Brand Your Gutter Business!
Posted: Saturday, February 14, 2009
by Timothy Staub
Elko Products Co. Inc.
We see them every day . . . many of them are a part of our childhood and a part of our lives. Brands, like Coke, Kleenex, Google, Dell. Building a brand in today's busy, cluttered, electronic world is more challenging, more difficult, and generally far more expensive than an average business can afford without deep pockets and a strong stomach. It's even more difficult for small service businesses like gutter contractors who focus on small markets, generally either local or regional (at best).
It's a losing game. Worse yet, it's a "cart before the horse" approach that is destined to fail unless it is backed by consistent, quality service, products, and follow up . . . and well trained employees that understand how to provide it.
As a manufacturer of gutter products sold to contractors all over North America, I've seen incredibly successful contractors with very little business experience build strong, healthy businesses. I've also seen contractors with great savvy and solid credentials fail miserably due to a lack of consistency and commitment.
What makes the difference in these contractors? More often than not, it's an understanding that their service business is a brand, and they're in business to build that brand. Building a local or regional service "brand" is hard work, but it isn't necessarily expensive work. It takes focus, determination, perserverance, attention to detail, customer empathy, and an incredible desire to make customers happy. Best of all, it doesn't take a lot of money to do it.
Here are the six golden rules to building your brand with your contractor business.
1. A "Brand" is a promise, and you must always keep the brand promise
2. Promote, promote, promote! It's far less expensive than advertising.
3. Delight every customer, and follow the 3-for-1 rule.
4. Build consistency into every customer interaction . . . make it repeatable.
5. Train, train, train! Process and focus only matter if every employee delivers.
So, your company is your brand, right? What does your brand say about you? If your business is called Affordable Gutters, you'd better be affordable. If your business implies expertise, every employee had better know their stuff. Whatever your business is called, the first order of business is to understand your brand promise . . . and write it down. That brand promise should be felt in every aspect of your business, from the first telephone call to the final clean up.
Next, promotion is critical to building your business and your brand. Develop a good logo (go to www.logoworks.com or another affordable online alternative) and use it on all your work, including letterheads, business cards, apparrel, work orders, estimate forms, trucks . . . it should be a central part of your business. Logos help customers recall your brand.
Yard signs work. Small yard signs work better. Colors make a difference. Follow local regulations, but find loop holes (like railroad crossings, right of ways, etc.). Flyers work, but remember it takes 4-5 flyers at the same home to generate an opportunity. Target specific neighborhoods, develop a "beach head" with one happy customer, and expand from there. Make sure your trucks are covered with logos and contact information without clutter.
Referrals are the heart and soul of any successful contractor business, and they don't happen by accident. Make it a point to ask for referrals. And don't stop asking. Maintain your customer lists so you can call back every now and then and remind them of your great work. Send them letters with friends and family discount coupons. Make sure they know that every customer gets the same great service.
Why? Because great service doesn't happen by accident. Great service comes from great processes that are written down and followed by every employee. As you learn new and better ways of doing things, write those down . . . edit and update . . . but keep all of your critical processes written down in your Operations Manual. And don't forget about handling complaints; every complaint is an opportunity . . . to keep the brand promise, and to generate new referrals.
Then train, train, train. Hire great people and train them incessantly, then train them to train others. Make training a central part of your business, and your brand will follow. Publicly praise those employees who deliver, and privately reprimand those who don't. Hire slowly; fire quickly.
Do these things, and you will build a great contractor business, and a great brand. Once you've built a strong foundation, then it's time to look at other forms of marketing that can be built into your budget on the base of a strong and successful brand. All it takes is discipline, focus and perserverance, and a commitment to build your brand . . . and your business!
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Top-level comments on this article: (1 total)Well thought out . . . logical advice, but rarely followed. Good stuff.
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