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Ask a Pro
Q:
BRANDON PIERPONT is the owner of Painter Marketing Pros, a marketing agency that focuses exclusively on helping residential painting companies take their business to the next level. He is the author of The Sales System Playbook for Painting Contractors and host of the Painter Marketing Mastermind Podcast on PCA Overdrive, as well as all major streaming platforms. PainterMarketingPros.com
How can pros book more profitable residential repaints year-round?
A: A company’s inability to land profitable residential repaints year-round usually comes down to one of two things. Either they’re wasting time with tire-kicker leads, or too many of the jobs are not full residential repaints but rather smaller projects. Both issues make it tough to stay booked during the winter season and to grow your business as fast as you want. The good news is that they’re solvable issues that, once dealt with, can contribute to long-term growth.
Here’s the systematic approach I’d advise an owner to use to address both challenges:
Step 1: Identify your dream customer and make
your company attractive to them. You need to be very clear on what your ideal residential repaint customer looks like. I call this your ‘dream customer.’ Where does this person live? What does he or she care about? Is this person married or single? And what is important to this person when selecting a painting company? The better you can understand your dream customer, the better you can match your painting company’s branding and messaging to something that person would find attractive.
Step 2: Position your business to this customer
when they are ready to buy. You want to create a compelling residential repaint campaign. This campaign can come in multiple formats, but for owners with long-term growth goals, nothing beats a well-oiled website that shows up at the top of Google for all relevant searches.
The ‘cash in hand’ buyers who value quality over a low price are actively searching on Google for a painting company they can trust. By appearing at the top of the search results—and not in the paid ads section—your company is essentially being recommended by Google to these ideal customers.
Knowing how to emerge at the top of Google for all the important searches is a job unto itself and it’s unlikely you can master it and your job simultaneously. Here’s where marketing companies (such as ours) can be of help. You have lots of options when choosing a marketing partner. My only suggestion would be to look for one with experience working with painters and to ask for—and check—their references.
Step 3: Present your company as a highly
professional business. You need to have a solid sales system in place to turn your leads into booked projects. I recommend using customer relationship management (CRM) software.
CRM simplifies and streamlines work by automating some of the communication with prospective customers. Look for a package that immediately reaches out to new leads—less than 60 seconds is ideal—by some combination of text, email, and if within business hours, a phone call. Speed-to-lead is crucial in converting a high percentage of leads into profitable projects.
After scheduling an estimate with the prospective customer, have more automated messages that educate them on the benefits they can expect to enjoy by choosing your company. We have found that sending out prerecorded videos from a company’s owner can go a long way in establishing trust, reducing price resistance, and consistently winning the most profitable residential repaint projects.
I have seen this process work for painting companies of all sizes across the country; they effectively fill up their calendars with high-quality residential repaint projects.
PRO PICKS
Interiors aren’t always as straightforward as exterior jobs. With them, you’re more likely to find a wider range of surface types and customer demands. A flat-looking sheen that’s easy to wipe down, painting a solid color over a tired wood-stained surface, doors made of wood, metal or fiberglass—the scenarios are endless. Some pros may feel they need an arsenal of coatings for interiors. Today’s pro also faces product availability issues, so some demand more utility from one product but also have a few different options handy in case their workhorse isn’t in stock. With all these dynamics in mind, we recently tapped four pros from different areas of the country to share their interior coating preferences.
BY BRIAN SODOMA
1HEWERSON MORAIS The senior commercial estimator for this New York CertaPro Painters franchise sees a wide range of project types, including multifamily, retail, hospitality and short- and long-term health care facilities, as well as public and private schools.
He relies on Benjamin Moore and Sherwin-Williams as his primary suppliers. For drywall surfaces where customers balance quality and budget, he often specifies Benjamin Moore Ultra Spec 500 Paint. For more scuff resistance or in high-traffic spaces, he turns to Benjamin Moore Ultra Spec SCUFF-X Interior Latex Paint. In these situations, he also trusts Sherwin-Williams ProMar 200 Zero VOC Interior Latex Paint and their Pro Industrial Pre-Catalyzed Water Based Epoxy as great alternatives for similar applications.
“Most products essentially cross over between these brands, which are both excellent,” he said. “It usually comes down to which particular brand the customer trusts and is most comfortable with, then it’s up to us to select the right product for the specific application.”
On doors and trim in high-traffic areas, Benjamin Moore Corotech COMMAND Enamel offers excellent abrasion resistance, he said. If that abrasion resistance isn’t really necessary, he’ll opt for something like Benjamin Moore ADVANCE Interior Paint. “ADVANCE offers nice leveling and a smoother finish but it’s not as resistant as COMMAND,” he added.
When dealing with ferrous metals, if strong rust-inhibitive properties are needed, after priming, he finishes with two topcoats of Sherwin-Williams Pro Industrial DTM Acrylic Coating. His teams also work on basements with water intrusion problems. For those jobs, painting CMU or foundation concrete, Morais turns to Sherwin-Williams LOXON XP Waterproofing Masonry Coating. For other moisture-heavy environments such as indoor pools and school bathrooms, Benjamin Moore AURA Bath & Spa Paint offers excellent moisture and mold resistance, he said.
1HEWERSON MORAIS CertaPro Painters of Westchester, New York & Southern Connecticut 2 3
CertaPro.com/Westchester-NY CARA PARSONS Lamb Painting LambPainting.com MATT SCHMOHL Just Add Paint JustAddPaint.net 4
DAMON LEE On a Roll Painting OnARollMN.com
2CARA PARSONS This South Dakota–based contractor’s workload skews more toward commercial and only about 30% residential. Her primary commercial work involves hospitals, schools, banks and apartment buildings.
For interior drywall, Diamond Vogel products have become a go-to. The company’s Permacryl Interior Acrylic Latex Enamel is a favorite for most jobs, but Eas-E-Poxy PreCatalyzed Waterborne Epoxy is great in hospital environments that demand more washability. The company’s Zero Plus Interior Zero VOC Latex Paint is preferred for banks and schools, she added.
“These coatings have great quality, are easy to apply, and have great touchup,” she said. “and Eas-E-Poxy is scrubbable without the hassles and expense of a two-component epoxy.”
For residential applications, Parsons turns to Benjamin Moore ben Interior Paint. “It’s a good price point and they’re still getting a quality coating,” she added. She also likes the company’s Waterborne Ceiling Paint for ceiling repaints. “It’s very flat and hides a lot. But you have to be careful not to put it on too heavy; it might crack,” she emphasized.
For the trim on both residential and commercial projects, Parsons prefers Benjamin Moore Corotech COMMAND Enamel. She likes how fast it dries, its wide selection of colors, and resistance to blocking for quick turnaround. She’ll even use it to paint over wood.
Parson’s company is also known for its custom wood trim packages, which include door and window casings, and other trim pieces. For this work, she likes Old Masters Wiping Stain or its Gel Stain or ZAR Interior Oil Base Stain. Wiping stains go on lighter, she said, and are better suited for customers who want to see the wood grain. The gels, however, go on thicker and provide richer color tones.
Her crews also paint their share of metal beams and doors on commercial projects. For these surfaces, she likes Sherwin-Williams Pro Industrial DTM Acrylic Coating for its strong bond. In bathrooms, for good washability, she turns to Benjamin Moore AURA Bath & Spa Paint.
—CARA PARSONS, LAMB PAINTING
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3MATT SCHMOHL The job lead for this south-central Pennsylvania painting company likes Sherwin-Williams Cashmere Interior Acrylic Latex Paint in an eggshell finish for the bulk of the drywall his teams work on. Just Add Paint focuses largely on residential repaints, but will tackle some new residential construction as well.
“Cashmere has a smooth application, the coverage is amazing, and we tend to use 9" ArroWorthy microfiber rollers that hold a lot of paint. Using those with Cashmere, the uniformity is second to none. There are no lines, no stickiness, and the eggshell sheen is not too shiny and has great scrubbability,” Schmohl said.
Schmohl also uses PPG PROMINENCE Interior Paint & Primer as a zero-VOC option that’s comparable to Cashmere’s performance. He likes Sherwin-Williams Emerald Interior Acrylic Latex Paint in matte for customers who need something very scrubbable with little sheen. For trim, or when customers want to paint white or a light color over wood, he turns to SherwinWilliams Emerald Urethane Trim Enamel.
“Emerald has just been amazing,” he noted. “It’s a good price point for the customer, too. It has amazing flow and high durability because it’s a hybrid water-borne alkyd. It has the properties of oil without the yellowing and it has more workability. We use it on built-ins, all trim and doors.”
Schmohl prefers Milesi Polyurethanes for staining wood railings. If the customer wants a deeper color on the railing, he may turn to Minwax PolyShades stain and polyurethane onestep finishes, which can also cover an existing poly coating well, he explained.
—MATT SCHMOHL, JUST ADD PAINT
The faster drying time of Benjamin Moore Corotech COMMAND Enamel is just one of the reasons Damon Lee of On a Roll Painting chose it for this banister project. The durable finish of Sherwin-Williams Emerald Urethane Trim Enamel withstands the wear and tear of frequently cleaned and used areas.
Courtesy of Vintage Revivals
4DAMON LEE This Minnesota-based pro has strong relationships with local remodelers, which allows him to focus mostly on interiors all year long. On drywall, he prefers Benjamin Moore Regal Select Paint in a matte finish. He likes the flat look of the premium coating with just enough sheen to make it scrubbable. “For me, I’d rather spend more money on a great paint because that typically results in fewer coats and a better-looking job,” he said.
Lee also likes another premium paint from Hirshfield’s, a familyowned local manufacturer. Its Reserve Enamel coating is similar to Regal Select paint, but at a slightly more competitive price.
“With Hirschfield’s, it doesn’t really leave us wanting anything compared to a Benjamin Moore. I like the sheen, the dry time, and how it lays down on the wall. It’s a product we can trust to be the same every time we use it,” Lee said.
On trim, the pro prefers Benjamin Moore ADVANCE Interior Paint, adding “it performs like an oil but cleans up like a water-based paint.” The downside to the formula, however, is that it requires a long dry time. So, on tighter turns, he uses Benjamin Moore Corotech COMMAND Enamel, a single-component acrylic urethane for faster drying. Lee also has had good success using both of these trim products on wood, metal and fiberglass doors and handrails.
“I like to minimize the paints I use as much as I can,” he added. “It keeps it consistent for crews, so they’re not dealing with something new all the time. When you work with a product you’re not used to, you might deal with sagging and running.” -
