I have just completed developing and writing an on line Marketing Audit for small business owners within the construction industry. There are three options ranging from a DIY to a 15 minute tick box exercise or a face to face meeting to review your current marketing activity.
Over the last couple of years I have been concerned about the small construction business. Small being under five people trying to do what they do best and market their own business effectively on top of that. The reason for this is that during my own journey over the last twenty years I have met too many business people in construction who don’t know where to begin! So, hopefully I am trying to fill a gap.
Marketing Audit Guinea Pigs
After completing the Audit I thought it best to test the marketplace. Well, to test the market I asked a couple of professional people that I know if they would consider completing the Mezzanine Level Marketing Audit. My ‘guinea pigs’ were an architect and a building surveyor. Rather than tell you their thoughts I thought it better to let them give you that themselves.
“CMM’s marketing audit has given me the opportunity to review my businesses performance and to look at new promotional strategies going forward. The process of the audit was surprisingly easy with greater than expected results. For a fraction of my time I have received insight into a very wide spectrum under the subject of marketing and how that can help to improve my business. The report in response to my questionnaire answers provides clear understanding of each particular area and what I can do within my business to exploit it.” – Laurence Wright, Bizzey Blue Design
“Having found John to be a personable, professional individual, I completed one of CMM’s Mezzanine Audit Reports and found the whole process quick and easy. The report and all important advice and recommendations were focused, clear and easy to understand and I have no doubt will help in the continued development of my business.” – Chris Burley, InSurvey
We never stop learning
After chatting with my architect and building surveyor friends I came to my own conclusions. Firstly, there is a perception among non-marketing people that you have to be proficient at marketing in order to be successful. You don’t!
I will qualify that answer in a moment. My second conclusion helped me to understand another important aspect of teaching. Teach others the process of marketing your small construction business effectively in bite size chunks! Now, for many of you that may be obvious. I started to think about marketing seminars, webinars, pod casts and on line papers about innumerable subjects. If you take a look at your Twitter streams or your LinkedIn stream and it is like being under a ‘waterfall’ of information. The key is knowing where to start.
Bite Size Chunks
I told Laurence that if I wanted to learn about architecture I would be overwhelmed. But, if he said to me, “John, I am going to teach you just one or two aspects of architecture over the next month or two until you thoroughly understand it and then we will go on to the next stage.” That made sense to us both. After a year I would still not be an architect but I would have learnt some of the basics of the process. It is the same with marketing your small construction business. Once you have mastered one or two aspects of marketing we will go on to the next two. Simple yet profound!
Having much to Learn Yet Successful
Going back to my comment earlier that you do not have to be proficient to be successful. Chris, my building surveyor friend walked in to my office. He was animated. He had recently completed the Mezzanine Marketing Audit and received my recommendations. “I just picked up two new jobs!” he said with a smile. “I did what you recommended and was given two jobs without having to tender for them.” I was pleased for him and glad that my recommendations had been practical and easy to understand.
Lessons In Effective Marketing
We are learning all the time. Every small business needs to market effectively in order to continue trading. It does not however need to be overwhelming or difficult. You might want to consider taking the route that Laurence and Chris have taken. Have a look at my Marketing Audit and decide whether it is something for your business. Click on the link HERE and let me know your thoughts.
I hope we speak soon….
