Sincerity and manipulation: The marketing game

This morning, I received an enthusiastic comment for one of my blog postings, describing how someone purportedly received great service from a Los Angeles area plumber. I couldn't track the commenter's source identity (quickly at least) and the comment had conveniently embedded a hyperlink to the competing plumber so enthusiastically promoted.Would you be suspicious of this type of manipulation and "accept" the link? (I decided to publish it, but removed all the built in hyperlinks, and put qualifying comments around it.)Now, instead, what would happen if the competing plumber or its representative had really addressed the issue of marketing...

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Big dreams and great achievements

A few postings ago, I observed that you must not fall into the trap of "wishful thinking" about your business and construction marketing. This should not however be interpreted as suggesting you should not take business and marketing risks by turning big dreams and thoughts into real ventures.The most important element of risk and reward is that there are times when you must, indeed, dive into the unknown. For example, if you've always relied on repeat and referral business, and now are contemplating paying for advertising to attract new business, you will find the expense scary and most likely, the immediate results to be disappointing. (In...

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Unintended construction marketing costs

Yesterday, I picked up my car from the local dealership. The air conditioner condenser had been damaged, and the total repair bill approached $900.00. Although high, I accepted the charge and paid the bill.I returned home to find in my mail a letter in the dealer's name from the manufacturer (Honda) offering a 10 per cent discount on parts and service as long as you bring in the car for work before July 31.Today, I returned to the dealership and firmly asked for the credit. To the dealer's marketing credit, they granted it, putting close to $90 back into my Amex account.While this solution is the correct strategy -- you don't want to alienate...

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Wishful thinking and hard numbers

It is good to dream. Often indeed how we perceive and visualize our future predicts it. The stuff of "positive self talk", affirmation and visualization sometimes seems like hocus-pocus, but it works if you believe.The challenge is being sure your dreams are not converted to short-term wishful thinking. A classic example is hoping to win the lottery or a big casino jackpot this month. The odds and probability are simply stacked against you. In your business, an example of wishful thinking is when you think you can achieve immediate results, even though your objective early (factual) indicators suggest this is less than likely. For example,...

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The general contractor's question: What criteria do you use in deterining which sub trade to use?

Frank DeCaria, president of Eastern Construction Company Ltd. at the Ontario General Contractors Association SymposiumAt the Ontario General Contractors Association symposium president's forum, an audience member asked this rather important question: "What criteria do you use in determining which sub trade to use?"If you are a sub, obviously, the answer to this question may be one of the most important ones you need to win more opportunities and bids.Although there were four panelists, only Frank DeCaria, president of Eastern Construction Company Ltd. of Toronto and Windsor, had the opportunity to respond. "The trades give us most difficulty...

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Day 2 at the OGCA Symposium

Steve Sulpher at Infinite Source Solutions with Jim Wright from the Ontario Construction Secretariat at the OCS booth at the OGCA Symposium.Talk about intense! From 7 a.m. breakfast until the dinner session wrapped up about 10 pm at the Ontario General Contractors Association symposium, I could catch a few breaks (including a much-needed late afternoon 'crash' in the hotel room) but -- even as I gathered notes for several stories and future articles -- lacked the time and energy for serious blogging.Today, after a key session where leading contractors will describe their experiences and sense of the market going forward, I must quickly pack...

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The recession and the Ontario General Contractors Association

Attendance has declined for the first time in the six year history of the Ontario General Contractors Annual Symposium. Here are two signs we are in a recession. The number of sponsors who paid money and/or services to market their services to general contractors at the Ontario General Contractors Association Annual Symposium increased to record (I think 59 total) levels. But attendance declined for the first time in the event's six year history. And, perhaps more disturbingly, I saw lots of empty seats at the first night dinner. Could this be a situation like a "sold out" hockey game where people with prepaid seasons tickets didn't show?This...

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The sixth annual Ontario General Contractors Association Symosium

We're sorry, your browser doesn't support <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">IFrames</span>. You can still &amp;amp;amp;<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">lt</span>;a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">href</span>="http://www.yudu.com/item/details/47440/OGCA-6th-Symposium-Preview--Ontario-Construction-Report--April-2009-?refid=6786"&amp;amp;amp;gt;visit this item.&amp;amp;amp;<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">lt</span>;/a&amp;amp;amp;gt;, however.Here is an electronic copy of the Ontario Construction Report's preview report about the OGCA SymposiumIn a few minutes, I'll begin a seven hour drive to Collingwood, Ontario, for the sixth annual Ontario...

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Recruiting rainmakers

Here's a link to a PDF file of my latest contribution to the SMPS Marketer: Recruiting Rainmakers. In the story, I report on interviews with Ford Harding, recruiter John Kreiss of Sullivan Kreiss, and rainmaker Guy Geier at New York architect FXFOWLE. The advice is simple: If you wish to use an outside recruiting agency, be prepared to pay upwards of $30 to $60,000 in fees, and if you wish to do it yourself, the best approach is to work your own network and connections -- and be aware that the process can be long and slow.Kreiss makes an astute observation that while business for recruiting agencies has not surprisingly dried up for most...

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Branding, Marketing, Advertising, and Salesmanship

At times the debate on this contractortalk.com thread, Branding, Marketing, Advertising and Salemanship, has grown heated, and I've contributed to the heat. The issue: Is branding relevant for most contractors.Readers here know that I consider that most contractors with a solid reputation and much repeat and referral business to have an excellent brand, whether or not they are great at marketing. Mike Finley, a successful Colorado contractor, disagrees that this client-centric perception of branding is correct. He says branding is far more related to whether people with no connection with your business "know" it and have a perception and...

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"Bah to brochures" and other superficialities

We're sorry, your browser doesn't support <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">IFrames</span>. You can still &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">lt</span>;a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">href</span>="http://beta.yudu.com/library/item_details/16098/Trade-Show-Presentation?refid=6786"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;visit this item.&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">lt</span>;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;, however.This is our corporate brochure. Does it get us any business? I doubt it, but...

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Advertising and repeat business

Mike Feazel (left) of Feazel Roofing in Columbus, Ohio and Leonard Megliola (center right) at Bestline Plumbing in Los Angeles have discovered the value of advertising -- but they don't follow everyone else's example in selecting their media and method. Still you can learn a lot from their success.You cannot draw scientific conclusions from a two examples, but the stories of Leonard Megliola at Bestline Plumbing in Los Angeles (plumbing) and Mike Feazel of Feazel Roofing in Columbus Ohio have similar elements.Both have discovered:The commercial and new home builder markets are not for them, because they have discovered they cannot earn enough...

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Fear and the brand

The Tower of Terror is probably the most popular ride at Disney's California Adventure. It is a wild "elevator" ride in the Hollywood Hotel -- at one point, the doors open and park visitors can hear the screaming riders from high up.If you play the video from the previous California Screamin' posting, you'll see images of one rather wild roller-coaster ride. The idea of this type of entertainment is to give you a thrill: Doing something scary that you know is safe -- even for your kids. And from a marketing perspective, that is the magic of branding, or more accurately, the branding experience. It also is a key element of success in marketing...

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The marketing lessons from California Screamin'

What construction marketing lessons can you learn from this and other Disney rides? I'll answer the question tomorr...

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The sub trade marketing challenge

So you are marketing your subtrade services and want to find new business.How do you get through the gatekeepers, and earn the respect for your proposition?You may think your wisest approach is waiting for the opportunity to bid the job and you simply need to get on a prequalification list, or (worse) wait for the job to be tendered publicly.Go ahead. Spin your wheels. Lose your money.You haven't passed stage one of elementary marketing and sales. And you are like a large percentage of the construction industry hoping for business and wondering why you are struggling.You need to think differently. The key is to recognize the combined power...

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Different roads for different folks

That's me, getting ready for my ride through the Malibu Canyon to visit Bestline Plumbing in Gardenia (Los Angeles). Not everyone likes sportbikes, and not everyone needing plumbing services is middle-aged or older. You need to define your niche and demographics in setting your marketing goals.Leonard Meglolia at Bestline Plumbing in Los Angeles says he finds virtually none of his business from the Internet, and virtually all of his clients are middle aged or older. (The older client demographic has remained consistent from the start of his business, he says.)Accordingly, for him, the website doesn't serve much marketing purpose, and if his...

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