Smells Like Home Fries: Remodelers in the 'Hood

What are you good at when you're not "working," remodelers? Can you share it with your clients?

In Atlanta, David Sturm of Attention to Detail Home Remodeling loves to cook. And he's good at it. So after some of his remodeling projects, he cooks for his clients -- maybe a nice dinner in their newly remodeled kitchen, and maybe a casual brunch in their cul de sac.

That's what's going on below. Sturm (shorts and green polo shirt) whipped up "fresh coffee, eggs to order and my famous hash browns" for the neighbors of around this project, a kitchen and second-story makeover.

"We do this every time we remodel in a neighborhood where we desire to do more work," Sturm explains. It's a lot of effort, but I love doing it."

It's good marketing, too. After this particular brunch, Attention to Detail lined up two additional jobs in the same neighborhood.

We're looking for more stories along these lines, remodelers. If you'd like to share a "community building" marketing strategy that works for your business, feel free to comment below. Or shoot me an email: leah@daily5REMODEL.com.


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"Like an Online Review on Steroids"

Remodelers luv Houzz. At least that's the sense from many of the remodelers I speak with.

(Ummm, what's Houzz? It's not too late to get on board. Here are two d5R articles providing an overview: Remodelers on Houzz: a "Case" Study. Also: Houzz Party, Remodelrrss Invited.)

This week the site has awarded its 2013 "Best of Houzz" awards to some of the many thousands of contractors that have profiles on the site. One winner is Renewal Design Build of Atlanta, which won two awards, for design and customer satisfaction. Here's a screenshot of the company's Houzz profile.


Peter Michelson, Renewal's CEO (and also featured in this d5R article about online reviews), sent me this email last evening:

In many ways these two awards are like an online review on steroids. It's Lance Armstrong in his prime! Now don't quote me out of context, but if you think about it, winning this award is a highly respected third party that is heavily followed saying:  "You guys rock!" So I am absolutely thrilled to have my amazing team recognized for their excellence in design, craftsmanship, and customer service. 

We have been using Houzz for at least two years.  We direct almost every one of our clients to the site to create and share an inspiration book.  This allows our designers to understand and appreciate our clients' sense of aesthetics.  Conversely, our designers also create inspiration books to share ideas with clients, to ensure during the design and selections process that we are all in alignment.

As a business owner, I am deeply awed and inspired by the brilliance of the Houzz.com site. They have monetized an idea that is a free service to both consumers and professionals. They have found a way to motivate thousands of builders and designers to spend large sums of money (we spend about $1,000/project) on gorgeous architectural photography, upload it to the sight, and remain engaged with the general public. I was at a Houzz event last month in ATL. The room was packed with designers and builders, all begging to offer high quality content to the site with the hopes of using it as lead generation. What they have created is profound.  Truly brilliant.

What about the rest of you, remodelers? Do you have a profile on Houzz?



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5 Words That "Just Amped up the Delivery"

"This is how we work."

Here's an upbeat story to kick off the remodeling week. It's especially relevant if you think you're wasting your time with Twitter and other social media tools. Even more so if you're committed to thinking there's little you can do (other than slashing your prices to rock bottom) to get remodeling newbies to trust and hire you.

A Midwestern remodeler reports that he is "very, very close" to signing a $165,000 project of an old home in an upscale, historic neighborhood. The couple has never remodeled, "and they are very nervous," he says. "They called three of our past clients and also requested a walk-through of one of our projects."

During the walk-through (at another old home), the couple asked wisely about the "unforeseen changes" that often arise in old structures. "I saw this as a great opportunity to use these five words" the remodeler says. "I said, 'This is how we work' in the context of anticipating changes, performing thorough pre-construction planning and minimizing changes as much as possible.'"

The couple responded positively to that statement and everything that came with it. "I think it showed conviction," the remodeler muses. "I think just giving someone something to have confidence in gives them comfort. And the five-word statement just amped up the delivery."

So what's the Twitter connection? The couple was referred by an architect with whom the remodeler has been communicating on Twitter. "Score one for a great Twitter lead," the remodeler says. 

And the genesis of the five-word statement? From the talented Kyle Hunt, who provides marketing advice to remodelers. One of his recent emails recommended the "This is how we work" statement thus:

"Make it clear. Make it easy. Limit the options. Have it written out for them. This puts them at ease, makes their choice easier and converts more of your prospects to clients.

"Homeowners crave a PROCESS. Give it to them!"

Sign up for Kyle's email at his website. And follow his marketing tips on Twitter: http://twitter.com/KyleHunt.

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What Are You Really Thinking, Mr. and Mrs. Homeowner)?

Are you sure you want to do business with that homeowner, remodelers?

In his blog yesterday, Shawn McCadden provided a great list of questions to use in that first conversation with remodeling prospects. From revealing basic facts about the home and the prospect's timeline, to shedding light on how they might be as clients, the questions are helpful not only for identifying whether certain people are a good match for your business in the first place, but also for streamlining the sales and actual construction process that may follow.

On the list:

• Why do you want this done?
• Have you remodeled before? What was that like?
• What are you looking for in a contractor?
• Are you looking to hire a carpenter, or a professional remodeling company?
• Are you speaking with any other contractors?

See the full list on Shawn McCadden's blog.



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Remodelers' Top Priorities for 2013, Cont'd

Remodelers periodically complete business surveys on d5R, and our most recent survey revealed some uplifting stories about how remodelers retooled and bounced back in 2012 (read about four such comebacks here.)

What about 2013? Here are a few of the priorities remodelers shared:

• "Increase sales by $600,000, from $2.4 million to $3 million."
• "Retire some debt!"
• Step up marketing aggressiveness -- online as well as in targeted neighborhoods.
• Make month-to-month profitability more consistent.
• Develop a more intense marketing plan "that accents a one-stop company for clients' remodeling needs and maintenance."
• Open a kitchen-and-bath showroom; launch a restoration division.
• "Pre-2010 I was mainly a new home builder that did some remodeling. Since then all my business has been remodeling. In 2013 I am seriously considering putting new homes on the back burner and start trying to carve out specific niche in kitchen remodeling."

What are your business plans for 2013, remodelers? Feel free to comment below, or take the d5R survey here.

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