I was honored to be a presenter at the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) October meeting which took place at Designer Bath in Beverly, MA. The fun event was a great opportunity for members to learn actionable tips to help grow their remodeling businesses. I was one of three presenters that evening along with Suzan Czajkowski, a digital marketing consultant and communication coach with The Comm Coach and Michael Resendes, VP of Atlas Studios, a web and SEO expert.
Define Your IDEAL Target Market
My presentation included three marketing tips that should be the foundation for any business’ marketing campaign. It’s imperative to have a clear picture of your IDEAL target market, recognizing that this doesn’t include EVERYONE that your company works with, just the best customer prospects. When businesses are new, they often have a hard time defining a “niche” market. The goal is to determine who the ideal client/customer is, and dedicate your marketing efforts to attract those people. There simply isn’t enough time or money to go after multiple markets.
Keep in mind that:
- When you talk to everyone, no one hears you.
- Saying that everyone is in your target market implies that your product/service appeals to no one in particular.
- By narrowly defining your target market to only include individuals likely to convert into leads and then customers, you’ll be able to focus your marketing budget where it counts.
- Defining your target market what doesn’t mean you CAN’T do a job if a great opportunity comes along, it means that you FOCUS your marketing efforts on your best client prospects.
Clarify Your Brand
Branding is a very broad word. It can start with your logo – the colors, the font – everything that feeds into the immediate messaging that people perceive when they see your logo, your web site, your company shirts/branded trucks. But the key word here is that it “starts” with all that.
Create a “voice” for your company that reflects that brand. Once you’ve narrowed your target market, you can develop a voice for your business that will be used on social media, print materials, and reflected in every in person and digital communication your business has with customers.
Understanding Your Customers
One of the biggest keys to success is knowing what “problems” your potential customers have and how your business solves those problems. Your ability to illustrate how your company is the BEST and SMARTEST choice for those customers will determine if you earn their business.
For example, in the remodeling industry, we know that homeowners will likely have one or more of the following issues:
- Bathroom too small
- Lack of kitchen storage
- Family has outgrown their house
- Kitchen or bathrooms are dated
As industry experts, the remodelers at the NARI meeting know how to expertly redesign and remodel homes. However, to achieve long-term success in this industry, business owners must go beyond the mechanics of remodeling. Homeowners want to know that they can trust you and your team to:
- Get the job done quickly, efficiently, and with as little interruption to their daily lives as possible
- That the project will follow a predetermined timeline to minimize stress
- That costly “surprises” will be minimized and that the homeowners will be kept informed every step of the way.