Marketing Idea For Slow Periods

buildenterprise

Print up some flyers and have your employees distribute them in pre-determined areas. This should work well for keeping your guys somewhat busy when you're between jobs. You can pay them a lower hourly rate for distributing flyers and let it be optional. Have them put their own names on the flyer in an inconspicuous spot. When the calls start coming in, ask the prospective client for the name on the flyer and pay commission to your employee if it turns into a job. This should be pretty motivational for them. Does this sound like a decent plan? I know some of you will answer with "We're so busy we don't need to hand out flyers". Well, good for you, but for the rest of us this could work.

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wackman

Sounds like a good idea to me.

When the works not coming to you, you need to find a way to come to the work.

It could be good that it's your workers and not some service. That way if someone stops them and asks questions they can actually answer them.

I have a younger cousin who has been doing some side work for me. I'm thinking about having him and some of his friends do something like that for me. We've actually got plenty of work right now but I want more and I want to line it up for as long as possible.

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Boogga

Good idea. You just need to design the brochure which creates urgency with the people to choose you to do their job. They must die to get you to do the job. Just my 3 cents worth.

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"It's better to die on your feet than to live on your knees"

JenRan

Just make sure you don't put them in windshields, no body really likes that and you usually need a permit.

Plus, don't let them leave them in a mail box or hanging from a mailbox. Big no-no with the post office. USPS can fine you and charge you the cost of a stamp for each flyer.

jtomin

Door hangers work well as long as you target the neighborhoods based on your target market (customer and neighborhood). Canvasing works much better if you train the employee to knock and ask if the homeowner is interested in a free estimate. I have one full time guy ($10/HR) canvasing all of my key neighborhoods. Today he was knocking from 11AM-4:30PM so a total of 5.5 hours. I pay him hourly and $10/Confirmed lead. Today he generated 5 leads. So his hourly earnings were $19/HR. I found that you must spend time coaching the employee to have the proper skill to generate leads (basic selling skills) and also monitor their actions very closely. I have my canvasor meet at designated time and then give him a ride to the location. This makes him dependent upon me for transportation. Think that was enough, one day I got a fishy call from him, the story didnt add up and he mentioned that his girlfriend was meeting where he was canvasing. So I asked him what streets he hit that day. I drove all of those streets to see no flyer's on doors. So I confronted him and told him that I driveby all areas he was working on. Also I have them give me a list of all streets hit that day. Hope this help

MattCoops

It's a good idea.
We call it door hanger canvassing.

But it's much better to do this sort of marketing when you're busy.
So you don't have to do it when your slow.
Having to do any marketing when your slow is tough on the pockets, especially when you're paying guys to do the marketing for you.

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Matt with Cupan Custom Tile & Paint of Lowell, Massachusetts
Design and installation of ceramic tile and natural stone for floor, wall, and countertops
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wackman

Good idea. Combine the door hangers and canvassing. If they're home then pitch and try to get an appointment. If they're not, leave the door hanger.

Probably rudimentary to people who have already done it but it just occurred to me!

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Greg Di

Don't you need a solicitation permit to go door to door?

I think in NJ you do...

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Tom M

I sent out 60 brochures with my business cards to customers in my data base. Hoping to hear from some old customers 10 came back could not forward. Tough call whether or not to use "currrent resident" or personal name. Current resident will likey get thrown out with out a look. I didnt get any action from the rest either. Door hangers might be the only way.

ATH

I never use "current resident" on my mailings. I want to get the piece back with the new, forwarding address. That way, I can update my database.

If they are still in our area, I can send new marketing materials to their new address and, maybe, get some exposure in a different neighborhood. Just as importantly, however, I can do some on-line detective work to find the new home owner's names and send them an introductory letter, explaining that we have already done work on their home.

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SupremeModular

The works not coming to you anymore so my thinking is I have to be more agressive going to find the work.

I thought of a few ideas;

1)Increase advertising budget. Just because things are slow, in the modular home sales as with most other homes sales, the 4% success rate stays pretty consistent. The difference between slow and fast paced periods is the amount of advertising required to generate the first 25 leads to allow you get the first sale at the 4% success rate.

2)Increase advertising channels.

3)Increase your network of contacts. Incent others to help in some way.

These ideas are still being put into trial testing and I will let you know how it goes. Hope this may help some of you.

Marc
Supreme Modular

StairJunkie

LOL, that line made me chuckle, thanks!

But yeah, that's not a bad idea. You're on the right track with the commission too, gotta give them an incentive. Be sure to talk about the areas your employees plan to cover just so you are on the same page.

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wellbuilthome

I try to talk to 10 people a day just say hi . Tell them what you do . hand them a card . It sounds wacky but 10 cards a day 70 cards a week 300 cards a month. cards are cheep , talk is cheep , give them two cards so they can pass one to a friend . wow thats 7000 + people a year that no you are alive. when they need something they feel like they know you . Ive had people chase me down in my truck because they need a job done and lost my card. I have people find me in the phone book because they lost my card. Most of the leads are good and ive been getting around half of the jobs that really happen. I dont handy man around much .I build additions and 1/2 or hole house rip downs and rebuilds. I just started over (again) 9 months ago in a new state with only a truck no tools, no leads ,no big cash, work started going faster once i found a hammer. Nice guys finish last , but they dont have to advertise so much. John

MattCoops

I like to hang my own door hangers cus I am the Estimator, so I like to be the one who enters the house with his clipboard, pen, measuring tape, and level.

Yes, they are carried in a backpack with me while I hang door hangers.

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Matt with Cupan Custom Tile & Paint of Lowell, Massachusetts
Design and installation of ceramic tile and natural stone for floor, wall, and countertops
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Carport King

Do you all send a newsletter to your existing customer data base?

Do you have a yearly open house?Throw a party

When finishing a deck or addition invite do you have a show and tell?

Have you simply ask for a referral?

What sets you apart from other companys?

What would be your stadium pitch?

Give me a reason to call you?

Lifetime warranty?

Think outside the box? Dare to be different?

Have you changed your marketing materials lately?

porkchop

Ads on yahoo and google are super easy to set up and you can run for as long or short as you like.

But i do like that idea of talking to 10 people a day can get your card in front of 7K people

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Boogga

Good idea to do it when you are busy. You your company looks more attractive too, when you are flat out with work. It is just like when people spend their money when times are good. And when times are bad, they have nothing. They should save hard when times are good and when times are bad, they have the money. Money talks....so anyway....

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vital151

what would be a good call to action for a remodeling business on a doorhanger?

www.jerseyremodeling.com

threaderman

You'll have to call and ask.I have 1 city here I can put out flyers ,hangers etc, only at resi.but you can't approach the people ,another 2 cities that say anywhere is fine,another 1 that says "No Soliciting".I think I just called city halls for each town for a yes or no.

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Grumpy

The #1 thing you can do is know your numbers. Know when you start tog et slow, it is usually a seasonality but it can be something based on other criteria. You have to know this, it is usually predictable.

KNow your sales cycle, for ecxample if an average sale takes 2 months to close you need to start advertising 2 months before you start slowing down, not WHEN you start slowing down. Thios way you will never be slow.

Spend money when others are not. Lots of guys take their adds down in winter because "there is no work", but there is some work and if all the adds are down but yours is the only one there... Guess who gets the call? If you are a subcontractor advertise when builders are real busy because subs are real busy and GC's need subs more than ever and are more likley to try a new guy... so advertise when you DONT need the work.