Builder- March 2009 - (Page 71) ESTES BUILDERS Sequim, Wash. 19 units Left to right: Jo Anne Estes, CFO and controller; Kevin Estes, president and CEO; and Patricia Troxler, quality manager “Typically, they’re more than willing to share information. I have a network of people who are high achievers. They’ve either done it and been successful at it, or done it and say, ‘Don’t do it.’ ” SIGHTS SET ON SALES While the NHQ program focuses squarely on construction systems and processes, America’s Best Builder looks at the breadth of a builder’s operations. In 2008, the Estes leadership team identified sales and marketing as one of its strategic initiatives. “That’s where the rubber hits the road,” says Jo Anne. “We believe every person is a salesperson. It doesn’t matter if you sit where I sit and don’t see people who come through the front door, it’s all our jobs to convey a positive impression of Estes Builders. If we meet people in the grocery store or on the street, we can talk about Estes Builders. We’ve trained our trades. … It can be done, but it is a systemized process. It gets our brains thinking, coming up with something out of the box that not everyone is doing.” This year’s marketing theme is that every single lead that can be generated is precious, says Craig Stevenson, the company’s custom home manager. The company shifted away from display ads and blanket marketing to more targeted tools, such as direct mail and online search campaigns— a critical step for builders whose buyers typically live outside the area. On-site events and local ads are a waste of money for Estes Builders. It needs to wow its prospects in cyberspace. “Where we’ve been really (see page 72) Andy Reynolds W W W.BUILDERONLINE.COM m a rc h 2 0 0 9 BUILDER ■ 71 http://WWW.BUILDERONLINE.COM
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