identifying and qualifying your best customers david lupberger servicemagic.com

Identifying and Qualifying Identifying and Qualifying Your Best CustomersYour Best Customers

David LupbergerDavid LupbergerServiceMagic.com ServiceMagic.com

Resource PovertyResource Poverty

The Harvard Business School refers The Harvard Business School refers to a phenomenon in small business to a phenomenon in small business called “Resource Poverty”called “Resource Poverty”– Small business owners wear dozens of Small business owners wear dozens of

hatshats– Small business has limited time and Small business has limited time and

resourcesresources– Time is the most valuable and limited Time is the most valuable and limited

resource you have!resource you have!

How Many Roles do You Have?How Many Roles do You Have? Owner/president ____Owner/president ____ General manager ____General manager ____ Production manager ____Production manager ____ Office administrator ____Office administrator ____ Office assistant ____Office assistant ____ Director of sales ____Director of sales ____ Salesperson ____Salesperson ____ Director of marketing ____Director of marketing ____ Marketing manager ____Marketing manager ____ Architect/designer ____Architect/designer ____ Estimator ____Estimator ____ Expediter ____Expediter ____ Lead Carpenter ____Lead Carpenter ____ Carpenter ____Carpenter ____ Apprentice/helper ____Apprentice/helper ____

High Impact ActivitiesHigh Impact Activities

High Impact ActivitiesHigh Impact Activities

– Actions that will have positive impacts Actions that will have positive impacts on many different areas of your on many different areas of your businessbusiness

– Attracting and qualifying the right Attracting and qualifying the right clientele is a “high impact activity”clientele is a “high impact activity”

What is a Good Sales Lead???What is a Good Sales Lead???

Target the kind of clients you wantTarget the kind of clients you want

– There are 2 parts to identifying what There are 2 parts to identifying what makes up a good prospectmakes up a good prospect

The project itselfThe project itselfThe client you will be working forThe client you will be working for

Identifying the Right ProjectIdentifying the Right Project

How do you determine the “right How do you determine the “right project?”project?”

Example: General remodelingExample: General remodeling What were your 3 best projects last What were your 3 best projects last

year?year?– Why were they profitable?Why were they profitable?– Which projects did you enjoy doing?Which projects did you enjoy doing?– Where were they located?Where were they located?

Identifying the Right ClientIdentifying the Right Client

Do you know who your best Do you know who your best customers are?customers are?

How do you find out?How do you find out?– What projects were your most What projects were your most

profitable?profitable?– Which projects did you enjoy doing?Which projects did you enjoy doing?– Where were these projects located?Where were these projects located?

Your Best ClientsYour Best Clients

What are the “demographics” of your best What are the “demographics” of your best clientsclients– IncomeIncome– ProfessionProfession– ChildrenChildren– Geographic locationGeographic location

North Arlington nicheNorth Arlington niche– Local elementary schoolLocal elementary school– Homeowners committed to the neighborhoodHomeowners committed to the neighborhood

Southern California: A target marketSouthern California: A target market

Your Best ClientsYour Best Clients www.zipskinny.com ““ZipSkinny is a free website that covers all ZipSkinny is a free website that covers all

50 states”. “You just plug in the Zip Code 50 states”. “You just plug in the Zip Code of a given area and it provides information of a given area and it provides information on household income levels, population, on household income levels, population, education, housing density, racial/ethnic education, housing density, racial/ethnic information, and other demographics.” information, and other demographics.” The site even allows you to compare The site even allows you to compare information for a number of Zip Codes side information for a number of Zip Codes side by side, and it automatically compares by side, and it automatically compares information with national averages.information with national averages.

The Marketing FunnelThe Marketing Funnel

Marketing is a numbers gameMarketing is a numbers game– Number of leads needed to get an Number of leads needed to get an

appointmentappointment– Number of appointments needed to get Number of appointments needed to get

a design contracta design contract– Number of design contracts needed to Number of design contracts needed to

get a construction jobget a construction job Can you adjust your marketing Can you adjust your marketing

“pipeline” to meet your needs?“pipeline” to meet your needs?

The Marketing PipelineThe Marketing Pipeline ReferralsReferrals Truck signsTruck signs Job site signsJob site signs ““Pardon my Dust” neighborhood jobsite mailingsPardon my Dust” neighborhood jobsite mailings Company newsletterCompany newsletter

– Open housesOpen houses– Dumpster dayDumpster day– Homeowner seminars in your areaHomeowner seminars in your area

The InternetThe Internet– Your websiteYour website– Additional lead generation sourcesAdditional lead generation sources

The future of Internet leadsThe future of Internet leads– Internet-based leads are the futureInternet-based leads are the future– Consumers in ever increasing numbers are using the Consumers in ever increasing numbers are using the

Internet to find informationInternet to find information

Internet LeadsInternet Leads Parts of a comprehensive Internet strategyParts of a comprehensive Internet strategy

– A good websiteA good website– Generating traffic (PPC, page rank, social Generating traffic (PPC, page rank, social

marketing, lead generation companies)marketing, lead generation companies)– E-mail tools and newslettersE-mail tools and newsletters– Benchmarks to measure effectivenessBenchmarks to measure effectiveness

There are 4 primary online lead generation There are 4 primary online lead generation modelsmodels– Internet Yellow PagesInternet Yellow Pages– Lead Generation companiesLead Generation companies– PPC (Pay per click/Low-end website-template)PPC (Pay per click/Low-end website-template)– Custom website design hostingCustom website design hosting

Your Marketing FunnelYour Marketing Funnel

Business is learning how to use the InternetBusiness is learning how to use the Internet– 5 years ago, most companies may not have had a 5 years ago, most companies may not have had a

website – now it’s standard procedurewebsite – now it’s standard procedure– Consumers are learning how to use the Internet Consumers are learning how to use the Internet

(comscore.com, an Internet marketing company (comscore.com, an Internet marketing company estimates there are over 500 key word searches done estimates there are over 500 key word searches done every secondevery second

– That is 30,000 keyword searches a minute!That is 30,000 keyword searches a minute! If consumers don’t know your name, how will they If consumers don’t know your name, how will they

find you?find you?– An effective website – page rankAn effective website – page rank– Online lead generation companiesOnline lead generation companies

Responding to Internet leadsResponding to Internet leads– People are looking for informationPeople are looking for information– Understanding the selling cycleUnderstanding the selling cycle– Do you want to be a resource?Do you want to be a resource?– Build a relationship Build a relationship

Your Marketing FunnelYour Marketing Funnel

Create a marketing presence, and Create a marketing presence, and “brand”“brand”

Build a marketing plan that feeds Build a marketing plan that feeds your pipelineyour pipeline

Keep adding homeowners to your Keep adding homeowners to your “pipeline”“pipeline”

The Element of Time…The Element of Time…

A marketing survey discovered that when A marketing survey discovered that when consumers purchased a product or consumers purchased a product or service, that almost 80% of those service, that almost 80% of those consumers did consumers did not buynot buy the product or the product or service from the person who introduced service from the person who introduced them to that product or service.them to that product or service.

We need a predictable, consistent We need a predictable, consistent marketing plan to keep our “name” in marketing plan to keep our “name” in front of the potential customers we meet!front of the potential customers we meet!

Your Marketing MessageYour Marketing Message

How do you create your best How do you create your best marketing message?marketing message?– Ask your best clientsAsk your best clients

Why did they work with you?Why did they work with you?What benefits did they receive as a result of What benefits did they receive as a result of

working with you?working with you?

Your best clients will tell you your Your best clients will tell you your marketing message!!!marketing message!!!

The Lead SheetThe Lead SheetLEAD SHEETLEAD SHEETDATE:__________DATE:__________

Name: Spouse Name:Name: Spouse Name: Telephone:Telephone: Cell phone:Cell phone:Address:Address:City/State/Zip City/State/Zip Subdivision:Subdivision: Rating (1-4)Rating (1-4)

Own Home?Own Home? Age?Age? How long in house? How long in house?When to start work? When to start work? Other bids? Other bids? Who?Who?Completion Date:Completion Date:

TYPE OF JOB: Rating (1-4)TYPE OF JOB: Rating (1-4)1. Whole House 5. Bathroom 9. Roofing1. Whole House 5. Bathroom 9. Roofing2 Room Additions 6. Siding 10. Small job2 Room Additions 6. Siding 10. Small job3. Addition w/kitchen or bath 7. Window/Door (Vinyl) 3. Addition w/kitchen or bath 7. Window/Door (Vinyl) 4. Kitchen 8. Window/Door (Wood)4. Kitchen 8. Window/Door (Wood)

The Lead SheetThe Lead SheetSOURCE OF LEAD: Rating (1-4)SOURCE OF LEAD: Rating (1-4)

1. Past client__________1. Past client__________2. Referral_________2. Referral_________ Appointment: Appointment:3. 3. Job Site Sign_____________ Job Site Sign_____________4. 4. Truck Signs ______________ Truck Signs ______________5.5. Newspaper Ad ___________Which One_________ Newspaper Ad ___________Which One_________6.6. Mailing _________________Which One _________ Mailing _________________Which One _________7.7. Architect Designer ___________________ Architect Designer ___________________8.8. Insurance Co: _____________________ Insurance Co: _____________________9. Cold Calls_______________ 9. Cold Calls_______________ 10. Other ________10. Other ________Terminated: Terminated: Design Agreement Signed: Design Agreement Signed:

Comments_______________________________________________________________Comments_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Audition the ClientAudition the Client

Audition your clients to see if they Audition your clients to see if they are a good fit for your companyare a good fit for your company

You do this with questionsYou do this with questions You need to find out as much as You need to find out as much as

possible about your prospective possible about your prospective client and project during your first client and project during your first contact with themcontact with them

This is your customer diagnosisThis is your customer diagnosis

The Pre-Qualifying Phone The Pre-Qualifying Phone ConversationConversation

Don’t go out on appointments with Don’t go out on appointments with unqualified prospectsunqualified prospects

Spend 20 to 30 minutes on the Spend 20 to 30 minutes on the phone with them, or morephone with them, or more

The time you spend on the phone The time you spend on the phone should be proportionate to the size of should be proportionate to the size of the jobthe job


When a potential client first calls and When a potential client first calls and asks if you can help them, the initial asks if you can help them, the initial answer should always be:answer should always be:– ““I don’t know. I don’t know. I need to ask you some I need to ask you some

questions to find out more about your questions to find out more about your project”project”

The person asking the questions The person asking the questions controls the conversation…controls the conversation…


When talking to a potential customer, ask the following questions:

– How did the potential customer come to call you?

– How long have they owned their home?– What is the type and scope of the

project?


– Why are they considering remodeling?

– What is their target schedule?– What is their budget range?– What level of research have they

done?– Who will be involved in the decision

making process?


– Have they ever remodeled before? Have they ever remodeled before? If so, what was the outcome?If so, what was the outcome?

– If not, do they know someone who If not, do they know someone who has remodeled before? What was has remodeled before? What was the outcome?the outcome?


In asking these questions, you will In asking these questions, you will find out a great deal about the clientfind out a great deal about the client– Real prospects want to talk about their Real prospects want to talk about their

projectproject– You may talk with them for 45 minutes You may talk with them for 45 minutes

or moreor more– You may find you make a good You may find you make a good

“connection” with the person“connection” with the person Only schedule appointments with Only schedule appointments with

qualified prospects!qualified prospects!

Saying “No” GracefullySaying “No” Gracefully

If you decide you don’t want a lead, If you decide you don’t want a lead, be professional about how you turn be professional about how you turn them awaythem away– Recommend they call the local chapter Recommend they call the local chapter

of your trade associationof your trade association– Give them the name of another Give them the name of another

company who can do the jobcompany who can do the job

Identifying and Qualifying Identifying and Qualifying Your Best CustomersYour Best Customers

Thank You for Attending Thank You for Attending this programthis program

identifying and qualifying your best customers david lupberger servicemagic.com

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