PRIME Perspectives: Marketing that Works

BETTER DATABASE MANAGEMENT

The number one marketing strategy that is driving leads this year is a better use of our database of previous contacts and previous customers.  We are making continual contact with homeowners that never purchased from our company through email blasts, company newsletters, and telephone calls where allowed.  Some of these customers have received a previous presentation, and the time may not have been right for them to move forward. Some homeowners have inquired but never set an appointment. We discovered that additional time to move forward with a purchase is all that many customers need. Our goal is to contact them when the time is right. The addition of new products over the past three years has also increased purchases by previous customers, since they had such a good experience with their original job. These customers are contacted through events such as an Open House in our showroom, email blasts, company newsletters, and follow-up by our sales team.

Rob Levin, President

Statewide Remodeling

FOCUSED REFERRALS AND REPEAT BUSINESS

Referrals are always our best source of new business. In the past we tried to institutionalize the customer contact and referral nurturing. Now, our designers stay engaged with current and past clients through social media channels, which further strengthens their relationships and leads to increased referrals. This is definitely a change that is required— one that was not really even an option several years ago.

Andy Wells, Vice President and General Manager

Normandy Design Build Remodeling

CROSS-PLATFORM BRANDING, TRACKING

We have come to recognize that there is no single marketing channel that will drive enough leads into our pipeline to sustain our business. We plan and combine all the channels that make sense for us. These include inbound marketing on the Web, e-mail, direct mail, print ads, signage and events to create multiple lead streams.  There are two keys to this strategy: 1) keeping a common “look and feel” (our brand), with common messaging across all the channels; and 2) making sure we are tracking the source of each lead so we can make adjustments to any of the channels as necessary.  Our marketing plan is interactive and agile; we make modifications as we get more information and feedback.

Bill Simone, President

Custom Design & Construction

Our PRIME advisory panel includes some of the remodeling industry’s best marketers. This month we asked about their No. 1 marketing tactic or strategy. Here are the top three responses.