David and I have been receiving more and more requests for help with hiring efforts. From California to New York, Alabama to Oregon, painting companies need quality applicants, and many needed them YESTERDAY.
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I often hear this question while working with our clients in the contracting and painting industry: “Where should I be posting on social media?”
I love this question, mostly because it means that the asker knows that “everywhere” isn’t the right answer. You’ve got to plan your social strategy based on your target audience, the level of visibility you can expect, and where your current clients are hanging out online.
More on that another time…
For now, I wanted to share a couple quick tips about a resource I hope you ARE using: your Google My Business page.
If you haven’t heard about it yet, let me be the one to break the news to you.
Facebook is changing in a massive way, and things will never be the same.
To quote the R.E.M. song, it’s the end of the [Facebook] world as we know it. But before you crawl into your social media bunker and wait for impact, we’ve put together a quick overview of what you need to know to survive.
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I was recently asked by Melody Infinger of A David Creation to provide a few of the local SEO tips contractors should follow to increase their online visibility and leads. Here are the top five areas that every contractor that serves a specific service area should keep in mind. Read More
I recently heard a marketing consultant, during one of his lectures, tell his audience that it was not essential to have a CRM for one’s painting (insert your industry) business. This statement was made because someone in the audience asked him what CRM he recommended. The marketer did not recommend a CRM and just said, “I do not care what you use for a CRM…Excel would work fine or even a pencil and a pad.” Read More
I asked my good friend, Tom Reber, if he’d be willing to share a bit about his business brand, Jalapeno Paint Werx. He and his business partner, Bruce Watson, have done an incredible job marketing the little green pepper guy all over the town of Naperville.
I appreciate Tom being willing to share some of his ideas and secrets and not being concerned about his competition. He has nothing to hide! Tom and Bruce are honest businessmen who run a successful and quality painting business. If you or someone you know lives around the Chicagoland area, you’ve got to give Jalapeno Paint Werx a call. I guarantee that you will not be disappointed with the customer service and the paint job. Now without further adieu, here is Tom Reber.
Zig Ziglar said, “If you help enough people get what they want, you will get what you want.” 
I truly believe this and that is exactly what I am doing while putting myself out there and promoting others in my communities. I am offering a community service to my friends in local communities by giving them a 5 minute video interview, promoting them on “Community Spotlight” to my entire Social Media network.
I go one step further and have the videos transcribed and then post them as a blog post for them as well.
After interviewing the local Venice Florida business or professional, I then include them in the Community Spotlight e-mail that I send out that includes the latest Community Spotlight encouraging them to support their fellow spotlighters (creating community) by promoting the video to their social media channels!
What I do:
1. First, these are all good friends of mine. I am a heavy net-worker! I attend 4 to 8 networking events a week. So this helps to create community within “our” chambers. I offer the interview opportunity and set up a time to meet them at their place of business.
2. I use a Flip Video on a tripod. Flip is great for fast editing and uploading.
3. I then edit the beginning and the ending.
4. Upload it to YouTube
5. From YouTube it drops into my website under the Community Spotlight tab.
6. Have the video transcribed.
7. Take the transcription and screen shots from the video and then set it up as a blog post.
8. Take that link and e-mail all of the Spotlighters to promote to their networks.
9. Post the video to all 7 of my Social Media channels.
And that is it!
How is it working for us? Well, year to date, we are up 97% with a record 73% close ratio without 1 print ad.
In closing, also consider what Zig Ziglar said, “People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily.”
~Steve Burnett
Coaching
What would happen if Tiger Woods fired his coach and determined to golf solo? Would he still remain the best in the world? Maybe for a short time. A coach is hired to offer personal training, encouragement, ideas and to be supportive of an individual. In short, a coach keeps his client goal focused. What is the goal for Tiger Woods? To win! What is the goal of a contractor? To run a profitable and well run business, right? A coach is typically hired on a long term basis, not short term. A coach also doesn’t work just with the owner. He or she might be hired to coach an estimator: i.e. a Sales Coach. Maybe you’ve hired a new production manager from within the company and the new manager needs help setting specific goals, a coach would sometimes be hired to keep him accountable and on target. If a business owner wants more specific help on running his business, such as how to build to sell, how to hire employees, a business plan, having good business systems, he would typically hire a consultant, not a coach. Unless of course he wants someone long term to keep him accountable.
Consulting
A consultant is typically hired for short term reasons, to help with a specific need or problem. Consultants will typically ask why something is happening and then help his client think through ways to overcome his problems to reach his business goals. Consultants can be hired for all aspects of business: marketing, business planning, taxes, financial, production and more. In some cases, having both a consultant and a coach can be an excellent move for most small and large businesses. Did you know that even McDonalds, the Marriott, and Verizon all hire outside consultants?
Example from my Dad
Most contractors and small businesses I talk to about coaching or consulting services respond the same way, “I don’t think I can afford a consultant.” To answer this statement, let me share with you a personal story: I grew up watching my dad work 12 hours a day running (not building) his small painting business in San Diego during the 80s and early 90s. His customers loved him, and he was blessed with lots of referrals and repeat business. He had one problem. He wasn’t really making any money. Of course there was the typical job that was profitable but most jobs were just paying the bills and keeping the doors open. Borrowing the term from The E-Myth book, he was working in his business, not on it. We had little complaints during those earlier years. We lived conservatively and with little or no debt, but my dad’s business wasn’t going anywhere. It wasn’t thriving. Then one day my dad hired his first consulting firm. The first guys charged a lot of money and did nothing. Ok, so that was another mistake. He didn’t give up hope. He wanted to run a successful business and have something to sell or give to his kids someday. So he hired another short-term consulting firm. This one was a lot better. Then in the mid 1990s, he finally landed a good consulting relationship with a local firm and got his business working for him. He raised his prices (after discovering he was not charging enough). Sales go down? Just the opposite! He created an employee handbook, business systems, a hiring process, painting systems, a marketing plan and much more. What was the result? A well run business that has become one of the most profitable and steady painting companies in San Diego. In short, he has created a great place to work. He also kept his business consultant and recently added a financial consultant to his team. My dad told me he did not start making money and running a business he was proud of until he hired a good consultant. His current consultant acts more like a coach now, as the problems are dwindling but he still needs accountability.
Your Experience with a Coach or Consultant
What has been your experience working with a coach or consultant? Have you found it to be helpful? Why or Why Not? Let me know your thoughts on this subject. If you have never hired a consultant, will you consider doing so in the near future?
Before people purchase a product or hire a service company, they typically will do at least two things: 1) View a companies’ testimonials and 2) View their work or images of products. How do people view your current website? Do you have good testimonials and a quality portfolio? What about effective and short video clips?
Videos are growing in popularity do to companies like YouTube and Vimeo. A YouTube video, for example, actually can help drive traffic to your website. In any case, videos are an effective marketing source. If done correctly, you will see sales increase. If the video content or filming is poor, you will see your “bounce rate” go up (people will leave your site). Video advertising should be look upon as a piece of the marketing pie: websites, proximity mailers, newsletters, customer marketing, video, events, etc. A quality video is worth the investment.
If you commit to doing a video on your website as a service company, I’d suggest filming simple clips of your office staff, your shop, your crew, customer testimonials or even your sales process.
Visit the links below to see how some larger companies use video testimonials to sell their product/service. The clips are short and simple, yet effective. You’ll see two types: testimonials and how to videos.
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