Free Marketing Advice for Forum Members

[Guest123]

If I was to work on a free marketing advice guide for plumbers/heating engineers/gas fitters, would anyone be interested in me doing this? It would also include a guide on how to correctly prepare a file for output to a professional printer and advice on leaflet and logo design.

If there is a demand for this, I'd do it with a view to helping the forum members that are just starting up, those that have little or no work and the ones who are fully established but would like some free professional advice that might help them. Furthermore, if there is such demand and I did go ahead with it, then I'd also be interested in what advice YOU would want me to help you with and the whole topic could be made into an anonymous sticky (I'd prefer not to have my name or credit on it) on the main forum for people to refer to.

I regret that due to high volume work commitments I can't offer a one to one advice service, but a good general guide will offer advice to everybody. Same goes for leaflet design as I've still got a few designs still to do for forum members after my illness.

Times are hard out there for many and those with skills outwith plumbing like myself should be helping to keep this industry alive......and hopefully someday thriving again.

 

[dontknowitall]

This type of thing?

We all know it's not good at present (and that's putting it mildly).

To run a business (which is what you're doing by going self employed) you have to have a marketing plan (unless you've loads of customers on the phone already). This will answer your question on whether you're wasting your time and money.

Doing marketing is boring - really boring if you're trained to do pipework, etc. But it has to be done if you're going to succeed.

The first part of market is described in a simple, short paragraph; you have to find conduct a SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) of your business. You need to find out how many potential customers you have out there (opportunties), whether your knowledge is good enough (weakness - new business is another weakness), what the competition is like (threats) and what and how good your strengths are. This will answer whether you're wasting your money (if you're honest and truthful to yourself that is).

After this comes designing your marketing to your typical customer, but that's another subject in itself.







You remember when you were a child you were told to shut up?

Marketing is the opposite. Now you've got to tell everyone - including everyone - from the postman to the courier (who doesn't know you but just might be asked at his next delivery) to the local shopkeeper to you second aunt and third cousin once removed to your ... if people don't know you're a plumber you'll never be asked to do a job.





Marketing is reasonably simple, sometimes. All you need to do is think of your typical, standard customer. How old are they, gender, type of area they live in, etc, etc, etc, etc. Answer as many of these questions as possible.

Then think what their lifestyles are. Do they have children? Is so, parent groups, football groups, etc. Are they old?(er) (just to be a little more pc!) Shopping during mid morning, bus stops (or are they wealthy that they go out for lunch once a week)?

All these questions. Then think what type of media your typical customer reads, watches or listens to. Does your typical customer rave about the internet? If elderly, they might not have heard of Facebook, so an advert there is a waste of time. Whereas an advert in the local restaurant might be bang on the nose.

This identifying of your customer helps you think where to advertise, what sort of advert (plain and simple for the elderly, colourful and flashy for the young, etc)

Hope this makes you think a little - it's meant to!!

There's much more to promoting a business than paying for loads of adverts and receiving no response. Sometimes a tiny budget aimed at the right place with the right sort of advert will pay itself several times over.

Most important advert is your last job!!

 

[Guest123]

A bit on the right track but a lot more co-incise for plumbers, much based on my own experience as well as my marketing credentials. Won't be "out of a book, glitzy marketing speak either", but in a language that everyone can relate to.

If there's a demand I'll work on it.

 

[dontknowitall]

More concise?

Shove cards through doors ...:biggrin5:

 

[gavinwilson]

i for one would appreciate it

 

[Guest123]

More concise?

Shove cards through doors ...:biggrin5:

I'll shove your cards where the sun doesn't shine. :smilewinkgrin:

 

[a12jpm]

Don't know if this helps but shamelessly nicked from the sparks forum (yes I'm one of them) but some good general marketing/business advise.

Ok, so this is for plastering, and it's been taken from our tiling forum, posted by a member named 'tiler burden' - so I'm not taking credit. But this can be adopted for most businesses and at least would give you some insight about how dificult / easy (that's debateable) it is getting yourself know.

------------ MESSAGE AS FOLLOWS

hi

hope this helps people new to tiling find work.

an associate of mine in devon, went on a 1 week course plastering and within 11 months had 7 lads working for him!!

HE GOT THE WORKIN IN, THEN GOT PEOPLE WORKING FOR HIM, KILLING 2 BIRDS WITH ONE STONE...LEARNING AND EARNING!!

THIS IS HOW HE DID IT, HERE GOES...........


Flyers - I delivered on foot nearly 10,000 street by street in areas that had victorian houses which were terraced. My research suggested a return of only 1-2% but on that amount of leaflets its a lot of work...

My other trick with flyers was to hit the DIY superstore carparks near you on the weekend that got be several jobs.

Lastly keep an eye out in local rag for planning applications, if they not published here your local council offices will have them available for you to view. Then go and pop a flyer in or a letter of introduction ideal if you see someone has applied for planning on for example an extension.

Another thing I do is to put a flyer through the door of every house I see with a sold sign on it. People often like to get work done before they move in, I picked up a five bed house top to bottom through this only last month.

Promotions - I give a free £25 Marks & Spencer voucher to any customer who recommends me to a someone thus resulting in a job. This is so easy and appears a little more upmarket than just giving them 20 quid. This can build a fairly formidable sales force.

Universities - Have you got any near you if so contact their accomidation office and ask for a list of approved student digs. Next send a letter to property addressed to the landlord offering your services. Students are most competent at damaging properties.

Estate agents - Again letter of introduction or better still get shirt and tie on and visit them with a portfolio of work and some business cards. Lots of people do remedial work prior to selling. NB - if you get work from an agent make sure you give em a drink out of it.

Sign written van - This is most important, need not be too flash but get it done professionally. Make sure it says company name and plasterer in big letters and it MUST include a landline number. I have the federation of small businesses (FSB) logo on mine it gives customers confidence. Have a look at bottom of post hopefully there is a picture, it cost me £180 to have all four sides done.

Auctions - Most people at auctions are developers get to an auction and try and put yourself about you will soon get to know the regulars do one good job for sensible money and word will soon spread.

T-shirts - we always wear company shirts on site with name and number in big letters it looks the part and gives you an edge. I wear one about as often as I can especially insupermarkets and anywhere busy (sad I know!). People regularly stop me and ask for a card.

Business cards - I shift about 75 cards a month give them out whenever possible make sure they look professional and get them laminated so they last longer.

Mugs - bit of a weird one I know but I get them made by my mate for £4 each got company name and number on. Give them to customer when job done they less likely to lose a mug with your number on and it is subconsciously welded into their mind they will recommend you whenever someone talks about getting plastering done.

Independent builders merchants - get some cards in there and get them a crate of beer at xmas they will push your business if you are good.

Website - my website is very simple it is not designed to attract business but is there as a point of contact if people lose your number. All they have to do is stick my company name into google and up pops website with contact details.

British networking institution do a google search under BNI - bit of a pain in the bum but can work well in the early days.

Think your advert through also - I guarantee to give a same day quotation early bird catches the worm and all that.

My advert offers people the chance to visit work in progress and talk to happy customers works a treat. Also offer weekend work and evening work to fit around modern folks lifestyles.

When you go and quote a job make sure you sell the product to the customer from the moment you get in the door ie stress you do two coat work and your clean and tidy etc. In the early days I would get wife to ring me when I was with customer and ask for a quote gives real customer confidence to know you busy.





PPS My ad in the local rag is 2x3 cm box every night of week and costs me £400 a month but I get about three or four calls a day so it is worth it to me.

Cheers
ed

 

[jordand]

Id personally love a bit marketing advice having just recently gone it alone.

 

[Ivor Bates]

Hmmm, Ok my view on this is this is quite simple, you need to market yourself constantly not just when it is quiet. Having a clean sign written van will give you free marketing 7 days a week, driving around in a rust bucket full of *** butts will have the opposite effect. I will keep saying this, go to Blogger set up a blog and write regular articles it costs you nothing but a bit of time, if you dont have time pay someone to do it. There are plenty of free marketing ideas out their you just need to Google it.
One of the very first things I was told when I set up on myself some 15yr ago was to check the competition, not to under cut them, but to be different but now everyone is a plumber than has kind of gone ot the window....

 

[PlumbBobBob]

good idea colin go for it i say

 

[Barry98]

every little bit helps fella crack on

 

[Koogatubac]

More concise?

Shove cards through doors ...:biggrin5:

Does this ACTUALLY get you work? Normally people just throw them in the bin!

 

[Rob Sale]

I'm Just starting out here in Hamilton and starting with very few ££'s so I would love to have a wee guide. especially on what call to actions work on leaflets .i.e 10%off, free flue with boiler.

 

[julesverne]

we can always do with advice on getting more business crack on dude

 

[dontknowitall]

Does this ACTUALLY get you work? Normally people just throw them in the bin!

It does. If you spend your time throwing them through doors of flats you're unlikely to get a job. If you choose a more affluent area (where access to post boxes is an effort) you should get around 1% to 2% return.

I had a small job to do a few weeks back (fix a loo and a tap). Got £50. Not a huge amount I know but that card was delivered 4 years previously.

 

[Koogatubac]

Also that £50 has paid for all those leaflets!
Think im going to give this action a bash! Making my own leaflets since im good on the computer and will be posting them! Even small jobs can all add up to a good days wage 🙂 im starting up too! All i need now is business cards getting printed then all ready to go! Also spent to date business related £6.3k

 

[dontknowitall]

I found that business cards produced a much better return than leaflets. Cards are small and can be stuffed by the boiler or on a kitchen notice board. Leaflets are flimsy and will be thrown.