KickStart: Send a brightly colored envelope “pre-orienting’ close-by home owners that you’ll be “in the area”. (Include a list of your services.)
Marketing your residential services is tough! After all, home owners are bombarded with a dizzying deluge of advertising and (GRRRR!) low-price offers!😡 But WAIT!
You have an exclusive, ‘virgin marketing territory’ when you or your on-site workers make a friendly, ‘heads-up’ visit to the neighbors when beginning each job. Or even better, in conjunction with your personal visits…
‘Pre-orient’ the neighbors that you’ll be “in the area” BEFORE your scheduled work. Simply…
Send a “We’ll be working for your neighbor on (date)…” letter out a week or so before the job.
Here’s how to do it…
1. Check local mail delivery time. You’ll want your ‘We’ll be in the neighborhood’ envelopes to arrive 3-4 days before your crew shows up on the job.
2. Use a reverse address directory. At the very least mail to the homes on either side of your job plus the three houses across the street. (Therefore the venerable marketing term “Five-Around”!) Or even better? Mail to every house on the block. (After all, this strategy is a classic example of ‘targeted marketing’!)
3. Neatly hand address a ‘greeting card size’ envelope. Make sure your envelope (in a bright color if possible) fits USPS guidelines for a regular first class stamp. (Always use a colorful actual stamp.) Hand write your company’s return address on the back of the envelope.
HINT: Any way you can differentiate the envelope from the usual junk mail (within reason) is a good thing. For example, we used little flower seals like these.
4. Include a pre-printed “We’ll be in your neighborhood” note. Print this personalized reminder out as needed for each different job on high quality card stock. Here’s some sample copy the personalized parts in highlighted in green…
Greetings,
We’ll be (brief description of work) in the 3200 block of East 6th Avenue on Monday and Tuesday, June 16-17th. (All our trucks are logoed and all employees wear photo I.D. badges.) If you have any questions or concerns during our project please call us at 931-876-3214.
We’re also including an “In your neighborhood” discount coupon for any work (our services are listed on the back of the coupon) you’d like to schedule while our crew is in the area. Just call or text us at xxx-xxxx ASAP if you’d like to get on our schedule.
Many thanks and please stop by to say “HI” starting next Monday, the 16th of June!
Sincerely, (hand inked signature)
Want to triple your results? (After sending out this ‘We’ll be in your area’ notice out a week or so before each job.) On the first day have your crew chief make a personal visit to each home on the block after the crew has started. He or she can ‘pre-apologize’ for any noise or congestion and also mention the note you sent them. (And even show the home owner a sample envelope to jog their memory.) Or here’s another option…
Neighbor not home? (Or ignores the doorbell?)😲 Check your local laws and/or subdivision rules first. Then you may decide to discreetly tuck a small envelope (where it won’t be visible) in their door with the above pre-printed note. Have your office pre-address the envelope with a hand-written “Dear Neighbor”. (Include a gift card if you wish.)
REMEMBER: Part of ‘marketing to the neighbors’ is how ALL of your company looks on-site… ALL the time! So focus on…
A) ALL of your truck(s) appearance. (Clean, professionally lettered with a sharp logo?) Then look, really look, at ALL of…
B) ALL of your employees. Would you want your front-line workers to be in YOUR home… alone with your spouse?
NOTE: Running your business (and your life) is so much easier with great people on your team. Click HERE to learn more about our SFS: Hiring the Very Best! LIVE seminar. Then…
C) ALL of the time keep a clean and organized job-site, be considerate and friendly, etc, etc, etc. (You get the idea!)😍
WANT MORE HELP? You’ll learn so much in our different online SFS: LIVE seminars! Plus you’ll implement our concepts easily with our turnkey SFS: ‘Business Infrastructure’! Click HERE to see upcoming classes…
Steve