How to drum up business - Contractor Talk - Professional Construction and Remodeling Forum

ron schenker · 02-02-2006, 10:42 PM

Do you get good responses from Yellow Pages advertising? What is your best advertising media? Most of my business comes from word of mouth and just striking up conversations with people. Seems every H.O. wants something done but can't find the time, has limited or no skills, or is just plain lazy.

**slickshift** · 02-03-2006, 07:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ron schenker

Do you get good responses from Yellow Pages advertising?

If your business is seasonal at all, I'd skip the YP
It's really tough to pay that (not small) bill every month during the off-season

Quote:

Originally Posted by ron schenker

Most of my business comes from word of mouth

Well, referrals are a great way to do business
Very high closing rate and very little "tire-kicking"
Once your name is out there in ads, you have to adjust to the "lookie-loos" that just want a $# to tell the wife or boys at the Club how much they saved by DIYing it

ron schenker · 02-03-2006, 07:03 PM

Thanx, Slick

Grumpy · 02-03-2006, 07:53 PM

My websites coupled with mass marketing of said websites are my best marketing tools. Service magic brings in the most leads but my websites bring in the most qualified. I also work with various other lesser volume referral services and get good reults as well.

ron schenker · 02-03-2006, 08:17 PM

Grumpy, I guess the more feelers you have out there, the better! Thanx for input...

Grumpy · 02-04-2006, 12:00 PM

Every method you use to advertise is like another finger on your hand. The more fingers you have the more you can hold.

I should also metnion from my websites I get both commecial and residential leads, but mostly residential... perhaps that's because of how my sites are built which is why I am putting up a few more!

donb1959 · 02-04-2006, 02:16 PM

Yes, the YP's are expensive, and it is very difficult to foot that bill through the off season, but I have had several very large jobs. All my competetors are there, so I feel it's a must have. I tried SM for a fair while, but it didnt pan out for me. I have an ad in the major paper here and that has been by far my best ad for the dollar, in season I may get 10 calls a month from that ad.

I also have ads in 3 other smaller papers. I would love to be better able to utilize my website, but other than having one Im kinda illeterate at that sort of thing. Im thinking seriously of takeing advantage of Wingate solutions this year, as well as joining NAPP.

Brian · 02-04-2006, 03:47 PM

You need a diverse mix of advertising. In the past 2 weeks we've had leads from: web site, yellow pages, referrals, repeats, Service Magic, job site sign, a direct mail postcard (from 1998!), and probably a few others I forget.

As Grumpy said, the more advertising you do, the more leads you'll get.

Brian Phillips

mdshunk · 02-04-2006, 04:40 PM

I do a great deal of service work, so a yellow pages ad is almost mandatory. People don't need electricians but a few times in their life (most of the time), so they may not already have a rapport with an electrician. If the lightswitch breaks, or a receptacle quits working, they reach for the yellow pages. I really don't have a clue where most of my work comes from. I have plenty of it, and always have, and that's about all that matters.

Grumpy · 02-05-2006, 06:38 PM

The only calls I get from my yellow page adds are for repair work. I will be removing all my yellow page adds. They are worthless.

If the add was worth a fraction as much as the yellow page people promise I'd have no problem paying the winter bills out of reserve.

frostbitten1 · 02-06-2006, 07:04 AM

I live in an area of Michigan with a lot of weekenders (lots of lakes) and I find that a business card ad in the Property owners association newsletter to be a fantastic way to reach owners who only pop up on the weekends. The newsletters are sent to their primary residences and they can locate a local contractor from home, you jjust have to be willing to kill your weekend to meet with em'.
I do find it hard to track these association newsletters down but I have managed to fing three that work well for me.

Grumpy · 02-06-2006, 08:54 AM

I believe we are in the service industry and if you don't give up your Saturdays to your customers you are losing a ton of business... at least 3 weekends a month.

Always Greener · 02-06-2006, 12:09 PM

Your number one way to advertise is your quality of work, which leads to word of mouth. Yes should have some kind of advertising in phone books and web sites just to keep your companies name in site for people that are looking for a particular job to be done. But keep in mind your advertising budget will deplete quickly if not done correctly.

Grumpy · 02-06-2006, 12:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Always Greener

But keep in mind your advertising budget will deplete quickly if not done correctly.

AMEN, which is why most, if not all, good BUSIINESS people setup budgets to control spending.

It's real easy to put yourself out of business without a good budget. Also a good budget will include reserves for slow times "emergency" advertising.

Mike Finley · 02-06-2006, 06:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Always Greener

Your number one way to advertise is your quality of work, which leads to word of mouth.

I would say that's a nice thought, but it is wishful thinking.

N.E.Bldg&Rest.LLC · 02-06-2006, 06:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grumpy

The only calls I get from my yellow page adds are for repair work. I will be removing all my yellow page adds. They are worthless.

If the add was worth a fraction as much as the yellow page people promise I'd have no problem paying the winter bills out of reserve.

I paid $1,656.00 for a year in the yellow book

NOT ONE CALL FROM IT

I will never use them again.
That could of been money for some new tools

Always Greener · 02-06-2006, 06:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike Finley

I would say that's a nice thought, but it is wishful thinking.

So what you’re saying is if you do half azz job the more work you will get? Well I guess I’m doing it all wrong, I will tell my crews to do a half azz job so potential clients will see it and ask wow what a crappy job who did it???? I disagree. In my field image counts for everything and we don't let our customers down..All my commercial accounts were word of mouth..

rino1494 · 02-06-2006, 07:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Always Greener

Your number one way to advertise is your quality of work, which leads to word of mouth.

I agree, we haven't advertised in over 10 years, nor do we have our company name on our trucks. All of our work is from word of mouth. If you treat people right and do good work, others will recommend you. When people ask me about good masons, plumbers, electricians, etc... I know who to recommend.

Always Greener · 02-06-2006, 07:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rino1494

I agree, we haven't advertised in over 10 years, nor do we have our company name on our trucks. All of our work is from word of mouth. If you treat people right and do good work, others will recommend you. When people ask me about good masons, plumbers, electricians, etc... I know who to recommend.

You are so right, we do the same thing if a client asks do you know who can do a certain task we will recommend them to someone and 99 .9 of the time they will use the recommendation..

rino1494 · 02-06-2006, 07:08 PM

^ Yeah, sometimes I don't like doing though cuz it could come around and bite you. If that person happens to do bad work or charge to much, then you are a-hole.