I’ve been asking architects, builders, contractors, dealers, and distributors what they need and want from building material companies. Based on what they have been telling me, there are four areas to focus on if you want to grow your business today.
1. Guide Your Customers
Your customers are facing a tremendous amount of change. They’re looking for knowledgeable sales reps and companies to help them navigate all of it.
Their own customers are becoming more demanding and their needs are changing. Your goal should be to become a trusted advisor that can help them stay informed and navigate this new world.
2. Reduce Friction
Customer service and support from manufacturers continue to decline. Many building materials companies are making it harder to do business with them in lots of small ways that add up to plenty of frustration. Over time, the cost and hassle of doing business with these companies become a large burden on the customer.
More of your customers are looking for a company that makes their life easier, not harder. How can you be that company?
3. Nurture Leads
Companies that nurture leads with inside salespeople and systems are growing faster and at lower costs per sale than companies who rely on more traditional approaches. When you take steps to increase the number of leads you generate and nurture them, your sales and marketing give you a greater return on your investment.
4. A Message for Each Customer
Most companies focus on promoting the main benefit of their product for one type of customer. For example, “Saves Energy” benefits the person or company who pays the utility bills. It doesn’t benefit the architect, the builder, the contractor, the dealer or the distributor.
If you’re looking to grow your business and make better use of your sales and marketing resources, making improvements in these four areas will get you the best results today.
To fix this, map your path to market and develop a persona for each type of customer. Then develop a sales message for each of your customers for greater success.
These are the four things your customers are looking for that they are not finding from building materials companies. Choose one or more of these and watch as you outpace your competition in growing your business.
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