DeAnna Radaj

Last Tuesday I posted about the importance of properly handling the business of your construction business through having written contracts.

For today’s tip, I’ve opened up the floor to DeAnna Radaj, owner of Bante Design LLC. DeAnna has a division of workshops & programs that help design and construction professionals with their businesses.  She is the author of “Designing the Life of Your Dreams from the Outside In” and “Feng Shui for Teens.”

Here are DeAnna’s tips for clients and workshop participants to market themselves better:

• Have an electronic signature that includes any awards, tag lines and website info that gets included on all emails. You can also have logo included as well to help brand your company.
• You MUST have  a website, even if it’s only 1 page that has mission statement, logo, services/products offered, contact info, location/address and hours of operation. Keywords and meta tags need to be used so they appear at top of search engines (i.e. John’s Roofing would have “johns roofing, roofing, construction” and city/area serviced)
• Great sites to promote self/company: LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, ConstructionDeals.com, any association groups. Join appropriate groups that are for your IDEAL CLIENT!
• Go to where your IDEAL CLIENT frequents/posts/shops. If your market is luxury remodel, you wouldn’t advertise at the Dollar Store.
• Start a blog. This is great to have on your website. Use this in email signature & any correspondence & marketing. Submit blog to eZine articles, ConstructionDeals.com and link to your profile on LinkedIn and Facebook so it’s always updating & keeping your prospective clients updated.
• Speak at local business groups, trade associations,  community colleges, or even the local park & recs group. Who couldn’t use some “handy man tips”? Proper way to hold/use tools for women? Be creative. Establish yourself as THE EXPERT. Workshops are one of THE #1 ways to attract new clients!!
• ASK for referrals from current/past clients. Offer a “commission” for referrals, or entry into a raffle for each referral…be creative!
• Write an eZine/newsletter to keep clients and/or list current on trends, new products/services and appearances. Do NOT send out more than 1x a month! Offer incentives/coupons to increase sales.
• Host an open house of other event at your office/store or in conjunction with similar businesses…kind of like a joint venture. Are you a plumber? Team up with a tile shop for a joint offering, workshop or open house.

Do you have a good idea for finding and keeping your construction clients in today’s economy?  If so, drop me a line or comment below and tell me about it!