Your Business Matters

10Marketing Tips that Drive Sales

Follow this marketing plan to generate new business and encourage repeat sales

AS THE ECONOMY chugs along to recovery, contractors need to establish strong marketing techniques to get the work. There is plenty of work out there as every parking lot, driveway and roadway need asphalt maintenance or paving as time goes on. You need to be sure that your company is on their bid lists. That is the ultimate goal.

Here's a 10-point marketing plan that has become essential to my company. 1. Past-Customer Marketing Customers that you have done work for in the past are your best source of future business. Studies have shown that past customers account for as much as 80% of sales for the average U.S. company. Provided that they were happy with your quality work, these past customers know what to expect from you and give you a better chance at future work.

Keep in touch with these valued customers by phone, e-mail and more to keep this relationship strong. 2. A Quality Website To stay successful in the pavement industry you need to keep up with the times with a quality website for your company. Many customers are searching the internet and expect you to be there if you want their business. Your website should include your company name along with services that you provide, your phone number, pictures of trucks and jobs, company info, and a "contact us" page. 3. Premium Website Names A strong pavement domain name is very important to keep your website at the top of Google search engines. For example, if you have the domain name www.PavingNewYork.com or www.SealcoatWisconsin.com and someone searches Google for "paving New York" or "Sealcoat Wisconsin," your website would come to the top. This is very smart marketing and will get you more business. It will also set you apart from the competition by getting you to the top of these searches.

4. Pavement 800-Vanity Numbers

In 2005, after being in business for 20 years, the best marketing move I made was to acquire 1-800-PAVEMENT. I put large signs on my trucks and job signs so that customers remember the phone number far into the future. My current customers don't need to look up my phone number for future business. It is a great way to get one step ahead of the competition. 5. Truck and Job Signs Put large signs on your trucks to promote your company. They are like moving billboards that constantly remind customers of your phone number for a one time reasonable cost. Putting large signs of your website name or company name also are effective.

Put job signs up at every job with your phone number and website name. My crews are instructed to put up signs as soon as they arrive to a jobsite. 6. Customer Lists Be sure to continually build lists of customers that are property managers, facility managers and owners. Always keep track of company name, contact, address, phone numbers and the all important e-mail address. E-mail addresses are becoming the most important source of customer information.

Your lists should include past customers, quoted but not sold customers and potential customers. You could also buy lists from companies that have already done the leg work. These lists will become your life line to future business. 7. E-mail and Direct Mail E-mailing your customers to see if they need

Put large signs on your trucks to promote

your company. AdobeStock | Chad McDermott

work is a very effective, low-cost way to get business. A secretary at your office could send these e-mails out or utilize a integrated marketing platform for e-mail automation.

Mailing postcards, brochures, or newsletters to people on your customer list is also very effective. This is more costly but potential customers have something they can keep. 8. Trade Associations Many customers are members of trade associations that you should join. My company is a member of a number of associations of property managers and facility managers. These associations have meetings and tradeshows that you should participate in to get more work. 9. Neighboring Jobs When working on a job, you or a sales team should be knocking on the neighbor's door to see if they would like an estimate. Leave your business card and brochure if the decision maker is not there. There is no better advertisement than seeing a newly sealcoated or paved parking lot next door for commercial or residential customers.

10. Follow Up - Be Persistent

Many contractors give proposals to prospective customers and then hope that the customer signs on. You must be persistent and follow up. Have thick skin because you have nothing to lose and much to gain if you get the job. My company will continually call or e-mail for jobs that have not closed.

Michael Musto, president of US Pavement Services since 1985 and director of the 1-800-PAVEMENT Network of more than 100 contractors, is willing to assist contractors with marketing ideas, and he can be reached at mmusto@USPavement.com.