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
Free Gift
with your scheduled appointment
Name
Address
City State Zip
Best # to call Daytime
Secondary #
Would you like to receive special offers by email? Yes No
Do you own the property? Yes No
Concerns
Comments
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