High End Clients?

HaydenTransform

How do you high-end contractors find the high-end clients? Our business is only a year old but we have the previous experience and talent to do high-end work, but finding them is proving difficult. We somehow keep ending up with house flippers which are a pain in the @$$ to work for (obsessed with the bottom line and don't care about quality work or materials) and we don't want to get pigeonholed into doing that level of work. How do you create exposure to higher-end clients?

ChrWright

My first few high-end clients came through a designer I met on a small job. I've done probably 60+ projects of various sizes for him over 8 years.

Get references from everyone you work for. Use them to approach architects, designers, realtors, etc. in the areas you want to work in. Kitchen designers can also be a good source of work. A lot of them already have contractors they like to work with, but you never know who might be shopping. I picked up a new kitchen design firm recently because the guy who'd been their main GC referral screwed up a few jobs. The average budget price for their kitchen remodels is around $150,000.

The key to getting steady work from a designer is to make them look good. Stay out of the way, design wise. Be very careful of the HO question, "Do you think that looks good?", when working with a designer. Do your job, make the project look good, and make the designer look good.

Just be sure you've really got the chops to do the work. High end projects take high end fixtures and screw ups can mean $$$ right out the door. My plumber recently cracked a new Duravit free standing tub to the tune of $2,500. In addition to yourself, make sure your subs are up to the task as well.

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Christopher Wright, CR: President @ WrightWorks, LLC/President @ Central Indiana NARI, Named to the 2010 REMODELING Big50
www.WrightWorks.net - Facebook - Twitter - Carmel Remodeling
Indianapolis Kitchen Remodeling Contractor - You Can Get There From Here

Rich Turley

Ditto what Chris said.

It's all referral. I haven't had a high-end job yet that came thru the yellow pages. When you do get one, be up to the task and do an outstanding job. My experience is that the high end clients like to entertain and show off their houses. They will give glowing recommendations

Rich

PressurePros

Its also about whom is seeing your advertising. In a quick nutshell here is my plan of attack.

1) Use a local marketing firm to create a targeted mailing list based upon exlcusive criteria such as income, age bracket, time of ownership, etc
2) Crucial: Spend a day checking out the areas where your list is most concentrated. Look for high contractor activity in that area. I find the "kepp up with the Joneses" areas to be best. They become strong referral areas with repeat work.
3) Network with other high end contractors. Give them a reason to include you in their circle of referrals. I'll let you figure out how to do that.
4) Once you have your target area, research the people that live there. What is the predominant religion? What papers do they read? Do they golf, go boating, etc? Tell you why you do this in a moment.
5) Start a direct mail campaign to a small list (500-1500 people depending upon what service you offer). My campaigns go as follows:
- Introduction letter with magnet
- Follow in one week with postcard mailer (professionally designed, good headline, customer benefit driven copy, multiple call to action)
- Follow in two weeks with same mailer
- Follow in four weeks with same mailer.
6) To address #4 in more detail: You need support advertising. Though many may say branding is a waste of time for a service business, I disagree. People need to see your name multiple times before they feel confident enough to call.. especially high end clientele. You can do this relatively cheaply.
- Be in the yellow pages. Choose the book with smallest distribution. I eliminated an ad from the book covering the high end of the county and I regret it.
- Advertise in their church bulletin. I have an area that is predominantly Jewish. My name is in the synagogue newsletter every week.
- Buy a 2"x2" ad in one or two small distribution newspapers. You can either go in the main paper if budget allows or a business card sized ad in the contractor section.
- If the area is big into high school sports, find out about sponsorhsip and getting banners placed.
- Do charity work for a church or better yet the shool district you are targeting and call the newspapers and news stations and let them know about it. They will cover it.
There are a few other things you can use like mass distribution door hangers, just be concious of the community ordinances.

When You Do A Job:
- Utilize permiter advertising: Use lawn signs where you can. Have a guy put door hangers on the surrounding 30 houses.
- Make sure your truck is logo'd
- Keep your guys in uniform.
- Print up ID badges if you do interior work

If you do this with the goal of dominating a small area, it does not take long until people se your name and your trucks so many times you just become the go-to company. Once you get a customer, maximize them by keeping constant contact with a newsletter.

This may sound like a lot to do and yes, it does require a marketing budget but if you stick to the plan and don't spin wheels throwing out 5000 mailers or buying a coupon in one of those mass mail outs you'll stay on track. Always ask and track "How did you hear about us"

Hope this helps

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Ken Fenner
Pressure Washing PA
Roof Cleaning Services PA

dirt diggler

to the OP -

realize that there is a lot that comes with having high end clients. Not just workmanship. Maybe you are super organized, have had a business before, very polished, whatever

but if you don't have the resources or the experience - I sure would consider not rushing it.

your reputation will reflect on what you do, simply put. And it's oh-so-important in that first year to leave it scratchless.

i am by no means saying don't go in the direction you want to go - but just make sure you are ready

KillerToiletSpider

As a sub, I can only back up what Chris has stated, we get a lot of work from architects and designers that dictate to the GC that we have to be the plumbing sub, or they will advise the homeowner to choose a different GC. To the architect or designer, price is not really a problem, their reputation lies in what the finished product looks like.

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A flush is better than a full house.

Gordo

They will find you eventually.

Also, remember high end can be pain in the end sometimes. Keep those shmegger flippers going and fill any gaps with high end jobs when possible.

High end jobs take 4 times longer and have special order lead times that must be contended with...not for the faint of heart.

The flipper jobs you can run down to HD and pick up the part of the shelf. High end you break it and it takes 6 weeks to get the new one.

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Looks like some pros were here.

will709

GORDO - in one of your posts you mentioned "sample test booklet" for the contractors license test - where can I find these sample tests.

need help quick - must up grade license

thanks

for any help

will709

KillerToiletSpider

If all you do is high end work, it becomes a breeze. You learn to use those lead times to your advantage.

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A flush is better than a full house.

Gordo

True. Sometimes its nice to do slugger work where you aren't worried about breaking that $6,000 vase or dusting the house up.

Hayden will have to transition into these high-end jobs...thus the recommendation to keep shmegging away.

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Looks like some pros were here.

Gordo

Goggle DPOR in Va.

Experion was giving the tests last I checked. Get the test givers # and call to request these booklets.

You should go ahead and get the Class 'A' and be done with it.

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Looks like some pros were here.

ruskent

There are many ways to get high end clients. Print advertising is good. Newspaper add are good to get regular customers, where magazine adds are good to get high end customers. I have gotten high end customers from mailings, home shows, and referals.