Most marketing mistakes aren’t as obvious as this construction mistake.

I want to tell you a story about one of the most common fatal mistakes I see contractors making in their marketing efforts. If you read this story carefully, you will find a few laser-targeted weapons inside that you can use to close more sales for your construction business.

So, to get on with the story…

Every day I talk to contractors, builders, and remodelers about construction marketing. Usually a contractor calls me because he wants to ask me some questions about marketing.

He or she usually wants to know whether I have anything that could specifically help his or her business. They don’t care about anything else…they just want to ask me some questions.

So far, that’s very reasonable…that’s what I’m here for, right? Besides, I love to answer questions, and talk about marketing.

So, they call me to ask questions. But here’s the catch:

That’s not what happens.

What does happen?

Almost always, I’m the one who asks most of the questions.

Why does this matter to you? Because that’s the single most effective method I can offer you to start turning more prospects into clients.

How does it work? I’ll get to that in a minute.

You see, every time I talk to a construction business owner, I ask a series of questions. The questions I ask are specifically designed so that I can learn more about their business.

Let’s walk through it for a moment.

For example, let’s imagine I am talking to a seasoned, experienced business owner named Jim.

Jim is the proud owner of a successful remodeling business in Springfield, a mid-size city of 250,000 people.

Jim has called me because, although his business is successful, he wants to know if I know anything that can help him take his business to the next level. He has called to find out more about me and my resources. And he specifically wants to know whether I can do anything for him.

That’s all he really cares about:

“What can I do for Jim?“

He probably has a list of questions he wants to ask me, loosely floating around in his head. There are a few specific things he wants to know about my business. That’s why he called.

So, here’s what always happens next:

After we engage in some small talk, I begin to ask Jim questions.

Specifically, I’m asking him a whole bunch of in-depth questions about his business.

Now this is always the turning point in the phone call.

You see, the only real way I can help someone is if I can learn about their business, and present a customized solution to their problem. And I’ll never get there talking about my own business.

If someone calls me and really wants to know specific details about me or my business, I am happy to provide that information. All the information they are usually wondering about is available on my website, or in various other forms of information I have available. That’s never the problem.

Jim wants some references? Great, I have excellent references for him to peruse at any time. He wants to see past successes? Awesome, I love it when people ask that. The proof is in the pudding, and I’ve got a whole bowl of pudding right here for him.

The problem is this: if I allow us to spend a ton of time on the phone talking about me, I will fail to help Jim. The only way I’m going to help Jim is by learning more about his business.

So, I have extremely quick and effective ways to answer the inevitable questions quickly, so I can get back to asking about Jim’s business.

And that’s exactly how I recommend you should talk to your clients and prospects.

This stuff works for contractors. How do I know?

I know because that’s where I learned how to do it - in the construction industry. Use this method, and you’ll close more sales. You’ll help more customers meet there goals and fulfill their wants and desires. Your marketing will become much more effective, because this same principal applies to all other marketing activities too.

Bu don’t forget, there’s another wonderful side effect of this method.

Here’s the side effect:

When you ask your prospect specific, targeted questions about his situation, you instantly and automatically build the trust he was seeking out in the first place.

Jim called me to find out if he could trust me. His idea was that by asking me questions, he would be able to figure out if he could trust me.

But my questions, and the constructive, relevant answers my questions uncovered, built more trust with Jim than any questions he could ask me.

By answering my questions, Jim can see:

• This guy cares about his business (we begin a relationship)
• This guy knows the right questions to ask (competence)
• Past results are evident (proof)
• We are headed in the right direction (leadership)
• It’s clear what to do next (clear course of action)
• The expected results are concrete and measurable (practical)

So, what does all this mean to you as a contractor?

First off, you now know the biggest mistake contractors make in their marketing.

They talk about themselves, and their businesses. Avoid this in your business, and learn to ask questions.

Look, all that information about your business matters. It’s important. It’s even relevant sometimes.

But spending your time talking about it with your prospects will get you nowhere fast.

So that’s the huge construction marketing mistake. It’s forgetting to ask questions, and not focusing 100% on the client.

That’s the secret marketing tip of the day:

Focus on your prospect. Ask your prospect questions. Whenever the focus shifts to you, be clear that you’d be happy to answer any questions about yourself, but then go right back into asking more questions about your prospect.

That’s all marketing really is. It’s closing a gap between someone else’s need, and your solution.

Pass it along: If you know someone who could use help with website promotion and online marketing, feel free to send them a link to this page, or link to it on your own website.

Technorati Tags: Asking Questions, Construction Marketing Mistakes

We can talk about the importance of building strong relationships all day long. That’s for a different post.

Yes, as a construction small business, you need to develop your relationship-building skills. You need to add value to your community. You need to develop strong relationships over time.

But building strong relationships is more of an attitude, a mindset, or a culture you can create than it is a marketing action you can take today.

So what actions can you take today to jump-start your marketing as a contractor?

Take your “relationship building” culture, and inject this culture into the following marketing actions:

1. Ask for referrals by calling your past customer list and other contacts.

2. Offer a “check-up” service, or perhaps 1 hour of free handyman work to your list of (good) past clients. (See this great article by Mark Buckshon about Jon Goldman’s marketing idea.)

3. Overhaul your website, and take action to move up the search engines and get found online.

4. Send out a mailer to a quality list, with a good offer and call to action.

5. Offer your ad to print media at a remnant price (tell them they can run your ad for x amount if they have vacant spots - set your own price.)

6. Go to networking events and try to meet 75% of the people there (ask about them, don’t talk about yourself.)

7. Build a ramp for someone in need, and do a press release about the build.

These are 7 marketing actions you can start with right now. Today. Right after you click away from this page.

Yes, you should absolutely focus your energy on building relationships. You can begin building some new relationships by taking these actions right away to jump-start your marketing as a builder, remodeler, subcontractor or any construction small business.

Pass it along: If you know someone who could use help with website promotion and online marketing, feel free to send them a link to this page, or link to it on your own website.

Technorati Tags: Construction Marketing, Construction Small Business, marketing ideas

We all know that better online visibility and a strong web presence can lead to increased profits, a full pipeline, and maybe even more free time to actually work on the “construction” end of your business (or golf, wink wink.)

As a contractor trying to enhance your marketing and drum up new business, you’ve probably spent some time thinking about how to get more business from your website.

I’ve found that most local markets, even in big cities, are quite attainable.

“The average contractor can dominate his local market online if he puts a strategic plan in place.”

If you’re an up-and-comer in the world of online marketing, I created this free report just for you. Think of it as a primer to get yourself where you need to be strategically to begin building your online empire.

You can check out this free report here.

Pass it along: If you know someone who could use help with website promotion and online marketing, feel free to send them a link to this page, or link to it on your own website.

Technorati Tags: Construction Website

(Photo of me by Mark Buckshon of the Construction Marketing Ideas Blog)

Here’s to your construction business ringing in the new year.

For the contractor who is looking to take some marketing actions during this first week of the new year, here are a few suggestions from previous posts here on this blog:

Top 3 Construction Marketing Actions

Direct Mail Marketing Guerilla Style

Online Marketing for Contractors

13 Free Web Marketing Tools

Check out these ideas, and pick out something that you can do TODAY to market your business.

Best of luck to you in 2009!

Technorati Tags: Construction Marketing Ideas for the New Year

“So you’re telling me there’s a chance.”

Look, we all know things have changed for the worse around here in the world of construction. (Understatement!)

I remember many strategy sessions back in the “fat and happy” times a few years ago.

We discussed things like…

• What would happen if the bubble burst?
• Will remodeling remain steady and firm?
• Will new homebuilders start taking all the remodeling jobs at their dangerously low profit margins (you guys know what I mean….wink, wink)
• Will the contractors who are spread thin go out of business?
• Will only the strong survive?
• Will real estate prices plummet?

Unfortunately, we all know the answers now. And we’re forced to deal with it.

This recession is very rough on the typical construction small business. Guys are hurting, I’ve seen it first hand.

It’s very difficult to operate when you’re desperate and worried. It can almost seem impossible.

Prospects can smell desperation, and they will run far, far away when they do.

So what the h*ll is the point, you ask?

My point is this:

Forget about the economy. Forget about the news. Forget about all the other struggling contractors.

Focus on your business.

One single business, and that’s all.

We can take the ultra-micro economy of your one single solitary business and get you into some work by putting you out there, right up in front of the few prospects who are looking for a contractor.

Take it one step at a time.

Focus all your energy on your marketing.

Here’s how:

FACE TO FACE MARKETING

1. Get your a** into a good mood, right now. Whatever it takes.

2. Go to every single networking and socializing event you can find, and talk to every single person in the room.

3. When talking, be 100% focused on helping the person you are talking with, in any way you can.

4. Do not talk about yourself, ask the other person about himself or herself all day long.

Sorry, it’s cliche. But there’s a reason for that….

5. If they need help moving, help them. If they need a laugh, make them laugh. If they need advice on how to fix their plumbing without a contractor, tell them how to do it. Be selfless, be upbeat, and be as generous as you can be.

6. Keep a running tally of how many new people you meet per day/week/month. Try to beat your records.

7. When you’ve met 250 new people, you are getting somewhere. (Link ‘em In!)

8. Never talk about yourself or your business until asked. The first time they ask, give a one word answer and ask another question about them. They WILL eventually force you to tell them what you do for a living. THEN, you’re a contractor.

9. Offer as much free advice, helpful tips, knowledge, friendliness and kindness as you can possibly muster. Ask for nothing in return.

10. Watch in amazement as you begin to see opportunities appear out of thin air.

ONLINE MARKETING

People look for contractors online now more than ever. You need to BE THERE, at the top.

How? Hard work, time, and dedication.

Start here.

Next, do these things:

1. Post helpful comments on industry-related blogs, social networking sites, and forums with a link to your website.

2. Use social bookmarking sites to link to your website.

3. Make 15 short, informative videos and post them around the internet everywhere. They don’t need to look good. Mine look like crap, but I give my best information and it works.

4. Submit your website to directories.

5. Turn your videos into podcasts and post them to podcast directories.

6. Post new content to your website every day. Just pick your favorite past customer, and imagine you are writing advice directly to him or her. Be helpful, add value.

7. Pay $300 for a dir.yahoo.com listing. It’s Google juice, baby. You don’t have to believe me.

8. Submit to DMOZ and wait wait wait….

9. Add new pages to your website with your target keywords in the title. Like DragItHome.com/website-services/.

10. Do this stuff steadily, over time. Never lose a link, or get links from non-reputable sources. Don’t go crazy, be consistent, or you will fall in the search rankings.

11. Be as awesome as you can be. (For me, that’s just mildy-to-barely awesome. But I try my best.)

So, to sum up…

We need to try way harder than we used to have to try.

We need to get in front of as many people as possible, and help them.

We need to position ourselves online so that when someone actually wants to find a contractor, we are there. Boom. Opportunity seized.

This stuff is hard work. I do it myself. It keeps me up late at night, and it nags me out of bed in the morning.

But that’s the new reality we live in. So let’s live in it. On purpose. As hard as we can.

Good luck.

And seriously, if I can help you with your business or your marketing in any way, please contact me immediately.

Now why aren’t you at a networking event right now? You are really p*****g me off.

Pass it along: If you know someone who could use help with website promotion and online marketing, feel free to send them a link to this page, or link to it on your own website.

Technorati Tags: Construction Marketing, Contractor Websites, Networking

Times are tough, and marketing for the typical construction small business has gotten more difficult.

For many contractors, what this really means is, now they have to actually use some marketing strategies, whereas back in the fat and happy times, almost no marketing was necessary.

Dave Ramsey said one day that all a contractor really had to do to succeed was just answer the phone, return calls, show up on time, and stay at the project all day. Just do the bare-minimum basics as a builder, and you shine like a light in the dark.

That was before.

Now, we have to hustle a lot more. We have to be the best at marketing, or “no soup for you.”

New home builders, once housing starts dried up, all decided to start remodeling. This put the crunch on remodelers. Commercial contractors have been hit hard too. Even handyman companies struggle to get by. And lets not forget that all subcontractors, vendors, suppliers, and even realtors are hurting.

So what can you do about it?

You can circle the wagons. Hole up and wait it out. “Tighten your belt,” right?

Or, you can be a marketing sniper.

(Are you a marketing sniper?)

You can, with very little money or resources, do the things you need to do to make sure you get the projects that actually do come down the pike.

I believe the fastest way to get to this point is by studying marketing, or the master craft of “drumming up work.”

There are great opportunities out there, even in this tight market.

Working your past client list, using online marketing to get found on the internet, creating a referral system, using direct mail, and pursuing joint ventures are all activities that can provide results.

Circle the wagons if you must. But if you want to make some progress, I am here to help you do just that. Please feel free to contact me if I can help you improve your business, or your marketing.

Pass it along: If you know someone who could use help with website promotion and online marketing, feel free to send them a link to this page, or link to it on your own website.

Technorati Tags: Construction Marketing, Marketing Strategy

The other day I caught wind of someone saying “I hate to rain on your parade, but….”

Then this individual went on to gripe to some contractors about how learning and making progress with online marketing is somehow not worth it, because the all mighty “Google” will change everything in the next couple of years anyway.

Wrong on one hand, right on the other.

It’s wrong to complain and have a negative attitude about the changing future of marketing a business on the internet.

It’s right to anticipate change.

Do you know who hates change? People who are complacent and want to keep all their cards close to their chest.

Look, being conservative and cautious is virtuous, respectable, and necessary when it comes to things like finances, your health, the well-being of your family, etc.

But there’s no place for a victim mentality in modern-day marketing. The marketing world is changing FAST. I mean, like, every DAY.

If you embrace change, stay mobile, and aim your eye to the horizon every now and then, there is more opportunity than you can imagine.

The barrier to entry for business opportunity is lower than it’s ever been in my lifetime.

Online, even more so.

The opportunities for contractors, builders, and remodelers to dominate their local market online blow my mind sometimes. I get so excited every time I look at a new market with a contractor. I mean I’ve seen some HUGE opportunities for the average construction small business to grow and really get found online.

Don’t complain that the internet is changing and you might lose your “position.” It was never yours to begin with.

Stay on your toes, and keep an eye out for construction marketing opportunities. There are so many it’s just stupid to spend a moment worrying.

• Move.
  

• Change.
  

• Grow.
  

• Figure it out.

Don’t just give up because things are going to change some day. And don’t spend your time discouraging others, either.

If you try to discourage me, I will not listen. There’s too much business opportunity out there.

There are the “Haves,” and the “Have-Nots” in this business environment.

Who wants to live in a world where only the “haves” will succeed?

Think like a “have not.”

Like consulting rock-star Alan Weiss said,

“You and I are the raptors in this world. We should have no fear of the brontosaur’s size or the tyrannosaur’s ferocity.”

(By the way, Alan Weiss is a “Have,” rather than a “Have-Not.” Big time. But he keeps thinking like a raptor.)

Pass it along: If you know someone who could use help with website promotion and online marketing, feel free to send them a link to this page, or link to it on your own website.

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Technorati Tags: Alan Weiss, Change, Construction Marketing, Online Marketing

Hi, I’m Seth. Good to meet you. Look around, everything on this website is yours for free! Oh, and let me know if I can help you and your business in any way.

Overwhelmingly, people have been coming to me for online marketing advice more than any other construction marketing topic these days.

It’s an exciting time for online marketing. Our changing economic landscape combined with all the crazy, fun new changes in the way the internet works add up to some interesting opportunities.

There’s all this new stuff like social media, “new media” link building, and online video marketing.

I talked to one established construction marketing expert the other day who mentioned that “social media” has been killing him lately. And I know some folks who are real newbies, but have cracked the social media nut and are achieving huge results.

Also, I’ve found there are rafts of old, outdated information floating around in our sea of knowledge. Watch out for them, because if you jump on one of those rafts, you might go adrift towards the marketing “Bermuda Triangle.”

Marketing has changed. BIG time.

Has “relationship building” changed? No. Do we have new ways to establish relationships now? YES.

Have referrals dried up? No. Are there exciting new ways to maximize referrals? YES.

Is advertising obsolete? Yes. Ha ha. Sorry, I mean “No.” But do the old established advertising methods work for contractors? Not really. Not anymore.

Overall, adding real value for free, and making real personal connections will get you far.

1. Be helpful with no expectation of gaining anything in return. You will gain instant trust.

2. Help others make connections and grow their businesses every chance you get. Watch them reciprocate with referrals.

3. Answer questions and give your best information away for free. Become a trusted advisor (and make the sale.)

This new wave of online marketing and the viral spreading of ideas might be foreign to you. That’s OK. You don’t have to become a social media expert to run a construction business.

But you can take a look into the future of ALL small business marketing by taking note of the principles that the online community has adopted.

People buy from people they like. That’s a timeless principle.

Why is today’s marketing landscape different from the past?

Because now we have access to tools that allow us to connect exponentially faster than before.

Add value to the conversation, and make personal connections. Do this by shaking hands, one at a time. OR, inject these principles into your online presence, and do it everywhere, all at once, even while you sleep.

That’s the opportunity we have today.

Pass it along: If you know someone who could use help with website promotion and online marketing, feel free to send them a link to this page, or link to it on your own website.

Technorati Tags: Construction Marketing, Contractor Marketing

“Of course it’s much easier to sit around asking if any marketing is working than it is to go out there and start marketing your business using multiple tactics.”

But there are people out there like “gmstang” from Contractor Talk who go out there and get things done. Check out this thread about a marketing action that has been working in this market.

In case you’re not already familiar, ContractorTalk.com is an unparalleled resource of construction business advice. (Maybe get a little humor in the mix as well. Which in my opinion, is an absolute necessity!)

Cliff notes: Send a hand addressed, targeted mailer that focuses on solving a problem for your prospect. It’s cheap, easily testable, and virtually risk free. Why not try it?

Pass it along: If you know someone who could use help with website promotion and online marketing, feel free to send them a link to this page, or link to it on your own website.

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Technorati Tags: Construction Letter, Construction Marketing, Direct Mail

In this video you’ll find 3 things you can do to try to land some new clients quickly and easily with a minimum of expense.

1. Past clients

2. Direct Mail

3. Website

As a contractor, builder, remodeler, or construction small business, it’s best in this market to focus on real, practical things you can do right now. These three ideas have been shown to work right now, in this market. Give ‘em a shot, and you might be in for a happy new year. More on websites….

Pass it along: If you know someone who could use help with website promotion and online marketing, feel free to send them a link to this page, or link to it on your own website.

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Technorati Tags: Construction Marketing Video