Taking Home Service Sales and Marketing to New Heights

What if door-to-door sales was less daunting and more fruitful? Brace yourselves as we, Alex and Chance, unveil some of the best tactics from our own experiences in lawn care and handyman services. We will be dissecting the power of repetition, curiosity, and the numbers game in making door-to-door sales a success. But that's not all! We'll also be spilling the beans on our unique approach to this traditional sales method.

Now, imagine catapulting your service-based business to new heights with the power of online marketing. Let us take you on a journey through the world of Google business profiles, customer reviews, PPC ads, and local service ads. We’re going to reveal how these elements can be your secret weapons in generating leads and converting them into paying customers. We'll also share our uncomplicated, five-step sales strategy specifically tailored for the home service industry. Remember, it's about meeting the needs of your customers in the simplest way possible. So, buckle up and get ready to revamp your sales and marketing strategies with us!

Feel free to watch this as a video podcast on YouTube: https://youtu.be/qwJVB9Nnx4g

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

So marketing and sales, arguably probably the hardest part about business, would you say.

Speaker 2: 0:06

I would say that, and the most uncomfortable for a lot of people.

Speaker 1: 0:09

Yeah, because no matter the the avenue of the sales route you're going to be going, you know if it's online or door to door. Whatever it's, it is difficult.

Speaker 2: 0:20

It is 100% difficult.

Speaker 1: 0:22

So let's let's talk about how we've navigated that within our different businesses, with our, with our background, and what kind of has worked for us. So I know with you you know we both have sales background specifically with businesses. Yours one of them was true green. Yes, that was mainly door to door correct. It was OK. What are some of the tips Like? What are the biggest things you learned from from that journey?

Speaker 2: 0:50

Yeah, I would say that the biggest thing if you're doing door to door sales for a home service based business is just Repetition.

Speaker 2: 0:59

OK, yeah that's the biggest thing. It's really is like you hear it all the time in sales. Sales is a numbers game and cold calling and you know prospects like if you get 10 people, then you're likely to get five who say yes, two to close. Whatever those those numbers are, same thing with door to door sales. Door to door sales my numbers at least I would get.

Speaker 2: 1:23

If I got 200 noxen, I would talk to maybe 20 people. Out of those 20 people I could get about 10 interested, so 50% interested and then from there I could close about 30% of those who I got interested. So if I did 200 doorknocks a day, I would get three sales that day. So it was all about just going out there and getting as many noxes as possible. I would say that the second tip to door to door sales being successful is creating curiosity. Yeah, remember, in door to door sales you are completely disrupting somebody's home life, mm, hmm, you're knocking when they're having dinner, when they're eating breakfast with their kids watching cartoons, when they just got home from work, or maybe, if they're, if it's during the weekday and you're doing it during normal business hours, you're interrupting their home work.

Speaker 1: 2:14

Yeah.

Speaker 2: 2:15

And that's one of the biggest things I think a lot of people miss is they'll go and they'll do door to door sales, and what I did initially I would just go knock on people's door and say, hey, I have this, do you want it?

Speaker 1: 2:27

Yeah.

Speaker 2: 2:27

And I thought people would say yes and nobody said yes. And so the second biggest thing is creating curiosity. The way that I would create curiosity with true green is I use a tactic where I would go knock on somebody's door. I would walk 10 feet back and then I would look. It was a lawn care company, and so I would look at like a weed or like a brown patch or something like that on their lawn and I would lean over and I would look at it. And then the business or the homeowner what they would do is they would go, they would look out their door. They'd see this weird guy standing on their lawn looking at some weed. Then they would open it up and they would first ask me like hey, what are you doing?

Speaker 1: 3:09

Yeah.

Speaker 2: 3:09

And then I would say, hey, I'm Alex with true green. And then I would turn my back and I would look down at the weed and I would say I noticed you're having some issues with weeds over here. And then I would go on to my pitch.

Speaker 1: 3:20

Yeah.

Speaker 2: 3:22

And so he created curiosity.

Speaker 1: 3:25

I created the biggest thing right there.

Speaker 2: 3:27

Absolutely. Yeah. Yeah, created curiosity because one of the and this only works for visual things, but I really think that the back turn was a huge help.

Speaker 1: 3:40

Like what the heck is he? Exactly Is not like typical door to door like, because usually door to door sales guys are just going to walk up hand you a flyer. Hi, I'm Alex with True Green. Yep, we make your yard look greener.

Speaker 2: 3:52

Yep, have a good day. I do house control, I do home inspection, I do, you know, whatever.

Speaker 1: 3:57

Whereas you're going up and doing something totally different. Yes so whatever industry it is that you're into the listener right now, like make sure that you're not just going up handing them a flyer. Yeah, Do something to make it a little bit more enticing. So for me it was like in the pressure washing in handyman right, I would go up to people. Um, pressure washing was easier because it's more visual.

Speaker 1: 4:26

I realized that it was a little bit easier door to door sales to make. That curiosity is because you know I would do that, I would, I would, and because you and I talked about it, you're like, hey, you should try this.

Speaker 2: 4:37

And so.

Speaker 1: 4:37

I started trying to and it works for a couple of them. So what I did was I would I would walk up, knock on the door and then I would do that. I would kind of step away and look at the driveway nine times out of 10. Everybody's driveway could be cleaned especially the door, especially down here in South Texas with all of the different rains.

Speaker 2: 4:53

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 4:54

So you know I would. I would look at the driveways and I wouldn't even say like, hi, I'm chance with the smart soak, we're here. I would just be like, hey, so have you thought about cleaning the driveway up a little bit? I have a pressure washing business. Like I was super casual about it and, um, even if they didn't say yes, like I never, from that point on, got like a F, you get off my lawn.

Speaker 2: 5:19

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 5:19

Like it was like I'm just here trying to help. You know, I figured it looks like you could use some cleaning up around here and you got to be gentle with that too Cause you could offend people right Of like I just did it myself two months ago or whatever.

Speaker 1: 5:32

Um and so just just create that curiosity. I think that's the biggest thing within door to door sales is create the curiosity. Do it over and over and, over and over and over again. It is a numbers game and sales is a numbers game in every single avenue Door to door sales, online sales, traditional marketing everything is numbers game, right.

Speaker 2: 5:51

Yep.

Speaker 1: 5:51

So that's door to door Online sales is for me by far the best thing that we've done with the smart fix handyman, because I don't have to go to door to door anymore.

Speaker 2: 6:03

Right.

Speaker 1: 6:03

Like if, if we, if we start having a slow month and I'm like, all right, I'll go knock on doors, but I can rely, honestly, on that online marketing on. Google, seo, everything like that, and for me that's helped drastically be more okay with having my own business, cause it's like I know it's going to come in next month, like I know we're going to get, you know, at least 30 calls because it's what we get every month, like I don't care what month it is, every month we get at least 30 calls.

Speaker 1: 6:35

So like we're good and I close 50% of those phone calls. So I'm going to get 15 jobs and our average sale is X amount of dollars. So it's like I know I'm going to be okay. So for me that's the most reliant one, because I know it's going to be coming. Everyone's on the internet at some point in time. But how exactly does it happen? How do you bring the sale in? There's obviously different ways to do it. So what are the few that you do, specifically with the Smart Fix Handman, with our business there?

Speaker 2: 7:08

Yeah, so you're talking about specific marketing channels like SEO.

Speaker 1: 7:11

Correct, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2: 7:13

The biggest one that everybody thinks about is obviously Google. Everybody wants to be first on Google, because when somebody has a problem and they don't know who to call, they just go to Google. Google it. It's that nobody goes to Yellow Books anymore, or Yellow Pages, whatever it was called. They just go to Google and they look for Handyman near me or Pest Control Company near me or whatever they need. They go to Google and they find it, and then they analyze different companies based off of reviews and reputation, their website, all that sort of stuff. And so that's the first thing is Google. 90-ish percent of all search volume, especially local, is on Google. Nine out of 10 people are going to start on Google. Now that's shifting a little bit with Safari and some other competitors creeping into the space, but still everybody knows Google. They go there and on Google.

Speaker 2: 8:05

The most important things if somebody's looking to increase their rankings on Google and start showing up for more people, the most important thing is they have a Google business profile and that's totally free. You can go to businessgooglecom right now and create it. You don't need to show your home address if you're a home service space business, so you won't have any creepy people coming in and having the address to your home Completely free. You list your business, put a phone number on there so people can call you, list your website. That's the first thing is you have to have a Google business profile, especially for service-based businesses. The second thing, after you've created that profile, google reviews. The most important thing is having good five-star Google reviews with written responses, if you can get the customer to write those for you.

Speaker 2: 8:57

So why are Google reviews so important? Well, first, they help with the actual rankings inside of Google. So Google sees your profile has 50 good reviews. Your competitors have two. Who do you think Google is going to show? Yeah, they're going to take them to go towards you. Exactly, google's whole business model is to keep people searching on their platforms so they can get ad revenue off of them, and so for that, what they do is they just optimize the website or the result to match as closely as possible to the intent and what the searcher wants. So they connect the searcher with the best result and if they know you have provided really great services to a lot of other people, they're way more likely to recommend you to that person absolutely for free, without even running an ad.

Speaker 1: 9:47

So you've got creating the Google business profile reviews, and then there's a thousand other things that you do on the back inside to help even more. Oh yeah, but we will get into that on another day.

Speaker 2: 9:59

Yes, but for you the business owner.

Speaker 1: 10:01

The two things you can do Create a Google business profile yes. Start capturing reviews yes. That's what I did right when I first started, because that's what y'all taught me in the marketing Definitely helped. I think I myself got up to number five or six just by doing that Yep and then you came in and got me to number one a lot faster, so there is a whole lot more to it. We'll get into that on another one, but that's Google. Other ways to bring in leads online.

Speaker 2: 10:29

Other ways for service-based businesses PPC ads. So basically that is you create, go to adsgooglecom, create an ad account. Yeah, you can list your ads on there, say, if you want to show up for somebody searching for a pressure washing company Yep, you can't get there organically because you're still working on that, because SEO takes time. You can pay for each one of those clicks, yeah, so you can get to the top of Google instantly. Just go to adsgooglecom. Another really, really awesome Thank you Ad feature for Google is local service ads. Yeah, and this is one that not a lot of people know about. But, like, if you aren't doing it, like do it. Yeah, lsa ads are a paper call. Yeah, so it's not like PPC Google ads paper clicks.

Speaker 1: 11:14

And it's a verified call. It is a verified call. They have to be on the phone for X amount of seconds and everything.

Speaker 2: 11:19

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 11:19

Yeah, local service ads are awesome.

Speaker 2: 11:21

They are, and so you can list what services you do, and then you can, like you said, it records the call. If the call was not, if they're like looking for a job or something like that, all you do is dispute it and you don't pay for it. Yeah, you just pay for the ones that actually turn into leads.

Speaker 1: 11:36

Yeah, which is awesome. Yeah, that's definitely one of the coolest features, would you say. Google overall is probably the number one online marketing type oh by far, yeah, by far, by far.

Speaker 2: 11:48

For service based businesses, I would say if you're not on Google, getting leads from Google, you're missing out on 90, 95% of the opportunity. Yeah, especially for like need based services like Handyman, you know, like. Yes, there is some, you know some like discovery there where you can advertise to people and get them to start thinking about home improvement problems that they can tackle. However, most of it is they're just they have a crack in their drywall and they need somebody to fix it. They're thinking about it and they just go to Google and they search.

Speaker 2: 12:24

Yeah, so, I would say 95% of your leads for a home service based business are going to come through Google and they're going to be the most high quality out of any other lead source.

Speaker 1: 12:33

Yeah, and there's a ton of other. You know avenues of bringing in online sales too, and that's that's just lead generation in a whole other topic as well. But the main thing is how do you take those leads and how do you actually convert them into customers, right Into paying customers. And that part is to me. There's so many different trainings and explanations and all kinds of stuff that you can kind of break down and get into. I don't know how many hours of YouTube I've watched on different sales trainings.

Speaker 2: 13:08

Everybody has a different technique and method, and so it's so. Whenever I started getting sales, I mean I did everything from who's the Wolf on Wall Street, jordan Belfort I got his book, I got Grant Cardone, I got his online training and like they're all kind of the same but they're all a little bit different and can be very intimidating to approach these different methodologies and ideas when you're first getting into it.

Speaker 1: 13:34

My biggest piece of advice is, like it's don't make it that hard.

Speaker 2: 13:39

Yeah, like it's not that hard.

Speaker 1: 13:41

No, it's really, especially especially in the home service based industry, because there is a need. There's a huge need, right? If you're selling a product, it's a lot harder, right, Because you have so many other competitors, everything like that. But if you're a home service based company, you don't honestly have to be the top sales dog in the world to sell home services.

Speaker 1: 14:03

Most of the time you use me to pick up the phone, you literally that's what I was going to start with, like rule number one sales for home service based industries. Pick up the phone. It is so wild to me and it's not just this market, because we've got, we've expanded to the other markets too. So crazy to me how many people I answer the phone and they're like oh, thank God, you answered.

Speaker 2: 14:26

And it's like okay, so I can charge you what I want, because I know right then and there, like they're having hard time getting hold of something, it's like, if you are buying a product and it's like everybody's telling you it's going to be 60 days out before you can get it, then you find somewhere that can deliver it next day.

Speaker 1: 14:42

Yeah.

Speaker 2: 14:43

It's like you're going to go with the next day. Amazon, yeah, amazon, and that's why they're number one, yeah.

Speaker 1: 14:48

And so to me it's for home service based industries it's. It's not as difficult as it's cut out to be. Don't don't spend. I think if there's one thing that I would have done different is I wouldn't have honestly spent like 30 plus hours watching and reading all of these different sales stuff.

Speaker 1: 15:06

And this is probably something totally different than you hear from. Everybody else is like you got to learn all your sales Sales. There's so many different aspects to business. Pricing to me is way more important than sales. Honestly, in this industry home service industry you're going to be able to sell the product as long as you have a good looking company, you answer the phone and you are genuinely a nice person.

Speaker 2: 15:27

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 15:27

Where you're going to actually bring that sale as a customer is the pricing. Yeah, and sales and pricing are, yes, kind of in the same category, but to me they are totally different. Sales is getting somebody interested. They're now a customer and you're going to them, give them a quote, right, I think that's the next step in sales. But the pricing is so crucial to the sales point of the way I do it is so I, we bring in, we bring a customer off of Google.

Speaker 1: 15:57

They call they say, hey, I'm interested, can you come fix the wall? I have a hole in my wall. It's like, yeah, no worries, we'll come out there tomorrow and I'll take a look at it, or you know what day is best for you. One of the things that I use the most is, even if I'm not busy, I make it seem like I'm busy, sir, ruffling some, some papers or that, and I'll also be like I have Monday afternoon and Wednesday morning available. And even if I'm free all week and hurting for a sale, it's like I'm going to tell them that, because then they're like, oh, this guy, he's booked Monday.

Speaker 1: 16:32

Yeah, yeah, yeah it kind of creates a little bit of fear in their eyes, like, oh, I need to get on this quick, right. So that's step number one. Give them a strict time frame. That's like your time, when can you get there? Give them a couple options. Two go show up to that appointment. Don't reschedule that. You got to show up to that appointment. You try. If you are running a hundred degree fever, take some Advil. Go to that appointment Seriously, because that is send somebody else, yeah, or send somebody else because we've learned a lot from COVID.

Speaker 2: 17:03

So never mind on that part.

Speaker 1: 17:06

Just try to make it to the appointment. It's crucial. So many people get rescheduled and it's immediately going to be a turn off, even if it's the biggest deal in the world. Just make it to the appointment, get there, and this is where you present your company, this is where you're going to be yourself.

Speaker 1: 17:21

To me, I think investing a little bit of money into some good uniforms, nice shirts, everything- like that that's one of the biggest things that have helped us with sales, because I get there and the guy literally asked me last week he's like so are you the sales rep? And I was like I'm the sales rep, I am the contractor, I am the owner. But I appreciate the compliment. That means that I've presented myself very well. So then you know, I talked with them about the problem. Make the problem very noticeable If they say, hey, I have this whole oh gosh, yeah, I would get that taken care of as soon as possible.

Speaker 1: 18:01

You don't want that to turn into anything else and get moisture up behind the wall and everything like create a little bit of sense of urgency, right. And then to me, I usually tell them hey, we're about one or two weeks booked out. Once again, even if I can get to it tomorrow, I still tell them that every time, because then they're like every time I say that they're like, I like to hear that you're busy, that means you do good work, and I was like yeah, so so you know, we're about one or two weeks booked out. I'll shoot you over a quote within 24 to 48 hours. Once again, I can probably complete that quote in 30 minutes maybe on that day.

Speaker 1: 18:32

But I tell them it's going to take X amount of time. And honestly, now we're to the point toward these timelines actually do make sense, but kind of like that, especially fake it till you make it sort of thing and right at the beginning set these guidelines, that a way you can present yourself in a better way. No-transcript. The biggest thing we're getting into right now is the quoting right, the pricing, making sure that the client really understands the pricing. There's two different ways you can go about it. You can give them a quote and don't even talk about price while you're there. Or you can kind of spitball a price while you're there If you've done that job a hundred times.

Speaker 1: 19:07

So for me there's certain services that I know replacing a door we charge $650 for and that's the next year door it's going to take me half a day to do. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. It's nice to be able to present when you're there, because it shows that you know your stuff. You do it all the time, you know your prices. And then there's also the flip side. It's nice to present it 48 hours later because then they don't have to give you an answer right then and there they may be able to take it to their wife or their husband or whatever.

Speaker 1: 19:39

So those are the two different avenues that I take. I either give them that price right then and there, or I send to them in the quote, you know, one or two days later. And from that point on, as long as I've done every step up until that point, I've answered the call, I've shown up to the employment, I've looked very professional, I've explained the problem back to them. Don't just listen to their problem and go okay great.

Speaker 1: 20:01

I've explained the problem back to them. I've reiterated that, yes, it's a problem, we need to fix it. I give them a reasonable price on the job, something not super astronomical. We win more than $50,000. More than 50% of our jobs just based off of that. Yeah, not because I'm an amazing salesman, not because everybody out here is looking for work and there's no handyman. We have competition. It's just the fact that you do those. What was it? Five steps answer the phone, show up to the appointment, look professional and give them a good quote. You're solid on a home service industry. I feel like it's so much easier nowadays, right now, to secure a job and to create a customer.

Speaker 2: 20:48

And I think it's so important to your points don't overcomplicate it, those five steps. It's so important to remember what sales is for home service-based businesses Like your. Selling is just talking with another person, helping them find a solution to a problem that they have Exactly. You aren't high-pressured sales tactics, you are. Hey, you have a hole in your wall. You really do need to get this fixed Like this can turn into something big.

Speaker 2: 21:15

Like I want to help you. I think you should go with me. Show them why they should go with you and as long as you show yourself right people, you pick up the phone, you give them a reasonable price and don't try to screw them over, you're going to win a lot of bids Because you're just solving a problem, fulfilling a need of somebody else, and just go out with a very conversational tone. Stay professional and you'll win most of the bids, yeah.

Speaker 1: 21:41

No, I 100% agree. I feel like, with all of those steps into place, if you implement a little bit of online sales so bring in some people from Google if you then convert them by picking up the phone, go to the appointment, present the problem back to them, give them a good looking quote, you're going to lock in some sales.

Speaker 2: 22:05

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 22:06

And it just don't make it that big of a deal. It's it's home service industry. It doesn't have to be that difficult. Just go out there and start. Start winning some bids.