It’s the start of the year. A good time for reflection and of course planning for the coming year.Many tradies are busy and can only see more work on the horizon. How many times have you said, “I can’t take on any more work.” or “I get all my work by word-of-mouth.” Those are two dangerous statements for your long-term business survival, and growth because what happens when projects dry up?
The workload may seem huge at the moment but we have all lived through troughs and slow-downs in the economy. There are lots of signs all round the world of economic slowing. What will you do if your flow of jobs slows? Can you and your family cope with a few weeks without a new project?
What happens if a client doesn’t like your work and spreads a very different kind of word-of-mouth? We all get them; a bad client that is never satisfied with anything we do for them. These people love to spread gossip so if that becomes your word-of-mouth, you can have a very big problem. Have you heard the phrase that a satisfied customer will tell two people but a dis-satisfied one will tell ten people. You cannot rely on word-of-mouth marketing. You have to be proactive yourself.
What happens if a client cancels? People’s circumstances change and they might have to cancel a project with you. How will you fill that gap at short notice? Can you afford to have an empty week?
You can get better quality projects. If you have a steady flow of leads coming into your business instead of jumping at the first job that comes along, you can choose better quality jobs. Maybe you are fed-up with small deck repair jobs and want to get your teeth into a house extension. But if you only get one call to do a deck repair, then you are forced to take it to pay the bills.
You get to choose what suits you. If you are relying on people coming to you or your previous clients recommending you, then you do not have any control over the jobs that come to you. Those past customers are in effect running the direction of your business.
What do the big boys do? Look around your sector. It might be your industry or just your local area. Look at what the big companies are doing. Are they sitting, waiting for a new job to come along, or are they out promoting themselves in some way? All big companies market and promote their businesses. That’s how they become big. If marketing works for them, then maybe you should take a leaf from their book.
Lead generation is the lifeblood of your business and your life. In short, every business has to have some form of lead generation campaign or even multiple campaigns. Waiting until your last project is finished before you start any marketing campaign means you run the big risk of not having any income for a while.
You also run the risk of going out of people’s minds, then where will your referrals come from?
We can make it easier … At the start of the year, take time, make time, to plan your lead generation for this year to ensure your long-term survival and growth. You cannot rely on your past customers forever.
Jerome has experience in a wide range of trade industries and all levels of business so are able to identify potential areas for leverage and marketing, giving you the business owner greater peace of mind and bottom line profits!
Call Jerome today 0800 747 323.
