Remodeler Marketing: How to Think Like a Homeowner

Have you ever noticed that you and your prospective clients tend to think about things differently? Sometimes it’s almost as if you are speaking different languages!

Remodelers and Homeowners Think Differently

As a remodeler, you probably tend to think about how you’re actually going to create the spaces your client wants. You know how to create beautiful spaces, and you follow a well-thought-out process to get there.

Your client, on the other hand, probably has other things on his or her mind. She’s thinking about how the kitchen, dining room, and family room need to work together for when visitors are there. He’s wondering how to get more storage space in the garage (and maybe include space for woodworking).

Your prospective clients will probably never learn how to think as you do—and they will likely never remodel on their own (unless they're really into DIY - and that brings up even more problems). However, if you want to win their business, you have to learn to think as homeowners do. That means you have to address homeowners’ questions and concerns from their perspective.

Sure, they want a capable, experienced remodeler working on their home. But they want more than your abilities. They want someone who will remodel a home to meet their needs and fit their lifestyle. These are the things you need to be covering with your marketing message.

Align your message to target your ideal client

One way to be more effective is to develop a clear picture of your ideal client. Not everyone out there looking to renovate is your potential client. Think about who your ideal customer would be. Create a “persona” that covers essential characteristics of the kind of client you want to remodel for. Of course, it will include financial information (how much they want to spend and how much they earn). It will probably include geographic information, as well. But it should go deeper. Are you a design-build remodeler? If so, you want to attract the kind of client who is willing to be more involved in the remodeling experience. That involves more than simply spending more. You want someone who will also invest the time and effort so both parties are happy in the end.

Of course, it’s important for you as a remodeler to understand what the buying process looks like from your client’s perspective. Here’s a helpful look at seeing the process from the homeowner’s point of view.

The key to attracting the right kind of buyer with your remodeler marketing is to think like a homeowner. Then—after you’ve closed the deal—you can think like a remodeler again!