Even if You Run a Referral-Based Business, You Still Need a Marketing Plan
If you run a business in the construction trades, chances are you already rely heavily on referrals from satisfied customers. Design-build construction, interior designers and subcontractor trades rely heavily on highly-satisfied clients and word-of-mouth marketing to generate new business. While referrals can be a great source of new clients, your business still needs to have a comprehensive marketing plan in place. (In fact, the marketing plan should include a referral program plan to take advantage of your excellent reputation). Even referral-based businesses need a marketing plan as a foundation for your company’s growth.
It's all about building relationships
Creating trust between you and new prospects or incoming leads is essential, especially when it comes to a service-based businesses. When you have very happy clients who refer you to their family and friends, those new leads will be more highly-qualified and ready to to invest in hiring your company. In order for your clients to recommend your services, they must have had a superior experience with your team's expertise, dependability, and most important (in my opinion), with your customer service.
However, building trust relationships doesn't end once you've secured a new client. You must also maintain that trust throughout the entire project and beyond in order to turn them into another advocate for your business. From the very first conversation with a new prospect or lead, you must have a marketing action plan that includes immediate response to inquiries, a thorough lead intake process, and a lead nurturing and communication process. Having strong customer service processes in place will go a long way in making sure your clients remain loyal and make referrals that will grow your business.
You need to be top of mind
In order to stay top of mind with your target market, you need to have a comprehensive marketing plan in place. This plan should outline your Client Persona and determine where and how they search for services like yours. For example, if you are an interior design firm, your ideal clientele may be high-level professionals, upper management, CEOs or business owners. You need to understand that they may not be browsing Instagram or Twitter all day. That's why having a good marketing plan is essential. With the right research and targeted action plans in place, you can reach these clients directly in their digital and offline space. This helps you stay top of mind with your target audience and keeps your company at the forefront of their minds when they are ready to make a decision.
You need to stand out from the competition
Competition in the design, build, and general contracting trades is fierce, with many companies vying for the same projects. It can be difficult to distinguish yourself from other contractors, but it’s essential if you want to succeed. In my opinion (after years in B2C marketing), the number one way to rise above your competition is with outstanding and consistent client (customer) service. This means responding quickly and thoroughly to inquiries, listening intently to clients’ needs, providing organized communication, and having strong control of the process. Clients never forget it when you forget them…so always maintain open and constant communication and listening!
“Clients never forget it when you forget them! If you simply keep and maintain a consistent, two-way communication with clients, they’ll remember your attention to their needs when it comes time to write a review or testimonial. And they’ll be more likely to refer friends and family to your company.”
Values vs. Value Proposition. You need to demonstrate both.
For any business, marketing WHY you do what you do matters just as much as the WHAT you do or how you do it. You need to understand your own motivations for why you started your business in the first place. (Hint: it’s not about making money…that’s the result.) If you love making people happy in their homes by designing a project that perfectly suits their needs, that is the WHY. And when you communicate your WHY to potential clients, you are giving them a glimpse into your Values, which helps solidify that trust relationship between you.
But it's not just about the motivation and Values - it's also about the Value Proposition you bring to the project. What is the return on investment for the client? Not just in terms of skilled expertise that will produce successful projects, but also in providing an efficient, stress-free and even enjoyable experience for them. That is the high Value Proposition you are delivering for their investment.
The marketing plan should focus on identifying and connecting with prospects and leads who resonate with your Values. Additionally, the plan needs to outline the Value Proposition you provide for the client's investment. Good marketing plans are comprehensive and cover both aspects of WHY you do what you do, and how it will benefit your future clients and business.
You need to track your results
As you implement your marketing plan, tracking the results of your efforts is essential for gauging how successful your tactics are. Measuring incoming leads and new contract signings is easy to do and should be a key indicator. Knowing which specific tactics are producing positive results, however, requires data monitoring that allows you to make sure you are getting the best return on investment from your marketing plan and action items. By tracking your results, you can easily assess whether it's time to adjust tactics or switch to another strategy. In doing so, you can maximize the success of your marketing plans.
If you are a referral-based business, you still need a marketing plan.
Contact Design-Build Marketing today to start planning your plan!!
