More Leads For A Handyman

13 years ago

Does he have a facebook? invite everyone and their mother to like his page, and have some customer testimonials, photos of work and maybe a promotional offer on the news feed of the facebook...

Tell him you'll design a catchy t-shirt if he pays for the screen printing and then hand them out at local events...

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Aaron Doud

13 years ago

I like the video idea. Why not a series of DIY videos on the things he does. That way when people search they will see them. See it is harder than they think. See he is local and call him. After all they have just watched him do the work so they know he can. He's an expert.

Put a coupon code in the videos and they are given a reason to call.

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Aaron Doud - Sales & Success

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TheBigBee

13 years ago

Originally Posted by Aaron Doud

I like the video idea. Why not a series of DIY videos on the things he does. That way when people search they will see them. See it is harder than they think. See he is local and call him. After all they have just watched him do the work so they know he can. He's an expert.

Put a coupon code in the videos and they are given a reason to call.

Nailed it. Simple yet deadly effective.

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FILL IN THE BLANKS!

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brocktoon93

13 years ago

Buy a handful of domains based on his area focusing his niched down work. for example, buy "Seattle Garage Door installer" and "Seattle Deck repair" and so on...Check Google Keyword tool to find ones with at least 100 exact searches per month. You dont want too high of a search volume or you'll never rank.

Then on the website, install Wordpress and post one of those videos showing him doing that service and write up an article on it. With a godaddy coupon you can buy domains for 4 or 5 bucks and if you can find a domain with those keywords in it www.SeattleDeckRepair.com" and have a good video on it, theres a good chance you can rank high in Google and get free traffic.

Thanks

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AussieT

13 years ago

Start with the local website. use Handyman+city domain or variation. then try ranking videos. the move on to other niched down websites and videos like brocktoon93 says if you see improved results.

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1 reply

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abbot Banned 13 years ago

Angieslist and Craigslist will be big for him. If he does reputable work then he will excel on angieslist. One of my clients owns a painting company. We signed him up, hes now generating a minimum of 10 jobs/month just from angieslist...

Ramp up the craigslist posting. If it's working, work it harder...kind of like sex.

Throw in some videos - rank them

He shouldn't be choosing his favorite service to offer, he should be honing in on what he does the most of.

Make up referral cards, if someone refers him to a job, he personally cuts them a check for 10% of the job etc. Hand them out to everyone he works for.

Before and after shots - his home page should display before and after shots of projects he has done along with testimonials and strong call to action.

Social media - make him a page - if you decide to make 'how to' videos this is a great place to post them to. Before and after shots / testimonials should also go here. Design facebook exclusive specials/coupons every month...people will get use to them and eventually use them.

Once he has a marketing budget focus on seasonal work and hit up direct mail. Does it snow? if so, snow removal is huge. Fall cleanup? Spring cleaning? Summer ac repair?

Don't put all eggs in one basket. Keep your craigslist ads running, up the number of posts and areas of service.

Here is a post from a while back: you might find some of the information useful - http://www.warriorforum.com/offline-...man-world.html
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NewParadigm

13 years ago

He should be getting a crap ton of referral business. People talk to friends, family, neighbors about stuff getting done and good vendors. Develop a referral program, offer them $$ or a discount on their next job for referrals. Ask them for their help in growing business, people like to help. A simple tagging them on their FB and a couple pictures of the job before/after them sharing on their FB page would be big.

A huge one is going to neighborhood association meetings and give a presentation on your services, then offering a neighborhood discount and priority service. My neighborhood of 60 homes kept 2 handymen busy FULL TIME. They didnt have to drive all over town from job to job.

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btyiw

13 years ago

I'm sorry if I'm raining on anyone's parade but facebook and social media is absolutely worthless for local lead generation. I would stick to the basics which generate the most leads: lead generation site, video marketing and craigslist

Everything else is a waste of your clients money and your time.

Thanks
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george b 13 years ago

How about you find a house, maybe someone he knows, which requires a lot work.

And you get someone to video him, you could just set up a tripod and leave him to it.

After the property has been done up you, show before pictures of the property and then a sped up video of him working and then pictures afterwards.

With a clever bit of editing that could look quite good.

Stick it on youtube and rank it.
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GraphicShed
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AndrewCavanagh

13 years ago

Ask him what types of jobs pay the best and what types of
jobs he gets the best return on for effort (in other words he'll
have some jobs that might take an hour yet pay really well).

That will give you some areas to start focusing your efforts
on promoting more intensely.

For the record I think you're on the right track.

The more niched your ads are the more likely people are to
call because they know you're able to solve the exact problem
they have right now.

Kindest regards,
Andrew Cavanagh

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umc

13 years ago

Here's an idea that I had that I think might work. It may require some tweaking and I haven't tested it, but I'll share it anyway. What if a handyman did free safety checks. Come up with some sort of checklist like making sure banisters are tight, that water shutoffs work, that windows open freely in case an emergency exit is required, that doors lock properly, etc. Have the handyman go execute such free safety checks. Now, if the handyman has any sales ability whatsoever, it stands to reason that he is generating income off of those free safety screenings. Sounds like it would be great to me.

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AussieT

13 years ago

Originally Posted by umc

Here's an idea that I had that I think might work. It may require some tweaking and I haven't tested it, but I'll share it anyway. What if a handyman did free safety checks. Come up with some sort of checklist like making sure banisters are tight, that water shutoffs work, that windows open freely in case an emergency exit is required, that doors lock properly, etc. Have the handyman go execute such free safety checks. Now, if the handyman has any sales ability whatsoever, it stands to reason that he is generating income off of those free safety screenings. Sounds like it would be great to me.

I like this idea but with a slight twist.

Rather than just offering free safety checks to everyone and getting many freebie seekers.

I would start by trying it with new/existing customers. Much like car service centres offer a free safety check when you take your car in for regular service.

They always seem to find something that needs repairing.

Anyone have access to such a checklist they would like to share?

Thanks
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umc

13 years ago

Originally Posted by AussieT

I like this idea but with a slight twist.

Rather than just offering free safety checks to everyone and getting many freebie seekers.

I would start by trying it with new/existing customers. Much like car service centres offer a free safety check when you take your car in for regular service.

They always seem to find something that needs repairing.

Anyone have access to such a checklist they would like to share?

You have a point. How about a really low cost safety check to get in the door with new potential clients? I know an HVAC guy that does $50 clean & checks all day for people. He advertises on Craigslist, which is well known for customers that are seeking something for nothing, but he sells lots of the service and upsells like crazy while there. He sells minor repairs when needed, and he sells maintenance agreements as well. If nothing else, he leaves his sticker behind on the units and lets the homeowners know that he's there for them when they need him. These visits put him in top of mind position and they call him when they need work.

Like you pointed out, this could also be something that a handyman does with existing or new clients to build repeat business. Heck, just letting the customer talk is great. They will often lead you to gold. People tend to talk about their home and their plans if allowed to, and a handyman could easily turn a small job into a large one.

I don't have a checklist or anything. I think that if you work with a handyman, or most any other service provider really, you should be able to create such a thing together.

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misterme

13 years ago

When I had work done on my house I didn't spend my days watching videos of handymen or becoming a fan of Facebook handyman pages. I know I'm speaking for myself but I'm kind of normal and do things the way most people do. When I need a repair, I want to get someone in fast. So I look through the yellow pages, yes I do. SERPs first page, maybe 2nd page too. I look at community papers, inserts, fliers and sites like that which came in direct mail pieces.

He puts up a sign too at the location he's working or at minimum has his van with a clear telephone number on it parked in front, right? When I'm looking for local services I keep my eyes peeled for service trucks in the neighborhood because that tells me they service my area and were good enough for my neighbor.

He then sticks a flier around the block saying he's working on that home and is available for doing local repairs and can give a quick estimate, yes?

Thanks
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umc 13 years ago

I'll tell you another good way to get business. I'm a member of some local forums, one in particular, and everyone there knows me as the guy that can get their house cleaned, their car detailed, etc. I like the forum and joined because I'm a fan of the local college team, but I hang out and help people when they have questions on taking care of their home or car. In doing so they come to see me as the go-to guy for those needs. I've got a friend that's a handyman and I speak up and send him work from those forums because I've built trust their. Local forums are often close knit communities in themselves and can offer opportunities. Don't be a loser and just post nothing but thinly veiled or open ads for yourself there, but some genuine participation goes a long way.
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- Robert Domino 13 years ago
  
  Instead of his current model, tell him to become a remodeling specialist and hook up with local RE investors / property managers.
  
  That is if he wants a growing business and not a part time hobby.
  
  Thanks
  
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