4 Ways Having a Brand Ambassador Can Boost Your Home Improvement Business

Do you want more five-star reviews? A higher organic rating on Google? What about repeat customers and more referrals? If you’re answering yes, then consider instituting a brand ambassador program.

You may have never heard of it, or not know exactly what a brand ambassador does. But, let me tell you, having a brand ambassador (or two) on staff is probably the biggest bang for your buck in terms of face-to-face marketing.

The brand ambassador’s job is to get referrals, assist with online reviews, take pictures, and canvass the neighborhood where you’ve just completed a project. How it works:

Getting Referrals

The brand ambassador visits your customer’s home on the final day of installation (or soon after) and hands the client a gift basket. You can fill the basket with branded swag that stays around the house like bottle openers and chip clips so your company name is omnipresent—but there’s really only one item in the basket that matters: a gift certificate for use toward another project.

The brand ambassador asks the customer for new work toward which they can apply the gift certificate (typically $250 - $500) and discusses all the other products your company offers—the best time to ask for new work is when a customer is excited about the most recent work.

Keep in mind the customer likely will say they’re tapped out. Luckily, your gift certificates are transferrable! The brand ambassador asks the customer if they know anyone who could use it—don’t let it go to waste—and that’s how you get referrals. I know some people can be weird about giving out their friend’s and family's information, even for something positive, so if the brand ambassador doesn’t get a referral on the day of the visit, they will follow up before the gift card expires (I suggest using an expiration date within 3 to 6 months) and again ask the customer if they want to use it themselves or gift it to someone else so they don’t miss out!

Assisting with Online Reviews

While the brand ambassador is still at the house, they ask the customer about their home improvement experience, and chances are they’ll say they love the results. Perfect. Let’s get that five-star review posted. The brand ambassador asks them then and there to put their happiness in writing and offers to help with the process.

These days, it’s not enough to send customers a link and ask them to write you a good review because people are busy and often don’t get around to doing it. You need to make it easy. Think about what all those glowing reviews can do for your business. When someone is looking for a home improvement company, the first thing they do is Google, and you want your online presence to scream you’re the best. The brand ambassador can help you get the highest rating and a volume of great reviews.    

Taking Pictures

After having handed over a gift basket and assisting with online reviews, the brand ambassador shifts into photographer mode.

Your company should have cardboard signs with marketing messages reflecting 100% customer satisfaction that customers hold up while the brand ambassador snaps pics for use on social media.

Having pictures of happy customers accompanied by commentary posted to various social media pages is powerful. As an example, a picture of Mrs. Jones would include a story about how she was having difficulty getting in and out of her old bathtub but now that she has a low-threshold shower—thanks to you—she’s much more comfortable at home. You can reach potential customers with stories that pull on the heartstrings in a way you never will by talking about the specifics of your products. It’s about how you make people feel, not what you sell.

Canvassing

A brand ambassador is responsible for very strategic canvassing—the 10, 20, maybe 30 houses directly around the job site because this is where you’re going to get the warmest reception. Why? Because these homeowners have seen your signs in the yard and your branded trucks at the house and maybe even received a direct mail piece from you. When you knock on their door, you’re likely to get a better response than someone who’s cold calling.

When you get leads this way, you reduce the drive time between appointments for the sales team. Trust me, they love it when they leave one appointment and the next one is only a block away. And close rates typically are higher with these leads because chances are the rest of the neighborhood is a good fit for your products. And you’re introducing people to your company before they even know about your competitors. With noncompetitive leads, you may get a fight at the door, but you’re not fighting five other quotes.