Q: I just started
my own home inspection service. Unfortunately, I missed the
advertising deadline in my local phone book. My target audience is
home buyers who want to find out what shape their house-to-be is
really in. What marketing strategy can I use? What can I do to
attract customers?
A: The best way to
build your home inspection service is with a two-pronged approach:
advertising in "search corridor" media-the ones your
prospects read when they've made a decision to buy a home-and
targeting top referral sources.
Referrals are a terrific way to drum up new business quickly.
The key is to set up an ongoing marketing program to build
referrals from related business professionals, such as real estate
sales associates and mortgage brokers, who come into direct contact
with your prospective customers and often make recommendations
concerning home inspection companies.
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Follow these four steps to build your own program:
1. Initiate contact.
Identify the best referral prospects in your market area and
contact them by phone to arrange meetings with specific individuals
and to make presentations to groups.
2. Stay "top of
mind." Set up a computer database using contact
management software to track your referral marketing program over
time. Contact the prospects in your database in person or by
telephone, fax or mail at least every four to six weeks.
Advertising specialties that feature your company name and
logo-from mugs to calendars-are another good way to remind sales
associates and brokers of your business.
3. Provide specialized marketing
tools. Produce a handout that's printed with your
company logo and contact information your referral sources can use
with homebuyers, such as a "10-Point Home Buyers
Checklist." Make sure the content is helpful yet clearly
specifies at what point prospective home buyers should bring in an
expert-you.
4. Build trust. Follow-up is
essential to building a foundation of trust that will lead to
ongoing referral business. Keep all your referral sources in the
loop with direct feedback. Create a basic thank-you letter you can
personalize and send to follow up with every referral you
receive.
Kim T. Gordon is a multifaceted speaker, marketing expert and
media spokesperson-and one of the country's foremost experts on
entrepreneurial success. Her newest book, Bringing Home The Business(Perigee),
identifies the 30 "truths" that can make the difference
between success and failure in a homebased business. From formulas
for positioning a business and creating an image to Internet
marketing strategies and tips for work-at-home parents, by reading
just one truth per day, in one month, readers will master a
complete course on homebased business success. To read an excerpt,
get information on media appearances and seminars, receive free
how-to articles and advice, or contact Kim, visit http://www.smallbusinessnow.com.
The opinions expressed in this column are
those of the author, not of Entrepreneur.com. All answers are
intended to be general in nature, without regard to specific
geographical areas or circumstances, and should only be relied upon
after consulting an appropriate expert, such as an attorney or
accountant.