Everyone wants to find more business, but no one has an unlimited marketing budget. It can be difficult for contractors to find more work without spending more money, but if you take the right approach, it's very possible.
With the strategies and steps below, plumbing, electrical and HVAC contractors can strive to maintain or lower their advertising budgets while finding new customers and new contractor jobs.
Evaluate the ROI of your current advertising
Before you invest any more money into finding new business, be sure to take a hard look at what you're already doing. Many contractors think it's a necessity to do things like sending out flyers and getting listed in the Yellow Pages. These techniques can help, but you must compare how much you are spending on them to how much work they have brought you. If you've never calculated the ROI of your marketing or advertising, now is a good time to learn how.
Ask customers to review you
Positive reviews are a free, simple, and very effective way to help find new business. Each time you complete a job, ask the customer if they wouldn't mind leaving you a quick rating and review on Facebook or Yelp. Not everyone will do it, but the people who do might help you improve your image and attract prospective customers looking for home repair services. (If you don’t have a Facebook page for your business yet, click here to learn how to set one up – it’s an essential place for your business to be present!)
You might not think online reviews are important, but your customers do. Research shows that 88% of consumers treat online reviews the same as a personal recommendation from a friend or family member. A strong online reputation will accelerate your efforts to generate new business, and it doesn't cost anything to maintain.
Ask your customers for referrals
Shortly after you complete a job, and have asked your customer to review you, reach out to them for a referral. People are actually proud when they know a reliable, high quality, service resource and should be more than willing to do so (assuming everything went smoothly, of course). Remember to advertise and socialize your quest for referrals in as many places as possible – your happiest customers will be your best source for referrals.
Use downtime for low-cost marketing
There are plenty of sales and marketing activities that require nothing more than some time and dedication. If you have slow periods during certain parts of the week or you don't have enough jobs to fill up a full day, spend the extra time using social media to connect with prospects, following up with old leads, or reaching out to people who might be a good fit for your services. The particular method you choose is up to you, but if you want to grow your business, you'll need to do the work required to get there.
Partner with a home repair plan company
Whether you're a one-man shop or you have ten employees, everyone needs help to maintain a steady stream of business. A home repair plan network can help you connect with local customers who have real needs for the kind of home repair service you provide. Whether you provide plumbing services, electrical services, or HVAC repair, working with a home repair plan company like HomeServe USA can help you reduce your ad spend while increasing the amount of customers you work with.
Click here to learn more about joining the HomeServe USA contractor network or, if you prefer, call one of our Recruiting Specialists at 844-876-4709.
