When I was a child, it seemed that every kid in the neighborhood owned a few boards. I don't recall how this came about, but I seem to remember that we would beg our fathers for whatever scraps he had laying around.
During the summers we would often gather with our friends du jour and build some kind of tree fort. Most of these structures would surely be condemned by the local authorities, but being children we were unaware of the proper procedures to follow. But I digress.
Often we would spend the better part of the day "designing" and building our fort. And nearly as often, by the time the structure was complete a disagreement had erupted. It was not unusual for demolition to occur the same day as construction, as each of us took our lumber and went home, only to repeat the process a few days later.
In retrospect, the whole thing was silly for several reasons. One, we seldom got to enjoy our work for long. Two, I had one of the largest lumber supplies in the neighborhood and I should have exerted more authority over the proceedings. Three, you can only pound so many nails into a board before it becomes splintered and useless.
But a lesson was learned. On the rare occasions when everyone would cooperate for a prolonged period, we built some pretty fabulous forts. Well, they seemed fabulous to us at least. We would use the fort for a variety of purposes, such as hiding from the Indians who frequently attacked the neighborhood. Or, if the fort were perched among the lofty birch trees, we would use our position to lob various items at unsuspecting kids who were not "in" on that particular day.
As kids we could not get past our petty differences to see the benefits of working together. Instead, we would act like children (which I guess was appropriate) and stomp off, dragging a pile of 2"x4"s behind us. We all would have been better off to take a deep breath, talk about our dispute, and work together to our mutual benefit.
The same is true in our paint contracting business. As owners, we can easily fall into the mindset of "my way or the highway". While this makes for a pithy comment, it is seldom an effective way to build a business. That approach resulted in forts that did not last long. The same will happen to a business that adopts it.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Marketing Painting Services
Every new painting contractor (and even a lot of seasoned professionals) wants to know the best way to market his business. While there is no "best" way, there are certain principles that one must follow.
Joe Garcia of givetogetmarketing.com offers some insight on this issue.
In the context of a painting contractor, we don't sell painting services. We sell beautification and protection services. We add color to walls and protect surfaces from the elements. We enhance lives and protect asset values.
This has significant implications for our marketing. If we focus on painting, we look just like every other painting contractor. But if we focus on the benefits to the customer-- enhancing their environment, transforming a drab interior into a den of luxury, reducing maintenance costs, etc.-- we present an entirely different image.
A face to face presentation allows you communicate the benefits to the customer. If you simply submit a price, the benefits of the products you use may not be understood. The benefits of using your company might be overlooked.
Marketing and sales are all about communications. What we communicate is just as important as how we communicate it.
Joe Garcia of givetogetmarketing.com offers some insight on this issue.
People don't really buy products and services. They buy what the products or services can do for them. People don't buy quarter inch drills, they buy quarter inch holes.
People buy solutions to their problems. Therefore, all products and services must be the solution to a problem. The problem can be a relatively easy one to solve, like the problem of being hungry and going to a restaurant for the solution. Or it can be a major problem, like the problem of having a serious illness and going to a specialist for the solution.
In the context of a painting contractor, we don't sell painting services. We sell beautification and protection services. We add color to walls and protect surfaces from the elements. We enhance lives and protect asset values.
This has significant implications for our marketing. If we focus on painting, we look just like every other painting contractor. But if we focus on the benefits to the customer-- enhancing their environment, transforming a drab interior into a den of luxury, reducing maintenance costs, etc.-- we present an entirely different image.
About the only difference you may find between marketing products and services, is that services may require more personal contact between you and your potential buyers. This personal contact may be in the form of a face to face presentation, or a telephone presentation.
A face to face presentation allows you communicate the benefits to the customer. If you simply submit a price, the benefits of the products you use may not be understood. The benefits of using your company might be overlooked.
Marketing and sales are all about communications. What we communicate is just as important as how we communicate it.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Sitting in the Dark
Winter is soon approaching, and perhaps the first signs have even begun to appear in your corner of the world. With winter, leads begin to slow. The exterior season comes to a halt. Winter is the time of year when painting contractors often struggle to keep afloat. But it doesn't have to be that way.
Too many contractors view marketing like a light switch. They turn it on and off. The problem is, they wait until it is dark to turn it on. But unlike a light switch, the results are not immediate. So they sit in the dark, waiting for the phone to ring. They don't realize that if they had left the light on all day long, the darkness would never descend upon them.
Now more than ever, marketing will make the difference between success and failure. Consumers are holding on to their money more tightly and leads will grow more precious. You need to keep your lights on or you could find yourself sitting in the dark.
I've written many times that marketing does not need to be expensive. There are many relatively inexpensive, yet effective, methods for marketing. But they need to be implemented consistently, in good times and in bad.
Next week I am offering the first of several marketing workshops. The first-- Guerilla Marketing for Painting Contractors-- covers some of these inexpensive marketing methods that are often overlooked or neglected.
Due to the response, we are now offering a second seating for our first series of marketing workshops. Sign up today before this series fills up.
Too many contractors view marketing like a light switch. They turn it on and off. The problem is, they wait until it is dark to turn it on. But unlike a light switch, the results are not immediate. So they sit in the dark, waiting for the phone to ring. They don't realize that if they had left the light on all day long, the darkness would never descend upon them.
Now more than ever, marketing will make the difference between success and failure. Consumers are holding on to their money more tightly and leads will grow more precious. You need to keep your lights on or you could find yourself sitting in the dark.
I've written many times that marketing does not need to be expensive. There are many relatively inexpensive, yet effective, methods for marketing. But they need to be implemented consistently, in good times and in bad.
Next week I am offering the first of several marketing workshops. The first-- Guerilla Marketing for Painting Contractors-- covers some of these inexpensive marketing methods that are often overlooked or neglected.
Guerilla marketing, according to its founder Jay Levinson, is an attitude. The Guerilla Marketing Handbook describes a guerilla marketer as one who thinks outside of the bucket (okay, that is my phrase for it), who challenges conventional thinking regarding marketing, who takes chances. This workshop will address creative methods for generating leads. Among the topics covered are the Sign Promotion, the Winter Coat Sale, Partnership Programs, and more.
Due to the response, we are now offering a second seating for our first series of marketing workshops. Sign up today before this series fills up.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Perception and Reality
Magicians often use diversions to distract us during their act. They will use noise or a dramatic movement to direct our focus to one place, while they perform their "magic" somewhere else. In other words, they make us see what they want us to see, and in the process create the perception of magic.
But in reality there is not magic. But when we only get a part of the facts, and we are being steered towards a particular conclusion, those partial facts can support that conclusion.
The recent turmoil in the financial markets is a case in point. We have been told, over and over an over, that there is a credit freeze, that businesses cannot borrow money, etc. This mantra was repeated so many times, by so many people, that it seemed like it had to be true. Like a magician, both politicians and the media directed our focus to what they wanted us to see.
But reality presents a slightly different set of facts. If there is a credit freeze, then why do I continue to receive credit offers on a daily basis? Indeed, one day this week I received 4 such offers at my office and 2 at home. This hardly seems like a credit freeze to me.
I won't claim that there aren't serious problems with our economy. But hysterical claims that are not supported by the facts are simply a diversion. And in this case, that diversion is being used to rob Peter to pay Paul.
Such tactics are limited to demigods or magicians. Our customers use them as well. Every painting contractor has probably been told, "I have a lower price" more times than he can count. But the perception and the reality of such claims can be quite different.
The customer may or may not have a lower price. Their claim may simply be a negotiating tactic. And even if they have a lower price, what does that mean? Rather than simply give in and match the lower price, or defend your price, engage the customer in a conversation. Seek to discover the real meaning of their words, rather than accept your perception of their meaning.
But in reality there is not magic. But when we only get a part of the facts, and we are being steered towards a particular conclusion, those partial facts can support that conclusion.
The recent turmoil in the financial markets is a case in point. We have been told, over and over an over, that there is a credit freeze, that businesses cannot borrow money, etc. This mantra was repeated so many times, by so many people, that it seemed like it had to be true. Like a magician, both politicians and the media directed our focus to what they wanted us to see.
But reality presents a slightly different set of facts. If there is a credit freeze, then why do I continue to receive credit offers on a daily basis? Indeed, one day this week I received 4 such offers at my office and 2 at home. This hardly seems like a credit freeze to me.
I won't claim that there aren't serious problems with our economy. But hysterical claims that are not supported by the facts are simply a diversion. And in this case, that diversion is being used to rob Peter to pay Paul.
Such tactics are limited to demigods or magicians. Our customers use them as well. Every painting contractor has probably been told, "I have a lower price" more times than he can count. But the perception and the reality of such claims can be quite different.
The customer may or may not have a lower price. Their claim may simply be a negotiating tactic. And even if they have a lower price, what does that mean? Rather than simply give in and match the lower price, or defend your price, engage the customer in a conversation. Seek to discover the real meaning of their words, rather than accept your perception of their meaning.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Opportunity Knocks
When Hurricane Ike slammed into the Texas Gulf Coast, he did more than wreck homes, knock out the power, and disrupt millions of lives. He also created opportunities .
Ike's winds created mountains of debris throughout the city. For example, I had a pile of limbs about 8' long, 5' deep, and 8' tall. We also filled about 50 plastic bags with twigs and leaves. The massive amount of debris presented the city and property owners with a challenge-- how to remove and dispose of this mess in a timely fashion.
The city responded by hiring hundreds of outside contractors. However, we were warned that it might be months before all of the debris was removed. Some enterprising people filled the void and began offering debris removal directly to home owners. They saw an opportunity and tried to meet it. As painting contractors, there are often other services that we can offer that will add to our bottom line and enhance the job for the customer.
Services such as wood repair, pressure washing, and radiant barriers can create win- win situations for both the customer and the contractor. For the customer, the need to find another contractor is eliminated, and for the contractor these services create additional revenue streams.
I don't mean that we should become a jack-of-all-trades. But there are services that fit well within our skill set that can be offered without compromising quality or pushing us outside of our core competencies.
We don't always know when opportunity will knock. When it does, we must be prepared to answer the door. Sometimes it might be an annoying solicitor. But it might be a friend with a 6-pack of imported beer.
Ike's winds created mountains of debris throughout the city. For example, I had a pile of limbs about 8' long, 5' deep, and 8' tall. We also filled about 50 plastic bags with twigs and leaves. The massive amount of debris presented the city and property owners with a challenge-- how to remove and dispose of this mess in a timely fashion.
The city responded by hiring hundreds of outside contractors. However, we were warned that it might be months before all of the debris was removed. Some enterprising people filled the void and began offering debris removal directly to home owners. They saw an opportunity and tried to meet it. As painting contractors, there are often other services that we can offer that will add to our bottom line and enhance the job for the customer.
Services such as wood repair, pressure washing, and radiant barriers can create win- win situations for both the customer and the contractor. For the customer, the need to find another contractor is eliminated, and for the contractor these services create additional revenue streams.
I don't mean that we should become a jack-of-all-trades. But there are services that fit well within our skill set that can be offered without compromising quality or pushing us outside of our core competencies.
We don't always know when opportunity will knock. When it does, we must be prepared to answer the door. Sometimes it might be an annoying solicitor. But it might be a friend with a 6-pack of imported beer.
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