Kitchen & Bath Business - September 2017 - 14

Better Business

Put Your Best Face Forward
Three strategies for presenting
yourself at industry events
EXHIBITIONS AND EVENTS ARE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY to put your
services in front of a crowd of potential clients. To get the most out of home
shows, you need to go into the event with a strategy. On the one hand, you
are surrounded by foot traffic, and many of those passersby are on the market
for your services. On the other hand, they aren't drawn to the event to hire a
remodeler, so you will need a plan to kindle that interest.
Here are three quick strategies for making your best impression and getting
the best return on your home show investment.
"Stand Out. Over the years, word has gotten out in the remodeling industry that putting up a booth at local events and fairs is a great way to win
new customers. As a result, your remodeling company will have many
competitors at any given event, but you will need to stand out to gain your
customers' attention.
The best way to differentiate yourself is with a beautiful display. Your
customer may not understand the differences between an acrylic shower
and an all-granite enclosure, but they understand and want to hire a contractor with attention to detail. Having a clean, polished and great-looking
display suggests that you have the attention to detail required to take care
of your customer's home.
"Make a Great First Impression. I have heard a lot of techniques for making
introductions at events from everything from raffle tickets to free candy.
We like to focus on the human element - striking up conversations that
introduce homeowners to our great staff. Ultimately, that's why the customers you meet at events will do business with you - they met you face to face,
and they liked your professionalism and personality.
Build that great first impression into every conversation. First, nail the
basics and make sure you and your staff look like clean and polished pro-

MIKE TROESSER has been in
business since 2004 and owns
Bathrooms Plus, a full-service
bathroom remodeling company in Lake Worth, Fla.

fessionals. Second, start conversations that lead
you down the right path. For instance, asking a
customer if they've seen any great remodeling
ideas at the show is better than asking about the
weather. That way, your conversation can segue
into you making an impression with your years
of expertise and innovative design ideas rather
than petering out after some small talk.
"Follow Up. The most frequent complaint we hear
from our clients about other remodelers is that
they have poor communication skills. Your goal
at events is to build a list of interested homeowners and ideally to set up appointments on
the spot. When you set an appointment, send
a cordial thank you email with the details as a
convenient reminder. This sets the right tone
for your new relationship - you are a contractor
who will keep them informed at every step of
their project, and you emphasize that in your
very first interaction.
If your staff wasn't able to book an appointment but collected contact information, use that
information. Get in touch with the homeowner,
and thank them for visiting with you. Again, your
goal here is to exceed expectations and establish
yourself as a remodeler with great communication
skills. Send them periodic emails to check in -
many of your eventual clients will come from these
"not ready yet"homeowners,so don't neglect them.
There you have it, three quick strategies to get
the most out of your events and fairs. Particularly
when you're breaking into a new market, events
can make a lot of sense to put you in front of a
crowd of customers. Most importantly, you are
going to want to focus on putting your best foot
forward when you meet potential customers face
to face.You have the opportunity to win customers
for life but only on the strength of your professionalism and communication skills.
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Kitchen & Bath Business / SEPTEMBER 2017 / KBBONLINE.COM / The official publication of KBIS (KBIS.com)

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Kitchen & Bath Business - September 2017

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