Contractor Marketing Tools & Customer Service
Friday, July 13, 2007
As a contractor, you certainly have a lot of tools you use on a daily basis. You have one powerful marketing tool that you might not be taking advantage of - your telephone. Your business phone and your cell phone can do more than talk to clients. It can be a marketing communication device. That's a fancy term for saying that you're not always available to answer your phone but your phone can help bring in leads.The Phone as Marketing Tool
While you're on the job, traveling, or unavailable to take phone calls, utilize your answering machines and your voice mail features. You can record more than just a simple message asking the caller to leave a name and number. This is an opportunity to remind potential clients of the services you offer, the benefits you can bring in to their homes, and the unique selling points of your company (special hours, discounts, coupons.) Your phone message can also provide fax numbers, web site addresses, and alternative phone numbers for better customer service.
Why is Your Phone Important?
It is usually the first point of communication with new customers. And you know what they say about first impressions. If they're not happy the first time they contact you, they may go elsewhere.
Customer Service with your Phone
Calls should always be answered, even if it is a recorded message. If someone is going to be on hold for more than 30 seconds, take a message and call them right back. Hopefully your phone system will have an automated attendant - use this for your marketing messages, but also make sure it is easy to use. Make sure they can "Press 0" to talk to a live person at any time. Finally, make sure your staffs know where you are and can contact you in an emergency situation.
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Labels: Contractor Advice, Customer Service, Small Business Advice, Small Business Marketing
Recent Housing Market News for Home Depot & Sears
From Financial Sense Online Market WrapUp: "The markets were down sharply yesterday on negative news from big retailers indicating the housing spillover is getting worse, not better. Yesterday Home Depot lowered its 2007 earnings expectations, announcing earnings per share for the year would drop 15%-18%, greater than the 15% drop previously announced in May. ""'We look at the overall market and there's still a correction that lies ahead of us,' Chief Executive Frank Blake told analysts. 'But we're pretty far ahead in the correction process.'"
"Shedding light on how bad things are for Home Depot, same-store sales are expected to tumble in the mid-single-digit range, marking the second time in Home Depot’s history that it has seen negative same-store sales. Total retail sales are expected to slide 1%-2% for the year, greater than the 0%-1% originally estimated."
"Also weighing the markets down yesterday was Sears announcement that second-quarter earnings will be in the $1.06 to $1.32 a share range, roughly half Wall Street’s call of $2.12 a share. Sears reported that same-store sales fell 4% at U.S. Sears stores, with declines witnessed across most categories and the greatest weakness seen in home appliance sales. "
"Durable good sales, such as home appliances, have been steadily loosing ground to nondurable goods sales, such as food and beverage, as the economy slows, and the poor home appliance sales at Sears comes as no surprise and does not look to reverse course any time soon."
Labels: Construction Industry, Construction News
