What helps sell more homes faster? A) construction science, B) deep pockets C) stellar sales people D) strategic marketing?

You guessed it, strategic marketing. You might have said all of the above, but not really because of the word “faster”. Why?  Construction science can build it faster. Money is great, but not if you waste it on poor marketing choices. Sales people help, but only if they have leads.  So, strategic marketing fits that bill.  

Do you think you are in construction? Too bad, you are also in marketing. You may have gotten in to this industry because you are a construction science guru, or maybe you are a brilliant architect, or you graduated from Business College and you got in it for the money or your parents gave you the business. It doesn’t matter, congratulations, you are now in marketing.

While most builders don’t usually do blow away marketing, some do. You can too. Whether you could build a home blind-folded, or you are a Harvard business grad, or you were a superintendent and are starting your own company, none of that matters if you are not marketing like a Transformer!  So here is a tip many builders overlook. It will help you out-position your competition.

Pick a person at the company that is the go to person for the industry. Be careful doing this. It can be the Owner, the C-level executive, the VP of Sales, etc. But if the local newspaper contacted you and asked about the industry, who would that be? This is not necessarily the main decision maker, but rather, this is who would be your media front face.

Now, write a simple cover letter offering that person as a local, regional or national resource, with full contact details of course and provide bullet points of expertise, clearly stating you are happy to provide quotes for upcoming news stories, advice for construction projects gone wrong, perspective on the industry, etc. Include a call to action for them to keep you on their list of resources for the residential construction industry. Send that letter to every television station in your local area. Don’t forget the Spanish language ones too. Also send it to every newspaper and yes, every radio station.  You also want to send it to national resources such as other media outlets and several national magazines. While developing this list takes time, you can also hire a publicist or even a public relations firm. Not only will you eventually be contacted, you will get quotes “out there”, which you can then use in your long term marketing. But regardless, this is still the same list you should be sending press releases to any way, so you need the list.

One of the best sources is a local consumer advocate. That is usually on one of the local major news outlets, i.e. the evening news. You might be called to offer advice to a homeowner. Or depending on what you told them your expertise is, you might be asked for your prediction on the market, on the sales activity, things consumers need to know, why now is the right time to buy, how to buy, how to get a mortgage, the ins and outs of which mortgage to get, even details on what type of house is the better bargain, will swimming pools show a strong return on investment, why spending more on granite counter tops in your new home is great, etc. When consumers see you as the expert, it is free marketing, but it is also, powerful marketing and it can transform your company or kick start a sales campaign. Promoting yourself is a great way to position your company. When you are an expert, your product is naturally received positively. Get listed, get contacted and transform yourself!