Don’t Let Your Leads Freeze This Winter!
As a contractor, regardless of whether you’re in the roofing, painting, or remodeling industry, we know you’re always thinking a season or two ahead. And if you aren’t, you really should be.
Right now our clients across the country are prepping for winter, particularly in those areas that are most impacted by inclement weather. While you might assume that’s a problem only for those on the east coast, it really tends to hit our west coast friends too. After all, weeks of rain can halt production, creating similar issues to those facing snow and ice.
Bad weather is bad for business, no matter where you live!
So, what can you do about it?
5 Tips for Keeping Your Leads Up Throughout the Winter Season
#1: Make a Plan
This might sound simplistic, but you’d be surprised by how many busy business owners get in their routines, working with their heads down, until suddenly the lead flow halts. It’s expected, but there are no plans in place. And by the time you get a plan together, you’re already weeks into a scary-slow period.
Get ahead of it! Plan NOW for that winter lead freeze, actively talking with your team about how you can all work together to creatively keep the leads flowing.
#2: Incentivize Winter Work
For our painting clients, January and February are tough, tough months almost across the board.
We’re helping their teams get the word out NOW about special winter incentives for services scheduled during that slow-down. Many people don’t even realize they can book work that far in advance and are happy for the convenience AND the savings. Be honest, too! Let them know that your goal is to offer them value AND help keep your awesome team working all winter long. It’s a win-win!
#3: Stay Visible
What service(s) do you most want to promote and sell during the colder (or wetter) months? After you have your list, utilize social media and client-based email campaigns to keep those services top of mind. Painting cabinets? Share some killer cabinet content, planting the idea that it’s a MUST-HAVE item before the in-laws arrive.
Roofing? Let people know that, believe it or not, you can roof all winter long! And tell them why. Is it your tools, training, expert team, or safety procedures? Maybe all of the above? Suddenly you’ve shared your key value points as well as promoted services.
Whatever you do, don’t slow down on your branding and social media work. If you need to tighten your budget a little, that’s fine, but don’t freeze it. Shutting off a channel like that will always come back to bite you in the end.
#4: Stay Active in Your Community
Never underestimate the power of “old fashioned” marketing and branding techniques… Local sponsorships, donating time to a fundraiser, or creating hype online by donating services to a local individual or nonprofit can keep your name on people’s minds. Local channels and news outlets may even pick up your story and carry your name a bit further.
#5: Don’t Be Afraid of Discounts and Special Offers
Wintertime savings and incentives are totally normal, and won’t make you look like a discount company. As we touched on above, just share the “why”, and make sure you focus on the value you’re offering during this exciting off-season opportunity.
You also can build special incentives around specific holidays. For example, did you know that Cyber Monday is a huge day for our clients? With just 24 hours to lock in the best savings of the year, people tend to get excited and book estimates quickly.
Or, mix and match relevant services. Painting cabinets? Add new pulls for free. Roofing? Maybe add a free gutter cleaning. You can get creative.
Be Creative, Proactive, and Consistent
The right plan can turn a weak season into an awesome lead-gen opportunity. Getting ahead of it makes all the difference, as well as exposing yourself to creative ideas and marketing plans.