Business is booming in the home services industry right now! Landscaping companies, home improvement businesses, and even pool suppliers are finding that their services are in high demand. Looking to get in on that action? The steps below show how Vomela Commercial can help your company win the marketing game and capitalize on this home improvement blitz.
1. Get off on the right foot.
If you're starting your business, you will want to establish your brand, stat! The tangible elements you use to communicate your brand will represent your philosophy, values, mission, and goals for years to come.
You'll need lots of printed items to start. Business cards are the number one top item you need. They are easy to distribute, easy to carry with you, and easy for your clients to pass along or keep on the fridge. You'll also want to print flyers and/or brochures to showcase your services and point people to your website and social media. There are even more items that we can help with—what about estimate templates or receipt sheets? Consider every step of your process and think about what you might need.
There can be cost savings if you print items at the same time, so be sure to ask your account manager about bundling your print jobs.
2. Advertise locally.
Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM®) services are provided by the U.S. Postal Service for small businesses to advertise in their local community. The USPS has an online tool to help you map specific ZIP codes (or even neighborhoods). But the best part is that you can filter your recipients by demographics like age, income, or household size. (All this information comes from the U.S. Census and is a matter of public record. Use it to your advantage!)
Most businesses even qualify for postage discounts by using the EDDM services, because the addresses are sorted in a way that is easy for the post office to process and deliver. (Remember our discussion on mailings?) When working with Vomela Commercial and our mailing partners, you can pay as little as $0.164 per mail piece—a giant savings considering First Class mail is $0.55 per stamp!
3. Look like a professional.
Remember our point about branding in #1 above? Your brand carries throughout your company to include your employees. Our promotional products catalog has lots of items that you can use to your advantage.
Salespeople and management can wear company polos and leave potential clients with company pens. You can have giveaway drawings for company items if a potential client gets an estimate. The possibilities are endless with our catalog of over 1,000 specialty items!
4. Leave a lasting impression.
When the job is in progress (and hopefully for a while after), you need to let everyone know who is doing the work. You'd be surprised by how many referrals come from people driving by within the neighborhood! We have standard sizes of yard signs that include the metal signposts to insert into the ground.
After the job is complete, you should follow up with your client to ask for referrals and reviews on sites like Google and Yelp. The most impressive after-job marketing I've seen was after having windows in my house replaced. I received a package in the mail that included clear directions on how to leave reviews on different sites, referral forms to give to friends or neighbors (with an incentive for me to do so), and a postage-paid survey for me to fill out and let the company know how they did. It was impressive and furthered their marketing goals by encouraging me to leave positive reviews and referrals. (I did!)
All in all, your sales consultant and account manager are the experts. Make sure you get the most information you can about all our different offerings so that you can plan the best marketing mix for your company. Get out there and get that business!
Are you take the first step in boosting your home service business? Reach out to your Vomela account manager or contact us HERE