What’s the good news in your community? If the answer is “not much” — and you sense that the gloomy headlines are sending paralyzing chills down the spines of prospective clients — you’re not alone.
As an e-mail from one remodeler recently said, “Most of the people around here have the money. The issue is Brian Williams, Katie Couric, etc., telling them not to spend it!”
For some remodelers, the antidote to the “be fearful and don’t remodel” cycle is to turn it in reverse. Single out a few interesting trends in your operations, validate them with evidence, and package them for the media to report that remodeling is still a good investment — and that companies like yours are a safe bet.
Then send the resulting coverage to your clients and prospects.
Validating the Trend
A 30% uptick in residential work, phased-in remodeling, a spectacular project for a physically challenged client, a downsized McMansion ... all of these topics have generated positive news coverage for remodeling companies in recent months.
Here are some strategies behind these and other stories:
Get on business “lists.” One of the best stealth-marketing tools for Pittsburgh remodeler J. Francis Co. is the Pittsburgh Business Times, whose readers are the company’s target audience. For the last four years, JFC has made the paper’s list of the city’s 100 fastest-growing privately held companies.
Photo Credit: Mary Endres
Most major U.S. cities have business journals with a variety of nomination programs — women in business, top CFOs, 40 under 40. Visit Bizjournals to find the closest journal to you.
Identify and pitch your “top stories.” For JFC, the “top 100” list is a springboard. Before the awards event, president John McCloskey and business development manager Jean Krak brainstorm a list of their top five stories, such as an innovative employee-assistance program or, in this case, their 30% rise in residential remodeling this year amid the crashing new-home market.
At the event, Krak says, “[we] go around to different reporters and pitch the stories and say we’d be happy to give them more details if they’re interested.” A recent result was an October article about that 30% uptick. Comparing his company’s strong residential business with the turbulence on Wall Street, McCloskey speculated in the article that, “Maybe our home is our safest place to put our money.”
Publicize your publicity. Whenever JFC is featured in a positive story, Krak sends out links and/or recaps in e-newsletters and thank-you letters. “This kind of article gives customers more confidence to move forward,” she says. “It’s empowering.”
Conduct a survey. “Reporters want someone other than you to validate a trend,” says Nancy Daniel, a PR professional who works with the National Association of the Remodeling Industry’s Metro DC chapter.
In late October, the chapter e-mailed its members a link to a 13-question survey about recent sales, lead quality, and hiring activity. The e-mail, from chapter vice president David Merrick, began: “The economy isn’t bad enough, but how about all the bad news that goes along with it? It seems that there is no good news, and that only bad things make the headlines.” (Even if the reality is far brighter. Merrick Design and Build Remodeling is having its “best year ever,” Merrick says.)
The next day, results showed that jobs had gotten smaller and were taking longer to close, but that sales and leads were even and some companies were still hiring. A news-worthy trend, now backed by statistical proof, is “phased-in remodeling” — instead of whole-house projects, clients are remodeling the kitchen now, the master bath next, and so on.
McDaniel is pitching this story to The Washington Post now. Reporters there are “tough” to crack, she says, but “the more you can give reporters good trend information, the more likely they’ll use it.” She has a backup plan for other local media outlets, too.
How to create a survey? The NARI chapter developed this and other surveys with the help of Biz-comm, a marketing communications company. Other survey tools include various Web-based programs such as SurveyMonkey.com.