APE APE August 2019 | Page 36

MARKETING MATTERS Residential Pavers: Marketing to Turn Prospects into Promoters MONICA PITTS Your patrons are as much a part of your marketing team as your marketing director. our logo and website build recogni- tion, but they won’t sell your prod- uct or service for you. People make buying decisions based on the way you do business, not on your pretty logo. Your ability to effectively communicate with your prospects and customers direct- ly influences their happiness with the end product. You’ve heard people complain about restaurants - how the food is great but the service is terrible. The disappoint- ment in the restaurant’s process then be- comes the marketing message other peo- ple are hearing. www.callape.com So how in residential paving can we ad- just our communication and marketing to exceed customer expectations and send a clear message of excellence to our audi- ence? 1. Invest in technology. I’m talking about technology geared to make your process run smoother and add convenience for your customers. We live in an era of software services, and odds are there’s one out there that will help solve your customer service issues. [36] Online Estimator Oftentimes what people need most to make a buying decision is a price. Give potential customers the ability to go to your website and fill in the blanks so they can get a number on their own. Plus, you can ask them for their email address and boom: instant lead generator. Give them something they want, and, in return, you get what you need: more people to talk to. I realize no price quote is 100% accu- rate without having details of the project; it does, however, give prospects a place to start. 1.800.210.5923