(Part 4 in a series) In the world of skydiving and in business, we prep for emergencies well before takeoff. Acknowledging that economic headwinds aren’t an “if” but a “when,” let’s continue this series with more key strategies to safeguard your flooring business against the inevitable market downturns.
In the previous installment I covered a proven method to stay in front of your list of past clients on a weekly basis in a way that makes them happy to hear from you, inspires them to send ongoing referrals between purchases and buy from you when they are ready for new floors. But there is more you can do to further deepen your relationship with your clients. Let’s look at some of the advanced strategies my company teaches our Flooring Success Systems members—ones you can deploy right away.
Thank-you gift bag. After every installation, you should do a follow-up visit in the client’s home and give them a thank-you gift. This can include snacks, chocolates, a gift certificate to a local bakery or coffee shop, a bottle of wine, a bottle of spotter (with free lifetime refills), a spotting and/or cleaning guide, etc. Use your imagination. If you can’t get out to your clients’ homes after the installations, have a member of your office staff or their salesperson call them, thank them for their business, ask if they’re happy with the floors and invite them to stop by your store to pick up their free gift.
Client photos and videos. Your sales team and your staff have a powerful marketing tool that they carry everywhere with them. It’s a tool that 99% of flooring store owners and their teams never utilize to promote their businesses—it’s the camera on their smartphones. Be sure to take photos of happy clients after the installation is complete. When should you do this? During the follow-up visit (either in their home or in your store) when you give them their gift bag. If you’re in their home, get a photo of them standing on their new floors holding up their gift bag. If they’re in your store, get a photo of them standing next to their salesperson or a member of your staff.
If the client says something nice about their new floors, your service—anything positive at all—ask them if you can write down their comment and use it in your promotional material. Ask them to leave a review. (You should also plug them into your automated review generation system. This is a service my company provides, so reach out if you need help with that. Support@FlooringSuccessSystems.com)
Some clients will be raving fans. Ask these if you can record a short video for use in your promotions. While you’re recording, simply ask them what they liked about their experience with your business. Any mistakes can be trimmed using the software embedded on the smartphone. The videos can then be featured on your website, in an e-newsletter, on social media or played in a loop on monitors on your showroom floor. Remember: what others say about you is 100 times more effective than what you say about yourself, even if you’re 100 times more eloquent.
These tactics are dual-purpose — they’re your parachute for tough times and your jet pack in a booming market. You should deploy these strategies irrespective of the economic climate, which means start now.
Jim Armstrong is the founder and president of Flooring Success Systems, a company that provides floor covering dealers with marketing services and coaching to help them attract quality customers, close more sales, get higher margins and work the hours they choose. For more information, visit FlooringSuccessSystems.com.
