This little search engine called Google (heard of them?) just rolled out with a new feature that could be a massive boom to your business…

If you’re a Google Business client, you now have the option to let searchers text message you directly from the Google Search Results page.

The circled icon is where prospects can text you.

Having an online chat service on your website is already a powerful lead-generation tool. Now imagine how having a “chat” function on your results page can amplify the flow of your lead pipeline that much more.

Hot prospects—the ones who are looking to buy right now or in the very near future—will be all over this.

Here’s an example of what the messaging function looks like on the prospect’s end:

Once prospects hit “Message,” they can immediately text you.

As you can see in the picture, clicking the Message icon opens the prospect’s texting app. Prospects then text you what they’re looking for.

You can also set up the function to auto-respond with something like “Thanks for contacting ABC Contracting. How can we help?” once the prospect clicks the Message icon.

Pretty simple.

Incredibly effective.

A few important notes about Google Business’s messaging function…

1. You can’t get this feature unless you have a Google Business account and a Google Business Listing (like in that first picture above). When you’re an MYM client, we set up and manage your account for you.
2. Currently, the messaging feature can only be done when a customer searches for a business name from a mobile device.
3. You will need to provide a cell phone number that receives text messages; however, Google masks your number, so the customer you’re chatting will not see it. Instead, they see a generic phone number that forwards to your phone.
4. You can enable and disable messaging at any time. If you’re an MYM client, we can do it for you. (Naturally.)
5. Most Important: You want to be responsive to these chats. During your business hours, make sure you are replying promptly. These kinds of prospects aren’t messing around. They want to engage with someone right away.

If you want to remain on the cutting edge of online lead generation, you have to keep up with developments like this message function.

And if you’re anything less than an internet marketing expert, that’s all but impossible. There are just too many developments coming out each and every day to keep up with them all.

But MYM clients don’t have to worry about that. Our crack team of online-marketing experts handles all of our clients’ internet marketing needs FOR THEM.

The website, the lead generation, the search-engine optimization… the whole shebang.

We do the work; our clients enjoy the fruits of our labor.

If you’d like to know more, you can…

1. Call us at (817) 416-4333.
2. Visit our website and use the chat function in the lower-right corner.
3. Visit MYM’s Google results page on your phone and hit “Message” under our Google Business Listing.

P.S. Seriously, try out the messaging feature under our business listing. It’ll give you a sense of how easy yet powerful this little lead-generation tool is.

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A bathroom contractor once submitted this print advertisement to me for feedback:

Two of my issues with this ad were…

1.) It was ugly.

2.) It looked exactly like the 56,432 other bathroom ads you see in newspapers and magazines.

But the most egregious sin this ad committed was who it targeted. Or, more accurately, that it targeted too many people.

I’ll explain.

The ad tries to reach several different markets at once. It wants you to know that the company can take on a variety of bathroom projects—from “beautiful baths” to “tub to shower conversions” to “walk-in tubs.”

As a result, the ad piqued no particular market’s interest. Thus, no one responded to it.

I had the following conversation with the bathroom remodeler about his ad’s lack of success…

Me: What percentage of your business are senior citizens, 60 years and older?

Bathroom Contractor: 60 percent to 70 percent

Me: Is that the kind of customers you’d like to continue to attract?

Bathroom Contractor: Yes.

Me: So why don’t you reach out to them specifically instead of throwing out this general stuff?

Bathroom Contractor: (head scratching)

Me: What is the biggest problem they have that you solve?

Bathroom Contractor: They can’t get their leg up over the tub to get in or out, or they are worried about slipping when they raise their leg.

Me: How about we just say that?

Bathroom Contractor: (mind explodes)

Eureka!

Sometimes the best ad is one that literally conveys what is going on in people’s heads. Because you’ve captured what they’re thinking, your message instantly becomes powerful and resonant.

After a little more digging, I found out that some of the company’s customers preferred to take baths, while others preferred showers—and that the company has products for either preference (walk-in tubs and low or zero-entry showers).

So I wrote the following text for the ad on the spot while on the phone with the client:

—

“It’s Hard To Raise My Leg Over The Tub…”

Finally, An Inexpensive Way To Make Bathing Easy & Worry-Free Again.

Our Patented Walk-In Tubs & Showers Solve Your Problem For Good.

Let’s face it, just getting in and out of the tub can be a major challenge. Slips and falls can and do (and will!) happen. Don’t wait until you have an accident to remove your tub and replace it with a SAFER alternative.

Prefer To Take Baths? If you prefer to take baths, convert to our patented WALK-IN TUB. It has a low-step door that perfectly seals water in while your bath remains perfectly safe. No more worrying. Stress-free bathing.

Prefer To Take Showers? We can pull your old tub out and replace it with a low-step (4 inches) or roll-in (zero inches) entry that eliminates the stress of getting in and out. Both models have optional seats & grab bars (recommended!) and non-slip surfaces for your safety.

We’ve been creating perfect bathrooms solutions for 40 years—we are preoccupied with perfection. We are adamant about excellence. We are fixated on flawless. Let us help you solve your bathroom safety concerns today.

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Next, I had MYM’s design team put this text into an eye-catching advertisement. I couldn’t find a photo I liked for the ad, so I had my artist produce an illustration that captures the essence of the ad perfectly.

Here’s the final product:

Wham, bam, thank you, ma’am: Now THAT’S an ad that reaches out and grabs readers. But not just any readers—the RIGHT readers.

Moral of the story: When it comes to marketing, speak directly to your target audience!

If you need ad creation that resonates with your audience and hits their “buy” buttons, you know who to turn to.

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If you want to know how many leads your SEO and other organic traffic sources are producing (not just the amount of visitors to your website they get), you’ll find this interesting…

We just rolled out a new feature that tracks organic leads our clients get from various traffic sources.

For example…

We can determine that Contractor X had 15 website leads for the month come from SEO, 10 from people calling the phone number listed on their website, and seven from online chat.

Then we include this information in the already detail-rich monthly website traffic reports we send to our clients. They know where their lead “game” is strong, and where they need to improve.

Organic lead tracking is an invaluable new feature for our clients because they can now see the true ROI their website produces.

Don’t get me wrong…

Tracking organic website traffic is super important. We do it for our clients exhaustively.

But tracking the LEADS from this traffic shows you how well your website is converting once prospects are actually ON your website.

Another cool feature of our lead-tracking tool is that we can track ANY lead goal you want. We can see how many people signed up for your newsletter, downloaded your brochure, and so on.

Simply put, if there is an aspect of your website that can be measured and quantified, we can track the results.

Here is more info about our comprehensive SEO solutions for contractors.

You’ll see we don’t do a few lame Facebook posts and an anemic, keyword-stuffed blog post every month and call it good.

No, sir. (Or ma’am.)

The amount of SEO bang our clients get for their buck is on a whole other level.

In addition to our new lead-tracking feature, we provide…

• Complete backend coding for every page of your website.
• Premium, high-level SEO blog posts and social media content.
• Optimization for the keywords that YOUR specific prospects search for.
• Meticulous monthly reporting that our Digital Services Director reviews with you every month.
• Monthly videos for your website and YouTube channel—one hundred-percent scripted, filmed, and produced.
• Monthly case studies that showcase your work while moving you up in the search rankings.
• And much, much, MUCH more.

Like I said, go here for more details about our SEO.

P.S. We’ve got some gorgeous contractor websites coming down the pipeline. You’ll want to keep an eye out over the next few weeks—I’ll be sharing these websites with you as they launch. Who knows… maybe they’ll inspire you with ideas for your own website update.

Want to know the #1 reason contractors don’t close sales meetings?

Hint: It’s probably not what you’re thinking.

While “no money,” “needed more info,” and “bad timing” are all solid answers, they’re not the most common reason for sales meetings that end… well, without a sale.

Not. Even. Close.

The biggest reason people don’t buy during that initial meeting (which radically reduces the chance they’ll buy at all) is good old-fashioned sticker shock.

Yes, really. I’ll explain.

You are asking people for a lot more money than they were likely expecting you to. Though they may be able to afford it, the collision course of their flowery expectations with a (much) more expensive reality is enough to kill a sale.

Think about it…

Contractors sell a fairly expensive service that people don’t often buy. This means most homeowners don’t have a frame of reference for how much they should expect to pay. And when they don’t know, they tend to underestimate the cost.

So when you show up to sell to prospects, you have to cover a lot of ground to close that gap. This leads to frustratingly long sales cycles, sales meetings that stretch well beyond what they’re supposed to, and the prospect raising phantom objections (because they’re too scared to admit that, holy cow, this is more money than they were expecting!).

Here’s how you prevent sticker shock in your prospects and make closing ratios soar…

1. Utilize Pre-Positioning Materials

One of the best ways to quell sticker shock is to start building a case for the value of your services before you meet with the prospect.

You can do this by sending the prospect Pre-Positioning materials—informative sales materials and reports (printed work best, but PDF documents work in a pinch) that showcase a bit of your Identity while educating them on how to make good decisions for their home and project.

Two examples of Pre-Positioning materials we include provide our clients are the Contractor Standards Guide (a guide that helps homeowners choose the best contractor) and Product Reports (a brochure that provides specific info about a product you sell).

Contractor Standards Guide (Roofing Contractor)

Product Guide (Hardwood Floors)

The goal of Pre-Positioning materials is lay out all the main points you’d make during the sales meeting to win them over on price. The key here is that you’re setting expectations BEFORE dropping a price on them. And since it’s in writing—rather than coming from a salesperson’s mouth—it has more credibility and authority.

2. Confirmation Calls

The next step is to make sure your prospect has read the Pre-Positioning materials before your meeting. When you call to confirm the sales appointment, ask the prospect if he’s had to review the materials you sent. Let him know about the important information he’ll find in the report, and direct him to the most relevant parts.

Don’t just say, “Hey, read this because you have the wrong idea about price and I don’t want to battle you on it.” Instead, frame yourself as the prospect’s advocate and tell him that the Pre-Positioning report will educate him on the right questions to ask during your meeting (or any sales meeting, for that matter).

3. Let Prospects Go Price Shopping

If you’re not able to close the deal at the appointment, by all means, let your prospect shop the competition with the Pre-Positioning materials you’ve armed him with. It may seem counterproductive, but if you’re a quality company, you should never be afraid to let an educated prospect shop around.

Besides, he already knows you may cost more than your competitors. And since you gave him the materials he needs to see that low price also means low quality, low service, and low reliability, there is a fantastic chance he’ll come back to YOU.

If you want to increase closing ratios, boost your average sales amount, and eliminate sticker shock in your prospects, click here to learn more about MYM’s Pre-Positioning package.

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