Advise on getting new business Joinery Manufacturing company

[Newbie242815]

Good morning,
I have joined this forum in hope that, I can get some advise on the best way to spend my time/money on growing my business.
A little history I have had a joinery business for 10 years, which has been successful, and last year invested heavily in opening my own joinery manufacturing workshop. I have 1 employee, we are competitively priced, and our products are of outstanding quality and service. However as a new business I am struggling to get more business in. We get some business through my existing joinery company, and other bits coming in, but we really need more tradesmen/companies using us.

We have a website, though this does need a bit of improvement, but is a working progress. We are on facebook and instagram and post lots of work on there, and have had the odd job through this. We have sent letters out to local builders, architects etc, and have had one potential big job through this. Location wise we are in a great location, off a large main road, easy to access. I have considering looking into billboards, magazines, money is tight after such a huge investment getting this set up, and having a full time employee. Hoping someone can advise me on how I am best to move forward from here?
Happy to send the link to our website for feedback, if anyone could help there or in any other areas.

Many thanks
Will

 

[Raja Hireker]

Hi Will,

I have a few ideas that may help you.

First off, what are you saying in your letters to the architects and local builders to use your services? What kind of offer or proposition are you making? It's important to make a case for you business and why they should consider your firm than anyone else's. You must have compelling reason or reasons why they should choose you over and above anyone else doing the same things that you do.

I can send you a short report that'll help you think about creating irresistible offers.

Those joinery manufacturing clients you've acquired from your own joinery business - how did the business happen? Did you ask for it verbally, did you send a letter/ email? I would think about sending a direct mail letter to all your existing joinery clients and asking them to either take your new services up, or, about you creating a systematic referral based system where they become your silent salesmen for you.(Again, what you say in your letters, how they're formatted, how fluid and conversational they are as opposed to being a business communication that it clinical, cold and devoid of personality and emotion, will make a big difference to the response of your communications.

Of those who have made an inquiry in the past but didn't take you up on your services, what kind of follow up system or process system do you have? I would send a follow up communication to them again, re-iterating to them the reasons why you're different, what you can do that no others can.

Of those who are existing clients, I would formulate a referral system whee they bring you potential clients based on a rewards based programme.

I had a Building contractor client in Stafford and we didn't overtly sell his services. We created informative reports and guides that educated and informed potential clients as to the pitfalls in choosing a builder, how to choose the right builder, what short cuts builders take they don't want you to know. This kind of material along with a powerfully compelling cover letter helped grow his business. Maybe you could do the same thing in your area where you're setting yourself far apart from everyone else in the business and potential prospects for your business will see you in a different and positive light.

If you're going to carry on advertising and promoting, I'd think about first stopping and looking at looking at the messaging you're putting out, the call to action you want to make to those reading. I would think about creating a lead generation type ad with an offer of information, maybe a recorded message line for people to leave their details and where you send them some follow up information.

I haven't seen your website but if you haven't got a place where you're capturing email addresses and following up with timely and valuable information, then you're losing out on a lot of potential business.

Do you know who David Ogilvy is?

When he became top dog at Ogilvy & Mather ad agency, he made a list of the top 20 clients he wanted, and created the strategy to have over half of them as clients. (They included Guinness, Rolls Royce, Schweppes... ) Who are the top 10, 20, 100 businesses in your area that a strategy and campaign could be built to acquire a good number of them as clients?

If you like Will, send me your website info.

Thanks

Raja Hireker

 

[billmccallum1957]

To get a review of your web site you need to be a full member, but my main comment would be that it seems like the same 4 photos are used throughout and do not give a clear indication of what you can do.

Having a business for 10 years should mean that you have a database (either computerised or manual) of customers, these would be the first stop in promoting your new workshop, write to them all letting them know about your new venture.

Then look at how you can reach your target customers.

Its ben along time since I sold custom made furniture, but the first thing I did was to rent space in the largest shopping centre in our area and spent a month handing out brochures (even 20+ years ago, it cost £1000 a week for space and £2000 for nice glossy brochures, but it paid off and we had enough work for 6 months from the exercise and spread the word about the new business).

 

[billmccallum1957]

most people will be able to find your web site through your profile, but for those that cant its http://www.lowdhamjoinery.co.uk/products/conservatories/index.php

 

[Newbie242815]

Thanks for you feedback!

I am on here on behalf of my husband, as I trying to get involved in helping on this side, as currently he has no time. Hence the website being incomplete!

He has his joinery company, which is what is enabling us to pay the mortage and bills right now, all savings are gone so money is tight, where he is trying to work less days there, to spend more days at the joinery workshop. I am going to take over getting the website sorted. I have just started looking at this, though I did do the content for it. I can see now the content is not helping us with our SEO.
Bill the stand is a great idea, and I will definitely mention it, but I am thinking it is not in budget yet, but something for the future. The set-up costs have been huge, and having a full time person, at the cost of around £2K a month, with more equipment being needed all the time, and doing this debt free has been a challenge! And agree about the photos, he is not the most organised of people, and has lots of photos but the website guy said a lot couldnt be used, I have been asking him to look at this further, hence me getting more involved now. We are on facebook, where you will see a ton of photos now, just need to get the website sorted!

Raja thank you for your response. The letters, I need to see a copy, as I say I am just getting involved in this, and my father in law wrote and sent them out. Will take a look, I am pretty sure there wouldnt have been any offer, more information about our existence. The referral idea sounds a good idea, will be looking into this. Any information you can send would be gratefully received! The business we have had, has been a lot through clients he has got from his joinery company, so someone wants new doors, we then supply as well as fit. Some through our facebook page, where we have listed new products, referral through tradesmen friends, colleagues, and some passing trade, word of mouth. The report you did, that sounds interesting, how did you put that out their? The webs link is above, I know it needs a lot of work, but before I get looking into getting changes made, your feedback would be welcome!

 

[Root 66 Woodshop]

Personally, I don't mind the website as is... other than your gallery (as mentioned) needs to be a gallery... and not the same 4 images.

You're using FB to advertise through the website... sticking loads of decent images of stock/products the company has created - yet you're not adding them to the website!! Why not? Some of the stuff that's been made there is your advertising...the workmanship/quality should be showcased through your website not just FB.

I'm not an SEO, and I know jack about it TBH - but surely by posting the images within your gallery with tags such as wooden gates, oak shelves etc etc should boost it up a tad.

 

[Raja Hireker]

Hi Mrs Will

I don't think there's that much going wrong with your website - great quality pictures of high quality work. (An email capture box is missing. And ongoing email communication is the lifeblood of an online business)

I do think that you should play on the angle of it being a family run business. I would think about creating a personal video of you/your husband and what your business means and how you've kept the quality and standards, high.

No matter what products or services we're promoting, the difference that makes the difference are the people, the quality of service and communications. We're all crying out for someone to be that all round quality provider in all facets of the before, during and after phases of a purchase. Be that for them and they'll never leave.

You can grow your business many ways. One way I would suggest is you host a client appreciation event, whether in your premises or one where you've created the fixtures and fittings. Have it be informal, but classy. Have each client bring another prospect they think may be a potential client for your services. The aim is not to sell them on your products or services, but to sell them on witnessing the kind of people you are, how you involve and interact with them ,how you form relationships, because ultimately, that's what the business is all about, forming quality, life-long relationships. And once they see how you are, they'll want to belong to this business family, also.

(I did this for a dental practice in Cambridgeshire and it ultimately because a place where 'everyone knew their name', just like in the comedy programme, CHEERS. It also became an ultra profitable Practice)

Also, I'd invite potential local contractors and potential businesses to a 2 hour workshop about how your business can impact them for the better and giving reasons why you're looking to partner with them in growing their businesses at the same time. This will position you in a different light to all others in the same business.

And with both strategies above, no matter if a person buys your services or not, the key is to maintain a continual relationship with them with regular email and possibly offline newsletters in the post. And because everyone seems to be going online to do all their marketing, you'll have zero competition when you arrive at your potential prospects door inside an envelope and a stamp.

Further, as yours is a 'new business' you have the opportunity to niche down your offering to certain targeted groups. For example, Professional Practices, Private schools, those in specific post codes, etc. The more you can be the preferred professionals to a specific group of people, you'll also be able to raise your prices even further because people will pay anything for exclusivity.

I'll send you an email that's on your website along with the report I mentioned, as well as some other practical information. In fact, I'll share with you a wonderful strategy that can put you in the 'Exclusive Experience' business that no-one else I think is doing. (And when you can do what no-one else is doing, and you position yourselves that way, you'll own that space)

Thanks (and do let me know your name!)

Raja Hireker

 

[Newbie242815]

Morning guys,
Thank you all so much for your advise it really is brilliant stuff. Luckily for my husband he has me to really get on board with all of this stuff, I have a degree in Business Management specialising in Entrepreneurship but that was nearly 10 years ago, so this has really helped, and opened new avenues in regards to the advertising and promotional side!

Haunted worlds, basically my husband asked a friend to do his site, so we have no control over this site in terms of uploading anything! Which we both agree is not working for us, so we are not sure if we need to start a fresh with a new site, designing it ourselves/getting someone else to design it, and get them to give us control over uploading stuff ourselves?

Raja thank you for all of that, very useful and I look forward to reading everything you else you have sent. I think number one for us is looking at finding a website where we have control over uploading new content, as we don't currently. My name is Cher by the way

 

[ChrisRM]

I had a Building contractor client in Stafford and we didn't overtly sell his services. We created informative reports and guides that educated and informed potential clients as to the pitfalls in choosing a builder, how to choose the right builder, what short cuts builders take they don't want you to know. This kind of material along with a powerfully compelling cover letter helped grow his business. Maybe you could do the same thing in your area where you're setting yourself far apart from everyone else in the business and potential prospects for your business will see you in a different and positive light.

I love a bit of education based selling/direct response stuff.