“Faux”
Me the Money Learn the faux finishing business in our
business seminar. By Debbie Ellison and Susie Goldenberg You know how to faux, you’re ready to go. Did you forget something? Do you have someone to faux for? A little marketing and advertising are just what you need to promote your business and expand your client base. Creativity in faux finishing is most important, but without clients, what good is it? With a little left brain forethought, planning, and persistence, combined with a little right brain creativity and ingenuity, you can expand your business. Here are some ways to do it. MOUTH-TO-MOUTH RESUSCITATION - WORD OF MOUTH Like mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, word of mouth breathes new life into your business. Your business survives mainly via telephone, telemarketing, and tell-a-person. • Networking Your mouth is your main networking tool. Potential clients are everywhere, so tell everyone what you do. Have a panoramic outlook - exclude no one in your “scope-of-client” vision. Always have business cards easily accessible - in your car, office, purse, or wallet. Give everyone this diagnosis, “Take two cards and call me in the morning.” A great way to make contacts is to join organizations – the local Chamber of Commerce; civic, professional, or business associations; or decorative painting associations. Attend meetings regularly and get involved. Develop a 15-second introduction. Include your name, company name, what you do, and a few benefits you offer. Keep it simple, direct, and interesting. Compose a creative “one-liner” to tell people your company’s main benefit and peak their curiosity. As a faux finisher, you help people beautify their homes, so say it in a creative way (“I help people enjoy staying home,” or “I help people landscape their interiors.”). Write out and practice your introduction. Introduce yourself to two or three new people at each meeting. Be sincere, friendly, and attentive to the other person. Exchange cards with everyone you meet. Ask for referrals and refer others. Send a thank-you note to anyone who sends you a referral. Leads Groups “Leads Groups” are networking groups that meet weekly or monthly. Membership is limited to one person per industry or profession. Consult your local Chamber of Commerce, or business newspaper for listings. Networking Tips Andrea Nierenberg in her book Great Networking Skills gives these Rules of Networking:
• Referrals Referrals are an easy, inexpensive way to increase business. If you want referrals, ask for them. Develop a referral program and mention it in every newsletter, mailing, and communication. After every job, send the client a letter expressing your appreciation and explaining your referral program. Referrals from clients, designers, and other professionals deserve a thank-you note. If it is a substantial referral, you may want to send a gift - two tickets to a movie or dinner for two. • Testimonials Testimonials promote business and tell potential clients you do a good job. Ask your most satisfied clients to write a paragraph stating how pleased they are with your services, or send a customer satisfaction survey with your thank-you letter to each client after a job. Questions should include:
It is also good to have testimonials from designers or other professionals. If you do a mailing to designers, for example, they will be impressed that another designer is happy with your work. • Freebies You can gain recognition and free advertising by volunteering to paint a show house, model home, or other highly visible place (school, museum, store), or a mural at a school, hospital, or other public place. Leave cards and brochures. If you call the local newspaper, you might get a write-up, or write a news release and submit it. • Donations Donating a gift certificate to a charitable auction is another way to get your name out there. Offer your services to paint a room free or at a substantial discount. FREE ADVERTISING - PUBLICITY With some initiative and creative “resourcing,” you can find many ways to get recognition without paying for it. • Keeping Clients Happy Satisfied clients are your best advertisement; they will book more business and tell their friends. Provide clients with a “wow” experience. Go the extra mile to make every client feel special, as if he or she was your only client. Here are some tips:
• Trade Shows and Conventions Expose yourself! Exhibiting at a trade or home show is a good way to meet potential clients. You can also offer to speak or give a demo. Give tradeshow discounts and distribute business cards and promotional information, newsletters, and brochures. Public Speaking and Seminars Put your money where your mouth is! Speak to or conduct demos or seminars for women’s groups, garden clubs, companies, or professional organizations. Distribute informative handouts with your name, company name, and phone number in a prominent place. Develop an interesting, informative, entertaining speech. A good way to improve public speaking skills is to attend meetings of the National Speakers Association or a local Toastmaster group where you can watch experienced speakers, and practice and develop speaking skills in a supportive environment. • Writing and Getting Published Establish yourself as an expert in your field by submitting articles to newspapers and magazines. At a library or bookstore, research publications that publish articles on home improvement, decorative painting, or interior design. Write down the name of the managing editor and the address. Send a request for writer’s guidelines; include a stamped self-addressed envelope. Write an article on faux finishing or a related subject and submit, including a cover letter, a picture and brief biography. Some publications require submission of a query letter first, briefly describing your article’s subject matter, your credentials, and requesting the editor’s consideration. When submitting an article, always follow the publication’s guidelines or your article probably will not even be considered. If you offer good ideas and credentials, an editor may listen. Writing Guidelines Words have the power to move, inspire, and entice. In your writing and advertising, use words that are powerful, dynamic, irresistible, and leave a positive impression of you and your business. Words should drive the reader to action - to call, write, or respond in some way. Keep these points in mind:
• News Releases A news release can announce the opening of your business or describe an event or community project you are involved in. Make it timely, interesting, and informative. For a better shot at getting your news release published, follow these guidelines:
DIRECTING THE FLOW - DIRECT MARKETING Although the response rate for direct marketing is only 1-2%, it can pay for itself if it brings in only one good client. For maximum benefit, mailings must be repetitious and continuous. • Direct Mail Look in the yellow pages under “Mailing Lists” to purchase lists of target clients. A direct mailer can be a flyer, brochure, letter, or postcard and may include a coupon, gift certificate, or discount incentive. A mailing to interior designers and/or contractors may also be beneficial. Send a brochure or letter introducing yourself and requesting a consultation, or send a postcard with a photograph of a room you painted. If possible, follow up with a phone call within a week. • Client Database Establish and maintain a mailing list of clients, potential clients, and leads. Your database is a work in progress, always growing and changing. • Newsletters A newsletter informs, entertains, and creates awareness of your business. It can increase business and maintain good client relationships. It can be professionally designed or as simple as a one-page typed layout. It should be informative and full of marketing items, discounts, coupons, news of interest, humor, tips, and new techniques. A newsletter presents a professional image of your business. It tells clients you care about them and sets you apart as an expert and valuable resource. Mail to your client and professional databases. • Bulletin Boards Put flyers about your business on bulletin boards in grocery stores, paint stores, and other businesses that allow it. Ask if you can put a small brochure or business card holder in a visible location and attach a small sign to the holder with an eye-catching headline. ADVERTISING In real estate, it’s location, location, location. In advertising, it’s repetition, repetition, repetition. Your ad should be as big as you can afford (borders make an ad stand out and look bigger), but repetition and consistency are more important than size to establish reader credibility. Since faux finishing typically appeals to more women than men, it is wise to advertise in a section read by women. Include coupons, testimonials, and/or a limited time offer to make readers act immediately. • Classifieds A classified ad in a local newspaper or magazine is less expensive than a display ad and can be very effective. Simple is best - a short headline in all caps, what you do, and contact information. • Yellow Pages Yellow page ads are expensive, so get the biggest ad you can afford. Simple and uncluttered is best. List your company name, logo (if you have one), and contact information. You can also mention years of experience and/or professional memberships to establish credibility. • Newspapers Community newspapers are less expensive than daily newspapers and are a good way to establish credibility. • Magazines Magazine advertising is expensive. Try a local or trade magazine, for example, a home decorating magazine. • Television and Radio The cost of television and radio advertising may be prohibitive; check cable and public broadcasting stations. They are more affordable than larger stations and may help produce your ad. • Websites A website should contain a biography of you and your company, services and benefits, testimonials, contact information, and photographs of your work. A picture of you (smiling, of course) personalizes your site and establishes an instant rapport with the viewer. List your website and e-mail address on your business cards, brochures, and everything you send out. Linking to related websites - painters, contractors, designers, or decorative painting organizations – draws even more people to your business. GET GOING TO GET FAUXING For creative, right-brained people, marketing is a necessarily evil. You may not enjoy it, but it will definitely help your business grow. It too can be a creative process if you let go and enjoy the challenge ________________________________________________________ Susie Goldenberg owns Paintin' the Town, Faux, a faux finishing showroom and Atlanta’s premier school for decorative finishes. She has been a professional decorative artist for 13 years and teaches classes at her school and from coast to coast. Contact her at Susie@PaintinTheTown.com. ___________________________________________________________ This article may be shared with
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