By Paul Sanneman- Dream Business Coaching Founder-
The website houzz.com® has made marketing for the general contractor and subcontractor much easier than it used to be. I have developed a specific technique for general contractors, and subcontractors, it works very well. In fact, I have used this exact same technique to get as many new clients as I want for my personal consulting business.
Step one: You go to the houzz.com website and identify those people you would consider as prospects. For a general contractor, you would go to architects. This means you select the category architects, and then choose an area geographically that you’re interested in. For example, select architects within 10 miles of San Francisco. You then look at each architect’s houzz.com listing and decide the one(s) you would like to work with. Once you have chosen an architect you want to work with, copy the top of their houzz.com listing, which gives the basics about the company; the name of the owner, their address, and phone number. You then copy and paste this information to a word document and then print it out. This gives you a very basic paper copy of a lead sheet to work with.
Step two: Then you place the all important phone call. The most difficult part about getting in touch with contractors or architects is to actually, physically, get them on the phone. Here is an example of a message you leave to get them to call you back. Hi, I found you on Houzz.com, I’m interested in what you do, please give me a call back, my name is Paul and my phone # is 123-4567. DO NOT LEAVE ANY MORE INFORMATION THAN THIS. Use your personal cell phone, so when they call back it will not have your business name on the answering machine.
A lot of the people you call will call you back because, they went through a lot of effort to be listed in houzz.com, and they also think you are a potential job. The next 10 seconds are crucial. You have to be honest, tell the truth, and get them to be excited they called you back. Your phone script should go something like this. I found you on houzz.com, I am a general contractor, I’ve been in business for 20 years in the bay area, and I’ve worked with several architects like…. Make a list of people they know, and will be impressed with. State how long you have been in business, and continue to drop the names of references that they know. This should establish instant credibility for you, and will make them want to continue the conversation.
The entire mission of this conversation is to get an appointment. If they ask for more information, you will want to use any information you give as a reason to see them in person. For example, if they say, can you tell me a little bit about more your company? You close again and say, it is much easier to explain in person, that’s why I would like to set an appointment. Turn any excuse or objection into a reason to meet. Again the whole mission of this phone call is to get an appointment. This is assuming that you can meet them in person. If you’re trying to get a phone client, or you’re selling on the phone, this is where you give your sales presentation. If they say, I will not talk to you until you send me more information. Then you send them an email, and then you set up an appointment over the phone to follow up that email.
Don’t forget to keep closing. You may have to close them three or four times. Remember in closing you repeat any objection(s), so they know you heard them, and then you close again for the appointment. The entire purpose of this process is to get an appointment with qualified prospects. I have found that when people hear you found them on houzz.com they’re not offended when you call them. They went to time and effort to be listed on houzz.com. It’s like you’re part of the same club, in most cases, they will really like to talk to you. I have one client the told me the best thing that ever happened on houzz.com, was that I found them. I hope you get the same luck with houzz.com that I’ve had. It’s a great tool, it works nationwide, and it’s going to get nothing but better.
Step Three: After calling many, many houzz.com® prospects you will be left with three categories of responses. They can be receptive, and pick a time and place for an appointment. They can be disinterested, not call you back and blow off all other attempts to contact them. They can be unsure, and do not set an appointment, but do give an indication of interest, just not right now. Now that you have the responses, it’s time to organize the information. For each category of response you have, place the paper copy lead sheet with the business info in that category. This is so you do not call the same uninterested lead twice, wasting your time and theirs’. Also, you do not want to unknowingly call an interested lead twice, give them your same pitch, and look disingenuous. The maybe responses go in their call back category. Remember, a little organization will save a lot of time.
