“The most valuable of all talents is that of never using two words when one will do”

- Thomas Jefferson

Stand Out from other Roofers with Simple Messages - that Really Say Something.

I like that quote.  This is an important principle to keep in mind when developing marketing messages for your roofing services.  Roofing contractor marketing does not need to be complicated or lengthy.

“Great, I will just put a bunch of simple bullet points in my ads and people will surely read them”  Not true.  Along with being busy we have also become immune to most advertising.  I was looking at an ad for an electrician in my area.  His bullet points were:

Clean professional service – Experienced, friendly electricians – Free quotes

If you were looking for an electrician what would go through your mind as you read those bullet points?

My thoughts are: “Really?  Wow, I’ll hire this guy because the other electrician advertises ‘dirty unprofessional service done by grumpy guys with no experience’!”  Or in other words – “What else would I expect?  Everybody says those things!”

Keeping it simple does not mean saying the same old thing that everyone else says. You could have taken the ad for that electrician and inserted his competitor’ name and the ad would have been fine.  You could have taken his ad and inserted a plumber or a roofer and the ad would have been fine.  This is not a good ad.

Keeping it simple is hard work.  It means really taking the time to figure out what makes you different from other roofing contractors (saying something they cannot say) and then finding a way to say it quickly and convincingly in language the customer will understand.

TAKE ACTION:

1 - Review your ads and see if your are saying things that make the reader say “Of course, everyone says that!”  If you have them, change them.

2 - Take time to review what makes you different from other roofing contractors and  find a way to explain these differences in two or three sentences.  Then replace your old generic points with these.

In future posts we will discuss how to develop these statements often called your “USP” or Unique Selling Proposition.  Please share your thoughts.

Are You Marketing Roofing in a Storm Area?

Are you marketing in a storm area?  If so, you are not alone.  In reading blog posts I have noticed that roofers and roofing contractors are converging on neighborhoods in droves and many homeowners are not exactly welcoming them with open arms.

If you are a local roofing contractor how can you stand out from your new found competition?  First off this experience proves that marketing for a roofing contractor should not start after the storm hits.  If you have been consistently building “top of mind” awareness in your market, you will be the first called, no matter who comes knocking.  However, when you start marketing and knocking at the same time as all the others it is really difficult for you to stand apart as different.

That said, what can you do?  Here are 4 ideas.

1) Contact all of your past customers and ask them if you can be of any assistance to them, their friends or family.  Just ask if they are o.k. and if they need anything.  Offer to give them or anyone they refer a “Storm Relief Discount”.  Highlight that you understand how difficult it can be to deal with the aftermath of  a storm and that you are there to help.

2) Form a Local Contractors referral group.  Get together with contractors from other trades and agree to share leads and refer services to their customers.

3) Contact your local Chamber of Commerce and offer to do a seminar on “How to protect yourself when hiring a Roofing Contractor”  They will get calls asking them who they recommend.  Try to be their go-to reference for storm related roofing questions.  Note – you will probably need to join the Chamber to take advantage of this one.  However, you can do this with other organizations including your local paper and T.V. station.

4) Offer a discount for Teachers, Firefighters, Police, etc.  Drop off flyers at these locations advertising this discount.  Highlight that you are local and are willing to invest in helping those who protect and develop your local community.  When you are going door-to-door, don’t ask if they need a roofing bid, ask if anyone in the home is a Teacher, Firefighter or Policeman to see if they qualify for your “Storm Relief” discount.  If they don’t, they will probably ask what you can do for them and that will open up the opportunity for further conversation.

Standing out from the crowd can be difficult at times like this, but with some clever planning you can really take advantage of the fact that you are a local.  These tips can help you be the calm after the storm for your customers.  Please let us know your thoughts and ideas of how you can stand out from the storm crowd.