Painting Marketing
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7,076 Posts
Direct, personal marketing to general contractors. Charge full price, and do a meticulous, clean, quality job. I get asked all the time by homeowners - random strangers, parents of my sons' friends, neighbors, etc. - if I can recommend a good painter.
It's all about getting your name out there.
Professional looking business cards.
Builders Exchange, little volunteer work at Habitat or the Senior Center, service organizations, (Elks, Rotary etc.).
Like Bob said direct to GC's. Create a SHORT professional looking letter introducing yourself. Send an individual letter to every GC you can get an address for. Put a stamp on the envelope, not metered postage.
And again as Bob said do impeccable work, on time & budget.
Professional looking business cards.
Builders Exchange, little volunteer work at Habitat or the Senior Center, service organizations, (Elks, Rotary etc.).
Like Bob said direct to GC's. Create a SHORT professional looking letter introducing yourself. Send an individual letter to every GC you can get an address for. Put a stamp on the envelope, not metered postage.
And again as Bob said do impeccable work, on time & budget.
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4,895 Posts
Avoid GC's like a disease. Go direct to consumer and make some serious money. GC's beat up everybody on price until you just make a wage.
Painters have an amazing opportunity because the simple fact of the matter is most don't do hood marketing. Why, because marketing correctly isn't easy. It takes time and study.......so they just say "screw it" and try to get in with a GC.
And then guess what? Once you are in working for peanuts 10 other guys are saying "gee, this marketing is hard, I need to get in with a GC" and the cycle continues and drives down prices.
But here's the good news, I get asked ALL the time if I could recommend a good painter. The fact is, no consumer knows who to call? They have no idea........and that brings us back to "painters are poor marketers". The fact they generally are poor at marketing means you can have a serious edge and capture market share.
You need to ask yourself, do you want to put your financial future in the hands of another man like a GC or in your own?
Painters have an amazing opportunity because the simple fact of the matter is most don't do hood marketing. Why, because marketing correctly isn't easy. It takes time and study.......so they just say "screw it" and try to get in with a GC.
And then guess what? Once you are in working for peanuts 10 other guys are saying "gee, this marketing is hard, I need to get in with a GC" and the cycle continues and drives down prices.
But here's the good news, I get asked ALL the time if I could recommend a good painter. The fact is, no consumer knows who to call? They have no idea........and that brings us back to "painters are poor marketers". The fact they generally are poor at marketing means you can have a serious edge and capture market share.
You need to ask yourself, do you want to put your financial future in the hands of another man like a GC or in your own?
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4,895 Posts
That's exactly right. In the current economy we have an excess of GC's, we have waaaay to many. And we have a shortage of work, the ratios are waaaay off. And far too many GC's are doing work on thin margins.
If you're gonna work 10 hours then work the 10 at a premium. Premium prices come to those who market well.
The best things in life come to those who take the hard path. Calling a GC is the easy path.
Given the excess contractors we have most GC's have great people working for them. When a GC has a good crew and subs the ONLY way to "get in" is to lower your prices so severely you won't even want to show up.
Thanks guys. This is really good advice.. also another question. I have seen on driveways. Little baggies with a flyer in them and some rocks. Asuming they throw them out like newspapers. Do you guys think this might be a good method?? Or is door to door better??.. also. What do you guys think about posting up yard signs for advertising???
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8,139 Posts
You would think, but as I have been generating work I have found quite the niche of what would appear to be crappy jobs that really arnt if you get your head around it. Of coarse new houses are nice sure, and for 15 years I seriously thought doing new construction was the only way to pay the bills.
I was wrong for 15 years. :thumbup:
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7,076 Posts
Keep an open mind about general contractors. Most top-quality general contractors are on the lookout for top-quality painters. You can get a premium price if you deliver premium quality. One strike and you're out, though.
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11,504 Posts
Going to add my support SFO's comment about doing a clean meticulous job. The cleaner you work, the more money you will make and the more people will refer you.
I take forever to set up. Hours. I cover everything. Runners everywhere. Plastic and blue tape on everything. Not one single drip of roller splatter is allowed to touch anything but the walls. Take your time with it, this IS your marketing technique. Don't think people don't notice that you go to the Nth degree for them.
Last month I was asked to paint a window well in a good customer's house. I really don't paint but I said I would for him. That led to me painting his office. Then the owner of the office asked if I wanted to paint the entire office park.
I'M NOT A PAINTER. I just try to do the cleanest job I can.
Go get that money!
I take forever to set up. Hours. I cover everything. Runners everywhere. Plastic and blue tape on everything. Not one single drip of roller splatter is allowed to touch anything but the walls. Take your time with it, this IS your marketing technique. Don't think people don't notice that you go to the Nth degree for them.
Last month I was asked to paint a window well in a good customer's house. I really don't paint but I said I would for him. That led to me painting his office. Then the owner of the office asked if I wanted to paint the entire office park.
I'M NOT A PAINTER. I just try to do the cleanest job I can.
Go get that money!
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2 Posts
Have you got a sign written van/truck? this could be a good way because its like a moving billboard for your company, people will always see it.
Also a good way that we got more business is by getting on "Google Places". Its not hard to rank well and it will bring your company up on google for people who are in your area.
But in my experience, word of mouth is the best way. So be super friendly to all customers, and even ask them to recommend you.
Also a good way that we got more business is by getting on "Google Places". Its not hard to rank well and it will bring your company up on google for people who are in your area.
But in my experience, word of mouth is the best way. So be super friendly to all customers, and even ask them to recommend you.
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11,504 Posts
Oh, here's one!
Learned an old painter's trick the other day. Paint the street side of the house first and plant your sign as soon as that side is done. Maximizes the advertising time you get with the finished product.
Learned an old painter's trick the other day. Paint the street side of the house first and plant your sign as soon as that side is done. Maximizes the advertising time you get with the finished product.
Or... Finish with the front... That way they get to see the sign, build suspense and finish the grand finale!
If the new house color is repulsive to potential customers, they will be looking at the house not the sign adjusting to the possibly poor color choice.
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11,504 Posts
Well that's a pretty negative attitude.
But in reality, the hell with advertising, chase the sun around so it's always obscured by the house.
But in reality, the hell with advertising, chase the sun around so it's always obscured by the house.
Are you saying you've always agreed with color choices driving by?
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11,504 Posts
Oh god no.
Very rarely do I get to pick the colors when I paint though. Not even at my own house. My living room is Neon Celery. Yes, that's a color.
Very rarely do I get to pick the colors when I paint though. Not even at my own house. My living room is Neon Celery. Yes, that's a color.
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274 Posts
offer a lifetime guarantee then change ur phone number every 6 months.
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