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Contractor Marketing Quick Tips: Proximity Marketing

With A Little Effort & Know-How, You Can Sell The Whole Dang Neighborhood

With A Little Effort & Know-How, You Can Sell The Whole Dang Neighborhood

The Old “Send Three Postcards” Trick Doesn’t Work.
Turning One Job Into Many Takes Effort, Know-How, & Persistence.

Written by Rich Harshaw

Note: This article is part of Monopolize Your Marketplace’s ongoing “Contractor Marketing Quick Tips” series. This information is not meant to be comprehensive; it’s simply meant to give you some quick ideas.

Radius Mailers. Proximity Marketing. Neighborhood mailings. Whatever you call them, they simply don’t work for most remodeling companies. In fact, in live seminars, when I ask for a show of hands how many people successfully use this tactic, I almost NEVER get affirmative hand raises. More usually, I hear “we used to do that,” or “it doesn’t work anymore.”

The tired old “send three postcards” routine simply doesn’t work anymore (if it ever did). To understand why it doesn’t work, and how to crack the neighborhood mailing code, I present to you these 5 quick tips:

Tip 1: Understand The Real Situation: First realize this: just because your customer bought windows (or siding or a kitchen) from you doesn’t mean that his neighbors are automatically thinking about the same thing. Stated differently, if your neighbor buys a new TV or hot tub (or whatever), do you automatically want one too? To get these neighbors on board, you’re first going to have to get their attention, and that’s going to take a serious, concerted effort. You’re going to have to use what I call a “multi-touch” approach… it’s geared to hit them repeatedly until they can’t help but deal with you. That sounds a bit roughshod—and maybe it is—but hey, you gotta do what works.

Tip 2: Get Your Customers Involved: Give your customers a little incentive to help you out. Maybe a little price discount, or a gift card to a local restaurant. But you’re going to need their help. First of all, they need to put your sign in their front yard—that’s obvious. But don’t stop there; also put a “take one” box next to the sign that is filled with flyers that tout your Identity. Your customers job is to keep the box full. Also have your customers agree to let you send a testimonial letter out with their name signed to it (discussed below) as well as post photos of their job on your contractor website, as well as on your mailers (also below). Finally, you need them to agree to take phone calls from prospective customers in their neighborhood as a reference. See, you need to give them a little SOMETHING since you’ll be putting them to work!This is where the rubber hits the road. We call this process “Micro-Canvassing” and it works like this: Print off a list of all the neighbors that you’ve been mailing stuff to over the last couple of weeks (usually about 40 to 200 names) and hand the list to an attractive, well-groomed, well-mannered young man between the ages of 18 and 25 years old. Tell him to knock on the doors of the addresses on the list and identify himself as a representative of your company. Have him hold a fanned-out-and-stapled-together stack of the 5 mailers you’ve sent out, and have him show the people at the door. They should have at least a glimmer of recognition. Create an oversized “big bill” (17” x 7.3”) printed on one side with any denomination that you are willing to offer as an incentive (say, $500) and on the other side, your…… IDENTITY! We’ve found that when you actually get in front of people’s’ faces AFTER having softened them up with the mailers, THEN you’re in a good position to set appointments and get sales.

Tip 3: Let The Fray Begin! After the jobsite sign and take-one flyers, you will next send out a series of three postcards. But not just any postcards! Don’t send those stupid “We’re in the neighborhood” ones that nobody reads or cares about. Send three different cards, in succession, that talk about your identity, give references (with phone numbers), and any offers you have. You shouldn’t expect a big flurry of calls from this—you are just softening up the ground at this point. Breaking through the clutter. Getting a foothold.

Tip 4: Unleash The Heavy Artillery: Once you’ve hit them with the 3 postcards, now it’s time to break out the bigger guns. First up is a check mailer—it’s a mail piece that’s designed to LOOK like it’s a check. It tends to get opened, and when it does, you make them an offer (in the form of the check) and communicate your Identity points (in the letter attached to the check). This can be effective, but still isn’t going to make the phone ring off the hook. Next up is a testimonial letter—remember above, you were recruiting your customers’ help? This is a letter that YOU write on behalf of your customer and have them sign. It talks about—surprise!—your company’s identity and the great experience they had with you. It invites the neighbor to call your customer to ask questions. This works exceptionally well because the letter is delivered in a plain white envelope with a real stamp and your customer’s return name and address on it—which is ostensibly and noticeably nearby.

Tip 5: Send In The Ground Troops: This is where the rubber hits the road. We call this process “Micro-Canvassing” and it works like this: Print off a list of all the neighbors that you’ve been mailing stuff to over the last couple of weeks (usually about 40 to 200 names) and hand the list to an attractive, well-groomed, well-mannered young man between the ages of 18 and 25 years old. Tell him to knock on the doors of the addresses on the list and identify himself as a representative of your company. Have him hold a fanned-out-and-stapled-together stack of the 5 mailers you’ve sent out, and have him show the people at the door. They should have at least a glimmer of recognition. Create an oversized “big bill” (17” x 7.3”) printed on one side with any denomination that you are willing to offer as an incentive (say, $500) and on the other side, your…… IDENTITY! We’ve found that when you actually get in front of people’s’ faces AFTER having softened them up with the mailers, THEN you’re in a good position to set appointments and get sales.

Final Word: This takes time, effort, money, and discipline to pull off. Don’t run wild at first. Instead, pull all the pieces together and try it on 50 to 100 neighbors for 1 or 2 of your customers. You will find that the effort is well worth it as your “micro-canvasser” is welcomed into homes and appointments are set.

 

© 2014 – 2016, Rich Harshaw. All rights reserved.

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