2 min read
If you’ve been in the home remodeling business for a while you know that not everyone looking for a remodeler is a good fit for you. Some “prospects” really aren’t prospects at all.
There are people who simply love the idea of remodeling. They’ll never actually sign a contract to do something. They love to read about the process and even talk to professionals about ideas, but they will never become clients. Others simply have unrealistic ideas about the budget and what a professional remodeling job should cost. They’ll consume your time and energy and try to negotiate a lower price. Some simply aren’t ready yet. They are still (legitimately) gathering information and they haven’t gotten to the tipping point yet. They need more time and data.
Not every prospect that makes an inquiry turns into a lead. And not every lead turns into a client. So how can you avoid spending too much time with those who will never pan out? And how to you spend more time with those who simply need more of the right information?
Just like there is a process to doing a remodeling project, there’s also a process to inbound marketing for your remodeling business. As a remodeler you know that if you ignore the proper process, you end up making mistakes, spending more time, and cutting into your profits. It’s the same with your marketing efforts.
Some leads need to be nurtured. Here’s how that presents itself. A prospect may request information from you in the form of an eBook, a checklist, a special report, or some other download. They are now a lead. They’ve given you their contact information so you know who they are and can get in touch with them. If this same individual continues to download information or sends you emails requesting more information that’s a strong signal that you have a serious qualified lead.
This individual, however, isn’t a client, yet. She hasn’t signed a contract. That’s because she needs more information. She needs to be nurtured. Generic information about the process probably isn’t going to nudge her over the edge. She needs a call from someone to find out specifically what she needs to know. You may be able to send her more material—or you may be able to address specific questions on the phone. Your marketing process just moved from automatic to personalized.
So how do you recognize these individuals? That’s where an automated process for qualifying prospects comes into play. It’s terribly time-consuming to manually track every response to your marketing calls to action so that you know for sure that someone has downloaded several eBooks or reports. If you automate that process, your sales and marketing teams can quickly see who’s really interested and exactly what they may have downloaded. Once you’ve identified those individuals, you can create a customized plan to reach out to them—nurturing that relationship.
Successful remodeling requires a good process. So does successful marketing of your remodeling business. Don’t let qualified leads that need nurturing slip through your fingers. Make sure you have a process in place to stay in touch with the people who are genuinely interested in what you have to offer.
