Rodney Koop
Contributing Writer
Founder, The New Flat Rate
As contractors, each of us have the capability of doing free marketing. When you are at the baseball game, hockey game, or football game and someone asks, “What do you do?”. Of course you respond that you are in the business of changing lives by helping people fall in love with the system in their home. And of course your new acquaintance just happens to be building his dream home and has always wanted a heated floor in his basement. You mention that you have a hot water heated floor in your shop and that he’s welcome to come look at it. Customer buys your premium package for his home for $55,000 (fifty-five thousand dollars). True story by the way…and yes, it happened to me. The cost of that lead? Well, I went to the game. Are they all that easy, no but some are.
What’s the second easiest customer to acquire? The customer no one sees, the invisible new customers, the hidden new money? They fly so far under the radar that you purposely do not try to do business with them. Even though, they called you once and asked to do business with you. Who am I talking about? I am talking about the prospective customers that called you but for some reason did not buy.
Why don’t people buy?
MONEY – I had a quote from Sears years ago for siding on my home. I didn’t buy! Why? Because I did not have $16,000. I eventually bought from someone for $7000. Sears has never called me back and I hate the cheap siding job I bought.
CIRCUMSTANCES – I quoted a new hvac system to a customer that did not buy. After, I thought she bought from someone cheaper. But, because of a job change did not buy at all. Still in the market but I wrote her off.
IT’S YOUR FAULT – I went 4 times to local motorcycle shops to buy an ATV. Each time I asked if they had someplace I could try the machine. Nope. They all thought I bought from their competitor. This took place over 3 months. Not one of them called me even though they all knew me. One day I got an email from a dealer 40 miles away. I called and asked if they had a way to drive the machine before I bought. Of course I was told, “You would not buy without driving would you?”. I bought two machines at over $8,000 each. I was the easiest prospect you could have. But no one “heard” my question.
Think about why you didn’t buy something that you actually wanted to own.
Most of the time you don’t know exactly why they didn’t buy at that particular moment, nor do you always know if they bought at all. But, something about you, your company, your marketing, your message attracted them once. They have a soft spot for you. Whether they bought or not they are still in the market for something. And they cost less to attract back than any other prospect. They already know you. They will be impressed that you remember them and still want their business. If you messed up, you can apologize and the bond will be stronger.
So how do you market to this low hanging fruit?
1. They should be included in all marketing.
2. They should get a company newsletter with some great information in it like your grandma’s favorite catfish recipe.
3. They should get at least 4 phone calls a year from you or someone you hire to call them.
4. You should have a plan for winning them back
a. Marketing/message plan.
b. Phone script for when they call and for when you call them.
c. Special offer “just for them” so they can try your services.
The saddest thing for our industry is that an awful lot of people are not satisfied with their current service person. But that is a bonus for you. If they went somewhere else, you now have an opportunity to be the cowboy with the white hat.
So, what are you waiting for? Put on that white cowboy hat and go get those customers!