Are you generating new business effectively?
The results of our latest survey have revealed that construction firms rely on word of mouth as their top source of new business. Perhaps no surprise when ‘recommendations from people I know’ also came top in a recent Nielsen survey when 30,000 people gave it 83% of the vote. But in an increasingly competitive market, construction businesses could be left behind if they rely on verbal endorsements only.
We work with our clients to harness ‘word of mouth’ in the form of client stories and case studies, which talk in depth about business success and feature strong testimonials. And we use a range of other sources to help promote these such as sending a magazine-style brochure through the post, or creating a press release resulting in coverage in key media.
These campaigns are also supported by email marketing to reinforce the message. In other words, we use several sources to influence a purchasing decision and make sure our clients get noticed.
So, if you rely on just one way to generate new business and ignore the relationship between each, that’s unlikely to get you the leads you need.
Word of mouth can travel through many options, so use them to your advantage and make sure you promote your endorsements in as many ways as you can.
Also bear in mind that in a digital age, there’s nowhere to hide which can either work in your favour – or not. If you’ve been recommended to a potential new client, they’re likely to research your business online, so ask yourself:
Does your website portray your business and strengths effectively?
Could a potential new client find positive online news stories about your company?
Are you making the most of social media to promote your business and what it stands for?
In reality, it’s a mix of marketing activity combining several of the leading sources of new business that will give you the best results, and if done correctly, a significant return on investment.
And this can be proven. Over the last 18 months, we have secured three marketing awards, largely because of an exponential return on investment.
If you’d like to generate far more new business than your investment, perhaps we should talk?