I came up with a way to put a positive spin on the current work condidtions by sending out fliers to drum up work.
Rather than dropping my rate I decided to offer a stimulus check spendable on the clients next project. It’s silly but I think it just might be silly enough to bring in some work.
I welcome your opinions.
The Paslode cordless siding and fencing nailer drives fasteners reliably without the hassle of hoses or compressors.
"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.
Replies
Honestly, I think that's quite good. The tone to it is just right. It's unabashed and it says so. It would work on me.
Thanks I've always thought a matter-of-fact-friendly approach to be best.
I like it.
Lets consider this... If anyone likes anothers idea to drum up work and wants to do the same so be it. The best ideas are stolen,MHO.
Let's just let each other know how well it worked for them. I'll be mailing 40 of these out tomarrow and decide by the end of the week if I should send a few hundred.
The test group are known good former clients and 5 cold calls. I know this is a small test. A 1% response is at best all I can hope for. But for me that would be 4 calls and if I land 1 I'll probably have made Marches nut.
Works slow and it's not good to put all my eggs in one basket so I'm trying several ideas, this is just one.
I'm also going to print up and walk out some more door hangers. I really hope the mailers do better, because there easier on my feet.
Not bad. Thats one thing I wish I had put on my last mailer. I thought about a finders fee for any referral that landed me a job.
Family.....They're always there when they need you.
I tried a finders fee, sort of, end of last year.
http://forums.taunton.com/tp-breaktime/messages?msg=113661.1
It still could be used.
I like it alot. Frank and friendly, has a nice feel.
FWIW, before you send (maybe too late) fix the typo in the "Pass the Stimulus" paragraph. Second word, your should be you're.
Everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, it's not the end.
Thanks Fatroman caught that for me as well as another misspell, thanks FR.
Spellin ain't one of my sharper tools.
Edited 2/19/2009 3:45 pm by jagwah
Excellent, I want to try it too. But I live on the east coast where property prices went crazy high. Reckon I'd have to rewrite. Really great idea.
Spellcheck: no job too small
Rich
fantastic!
Just printed it out so I can "adjust" it a bit to fit me.
Thanks for the idea.
I'll give ya 10% on anything it drums up! Have about a month booked and some stuff to catch up on, so gives me time to tweak it and send out to previous customers and see what happens.
Had already planned on hitting up the old customers around the beginning of next month ... Thanks for the extra ammo.
Jeff
Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
No problemo!
I got this template through Microsoft Publisher. The check was done through a program called Print Artist and then saved as a jpg and inserted into the document.
I'd be glad to e-mail you the saw graphic.
Good Luck
Edited 2/19/2009 6:59 pm by jagwah
cool.
mail it thru the site ... that's the one and only email.
I can even use the logic in the first paragraph. Pgh is a similar market.
my customers all know me pretty well ... they expect a fair amount of goofyness, even the straight laced ones. That stimulas idea is really good. Current and great excuse to reconnect. I have a stack of names/addy's from a company I worked for 7 years ago. The company dissolved 4 or 5 yrs ago. Was thinking would be great timing to get abck in touch with them too.
Jeff Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
The vertical name is spelled Wooworks
Yeah, he couldn't afford a "D"...BT_T.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations
They kill Prophets, for Profits.
The vertical name is spelled Wooworks
He is wooing clients, after all. I hope it works.
k
Wow that is so cool. Of all the things I checked. I didn't mind I miss spelled a couple of words but that's precious. Oh well the first 30 are out.
This went by my wife,(acollege dean I might add). and she didn't catch it.
Just cool. I wonder if I can blame the economy if no one responds or if I should except the fact they don't want to hire a goober.
You should know by now, don't send ANYTHING out without US looking it over first, we ain't high faluting collitch types, but we gots good eyes for "gooberisms", cuz we are used to seeing own.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations
They kill Prophets, for Profits.
My bad. Thanks guys
One thing I've tried to do keep the newsletters short and concise. I don't feel my clients will read long dissertations. Keeping it short, I feel means it gets looked at, at least and not tossed before opening. Checked out Septembers mailer and misspelled woodworking then to.
But ya know anyone can do woodworking. It takes that special peson to do wooworking.
Thanks, Bob.
I've been telling myself that I need to do what you've done for some time. Consider your idea stolen, with much gratitude.
Jon Blakemore
RappahannockINC.com Fredericksburg, VA
Nicely written, light an humorous but frank and honest at the same time. You hit it just right.
M
------------------
"You cannot work hard enough to make up for a sloppy estimate."
A Big Thumbs Up.
If you were in my neighborhood I'd find something for you to build. Great idea.
...The unspoken word is capital. We can invest it or we can squander it. -Mark Twain...Be kind to your children....they will choose your nursing home....aim low boys, they're ridin' shetland ponies !!
Bob, I think that's a brilliant move. Honest and straightforward with a touch of whimsical humor. Just take care of the spelling. At the very least it should get people talking about you.
I've been thinking of something like that for us later this spring if things continue to slide any further.
View Image
Thanks I appreciate it. Believe you me the rest of the mailers have been thoughly vetted.
As I've said I've sent out a few out unfortunately with the misspelling already. My hope is one of them calls to let me know. I'll just admit I did it on purpose just to get them to call.
Ya that's the ticket.
Edited 2/20/2009 2:36 pm by jagwah
Beautiful.
Really, other than the spelling, that is first-rate marketing. Maybe even with the spelling. <G>
I need to figure out how to apply that to driveways or drainage or road repairs for homeowners.
Wish I could figure out how to apply it to the trucking side, but we're already paying the brokers about $0.10 per mile for the privilege of hauling their cr#p. That price can't go any lower.
We tried to lose a little on every load and make it up in volume, but that didn't work, either. <G>
I've corrected the spelling but my excuse is ,"Ya, I do Wooworking. Woodworking is easy. Wooworking, now there's a challenge."
I like your plan...You just need a bigger truck.
excellent, kudos for you!!
Just a post on responses.
First mailings last friday. Two calls monday. Appointments tuesday.
Client #1
One exterior door replacement scheduled for sure. Value $555...$455 afted Stimulus check. Got $200 advance check.
One double door replacement very possible once glass insert type decided. Approx $2600 doors $2500 after Stimulus Check.
Client #2
One new wall of entertainment cabinets and bookshelves maybe? Couple not on the same page. Approx cost $3500 plus, but I don't feel this one will happen.
So, so far a success! Keep ya posted 'cause the week ain't over yet!
Edited 2/25/2009 12:26 pm by jagwah
Yesterday in the mail I recieved a fake $20 bill, good toward any plumbing project during 2009 from a plumber I have not used in 2 years, though I see him at the homebuilder's meetings.
I know he didn't get the idea here because he talked about it 6 weeks ago after the HBA meeting.
Bowz
Cool
I'm printing up my checks with my number on the back. Passing them about.
A guy's gotta do what a guy's gotta do.
A guy's gotta do what a guy's gotta do.
Yeah, that's what it is coming to alright.
But you are on the right track. In '99 I changed the business name and moved my shop to a new telephone #. Sinse I switched to using my real name in the company name I figured everybody I had worked for would make the connection. that was pretty stupid, and i know it cost me at least one bathroom.
So about two years ago, I sent letters to some clients I had worked for before 1999, telling them how I changed the business name and I had run into a former client who hadn't made the connection, and I just wanted them to know I was still around, and where they could reach me. (note; the recession started here long before it was national news),
That got me 9 leads over the last two years out of 26 letters sent. Not all panned out, but I did get a $11K+ pergola, and a $28K kitchen as the top projects from that mailing.
Currently I am working my way through my "tickler" file. That is a list of people who talked about projects but never did anything about them. Of seven calls and messages, I am at 2 "yes", 1 "absolutely", 1 "no I still can't afford it right now." and 1 "I'm still thinking about it."
This is the third year I have been slow enough to need to go to the tickler file for a cushion of work. heck, right now the cushion has more in it than anything else. I gotta add that I always feared people would try to chisel me down if I approached them about work, but this has not been the case at all, even in this economy.
Bowz
Ran into this idea, but didn't call it a tickler, when I transfered all my old palm pilot files into Outlook.
I discovered I could easily pull up old calls with simple strings. The old software wouldn't let me print out all my appointments I had entered. When I moved the files to outlook after my pilot died I was surprised I could at least get to them easily.
Now I can go through all the old calls that were dead ends and ponder if this might be a "warm call". I got a couple dozen new/old names.
Thank God I also posted comments after meetings, like dick, mean,spacy etc. This helped me remember and avoid some of the problem clients.
I don't want to pile on but there are not only spelling errors but a number of puncuation and grammer errors as well.
You are a professional in your business and you would tell your customers that sometimes do-it-yourself isn't the best idea. Your idea was clever but maybe next time you should run it by somebody who is used to being picky. Drop it on a trusted high school English teacher and give him/her $25 or a gift card for dinner to proof it.
I am very forunate to have an extremely picky wife who is abundantly generous with her criticism. She has no problem finding all of my faults and letting me know about them....repeatedly! She teaches 2nd grade so she is used to finding errors and correcting them. While this may sound like a bad thing, you must remember that a teacher makes you go back and do things over and over again until you get it right!
Best of luck. I think so far the only thing that has gotten stimulated is a bunch of Democrats running around like Peg Leg Pete coming off the dance floor at the prom due to all the uncontrolled spending. :)
Edited 2/25/2009 4:19 pm ET by cussnu2
cussnu2 is right to notice a few punctuation errors--mostly comma usage the way I see it. Look, I know it doesn't seem like such a big deal, but I once lost a good fireplace job because I spelled it 'mantle'(as in Mickey), instead of 'mantel'(as in shelf above fireplace) in a newspaper ad.
Just running a spell-check does not catch punctuation, and it wouldn't catch "your" because it IS a correctly spelled word. It's just not used properly in that sentence.
Lots of good luck to you.
Something you might mention as it relates to the stimulus. Haven't heard too much about it in the media, but seems like a pretty good deal for anyone wanting to remodel their home.
http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=products.pr_tax_credits
Tracy
Thanks very interesting. One of my clients just had their attic insulated, may be a deduction there.
If you could go back and get them a tax credit, that would be "value added" service!
Good for you, and nicely presented. Just an FYI for you and everyone else out there in OUR boat. Friend just went on a GO SEE, that's what we call looking at possible new work. Potential client tells him to bid the job on the current 09 economy and that it's real bad now. Million + home and 2 Benz's in the driveway. He bid it normal, good for him. But it does send up a bright red flag.
Ya that's my point that based on the current circumstances one is tempted to lower your rate. The problem is you still have overhead and cost that aren't going down.
Better to offer the look of a big reduction, $100 off a $500 job. That looks to be 20%. But the reality is most of my jobs run $1500 plus and at $1500 that's only about 6%. The % is less as the job price increases. But the client sees 20% as the savings.
Don't get me wrong I am bidding honestly without concern of the discount, it is what it is.
I intend to give a discount fairly as I've promised and if all my jobs run $500-$1000 it'll be tough but at least I'll be working.
Time is on my side and as long as I can stay busy no matter the size of the job I know that the economy is going to improve as well as the size of my jobs.
A little polyanna I know but it's the best I got going.
Going out on a "go see", I like it.
You ain't from around these parts are ya? (old western saying)
Where you located?
Picked the term up 35yrs ago from an actor/model buddy who would go on hundreds of "GO SEE'S" auditions. Going to see (if I get the work). Did become a VERY successful stuntman/stunt co-ordinator. I live in Westchester Cty. NY 63 yrs.
Edited 2/28/2009 6:57 am ET by Pelipeth
jagwah,
I recieved a very professionally produced mailer about a week ago using the "stimulus check" idea Basically it appeared to be $500 of Marvin window installs I think your tickler file is probably a good idea---- I am doing something similar this year planning out 2009 game plan last fall-- I figured best to plan on my 2009 income being maybe 1/3 of 2008----so doing things I wouldn't normally do----- but that I PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE DONE ALL ALONG!!!!!!! any how in March 2009 I will call or mail all customers we did projects for in March 2008,2007,2006 and mention that it has been 1-2-3 years since we did their roof and that I will be stopping by in the month of March just to check the roof and make sure that it still meets my standards and that I see NO areas of concern. I don't really expect to find any areas of concern------ this is just to nudge satisfied customers and spur their memory( and REFERALLS)Earlier in January I had contacted 3 previous customers to ask IF I could use them as references on another matter--- out of those 3 contacts TWO already resulted in a referall--AND even better the primary reason I contacted those 3 customers in January has worked out as well ! My hat is definitely off to you.- a lot of people would sit around wailing "woe is me"--winners step up to the plate and get the job done, so again congrats!
Best wishes,
stephen
Trust me I've had 2 1/2 months of 'woe is me' and I just got angry when I was trying to make out an ad to sell my jointer and HVLP unit.
So I cracked open my Jameson and we went out on the porch and had a brain storming session. Later after my nap this came to me.
Calling back old clients is a great idea for any time. Even if you anticipate a problem everyone should call a client back, say at the 1 month,6th month and 1 year. Then keep in touch with a news letter or something.
Glad you kicking it in gear and thanks for the positives.
>>>Potential client tells him to bid the job on the current 09 economy and that it's real bad now.<<<So he needs to bid it high enough to live off the profit for 2 years or so because he may not get anymore work til then!!.
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"After the laws of Physics, everything else is opinion" -Neil deGrasse Tyson
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If Pasta and Antipasta meet is it the end of the Universe???
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according to statistical analysis, "for some time now, bears apparently have been going to the bathroom in the woods."