Posted by Rich Harshaw on June 12, 2014.
Post Category: Don't Do This.
Social Media Can Be Great For Your Business… As Long As You Avoid These Pitfalls.
Too Many Self-Serving, Boring Social Media Posts Haphazardly Catering To People Who Don’t Care Anyway.
Let’s Try To Avoid That.
Written by Rich Harshaw.
Last post was dedicated to Social Media Quick Tips… which was a good introductory primer to the subject. Go back and read it again before tackling this post. Today we’re going to discuss the most common mistakes remodeling companies make when trying to implement social media….
Blunder #1: Posting Too Frequently: Besides me and my kids, my wife’s #1 love in life is Anthropologie. Not “the study of humans past, present, and future.” I’m talking about the woman’s clothing, doo-dad, frou-frou and knick-knack store that is the frequent beneficiary of half my paycheck. 90% of her closet and half the stuff in my house originated from that store.
Her next love in life after me, my kids, and Anthropologie is Pinterest. You know, the social media network that caters to women by letting them “pin” photos of stuff they like to “boards” that they can then share with their friends. My wife pins stuff constantly, and checks to see what other people have pinned approximately 713 times a day.
So when I asked my wife recently if she follows Anthropologie on Pinterest and she said NO, I almost fell over and died on the spot.
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Posted by Rich Harshaw on April 10, 2014.
If You Feel Like Smashing Radio To Pieces, You’re Probably Doing A Few Things Wrong…
Radio Can Be An Important Part Of Your Long-Term Advertising Plan…
But Watch Out For These Common Pitfalls That Can KILL YOU.
If you’ve been reading this series, you know that I think radio is a great advertising medium for contractor marketing. I’ve painstakingly built a case for why radio is a good fit for remodelers, why and how it’s better than other media, and how to go about implementing it.
Written by Rich Harshaw
Note: This article is part of Monopolize Your Marketplace’s ongoing “Don’t Do This” series. With regards to contractor marketing, sometimes it’s just as helpful to know what to avoid as it is to know what to do.
Now I want to pull back the curtain and show you some of the potholes you’ll encounter on the way to success—trust me, they’re there! But just knowing what to look for—and what to watch out for—can make a huge difference in your results. Here are some of the doozies:
Don’t Assume Your Negotiation Skills Will Work On Radio: Here’s the problem: Radio has its own set of jargon, and if you’re not fluent in it, you can’t possibly negotiate effectively. Most business owners are good negotiators—it comes with the entrepreneurial territory. You negotiate things like salaries, leases, equipment prices, and selling prices with customers all the time. So the natural inclination is to assume that you can walk into a meeting with a radio rep and negotiate effectively.
But you can’t.
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Posted by Rich Harshaw on March 11, 2014.
Post Category: Don't Do This.
Nobody Wants To Talk To The Cheesy, Chain-Wearing Poser At The Bar.
If You Use A Stupid Pickup Line In Real Life, You’ll Get Slapped.
If You Use A Stupid Pickup Line On Your Home Improvement Website, You’ll Go Broke.
Written by Rich Harshaw
Note: This article is part of Monopolize Your Marketplace’s ongoing “Don’t Do This” series. Sometimes it’s just as helpful to know what to avoid as it is to know what to do..
A few months ago I wrote about a contractor who paid $17,000 to create a new website and for remodeling-specific SEO services… only to find out that they actually received FEWER leads with their new site than they did with their old one. When I reviewed the new site, it was immediately evident what the problem was:
Cheesy pickup lines.
Yep—the online equivalent of walking up to an attractive woman at a bar and saying, “Hey baby, my apartment’s right around the corner. Wanna come check it out?”
Online, the cheesy pickup lines sound more like “Get A Price.” And “Easy Payments.” And “Visit Our Showroom.”
I’m not suggesting that you shouldn’t offer prices, low payments, and showroom visits. I’m suggesting that if these are the very FIRST things you offer, then you’ll be treated like a dude with a hairy chest, cheesy mustache, and gold chains at the bar. A pariah.
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Posted by Rich Harshaw on February 13, 2014.
Post Category: Don't Do This.
I Know It’s Over Your Budget, But If You Buy Right This Second, I’ll Give You A Discount!
Don’t Be Surprised In A Sales Meeting When Clients Refuse To Do Things You’d Never Consider Doing Yourself.
Written by Rich Harshaw
Note: This article is part of Monopolize Your Marketplace’s ongoing “Don’t Do This” series for contractor marketing. Sometimes it’s just as helpful to know what to avoid as it is to know what to do.
Let’s role play a scenario for a minute.
Imagine you are watching TV with your spouse and you see a commercial for a Disney cruise. You’ve got 3 kids, and you and the missus (or “mister” as the case may be!) get to talking about how you’ve been wanting to take the kids on a REAL vacation, and how they are right at that perfect age for Disney. You’ve even been saving up some money, so on the spur of the moment, you decide to take the plunge.
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