Bill Tanasse believes that when it comes to residential contracting, building and engineering are a lot alike. “Generally, it’s a function of someone’s budget,” says the mechanical engineer, who 20 years ago started a homebuilding business that evolved into a remodeling company.
Tanasse is salesperson and designer at the company, which has grown 20% per year for the last three years. This growth is largely due to using a comprehensive Ontraport CRM system and to abiding by the company’s Five Keys of Excellence: value, direct contact with the owner, design excellence, on-time installation, and a solid warranty.
Today, 30% of the company’s business is custom homes, the remainder remodeling, with kitchens and additions a forte.
Learning how to be a remodeler, Tanasse says, is about “setting the right expectations and having the right systems in place.”
Takeaways
- A multi-stage lead intake system that begins with qualifying questions, including budget questions, at which point prospects are directed to Key Builders website and Remodeling’s Cost Vs. Value study. Key Builders uses Ontraport CRM system to automatically direct emails and other communication once a connection is underway.
- Use of BuilderTrend to manage larger, multi-phase projects.
- Input from marketing consultant Kyle Hunt, and his organization, Remodel Your Marketing. “He helped me define who I am by talking to different clients,” Tanasse says. That input resulted in the company’s Five Keys of Excellence, which include value, direct contact with the owner, design excellence, on-time installation and "a Stand Behind It" warranty.
