Favorite ways to drum up clients?

[Shane Newlin]

I've been on my own as a trim carpenter for about a year now, and the work has dried up somewhat. The odd built-in or trim job has kept us afloat, but I've been getting discouraged. An acquaitance of my invested in magnetic signs, and T-shirts, and they seem like a good idea. There's also an online service that matches customers to contractors for a flat rate fee(they send the info to more than one in the area, and you have to bid on it). I guess I'm looking for encouragement and ideas.

[Ellen Benkin]

How about contacting some home building contractors and getting a job doing the trim/finish work in the houses?

[Ron Brese]

Have you tried newspaper ads? There're pretty cheap and give you good exposure right in your immediate area.

Ron

[Craig D Peltier]

craigslist is free post under skilled trade services.

Disclaimer- I am in no way affilaited with this site.

[Brian Ross]

Shane
I take photo's of jobs I have done in the past. People are a lot more comfortable in making a commitment if the know the quality of your work. Business cards do work and it took me a while to realize this. If you are not getting referrals from the jobs you are doing I would be suspect of the quality of my work. We are operating in a business that there are a lot of rip off artists and this is another obstacle that we have to overcome. It does take time to build a reputation for yourself. I would do up a sales flyer and deliver them to the homes in an area that you live or would like to do work. My wife runs a successful insurance agency and they work well for her. Check with the building contractors in the area that you live and see what they think is an area that may have the most opportunity. I have made good money doing decks and fences although I seldom do them anymore as I am trying to concentrate on doing shopwork. Just my ramblings.

Brian

[Joe Dusel (Vista, CA)]

I also use Craigslist and whatever other free listings I can find in addition to my web site.

Here is a link to my latest free Craigslist ad. http://sandiego.craigslist.org/sks/299713122.html

I am also an active member of a woodworking club and a professional furniture and cabinet makers guild. I have gotten work and referrals through both organizations, plus I get to socialize and learn new things.

Joe

[Jim Thiel]

I also use Craigslist and whatever other free listings I can find in addition to my web site.


I am also an active member of a woodworking club and a professional furniture and cabinet makers guild.


Good ideas above.


Another avenue I have used is to call past clients. Ask them if they are happy with your work, the fit and finish is as expected, ect...

If they were unhappy (one guy, drove me nuts) I fixed it (took it out and built new) but I got work from his neighbor, and added referrals from there.

The happy ones, I asked them if I could give them my business card(s) for referrals, which most were happy to do.

Jim

[Per Swenson]

There are only three things you need.

1. Reputation

2. Reputation

3. Reputation

How to get one? In the beginning be willing to work at a minimum

profit. Always be 100% aware of the basics. Never ever late for anything.

Friendly and Honest to a fault. Surgical room clean job site.

Along with proper personal appearance.

Willingness to accommodate every need with a smile.

Put your self together in a package like that......

in another year your customers advertise for you.

Contractor's and homeowners alike.

We are in a personal skilled service business where word

of mouth is the only guaranteed advertising medium.

Start now with a digital camera and document your work.

Make a book, avoid the snap shot deal. Have it printed and bound

at your local Office depot.

I was about 12 years old when this freind of my Fathers said to me,

"Son, depression/recession, some one always needs a door hung

or a man who is good at that type a thing."

I thought he was nuts.

I was gonna be a Psychiatrist.

Per

[Sammy Shuford]

I also use Craigslist and whatever other free listings I can find in addition to my web site.

Here is a link to my latest free Craigslist ad. http://sandiego.craigslist.org/sks/299713122.html

I am also an active member of a woodworking club and a professional furniture and cabinet makers guild. I have gotten work and referrals through both organizations, plus I get to socialize and learn new things.

Joe

Neat, did you insert HTML right into ad?

[Joe Unni]

Shane,

Lot's of good advice thus far. However for the aformentioned reputation you have to get people to talk about you. To get people to talk about you they need to know and trust you as a person and craftsman. The first year out there are only so many jobs you have completed, therefore only so many people who know and trust you. A great way for people to learn about, know and trust you is to network!

BNI - Business Network International

An organization whos purpose is to give business people a structured way to network. Every state has chapters and yours is http://www.bniflorida.com/.

My first year as a pro 50% of my business came from referrals through the Massachusetts chapter that I had joined. For a minimal financial commitment - certainly way less than even a local newspaper ad - the returns can be staggering.

Though my business model is no longer a fit for my local chapter of BNI, I still believe in its core philosophy - givers gain.

It might be worth investigating.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Oh and nope, I've no affiliation (other than being a former memeber) with BNI.

Good luck,
-joe

[Ryan Myers]

Shane, for online resources try Service Magic. I have been using them for several years to pickup work during the slow times. Otherwise you have to get out there and do the marketing. Join networking groups such as local Chamber of Commerce or other similiar groups. I have found word of mouth has far out performed any and all advertising.

[Richard Wolf]

Per has it right, your reputation can get you past the slow times. I know that may not put food on your table now. The good thing about slow times is, it weeds out the weak. When times get good again, and they will, the dead wood will be gone.
In the mean time, hit the streets. Stop by every new house and drop off a card, talk to the builder, offer to do your work in an honest way.
The down side is you will most likely find builders that are unloyal, slow payers, ball busters and people you would most likely not want to work for. It's all an education.

Richard

[Shane Newlin]

Thank you everybody for your replies. I am new at the whole message board genre, and I was a little leery at first. What I have learned, is how little I know about what I am doing, both in my business, and on this board. I try my best to produce a quality product, with a decent profit margin. Sometimes the quality wins out over the margin. After laying my situation before God, I believe that a regular job, with my woodworking as a sideline, may be my best option(health insurance and all that). I'll post some pictures as soon as I may, and I'll never give up the trade. If someone could post a link to the Festool products, that would be a bonus, as they seem to be very interesting.

[Greg Ladd]

Shane,

Try www.festoolusa.com (http://www.festoolusa.com) and http://www.bobmarinosbesttools.com

Hope this helps.
Greg

[Kelly C. Hanna]

I have one ad that runs in a neighborhood mag...costs me $209 a month and keeps me very busy about 11 months out of the year. Signs work ok, but the ad will do you much better.

I have also heard that when you work in a neighborhood, it doesn't hurt to pass out flyers....I have yet to try this one though.

[Mike Parzych]

Kelly -

I've had great success with flyers, but there are some specifics that come into play.

For instance, I live in a pretty good sized neighborhood of large homes built from 1880 - 10920's or so (I'm in the Twin Cities metro area.) Houses built in that era had lots and lots of woodwork - mainly oak. During their lifetimes these houses were modified many time, and many times people removed or changed woodwork features - big built-in buffets for instance columns, archways, etc.

Now homeowners want to replace those removed/altered features, and I've got a couple monthe worth of work and haven't put any flyers out in 3 months or so. But a well crafted flyers can have amazing longevity. I've gotten calls as long as 3 years after the people got the flyer.

A couple points:

Flyer Quality - Take the time to make it look like something people will WANT to read when they get it, rather than glance at it and trash it. I use tan paper with 2-3 print colors. Doesn't cost much if you do it yourself - mine cost me about 3 cents each including paper and printer ink. I use a personal "non-advertising" tone and include lots of different types of possible work - trimwork, built-ins, shelving, furniture, etc.

Target Market Areas - I've only lived in this area for about 6 months and haven't "covered" the entire area by any means. And I've located several other regions in the metro area that are pretty much the same in terms of houses. Granted, I'm working within a pretty specific area of potential woodworking jobs, but I think the principle could be applied to different scenarios. And I'm just beginning to get referral jobs, but I'm sure that at some point I won't have to advertise much at all. Referrals really mushroom over time. An added benefit to targeting areas is that I seldom have to go more than a mile or two to the customer.


As I said before, this works for me because of many specifics. But I thinks it's a lot better than a yellow page ad which would cost a lot more and generate many off-the-wall type of calls from all over the map, and probably many that wouldn't fit what I'm doing.

Plus....Per Swenson is 100% spot-on in the basics he laid out. People are "buying" the woodworker as much or mare than they're buying his product.

Hope this helps...

[W Craig Wilson]

Shane
... I would do up a sales flyer and deliver them to the homes in an area that you live or would like to do work.
Brian

If you distribute a flyer, be sure that it stays where you leave it. Our neighborhood is constantly peppered with these things that are slipped into the newspaper slot below the mailboxes. I'll bet fewer than 10% actually get into the house - the rest are blown all over. I refuse to do business with anyone who litters my yard with these things.

[Richard Kagen]

Our local built in guy sets up a booth at our town's "founders day" event (bet it costs about $35) he brings a couple of pieces he has built along with a photo album. stack of business cards, pad to sign up for free estimates and a big bowl of lolly pops to build kid traffic. Not sure how well it works, but he come back every year and he is pretty well known around here

[Mike Parzych]

I'll bet fewer than 10% actually get into the house - the rest are blown all over.

I always take care to make sure mine are not likely to end up as litter as I appreciate people's desire to have clean yards. But I just have to relate this TRUE story - about 3 years ago I got over $1000 of work from a woman who found my flyer while cleaning up some brush in her horse corral. I was living in a more rural area at the time and when she first called I didn't recognize the road her house was on when she gave me the address. After going there the first time I realized the nearest I'd ever gotten to her house with the flyers was about a half mile away. There had been some very strong winds during that time period and apparently one errant flyer landed in her horse corral.

I always called her the "flying flyer woman."

[Mark Singer]

The way that works best is to do your best work and word will get around...a niche is important! Do something different...do it better....make the design unique and you eliminate the competition...you are unique...if someone wants what you do...they want you and price becomes secondary......good quality work leads to more good quality work....friends talk and you will stay busy.. The bust restaurants are not usually the cheap ones.....people know quality....the worst situation is to be known as the guywith the lowest price.....you will stay busy losing money on each new job:confused:

[Bob Michaels]

You can't buy better or more concise advice than what Per said above. If you put the "package" together (how you look, quality work, pristine job site, pleasant attitude, etc.) the work will come your way, but it will take some time. Keep in touch with every happy customer and ask them for referrals at least 3 times a year. Christmas cards, Easter cards, etc. Call 'em up every now and then and ask how things are going, that you enjoyed working for them, and do they have any friends, relatives, or neighbors that need your services. It comes down to being a good businessman as well as being a good carpenter/woodworker. Make a friend out of each customer and they will become advertising "machines" for you. Finally, print out Per's comments and re-read them every Sunday and swear you'll follow what he says. Don't give up, tighten your belt financially, and stay in it full time. It's too tough trying to do it part time with a day job.