MARKETING TRAININGMARKETING TRAININGMARKETING TRAINING

Join the Stonemakers™ Dealer

Network and be part of a family

that extends across North America

Company EndorsementsCompany EndorsementsCompany Endorsements

Directory Assistance Directory Assistance Directory Assistance

StrategyStrategyStrategy

Online Ads and Online Ads and Online Ads and

The Good Old Fashioned Paper VersionThe Good Old Fashioned Paper VersionThe Good Old Fashioned Paper Version

1.Property Managers

2.Municipalities

3.Chamber of Commerce

4.Swimming Pool Contractors

5.Landscapers

6.Real Estate Agents

7.Golf Courses/Country Clubs

8.Malls

9.Restaurants/Function Facilities

10.Builders/Contractors

Networking is a great, inexpen-

sive way to market your busi-

ness., and generate referrals.

What better lead source is

there than referrals. When

someone has already had a

pleasant experience with your

company there is a big differ-

ence in how you are perceived.

Referrals are packed with in-

stant credibility. Closing ratios

are higher from referrals than

any other lead source.

By building relationships with

other contractors, home im-

provement professionals and

other business owners, you can

create your own “Contractor’s

Guild”. You can create a net-

work of 10 to 20 other business

people each in a different type

of business. Never include

competing businesses but ra-

ther ones that are complimen-

tary.

The investment is minimal.

There is no real expense other

than the cost of printing a pol-

ished and professional flyer to

be left with clients by each

company whenever they are

bidding a job. The printing cost

should be shared by the partic-

ipating businesses. These flyers

can be placed inside of sales

presentation folders or left with

prospective clients when you

are out doing cold calls.

The client can then contact the

contractor of their choice di-

rectly. You will be surprised at

the number of phone calls that

you will receive.

Real Estate PresentationReal Estate PresentationReal Estate Presentation

Real Estate Agents are a great source for ongoing referrals.

When you have formed a relationship with an agent, the loyalty

and referrals will come naturally. The best approach to building

this kind of relationship is to give a personal presentation of your

products and services at their weekly meeting. Most of the com-

pany’s agents will be present at the meeting. Office managers

like to have guest speakers at these meetings. It breaks up the

normal routine and provides their agents with helpful infor-

mation.

Making the presentation is easy. Once you have met with the of-

fice manager and explained the services you provide, they will

schedule a time for you to make your presentation. When you

meet with the office manager for the first time, bring literature

and flyers to show in detail what you do.

Most meetings are in the morning, so bring enough pastries, ba-

gels and donuts for the number of agents that will be there.

They will appreciate your thoughtfulness. Set up the treats in the

appropriate place and any presentation materials you will be us-

ing. The office manager will introduce you when they feel it is

appropriate.

To begin your presentation you will introduce yourself, your com-

pany and your affiliation with Stonemakers™. Give a detailed ex-

planation of the products and services you supply. Remember to

explain the proprietary methods that are available to you as a

Stonemakers™ Dealer. Set yourself apart from your competitors.

Let them know that Real Estate Agents are important and that

you are there to help both the buyer and the seller by providing

work which has a transferable warranty.

Show them an example of the pre-mailer that is sent to

each customer and briefly explain the customer experi-

ence. Be sure to mention any customer service awards

your company may have received and provide copies of

any customer testimonials each agent should be give 20

business cards to hand out to any potential clients. Also,

if you have any small give-aways, be sure to hand out a

few to each agent. Most agents are women and tend to

react positively to “cute” gimmick items such as mag-

nets, paper clip holders, pens, etc. Give out one unique

item as a type of contest. For example one pen of a dif-

ferent color or a paper clip holder with one different col-

ored clip. The person who has that one unique item is the

winner. Purchase a bottle of wine or something similar

before hand and award the “prize winner” right then and

there. At the completion, thank everyone one for their

time and invite any one on one questions. You’ll be sur-

prised that you will most likely walk away with one or

more leads.

Before leaving meet with the office manager again and

obtain a contact list of their agents. If you can find out

who their top agents are make note of this. Keep a list of

all of the agents you meet and maintain contact on a

quarterly basis.

In today’s world there is no escaping the fact that you MUST attract customers

through the internet. It can be confusing and frustrating to any business owner

because there are so many different avenues available. Of course the first place to

start is with a stand alone website developed specifically for your company. It

must be clean and easy to navigate. People like to see photos and videos. You do

not have to inundate people with technical information, rather show them some-

thing appealing and simple. There should be an easy to find contact form for po-

tential clients to fill out for further information and estimates.

Now you have your website designed and ready to launch, but how will people find

you? This is were the confusion comes in. You have SEO which is search engine

optimization. When you search for a particular thing on the internet you have all

of the sites that appear in the center of the page or what is referred to has the

“natural” or “organic” body. This is generated by SEO. Many things come into

play. The age of your domain name or URL. The longer you have owned your do-

main name the higher the natural ranking. The use of SEO will bring your ranking

even higher. The ultimate goal is to have your website visible in the top ten. By

determining what “key words” people use to search for your type of product and

service, you can launch a successful web campaign.

The second necessary component is a “pay-per-click” campaign. Each individual

search engine offers a variety of different campaigns. One of the most popular is

Google AdWords. It is very user friendly and offers many resources for choosing

the proper key words. You can set an exact budget and dollar amount you wish to

pay for each key word. By using a pay-per-click campaign you will also be boost-

ing your placement in the organic searches also.

What about social networking? This is another great way to enhance the visibility

of your company. Facebook is a great way to provide information about your com-

pany. Best of all it is free. Have a link on your main web page to your Facebook

page. Create traffic by having your friends, co-workers and clients post a “like” on

your Facebook account. Twitter is another great tool. Keep in mind that the

“tweets” need to be two way traffic. Also create a link directly on your main web

page to Twitter. Again, it is free!

Incorporating the LogoIncorporating the Logo

One of the greatest ad-

vantages to being part of a

“Dealer Network” is being

part of a group of like

minded business people on

a national scale versus fly-

ing solo on a local level.

The brand recognition that

comes along with that is a

key part of a profitable and

successful marketing cam-

paign. By identifying your-

self as part of a larger

group with decades of com-

bined experience, it can on-

ly add to your credibility.

Incorporating the Stone-

makers™ name and logo

into your company name,

you are identifying yourself

as part of one of the fastest

growing service providers in

the outdoor living industry.

You want to create a con-

sistent and memorable

identity that is part of all of

your marketing pieces.

Never deter from that im-

age. That is how your cus-

tomers will recognize you

and remember you. Incor-

porating the Stonemakers™

logo into your company

name is smart marketing.

We can provide you with

brochures and collateral

materials pre-printed with

the Stonemakers™ identity.

Incorporating this into your

own company’s identity

sets you apart from your

competitors, creating a

great competitive ad-

vantage over them.

Your Company

Lettering Your TrucksLettering Your Trucks

Maybe you’ve thought about having a billboard display-

ing your company information. Well everyday one of

your trucks is on the road, you have a travelling bill-

board. Your company’s corporate identity is the face you

present to your customers, potential customers and oth-

er businesses. By using the same consistent, recogniza-

ble look on all promotional pieces, people will remember

and recognize your company whenever they see one of

your advertisements. By incorporating the Stonemak-

ers™ name and logo with your own company, it ties you

to the National Network of Stonemakers™ Dealers.

Whether you use photographic wraps for your vehicles,

or simple vinyl lettering you will be advertising and mar-

keting everyday, in an effective and cost effective man-

ner.

Yard SignsYard Signs Yards signs are an inexpensive way to

advertise and generate leads. The visi-

bility you’ll receive by putting up yard

signs on EVERY job is tremendous. You

will build company awareness and your

prospective clients will have a chance to

see your work before you even arrive at

their homes. It is easy to convince

homeowners to leave a yard sign up for

two weeks by offering them a discount

on their job. $100 for jobs over $2500

and $50 for jobs under $2500 are fair

discounts to offer in exchange for put-

ting up a yard sign. If you canvas the

same area thru “door knockers”, flyers

and direct mailings, you will receive

quality leads, that are essentially the

same as referrals. Homeowners feel that

if their neighbors trusted you to do work

for them, then you must be a trustwor-

thy contractor.

The Power of WordsThe Power of Words

The pen is mightier than the sword. Words are powerful, and can strike

deep into the heart of the listener. Used properly they are powerful tools

that can sell anything, ideas, services and products to anyone. Certain

words touch deep rooted emotions and desires. Those words can make you

want to be the first person to own a specific item or make you want to

stand inline all night to be the first person to see something. You too can

use those words to make an impact in your advertising and marketing. This

technique can then be carried over into your sales presentations and even

over the phone while booking an estimate. The idea is to get the listener or

reader’s attention and make them long for and desire what you are offering.

EXPERT for example makes someone feel they are in the hands of a profes-

sional. The more you believe in the ideas of the expert, the more your be-

liefs become credible.

FREE is one of the most powerful words. When doing an inspection or giving

an estimate, offering something of value at no cost, a booklet or novelty is

a great way to transition a lead to a sale.

IMMEDIATE is so fitting for the world we live in today. People live their lives

at time warp speed, and anything that can give them immediate gratifica-

tion will hold great value.

INNOVATIVE appeals to those who are creative and self starters. It is a

great sedge way into proposing change.

POWERFUL says it all. It instills an overwhelming belief that what you are

proposing can make a world of difference.

STATE OF THE ART conveys to the reader or listener that you provide the

latest technology and trends. It is a great term to convince someone to up-

grade from something that already exists.

TRUSTED tells people that others have confidence in what you are offering

to them and in turns bolsters their confidence in your products and ser-

vices.

Choose your words WISELY!!

What Do Women Want?What Do Women Want? They call it the “power of the purse”. Statis-

tics show that 80% of the buying decisions

are directly influenced or decided by women.

Hiring a contractor to work on one’s home is

an emotional decision. Although a man’s

home may be his castle, for a woman it is a

reflection of who she is. Every rug, picture

frame, lighting fixture, shrub and so on is

chosen to provide a certain “feeling”. When

choosing someone to perform work that can

be seen by all who pass her house there are

many emotions that arise including fear and

uncertainty.

Many times when you are visiting someone’s

home for an estimate you will either be

meeting with either a single woman home-

owner or one spouse, usually the wife. Peo-

ple’s schedules are so hectic these days that

it is very difficult to schedule a “two legger”.

Now think about how that woman feels. She

is inviting a man typically, although there

are more and more women in the home im-

provement industry, into her home who she

has never met before. It can be unsettling.

The steps you take from the time you knock

on the door will make or break the relation-

ship.

You will need to put all of your communica-

tion skills to work. Do your full presentation

as you would with any other client . Gain her

confidence and out her at ease. It is not over

once you have made the sale. There are

three parts to this process-before, during

and after. In the end you will have a loyal

following of happy, satisfied female clients,

who will be your greatest proponents.

The before includes prior to you ever knock-

ing on the door. Your website should have

customer testimonials that your prospective

clients can read. There should also be a per-

sonal face to your company. Profile yourself

and some of your key employees on your

website. The person answering your phones

needs to have a smile in their voice. No mat-

ter how bad your employee’s night was,

when they walk through your door and sit at

their desk they need to leave all of their

baggage outside. That voice on the phone is

truly the first impression the customer will

have of your company. No one wants to talk

to someone who is miserable or has an atti-

tude. FIRE them if that is the case. The pre-

mailer should be sharp and polished and in-

clude a picture of who will be coming to their

home.

The during means being punctual and look-

ing well groomed. Of course you can wear

jeans and boots but tuck your shirt in and

wear a belt. Do a thorough, informative and

friendly presentation. Be attentive and an-

swer questions, no matter how trivial they

may seem.

After the job doesn’t mean collecting the

check and heading for the hills. Do a thor-

ough walk through. A follow up call and a

thank you note are a must not an option.

After all the goal is to have a happy custom-

er and generate referrals. Everyone re-

sponds to sincere attention. When they ex-

perience great service and quality work, they

will let others know. When the experience is

bad, they will let EVERYONE know!

The Ways to Grow Your BusinessThe Ways to Grow Your Business

1.Generate New Leads

2.Sell Big Ticket Jobs

3.Repeat Business

The Game PlanThe Game Plan

1. Generating New Leads

Guess how? Marketing! By know you already knew the

answer to that question. There is “reactive” marketing.

This is geared towards the consumer who has come to

the realization that they have a problem and are actively

looking for a solution. They may not know where and

how to find that solution so they search for someone to

fix it. They will use the internet, yellow pages and local

newspapers.

Next there is “proactive” marketing where you attempt

to reach prospective customers. This is done through

company awareness. There are direct mailers, various

forms of print ads, TV and radio, billboards, yard signs

and lettered trucks. You are searing your company’s im-

age into the consumer’s mind, and although they may

not need your service s at the immediate time when

they do they will call you.

What is the result of leads generate this way? REFER-

RALS! These are the best leads because the prospect

knows someone who has already had a positive experi-

ence with you. Most of the time you will not be bidding

against your competitors. Don’t forget that you will be

generating referrals from real estate agents, previous

customers and contractors that are part of your network.

2. Sell Big Ticket Jobs

By providing a wide array of hardscape products and solutions,

you can provide your customers with a beautiful outdoor living

environment. That is one of the many benefits available to your

customers by being part of The Stonemakers™ Family. By creat-

ing an entirely new way to construct retaining walls, water fea-

tures and other outdoor living features, we have given clients the

ability to improve the look of their homes, add value to their

property and provide years of enjoyment in their new outdoor

living area.

When making your sales presentation, always touched on all of

the options available to them. The customer will either show in-

terest and in turn you will show them the possibilities, or they

will brush off the suggestion at which point you will move on in

the presentation. If the presentation is done properly, you will at

least leave them with a glimpse of all of your products and ser-

vices.

3. Repeat Business

Newsletters geared towards your existing customers are a great

soft sell marketing option. This is a way to let your clients know

about new products that you are offering and exciting things

that are happening at your local company and at Stonemak-

ers™Corporate. It is a non threatening way to remind them that

you are still there.

E-mail follow up is another option to stay in touch with your cus-

tomers. Always collect an email address when a prospective cli-

ent contacts you. The emails you send out will fall into two dif-

ferent categories-those that have made a purchase and those

that have not. Be innovative offer specials and discounts accord-

ingly.

Leaving your mark! The easier you make it for a customer to re-

member you , the more likely they are to contact you again. Of

course yard signs are one option, but you should also look into

pens, magnets, sticky or paperclip holders as leave behinds for

all of your clients.

Let’s not forget about good old fashioned phone follow-up. You

could use the phone follow up in conjunction with a mailing or

email.

The Steps to SuccessThe Steps to Success

1.Decide What You Want

2.Take Action

3.Watch the Results You

Are Getting

4.Adjust Your Budget

What is a lead worth?

ADL (Average Dollar per Lead)

Track each sale that is

made. Account for eve-

ry lead that comes in.

Use your advertising

dollars wisely.

Media BuyingMedia BuyingMedia Buying---Radio Radio Radio

Spots and CommercialsSpots and CommercialsSpots and Commercials

This type of advertising

is generally used by

companies with annual

sales around the

$3,000,000 mark. Keep-

ing in mind that your ad-

vertising budget should

be somewhere between

8% and 12% of your

projected gross revenue,

companies with smaller

projected revenues may

try a small radio cam-

paign.

By contracting with a

media buyer, you will

have the opportunity to

purchase airtime at a

much lower rate than

buying directly from a

particular radio station.

The cost through a me-

dia buyer can be a frac-

tion of what you would

pay buying directly. Me-

dia buyers purchase

large blocks of airtime at

a discounted rate and

pass the savings along

to their clients.

Another nice feature is

that most media buyers

will produce a commer-

cial for you at no addi-

tional cost. They will

own the ad, but it is

yours to use as long as

you are buying the air-

time through them.

If it is within your budg-

et, then give it a try.

Wait for the appropriate

season, and you never

know how tremendous

of a response you might

receive.

Home ShowsHome ShowsHome Shows

One of the most important factors in

running a home show is knowing that

you are there to attract QUALIFIED pro-

spect! Don’t waste your time if someone

doesn’t own a home . People are going

to stop by to grab a couple of free pens

or a little note pad. Don’t push them

away, but don’t waste precious time if

they are not qualified.

The most efficient way to qualify each

person that approaches your booth is to

have a large sign that contains the word

“homeowner”. Let people know what it

is that you do. Your booth should be ex-

citing and informative. Have a good

sized monitor to have a continuous loop

of fun Stonemakers™ videos playing.

When you are speaking to a potential

client, others that are waiting will have

the video to hold their attention. The

company logo should be prominently

displayed, and plenty of before and af-

ter pictures should be shown.

The success of the show is based solely

on the number of entry forms that have

been filled out and how many appoint-

ments have been scheduled. Never rely

on a prospect to call you. Obtain their

information and have someone in your

office contact them within 48 hours.

Make sure the prospect fills out the

form entirely. Keep the forms in a safe

place. Competitors have been known to

swipe them. If you and the prospect

have created a rapport make every ef-

fort to book the appointment right then

and there, rather than wait for the office

to contact them. Do not try to SELL

them at the show, wait until you are at

their home.

Keep the conversations brief. For every

30 seconds you spend talking to one

person ten more people have passed

that you were unable to talk to. Home

shows are quite expensive, and you can

not afford to let any of them pass by.

Of course you should have at least one

type of full color brochure to hand out, a

black and white flyer and a small give

away such as pens or magnets. Keep

these more towards the inside of the

booth, so that the UNQUALIFIED don’t

walk off with all of your materials. There

are people who just wander around

home shows looking for freebies.

Wear company apparel and look neat as

always. STAND do not sit. When you are

standing people assume you want to

talk to them. You are on stage, pre-

pared to enthusiastically engage people

and collect their contact information.

Remember to follow up. Contact every

person who filled out a form. Don’t give

up until you have talked to a live per-

son. If you are receiving more than a

dozen contact forms a day forward

them to your office daily, so it will be

easier to follow up rather than trying to

call 50 people back in a day.

Free Inspection-Free Estimate

Please fill out this form in its entirety and we will send you a

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with your scheduled appointment

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Community News-Community News-Community News-

paperspaperspapers

Consumers like to purchase

from companies they think

are local. There is a comfort

level that comes along with

having the “local guy” do

work for you. This makes

advertising in a local com-

munity newspapers a good

source of lead generation.

When placing the ad you

want to give the impression

that you are the local

choice for hardscaping. The

ad should be prominent

enough to catch the read-

er’s eye.

The classified section of a

Community Newspaper is

also a good place to be

seen. It is similar to a yel-

low page type ad and gen-

erally works well. The clas-

sified section is less expen-

sive yet effective.

Test a few of the various

papers and different towns.

TRACK all of your leads

and reallocate your adver-

tising budget into areas

that are generating the

most leads. Evaluate all of

your marketing efforts on a

quarterly basis and new

ones on a monthly basis.

Public RelationsPublic RelationsPublic Relations

Every chance you have to get

FREE PRESS, take it! Newspa-

pers, radio and TV stations are

always looking for newsworthy

stories. Human interest stories

are more likely to be run.

To have your articles and press

releases picked up by the local

media you will need to build re-

lationships with the right peo-

ple. Make contact with the edi-

tors with the local business and

home improvement sections of

your local newspapers. Call,

write and email each of your

contacts explaining the benefits

your company offers their audi-

ence. Tell them that you are

willing to write a “tips” column

or a regular feature or host a

Q&A session. When someone

seems receptive to your ideas,

schedule a time and take them

to lunch. This will give you an

opportunity to sit face to face

and build a rapport. You will get

much more press coverage

from editors that know you.

Once you have established a

few relationships, make it rou-

tine to develop newsworthy

press releases. Anything that is

new, exciting and original quali-

fies. Maybe you have won an

award, introduced a new prod-

uct or maybe even installed

your products as a donation to

your local church, women’s

shelter or boy’s club. Human in-

terest stories are always a hit.

Try to come up with a press re-

lease of some sort on a monthly

basis.

The same applies to radio

shows. There are many local

home improvement and real es-

tate shows. Contact them and

let them know about you, your

company and your products.

Most shows are about 30

minutes and offer great expo-

sure.

Be persistent and pleasant. You

will get your 30 seconds of

fame!

Always answer Always answer Always answer

the phone the phone the phone

when you are when you are when you are

open!open!open!

The Musts

The Guideline for MarketingThe Guideline for MarketingThe Guideline for Marketing 1. Track ALL leads

2. Determine Cost-Per-Lead

3. Have solid staffing

4. Letter all vehicles

5. Use yard signs

6. Ask for referrals

7. Brand each customer

8. ADVERTISE!

9. Customer awareness

10. Dynamic web presence

1. Dominate Print Ads

2. Real Estate Presentations

3. Networking

4. Public Relations

5. Home Shows

6. Neighborhood Marketing Campaign

6. Internet Banner Ads

7. Direct Mailers (Super Coups, ValPak, Yankee

Clipper, Red Plum)

1. Hire a Marketing Coordinator

2. Outbound Calling

3. Electronic Media Marketing

4. Create your own Contractor’s Guild

5. Direct Mail Coupons

6. Magazine Articles

E- Mail marketing

7. Chamber of Commerce

8. Local Newspaper Classifieds

1. Multi-media mixed advertising

2. Market aggressively

3. TV

4. Billboards

5. Cinemas

6. Stadiums

7. Infomercials

8. Public Access TV

9. Volunteer programs