12 WAYS TO GROW A CONTRACTOR

BUSINESS IN 2018Brian Basilico

Author • Speaker • Online StrategistB2b Interactive Marketing, Inc.

www.B2b-IM.com • bbasilico@me.com

Ellen Huxtable, MBAAdvantage Business Concepts

www.advantage-biz.comellen@advantage-biz.com

GROUND RULES

• 3 Hours

• 6 Sections Each - 12 Topics

• Ellen - Tradition Marketing

• Brian - Digital Marketing

• Break 1/2 Way - 10-15 Min

• Take Notes - Silence Tech

WHAT TO EXPECT?

• 12 Steps

• 6 Each - Ellen & Brian

• 10-15 Minute Segments

• $100 Ideas - How Many

• Action Is Up To You

Ready To Learn?

1ST: GET NOTICED -GET A MESSAGE THAT SELLS

TARGET YOUR CUSTOMERS

• Consumer

• User, Purchaser, Influencer

• Company

• User, Purchaser, Influencer

ANALYZE THEM

• Contact points

• Emotional triggers

• Overwhelming pain, insatiable desire

• Trigger events or conditions

GET NOTICED

• Extreme pain, fear or desire relieved

• Emotional ties

• Trigger events or conditions

THE RIGHT MESSAGE, THE RIGHT EMOTION,

THE RIGHT TIME

2ND:CREATE YOUR MARKET

BLUE OCEAN STRATEGY

• Be the best choice.

• Customer, + Competition = Create your position

• Create your message

THE RED OCEAN

• You are not alone in the marketplace

• Sharks rule

• Maximum effort, minimal success

KNOW YOUR COMPETITORS

• Who are they?

• What appeals to customers?

• What more do customers want?

• Who else is a competitor?

CREATE “WOW”

• Create something new

• Decide where to compete and where to pass

• Eliminate losers

• Add from other industries

KNOW THE ANSWER

• Why choose you and not a competitor? = Your USP

• Why buy at all?

THIS IS YOUR CORE MESSAGE

COMPETE ON YOUR TERMS

• Your customer: end user, purchaser, influencer

• Relief, emotions, trigger

• The pain competitors don’t ease

YOUR BLUE OCEAN

3RD: BLUE OCEAN -STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD

THE BIG FISH• Unlimited Resources

• Teams Of People

• Marketing System & Plans

• Results Driven = MONEY

• Measurable ROI

• Slow To Adjust

THE LITTLE FISH• Limited Resources

• Lack Of People

• Wish Marketing

• Hope? = Cost Avoidance

• Hard To Measure ROI

• More Flexible & SWIFT

KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER

PLAY IN THE BLUE OCEAN

• What Makes You Different?

• Be Creative

• Use Multi Media

• Pick Up The Phone

• Take Before/After Pics

5 QUICK POWER TIPS…

• Work To Your Strengths

• Hire To Your Weaknesses

• Tell Your Story

• Sell Emotions Not Service

• Get Testimonials

4TH: GET INCREDIBLY CREDIBLE

GET CREDIBLE, GET KNOWN

• Build Awareness

• Print

• Traditional Media

• Social Media

• Publications: Books, Blogs, Articles

FACE TO FACE CREDIBILITY

• Be seen; share your knowledge

• Networking

• Presentations

CREDIBILITY FROM TRUSTED SOURCES

• The strongest.

• Word of mouth

• Power partnerships

• Testimonials

CREDIBILITY AND MARKETING

• Document testimonials

• Highlight accreditations, certifications, relevant degrees

• Highlight community service

5TH: BUILDING SYSTEMS -SELLING 24/7

TRADITIONAL TOOLS

• Networking

• One-On-Ones

• Print Mail

• Telephone

• Chamber Of Commerce

DIGITAL TOOLS

• Website

• Original Content

• Email

• Video

• Social Media

TIME MANAGEMENT

TASK Management

TASK MANAGEMENT

• Define Touches

• Schedule EVERYTHING

• Delegate

• Measure Results

• Engage Your Staff/Vendors

5 QUICK POWER TIPS…

• Treat Marketing Like A Client - If You Ignore?

• Track CPA - Acquisition

• How’d You Hear About?

• Monthly Reports

• Use Your Pics - Stock Art?

6TH: PAN FOR GOLD -MINING YOUR OLD CLIENTS

WATER THROUGH THE PAN

• Leaky Faucet

• Past Clients

• One And Done?

• In Your Quickbooks?

• Social Media - Community - Groups

THE GOLD RUSH

• Repeat Business

• Passive Income?

• Thing of The Month Club

• Referrals

• Testimonials

COMMUNICATION STRATEGY

PANNING FOR GOLD

• Collect Emails

• Use A Program - Aweber

• Weekly Tips & Coupons

• Monthly Print Cards

• Quarterly Phone Calls - Ask For Permission

5 QUICK POWER TIPS…

• 5-10 Calls A Week?

• Email A Week - 52 Times

• Post Card A Month - 12

• Phone Call A Quarter

• Repeat or Annual Gift?

QUESTIONS? Ellen Huxtable, MBA

Advantage Business Conceptsellen@advantage-biz.comwww.advantage-biz.com

Brian BasilicoB2b Interactive Marketing, Inc.

bbasilico@me.comwww.B2b-IM.com

NEED A BREAK?

10 Minutes

7TH: MAXIMIZE THE OFF-SEASON

TRADITIONAL OFF-SEASON STRATEGIES

• Evergreen services

• Promos

• Prepare for the rush

4 POSSIBILITIES• New products to

existing customers

• New products to new customers

• Current products to new type of customer

• Current products to current customers

BLUE OCEAN IDEAS• Sell expertise; DIY

training, shop classes

• Market to long lead-time customers

• Sell a different product (analyze the ocean first!)

• Make a new product or service from what you have

MORE IDEAS

• Find or create new trigger events

• Explore different emotional triggers: bragging rights vs. equipment failure?

• Create a luxury market

REMEMBER MAINTENANCE

• Nurture relationships

• Keep top of mind awareness

• Plant ideas for upsells

8TH: BUILD DIGITAL ASSETS -ORGANIC VS PAID ADS

PAID ADS - MIX THEM IN

• People Are Bombarded

• It’s Noisy Out There

• Everyone’s An Expert…

• Hard To Quantify

• No Money = No Ads

ORGANIC = ORIGINAL• Meet People Where They

Are At…

• Top Of Mind

• Less Intrusive

• Infotainment

• Stand OutFrom The Crowd

CREATING ASSETS

• Tell Stories

• Teach Concepts

• Looks Helpful = Care

• Which Season?

• Plan/Deliver Content

5 QUICK POWER TIPS…

• 1300 Word Posts & Pic

• Write Blogs or Articles

• Do Short Videos

• Publish Everywhere

• Build A Library

9TH: DEFEND YOUR TURF

STAYING ALIVE: DEFEND YOUR TURF

• Old is dead

• Technology accelerates

• Prepare for interlopers

• Watch the big guys

• Economic & global trends

STAY AHEAD OF THE PACK

• Research, reinvent, reposition, renew, reach out, review

STAY AHEAD OF THE PACK

• Change your:

• Target market

• Product

• Delivery

• Packaging

10TH: SOCIAL PRESENCE -MAXIMIZE IT

PLATFORMS• Facebook

• LinkedIn

• Twitter

• Pinterest

• Instagram

• Google+

THE GOOGLE ECOSYSTEM• Google Search

• Business

• Maps

• Google+

• Reviews

• Analytics/Search Console

YOU DON’T OWN IT

BEST PRACTICES

• Post Daily

• Sell Seldom

• Use Pictures

• Engage With People

• Be Patient - Lightening In A Bottle

5 QUICK POWER TIPS…

• Business Page to Personal

• Content Is King

• Consistency Is Queen

• Pictures = Views 70%

• Engagement = More Eyes

11TH: MARKET SMART - MARKET FOR PROFIT

PROFIT VS. ACTIVITY

• The goal is profit

• Revenue is not income

• Invest time and money wisely

TRACK IT.

• Poll your customers

• Map revenue to referral sources

• Remember that unnamed sources may have an impact

• Know your return on investment

POWER UP MARKETING• Evaluate

• Strategize

• Make a change. Take action. Ready, fire, aim.

• Give it a chance

• Assess

• Adjust

DELIVER ON THE PROMISE

• Everything is marketing

• Processes, procedures

• Image

• Service

• Over-deliver and delight

12TH: CORPORATE CLIENTS -PROSPECTING ON LINKEDIN

THE BIG FISH

• Corporate

• Property Managers

• Referral Sources

• Repeat Business

• No Cat Videos 🤪

LINKEDIN PARTS

• Your Profile

• Connections

• Jobs

• Messages

• Recommendations

BUSINESS 2 BUSINESS

LINKEDIN TO-DO LIST

• Polish Your Profile

• Make “LOCAL” Connections

• Potential Clients

• Power Partners

• Post Great Content

5 QUICK POWER TIPS…

• Get On There

• Be Consistent

• Create Your Story

• Add Website & Media

• Message Connections

What Was Your Biggest Takeaway?

Did You Learn Something Today?

ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

• Ellen

• Masterminds

• Retreats

• Brian

• Coaching

• Courses

QUESTIONS? THANK YOU!

Ellen Huxtable, MBAAdvantage Business Concepts

ellen@advantage-biz.comwww.advantage-biz.com

Brian BasilicoB2b Interactive Marketing, Inc.

bbasilico@me.comwww.B2b-IM.com