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Editor’s Note: Small
businesses must always add sales and marketing to their “to do” lists,
especially when times are tough. This story, reprinted from the Inspector
Journal, published by the California Real Estate Inspectors Association (CREIA),
is full of valuable advice for keeping the work flowing.
Marketing
for Tough Times
By Tyler Clydesdale
There are many avenues available to professional appraisers and inspectors to
get the message of their services out to the public and real estate communities.
The following is a brief “in-a-nutshell” summary of the things you should be
considering to help your business survive and thrive.
Four Most Important Marketing Rules
Ask yourself how well you are doing in each of these areas.
Be Visible. Communicate frequently with your referral sources.
Be Consistent. Make sure your message is consistent and constant. Marketing should not be a one-shot attempt. Good marketing should be targeted, frequent, consistent, creative and professional.
Be Informative. Explain what you do and how you are better than the competition. If your potential clients don’t understand the services you provide, they won’t value them. Tell your story better. Don’t assume that everyone knows what you do and how well you do it.
Be on the Look Out. Continually search for ways to add value to your business and then apply the above three rules to promoting that new value.
Business Tools
Your fax, business card and stationery are your business billboards– use
them as marketing tools. Use your fax to promote your logo, expertise,
education, professional designations, areas of
expertise, industry news (new codes, conditions, concerns), special
skills, testimonials, and information checklists.
Expand the use of your business card to get your message out. At a minimum, make
sure your information is printed on both sides of the card. This goes for your
email signature as well. This is the information at the bottom of the emails
which should include, at the very least, your contact information. Consider
including a descriptive slogan (e.g., ‘Over 5,000 Quality Inspections Performed”
or “Specializing in Appraisal Consulting”) or a testimonial. Use your stationery
to create an “identity package.” Coordinate your letterhead, business cards,
envelopes, labels, emails, etc., and use well designed copy and graphics that
have been professionally printed on quality paper. Every item says something
about you and your business.
Company Logo: A great business logo satisfies three essential design characteristics:
Unique: strive to be distinctive from your competitors; avoid the, “I did it myself and saved money” look.
Recognizable: have a clever design but make the look and colors appealing to your market; a home inspector’s logo might incorporate a house design but not a fire truck.
Sustainable: avoid trendy names and logos and go for a timeless look that will allow you to expand, should you branch your inspection business out to other related markets.
Your business logo is a powerful identity-building tool. Use it in publications and stationery to foster instant recognition on the part of customers and prospects. Offer your logo as a symbol of quality. Let customers know that when they see that logo, they can be assured of rigorous customer service standards. Use your logo to decorate promotional items, such as T-shirts or golf balls. Use it as a sales promotion tool.
Brochure: Two very important goals are to attract customers and increase profits. To attract customers you need to let them know you exist, what you offer, and why they should hire you. A brochure should represent your business to its recipient. It needs to inform about what you do and why your business is the best for them. Using comparisons, facts and figures, as well as listing experience and credentials regarding your skills and services, can convey this important information. The brochure – either in a paper or electronic format, is your first-impression opportunity. Carefully choose the content and graphics. Most readers of promotional materials tend to skip over 75 percent of what they browse. Your brochure should not only inform about your inspection services but also educate. The writing style of your content should be friendly, descriptive and simple. Color is important; help from a professional graphic designer is recommended
Post Cards: Post cards are a quick, inexpensive, effective and non-labor intensive way to get your message out. And, if done with creativity, they will attract attention. Familiarity breeds clients. Customers generally prefer to work with a business with which they are familiar with. Sending out easy-to-read, creative post cards can help prospects recognize your business. The key is consistency, frequency and creativity. Try mailing out a postcard twice a month to select clients and/or Realtors© in the zip code area(s) in which you inspect or have expertise. A good idea is to print the cards with your picture and your name on it and to use a catchy slogan and graphics (appropriate humor helps). The frequency and humor helps retention.
Newsletter or E-Blast: Newsletters (printed or electronic version) are the most common form of marketing for successful small businesses. The marketing power of newsletters is in their ability to attract high use, which is attained through consistent delivery, useful editorial, balanced content and quality design. Sending a newsletter to your clients and prospects gives you an opportunity for regular contact with the people who can increase your business. It is a relationship-building tool that capitalizes on your existing relationship. If you find an interesting story on the web or in print, you can use it. Just make sure you have permission and the content is appropriate.
Internet: The Internet can impact your business in a big way. It provides a fast, current, and easily searchable database of industry information that is very accessible by the users of your services. The presence of your business, by way of a web site, creates a virtual office where potential clients can visit to learn about your services. Here you have unlimited space at no additional cost (unlike print). Remember to be concise and structure your site so visitors get what they need to know about you quickly and easily. Organize the pages so that if they want more, they can drill down as far as they want to go. But make sure everything you need to make the sale is no more than one click away.
Handling Customers
Phone: You only get one chance to make a first impression. The way your phone is answered is a powerful point of contact with a potential client. A good attitude, a friendly greeting and a professional demeanor are vital. Use “power words” (e.g., “quality,” “professional,” “experienced”). If you use an answering service, provide the operators with a script for common questions. If you use an answering machine, make sure it is of good quality with professional equipment and check it frequently to make sure it is operational. With the abundance of technology available, make every effort to answer every call within business hours or to return phone calls within an hour.
Voice Mail: Voice mail is a great way to promote your services when you can’t be there to answer the phone yourself. Some take full advantage of their voice mail’s custom features by first apologizing in advance to customers for not taking their calls personally and allowing them to skip ahead and leave a message without listening to a list of services and scheduling options, business hours, and other information they may not want to listen to every time they call. Others greet callers with a friendly message about their services, specializations and their credentials and promises to call back within four hours. Tell callers that you’ve been doing professional inspections/appraisals for more than (number) years and that you’re familiar with most of the housing in your area.
Office Presentations: Office presentations are something that you need to be doing. You should be doing at least one per week. There are two types of office presentations. First, there is the standard presentation where the whole purpose is to share what you do with the people in attendance. The second, more effective type is the educational presentation. This is where you go in and your focus is on educating your potential clients on a certain subject. Pick an office in your “target area” and make sure you have an information packet with an introduction letter in it. Set a goal of contacting a certain number of offices a day specifically with the goal of setting up presentations. The package you leave should be designed to have at least one element that is non-disposable, so it will be around when the potential client needs your services. Some use calendars, a card with important local numbers, etc. to keep clients from “trashing” their brochure. Make sure of course, your contact information is on the piece.
Community Relations: A great way to get your name out in the community is through things you may already be doing. There are so many ways to help your community and to help your business at the same time. Sponsor a Little League team. Your company’s name on the back of that jersey says a lot to many people--potentially your clients. Sponsor a 5K race in your area or a hole at a golf tournament or a Scouting/Girl Scout event. Community relations can be a small investment and yet be very effective.
Local PR Helps everyone’s Business: Many
opportunities exist from getting the word out through smaller articles in local
publications. Editors in local markets have a constant need for “filler” pieces
and are eager to consider unsolicited submissions for publication (any time they
get an article for free they don’t have to pay a professional writer).
Articles between 300-500 words are usually more easily placed. You can submit
even fewer words when a photo or artwork is included. Bylines are customarily
given and it should not be too difficult to get in a plug for one’s inspection
company, but editors typically shy away from blatant self-promotion on the part
of an author. Editorial space often has more credibility to readers than paid
advertising. People tend to view editorial space as being more objective and
factual than the hype often contained in an advertisement. The writer of an
editorial piece is perceived as being an expert on the subject, rather than
someone who is trying to just sell something. Articles need not be highly
technical, legal or political in nature to make it into a local publication.
Consumer-oriented, health, safety and “how-to” pieces will usually get a read
from an editor.
Wheel Appeal: One vehicle traveling about 60,000 miles a year is seen by almost 10 million people. Take advantage of your vehicle as a rolling billboard for your business. As you tool around town, drive to the site, park in front of the house or visit the mall, consider adding a little “wheel appeal” to your marketing efforts. You only have about three to five seconds to get noticed by a potential customer. Here are a few simple ideas for maximum impact:
Keep it simple. The fewer words the better, it will be easier to read and remember
Use an appealing graphic that illustrates what you do; a picture speaks a thousand words
Add color — they will see you coming and you will quickly catch their eye
Have a clever phrase (“We make house calls!”) that draws attention
Employ a reputable, professional sign designer and painter
Keep your vehicle clean and dent-free for a good image impression
Professional Credibility
Your reputation, to a great extent, is based on your personal and
professional credibility. You insure credibility through the following:
accuracy, your ability to meet deadlines, professional experience, industry
knowledge, contacts within the industry and community and professional
affiliations and certifications.
Body Language: Your body language is a powerful selling tool. Don’t forget these all-important gestures: the warmth of your smile, welcome of your handshake, affirmation of your nodding head, understanding of the sweep of the hand, conviction of your posture and the vigor of your gaze. Use your entire body to convey openness, warmth and affirmation. One powerful and simple technique is to turn your body to face your potential client “straight on” when you have an in person conversation. Others stand when they make sales calls to generate energy. Some make sure they are smiling when they talk to clients on the phone. All of these suggestions help. The result will be better communication and stronger relationships over the long term.
On Site Outreach: A little thanks can go a long way. Leaving a simple “thank you” note with your business card- with the seller at the inspection site or with the delivery of an appraisal. The home seller is a prospective client for their next purchase. You can even give thanks “in advance” by sending a pre-inspection letter to the home seller to confirm your inspection date and time and let them know what to expect. And of course, don’t forget to thank anyone who referred the business.
Homeowner Packets: As a prospecting tool or as a gift for new homeowners, consider putting together an informational packet about your community. Include: brochures listing local attractions, maps of area parks, a guide to local history and memorabilia, a guide to a home filing system and local merchants, complete with introductory offers and coupons and a calendar of upcoming community events. This is another way to have them retain your information so when they need your services they will have not trouble finding you.
Report: Include a hand-written thank you note to the homebuyer with your inspection report (or send a separate follow-up appreciation letter) and or when you delivery an appraisal. Some appraisers make it a habit to hand delivery an appraisal, maybe once a month, just to keep the connection strong. Your referrals are built upon your reputation.
About the Author
Tyler Clydesdale is CEO of the California Real Estate Inspectors Association (CREIA)
and Editor of Inspector Journal.