2023 is almost here, and you’re probably already considering how you want to start the busy January sales period. The most important part of your strategy going into the New Year should be marketing. Naturally, sales drive the rest of the business, and getting leads in the door is necessary for sales success.
Why is Marketing so Important?
Marketing is the starting point for every transaction; you’re constantly marketing yourself to the customer beyond the project’s finish. Every customer that calls or walks through the door is somehow related to your marketing efforts, even if they are a customer referral.
Marketing defines your value, price, and salesperson success. It is a psychological component of customer satisfaction, employee happiness, and even in resolving customer disputes. How you are perceived by others impacts nearly every transaction your company makes.
A great marketing strategy will set you up to pick up more high-margin retail customer success and justify higher prices in 2023. Great marketing gets you the customers that want the best and are willing to pay for it.
Since we know higher margins sound great to you, here are six simple steps for your 2023 strategy.
Google Pay-Per-Click
Shortly after Christmas, consumers are already planning the home improvements they want to make sometime between January and May. A consistent Google Ads campaign running and bringing residential customers to your engaging website first is a recipe for success.
Google Ads charges you per click, and the rate can vary based on the number of advertisers competing for the same search terms. You can specify your daily ad spend, run multiple ads to test against one another, and see stats about your audience. Most importantly, your ad comes up before the search results, prompting potential customers to check you out first.
If a potential client is doing a post-Christmas search for their dream granite countertops, you want to be the first thing they see. The very fact that they are searching specifically for what your company does means they’re well-qualified leads.
Guess who tends to get the calls. It’s the first fabricator’s website that the consumer clicks on, and the best part is that Google Ads can be an incredibly inexpensive way to acquire customers.
Give yourself the Christmas of $500 of free advertising if you’re new to Google Ads.
Make Your Website Count
If your website isn’t up to par, driving customers to it might not be as effective as it could be. Elegance and functionality are why customers want your product, so your business needs to reflect that at every part of the transaction. It will justify a premium price and result in calls and showroom visits.
Make it count. A professional website that includes videos, a blog, professional pictures, and various ways to contact you will be a winner.
While you’re at it, search engine optimization (SEO) is essential to your marketing. Not only do you want to come up in Google Ads but also at the top of the search results. SEO combines search terms, images, image descriptions, and regularly updated content that tells Google you’re the most relevant to their user’s search.
Using SEO best practices gives every company a competitive advantage.
Be Prepared for All Those Calls
Your online marketing will produce calls, and ensuring they are handled with impeccable customer service and the best sales techniques will turn them into estimates.
You can’t fix what you don’t know, so start call recording now and use the December lull to coach your people. Start using Call Rail for call recording before the coming year to determine if qualifying questions are being asked and if the caller is being asked to set up an appointment.
Even if the caller only says, “Could I get your hours?” excellent call management can turn a simple question into much more.
Know What Is Producing Calls
Advertising producing calls is excellent. Knowing what campaigns produce the most calls for the lowest total customer acquisition cost takes your advertising to the next level.
Be ready to know what marketing works well and adjust in 2023. Call Rail not only lets you monitor your calls, but it will also tell you what campaigns are producing those calls. You will find out what is driving the most calls, website submissions, and texts which will tell you where to reallocate resources.
Have a CRM Ready to Go
Sales are the progression of marketing until the deal is closed and how customers are managed reflects on your company.
When those January calls and visits come rolling in, are you ready to put the customer information into a centralized system, follow the customer’s journey, and set reminders for regular customer follow-up?
If you’re not currently using a CRM, you’re performing those functions to your benefit and not ready for 2023.
The stone fabricators that win customers have salespeople that respond immediately and continue to follow up with their leads. The best salespeople make six follow-up calls and get estimates to customers within 24 hours. A CRM will tell you what communication has happened and where leads are in the process. Your salespeople will better manage their leads and calendars when they have reminders and contextual information right in front of them.
Be Ready for the Homes Shows
Who doesn’t love leaving a home show with 70 appointments? It’s possible to set up a ton of appointments at the show and make sure they convert to leads afterward. It just takes two things to out produce everyone else: a professional and comforting booth and salespeople using that new CRM to schedule appointments (or capture customer information as a minimum expectation).
Just handing out business cards at that February home show is essentially no different than walking leads over to a competitor with a bow on them.
Make 2023 Your Best Year
A lot of high-value customers are out there, and many will start anticipating their 2023 home improvement plans even before New Year’s Eve. If you’re ready before 2023, these recommendations will increase your sales throughout the entire year.
Use your December lull to prepare for 2023, and be prepared to smile every time you see the year-over-year numbers throughout the entire year.
Ready to Become World Class in 2023?
You can’t achieve World Class without first defining what it is.
Through our complimentary assessment, you’ll learn:
- What’s the score that proves you’re better than the rest?
- What’s the roadmap to achieve it?
- How do you know you’re on track?
To take our complimentary assessment, visit: https://grandonyx.pro/audit.
