For the past year, Tommy has chased every commercial and residential painting job in town. He has implemented a marketing strategy that includes yellow pages, local newspaper and directory listings such as Angie’s List. He spends nearly $60,000 a year in advertising to maintain a $1 million painting company. Margins are about average to less than average. He is on the grind and determined to get off.
He admits that something needs to change. He commits to getting to know his customer base on a deeper level. He focuses on the top 20 percent of his customers. These customers have been loyal to him; they are repeat purchasers. He contacts a couple who has hired him on numerous painting projects. Tommy is a savvy sales person and knows he needs to be prepared with questions so he doesn’t waste their time. He references an old book he had during his commercial sales career, “How to Swim with the Sharks without Being Eaten Alive” by Harvey McKay.”
During this initial meeting and the four other customer getting-to-know you meetings, he uses 20 questions for customer profiling. After analyzing his customers’ answers, he finds five common but distinct attributes.
1. Busy Lifestyles
a. Entrepreneurs, Vice Presidents or CEOs.
2. Avid Golfers
a. Four out of five either play in a league or live near a golf course.
3. Well-kept Homes
a. Homes beginning at $300,000
4. Men
a. Three out of five are on their second marriage
5. Not Handymen
a. Pay service providers for daily maintenance, lawn care, pool, etc.
During his last customer meeting, Tommy’s client suggests that he provide a gift certificate as a prize for his golf league’s weekly tournament. Tommy obliges, but he is quietly resenting the time and effort he has put into getting to know his customers. He is not sure adding “selling his services at a discounted price” to his recent change of business practices is his best move. Needless to say, frustration is increasing. read full article »
Maybe you should get a job…
Tuesday, August 2nd, 2011Last night I sat through a very brief graduation ceremony for a group of Nurses.
I chose to go for a couple reasons.
First, I wanted to show my support for a good friend of our family.
Second, and a little secret, because I’d only admit this to you all -
I wanted to go hang around non-entrepreneurs for a little while and see things
from their perspective.
I’ve got a couple clients that are moving fast into the direct to consumer
marketing, and one who will be directly selling to Nurses, as a matter of fact, so
it was market research.
*lesson, there’s always a purpose, life’s too short to use an experience for only
one thing.
So what does a Nursing Graduation have to do with you…
MORE THAN YOU COULD EVER REALIZE
Let me tell you something, I would have thought these women were winning the Super
Bowl. I mean tears, prayers, celebrations, shout outs, and just all kind of crazy
things. I can’t imagine how happy they were when they had babies…it was just very
cool, for them, and exciting to see others passionate and excited to do something
with their lives.
Every one of them has fought through struggles of their own while finishing this new
chapter in their life. Every one of them sees this as THE opportunity that will
change everything.
And, for some, if they choose, and if they take the same responsibility they had to
in order to make it out of School, this is capable of being a catalyst for bigger
and better things for them.
Some, however, unfortunately, will live a life of quiet (or not so much) desperation
of wondering why nursing wasn’t the magic pill, wasn’t the quick fix, wasn’t the
happily ever after event in their life that they thought it would be.
In this example, I have three lessons, that I’ll try to make brief, though you know
that’s not my strong suit.
First, about “your” customer.
Can you imagine how hard it would have been during the months these women were going
through school to sell them something…anything!?! Simply their minds weren’t
listening to your message. They couldn’t care less about anything other than making
the grade and getting done.
Well, I’ve got news for you — every one of your customers has some THING they are doing
now, experiencing now, consumed with now, that they couldn’t care less about your
message.
You either have to find a way to break through that barrier or align with it.
But, you simply can’t ignore it.
People aren’t waking up every day looking for ways to give you money, you’ll starve
relying on that. You gotta go out there and get it.
Second, about “you”
The Magic Pill…they are all looking for it.
They believe this is THE thing…
And for some they might be right, for some, this degree, this new career, this new
phase in their life will CHANGE everything.
But, don’t miss the bigger point – they all believe that it will.
And if your business isn’t selling them something of this magnitude, at least given
whatever circumstances, situations, etc that you sell against, you are fighting a
losing battle.
Nobody wants to invest their money, time, life, energy, etc into something that
isn’t THE THING!
To these women at this time in their life the moment they shared last night, it was
a turning point for them. You get rich when you sell turning points for people also.
No matter how mundane your business may be, MARKETING can make it a BIG DEAL, and
you must, because that’s what people want.
Now, on the other hand, don’t make the mistake of thinking anything will change you
or your life, only you can do that – only responsibility will reward these women
with the success they imagine.
Finally – and the real message I wanted to get across today was this… read full article »
Tags: Business marketing, indianapolis small business, Marketing Methods, Small business marketing
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