When you think about flooring business, it sounds more or less like simply selling building materials. As a matter of fact, selling outdoor flooring is far much different. There is an emotional aspect attached to selling outdoor flooring materials that require options to fit different customer’s preferences. It can be difficult to grow your flooring business and to stay up to speed with the day to day emerging tastes of customers. This is why it is important to come up with marketing strategies to help you grow your business. Check out on the following tips that can help develop an outdoor flooring business.
1. Know your Market
To be successful in the outdoor flooring business, you need to understand what is in demand and the competition around you. Understand what the customers need or might be looking for and come out as a solution to their problems. There are customers who prefer flooring with composite decking boards while others may choose other types of outdoor flooring materials, that is why you should understand your customers’ needs. Keep up with the trending designs and introduce more great designs that they could be interested in.
2. Always stand out to your target audience
Identify your target audience and come up with strategies of which events you should attend. If you target the hospitality industry, for example, attend more of this industry’s tradeshows, conferences or events. You will be able to understand which priorities and opportunities the industry holds. If you are a supplier of flooring materials without installation, you are supposed to put more focus on quality, diversity, trends, innovations, and environment-friendliness of these materials. If you do both supply and installation, keep in mind that customers are more concerned about cost, quality of flooring materials and expertise of your installation team. It is therefore important to ensure that you offer top-notch services to your customers all the time.
3. If you deal with flooring installation, remember it is entirely about expertise
You may be on top of your game in terms of selling composite decking flooring and other materials, but you may not be a flooring expert. Hire staff that expertise in interior design and floor materials installation to meet your customer’s needs. Skilled designers will make a difference in your entire staffing when it comes to floor installations. When it comes to residential and commercial contracts, do not dwell so much on the price competition but the professionalism and experience your team shows. Keep in mind that customers expect to receive a solution from you and your team, and you cannot afford to fail them. Let it be a two-way street where you offer customers value for their money.
4. Create and build relationships
Relationship building is all about creating a rapport with your new customers and maintaining that to the end of your business deal. This would translate to them coming back again for your products and services if they were happy. Keep the line of communication open to both new and existing customers at all times. Follow up and remind them when the decks are due for maintenance. Ask for referrals from your customers as a way of creating more business. Offer them referral discounts as a way of motivation as well as promotions from time to time.
5. At tradeshows, stock your booth with as many outdoor flooring samples as possible
Create digital displays and images of your before and after work. Carry enough business cards and brochures, and include an exclusive offer depending on the type of attendees to the tradeshows.
6. Partner with businesses that complement yours
Identify those businesses around you that are a good fit to partner with. These could be real estate agents, home cleaning, local hardware stores, electricians, painters, power washers, roofers, interior designers, landscapers and other general contractors who are not your direct competition. You can organize monthly meetings with your partner to get to learn more about each other’s businesses and their challenges. Discuss these challenges and try to find solutions together. These partnerships are very important as you get to refer each other to potential businesses or even secure businesses for each other.
7. Host workshops at your local stores from time to time
Teach basic classes about flooring to both home and business owners to prove your expertise. You could teach them about flooring with composite decking boards or the best ways to clean different types of floors. You can also teach them on factors to consider when selecting different flooring materials when they need a new floor. Your workshop should be of value to the community. Actively participate in tradeshows, panels or other events and include programs that include home remodelling or even composite decking flooring topics. Do not forget to collect contact information from the audience and consider sending them an introductory offer. Emails are also important for other marketing strategies.
8. Look for ways to identify new homes
You can use your local newspaper to see homeowners who are likely to settle in their new homes and reach them out through flyers, welcome offers or business cards. You can also try contacting property managers or apartment agents and others and try to ask if you can leave them more information about your services in case there will be a future need. Always think outside the box as long as your marketing idea or approach remains as professional as possible.
9. Guarantee you work to help attract customers
Have your guarantee clearly stated on your website or any other places that your business appears online. Let your team have this on their fingertips and recite it when they are on business consultations. Choose manufacturers or distributors that will allow you to remain true to the guarantee you offer.
10. Work on effective feedback strategies
Gather feedback using SMS or emails after completing a project and encourage your customers to leave reviews on your sites. Embrace criticism and use it as an opportunity to improve your products or services. Reviews that praise should encourage you even to offer better services. You can ask for permission to use such reviews on your major sites or promotional materials.