It is better to do many little things that will develop good habits than a couple of big things at the expense of the little ones.
1. Study the numbers.
They don’t lie. Understand where the leads come from, what works and what doesn’t, and compare this year to 2019 and before. Know what has changed so you focus on the right stuff.
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2. Connect to past clients.
Go deep (not just a voicemail). Stop by for coffee (or bring the coffee). According to a recent survey, 68% of homeowners that have done a remodeling project in the last two years want to do another one now.
3. Connect to prospects that did not proceed with you.
If you left a good impression, then they are still potential clients or referrals. Many good remodelers get more referrals from people that never worked with them than from past clients.
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4. Deputize your team.
Everyone should be a marketer. Train them and give them little incentives to generate opportunities. Your production team can generate 30% of your leads if you adjust their mindset and pay cash for incentives.
5. Leverage your alliances (subs, suppliers, real estate, etc.)
You are a marketing arm of their business, so they need to help you. Set a regular alliance meeting to share your vision and ask for their help.
6. Get creative. Tap into your team’s creativity.
Have a meeting where you brainstorm marketing ideas and activities. I personally like 30 cool ideas in 30 minutes. It doesn’t take much time, but it will give you the ingredients to make a great marketing plan.
This process begins with believing you can control your destiny. There are opportunities out there, but you have to make it happen—not just sit back, watch, or wonder.
