[Northstar]

Hello, everyone, I'm new to the site and also just started my own business, the one major problem i am having is getting the phone to ring .I tried mailings, newspaper ads with little results, i also had a yellow-book ad that totally tanked what a waste. Anybody have a suggestion for guys just starting out? Thanks.

 

[HCECalaska]

if your phone isnt rining, than maybe you sould be making the calls. there is no magic button you can push, and then have customers knocking down your door. GC's and HO's contact people they know or have refered to them.
it takes years to devolp a client base large enough that they call you, and keep you busy.

 

[Northstar]

:thumbsup: Thanks for the post , i'am starting to try some other ways to market .

 

[John Valdes]

After taking a sales engineer job several years ago, I had to learn the hard way. You cannot expect potential customers to come to you. You must go to them.
Every now and then you would get a new customer the easy way "They called me". But that was the exception.
Get out there and meet potential customers. Call and set up appt's with general contractors, industrial plants. Put your business card on every board you see. Go to city, county and state government and inquire about upcomming projects. Put your name in the hat.
Subscribe to local business news papers. Sometimes you get a heads up on future projects. Attend public meetings and meet the leaders of your community. Give everyone you meet a business card and tell them about your company. Also, contact other contractors and see if they need to sub out some jobs they don't want or cannot meet schedule on. The key to selling your business is to sell yourself first. Try not to worry, things will turn for you....Good Luck and get out there.

 

[ailat]

Subliminal Advertising

I have been in your position and know exactly how you feel. Firstly you need to decide what type of work and how big you want to be, because going with some of the other advice you really can come unstuck. I found that advertising in most forms to be be a waste of money. For me I wanted commercial work, so I found the builders I wanted to work for and got their phone and fax number. Upon calling I would ask for the estimator and would get a reply like "sorry they are out of the office" etc so I would reply " can I send a fax with my details, if so who should I attention it to?" they would then give me the estimators name. So I done a full A4 page with my company logo, with the estimators name on it. He would receive the fax and throw it out straight away without looking at it properly, but my name and logo is burnt in his mind, so upon calling the next day he would hear my name and company name and instead of getting the cold shoulder I would get a cheerful and helpful estimator willing to let me quote up and coming work. This is called subliminal advertising and is the only form of advertising that works. The other form of advertising which is useful is making up coreflute signs from your sign writer and stick them up everywhere, on street poles, fences, EVERYWHERE! This also produces great results for when you approach new builders etc.... GOOD LUCK BUT JUST REMEMBER THIS INFORMATION MUST BE USED IN CONJUNCTION WITH A STRONG HEAD AND BUSINESS MIND, BECAUSE THINGS WILL HAPPEN THAT FAST FOR YOU, YOU WONT KNOW WHATS HAPPENING!

 

[bobelectric]

Coming home tonite,(to do my bookwork,ect.) I couldn't help but notice all the landscapers in the area.Enough work for everyone .But they all had new trucks.

 

[sparky247]

Coming home tonite,(to do my bookwork,ect.) I couldn't help but notice all the landscapers in the area.Enough work for everyone .But they all had new trucks.

It amazing how the perception of a new vehicle assumes your successful.
These landscapers are living large, on credit, the American dream, Thankfully the border is open or my yard & pool would be a mess

 

[michaelpwalton1]

Hello, everyone, I'm new to the site and also just started my own business, the one major problem i am having is getting the phone to ring .I tried mailings, newspaper ads with little results, i also had a yellow-book ad that totally tanked what a waste. Anybody have a suggestion for guys just starting out? Thanks.

It depends on what type of work you want to do. There are different ways to attract work or leads, depending on the sector of work (residential - commercial - industrial). But the 2nd most important advice of all is "Networking". Join an association, break bread with your fellow contractors. Start referring other trades to your customers and they will do the same for you. Hook up with Realtors and property management people.

If you advertise in a phone book, expect it to take at least 1 year before it starts to pay for itself. People will continue to use last years book for some time (therefore not see your current ad). If you are starting from the bottom up, consider ads in church papers, flyers etc. My best response is from the local newspaper in the classified section.

And the #1 best advertisement is a "Satisfied Customer" you will never know how many times your name will be mentioned. Good luck!

 

[frank]

To help you along you should try sub contracting to another Electrical Contractor. This will bring income and your new 'boss' might pass on some of his work. Stuff he does not want and such.

Best of luck.

Frank

 

[brian john]

My phone has been going crazy all summer, I have prayed and wished it would slow down, but if it does I will pray and wish I had never prayed and wished.

When it gets slow (and when I started out) the silent phone made me almost sick to my stomach. I left the office and went and say folks, if they were busy I left, was never pushy. It will be 23 years Oct 1, slow and steady worked for me. From 3-20 employees (3-I had 2 partners).

But you need to keep moving if one thing does not work try something else.