NEW Special Report: State of the Painting Industry

We are gearing up for a great 2013.  LOTS of painting business marketing tips and business growth advice to share.

For now head over to www.StartAPaintingBusiness.com and take advantage of the December discount price on the #1 Rater Painting for Profits program.  (It will become your step-by-step internal operations manual.)

I'm in the process of finishing up a brand new special report called: "2013 The State of the Painting Industry... " Insider Strategies for Positioning Your Painting Business at the TOP of Your Market.

I'll post a link on this blog when it's ready. 

For now, relax and enjoy the Holiday Season!

Andy

Tip #3 of 3 - “How to create instant loyalty using a simple ‘storyselling’ technique”.

Look, the fact is, you are more than just a painter or painting business owner… You are a:

• Father or Mother
• Brother or Sister
• Volunteer
• Parishioner
• Sports fan
• Fisherman
• Musician
• Among SO many other things…

My point is, YOU ARE so much more than your profession… and to be honest, it is better to be ANY of these things when you walk into a prospects house to bid a paint job.

Let me explain.

When painting contractors walk into a new prospects house and instantly go into professional painting business owner mode, it creates resistance between themselves and the home owner.

…But on the other hand, when you walk into a home and you are a father or mother, uncle or aunt, etc. you are a person that the home owner can relate to.

Let me explain further.

It’s a fact that people like to do business with ‘people’ they like. Notice I said people, NOT businesses they like. If a home owner only ever sees you as a business owner, there will always be uneasiness because there is an issue of money.

On the other hand, when they see you as a human (because you tell a story that they can relate to) you become more like a friend that can be trusted.

Does that make sense?

Let me share my personal story about how I used storyselling to explode my business when I was just getting started. (You can use the storyselling technique at any stage of your business.)

Just before I moved to Michigan to start my own business, I found out that one of my Aunts had Leukemia… and I happened to be growing my hair out at the time. (I played the drums my whole life, and I still had the dream of becoming a rock star and back in the day, long hair was the look.)

When I got to Michigan, all of my extended family and friends advised me to cut my hair, as they thought it would turn people off. They said I looked like a hippy burn-out and no one would trust me or take me seriously. They said it made a bad first impression, and on and on.

I have never been one to conform to other people’s expectations, but it sounded like they may have a point. I knew the trade and how to provide a quality finished product, and I knew I was honest and trustworthy, so I was confident that I could land clients, despite the length of my hair, but the objections from my family and friends kept playing in my mind.

I always felt most comfortable with long hair (or a mohawk) but I wanted to build a successful business, so I decided to get my hair cut. Gulp! Then I got a GREAT idea!

I had learned about a charity organization called “Locks-of-Love” that takes donated hair and turns it into wigs for people with cancer who lost their hair due to radiation therapy. PERFECT!

…But, there needed to be a minimum of 10 inches of hair for them to use and at the time I only had about 8 inches. I decided that my new reason for growing my hair was so I could donate it to Locks-of-Love and have it made into a wig for my aunt!

All of a sudden I was no longer a hippy burn-out, but rather a deeply caring person contributing an unselfish act for the betterment of someone else! I was now a hero and not a hippy!

And that story became the foundation of my success early on! As soon as I walked in the door and met people face to face for the first time, I would say:

“Please excuse the length of my hair… my aunt has Leukemia and I am growing it out to donate to Locks-of-Love to be made into a wig for her.”

Do you think anyone ever saw me as a hippy? NO WAY! In fact, it gave me INSTANT credibility as the type of a kind; caring person people LOVE to do business with!

My story has changed many times over the years, but MANY of the customers I worked for so many years ago are still clients today.

Spend some time coming up with story ideas that you can use to endear yourself to prospective customers and watch your business EXPLODE!

REMEMBER people like to do business with people they like and trust… here are a few ideas to help get you started:

• Talk about how your company donates money to a local charity
• Talk about how excited you are that your company is helping raise money for some community project.
• Talk about how you’ve been working with your kids (or someone else’s kids) to learn a new language, improve at a sport, volunteer to clean up the community park, etc.

As you can see, storyselling is the MASTER KEY to unlocking the gate of resistance that stands between you and landing more paint jobs and long term clients.

I hope this tip serves you!

Please humor me for a second while I share a quick story about why I decided to create the Painting for Profits program and update it yearly to make sure it always contains the most up-to-date information working in the industry.

When I started painting professionally (at age 18) I became proficient and learned the skills very quickly. I think that had something to do with the fact that I was good with my hands from playing the drums my whole life.

After years working in the trade and learning other aspects of the business, I was at the top of the pay structure earning $27/hr with no place to go.

I was lucky coming up and I had a few REALLY Great bosses who taught me many important skills that helped me make the transition into my own business. Things like people skills, work ethic, under promising and over delivering, etc. (All of which are more important than painting skills).

The last manager I worked for really took me under his wing and showed me the big picture and the potential success that could come from owning my own business.

I remember him saying to me “Andy, if you take your painting skills, and the skills I am teaching you seriously, you can use them to build a beautiful life for yourself and your family.”

I did just that…

When I told him I was moving back to Michigan to start my own business, he was thrilled. (Bummed that he was losing such a dedicated employee, but never the less, happy for me.)

On my last day working for him he pulled me aside and told me how proud of me he was that I put so much time, energy and effort into developing my talent, and he wanted to help me get started off to a fast start with my new business.

I figured he was going to give me a nice cash bonus to help with the 1800 mile move or buy some equipment, etc.

NOPE.

What he gave me was worth so much more than a fist full of cash. He gave me his KNOWLEDGE!

Paul laid out his entire bidding and estimating strategy in step by step detail… and as he handed me the envelope, he looked me in the eye and said, “Andy, if you use this information to become successful in your own business, I want you to promise me that you will help other painters, when the time is right.”

Paul’s insider bidding and estimating secrets were instrumental in my success… in fact, they are the reason I was profitable from the very first job I landed.

I include Paul’s master outline as part of the Bid to Win Estimating system which is included in the Painting for Profits course.

The painting trade has been very good to me and my family. I have had to learn a lot through trial and error. I have spent the better part of my adult life putting time, energy and effort into figuring out what works and what doesn’t when it comes to growing a successful paint contracting business.

I created the original Painting for Profits course to help guide house painters through the process of starting a business of their own and helping them takes full control of their financial future.

Over the course of the last five years, I have updated and expanded the program to make sure it is BY FAR the best success manual on the market. A claim that has been validated by over 3,000 satisfied customers.

One of my favorite facts about the Painting for Profits systems is that they work all over the world!

We have success stories and testimonials from the U.S., Canada, Europe, U.K., Australia, New Zeeland, (even Brazil and Africa)!

I keep the cost of the program low (under $100) so anyone with the desire to side step the frustration of figuring things out through the costly process of trial and error can easily afford it. AND I stand behind P4P unconditionally with my no questions asked M O N E Y back guarantee!

If you are struggling to get (or keep) your painting business moving in the right direction, you owe it to yourself to give Painting for Profits a try. You have nothing to lose, and a more successful business to gain.

I look forward to adding you to my growing list of satisfied (successful) P4P customers!

Now go market your painting business,
Andy

Tip #2 of 3: “The POWER of offering your customers different pricing options”

One of the key secrets of successful painting contractors is their ability to meet and work within a customer’s budget. (READ THAT AGAIN)

One of the biggest mistakes you can make bidding paint jobs is to only offer one price! (I have a feeling that this tip is going to revolutionize a lot of painting businesses.)

Look, we all know that painting is a luxury and not a necessity and when most people decide to have painting done, they know exactly what their budget is going into the project. Of course there is always a little wiggle room, but not much, so if your price is way outside the budget range, it won’t even be considered.

Pay close attention because I’m about to give you the FIX…

For example:

Let’s say you are bidding on a job to refinish/reface a bunch of kitchen cabinets. As you know there is a lot of prep work for that type of job (hinge and hardware removal and replacement, etc.) as well as a multiple step process for getting a nice looking finish.

Let’s say the cost to have your company do ALL the work is $1500.00 which could be itemized on the bid contract. Unfortunately most contractors would go in and submit a bid with a single price of $1500.00, but the SMART contractor who offers pricing options, has a much better chance of landing the job.

Let me explain.

The average home owner knows how to use a screwdriver or drill… what if you offered some kind of discount or savings option, based on the home owner removing all the hardware and taking down the cupboard doors?

Imagine how much time that would save YOU if all you had to do was drive over and load the doors and drawers into your truck and leave!

I know for a fact that MOST people want to save the hundred + dollars by doing that part of the job themselves, and since you are the only contractor who is creative, kind and caring enough to offer such an option, more times than not, you will get the job.

There are many options you can offer, here are just a few:

• Paint quality option
• Multiple payment option
• Room prep option (they move all the furniture and wall hangings, etc.)
• Paint and supply pick up option (customer picks up the paint/supplies from store)

Giving prospects a way to save some money on their project is one of the BEST ways to stand out from the competition and save you a bunch of time.

When you are sensitive or empathetic to the budgetary needs of prospects right from the get go, it builds a sense of trust and as a bonus it makes it much easier to highlight the value of the higher priced offer.

I know this tip will serve you well. Please do share your success stories with me once you start applying this powerful pricing strategy!

The next post is tip #3 of 3 – “How to create instant loyalty using a simple ‘storyselling’ technique” and I’ll share my story about why I decided to create Painting for Profits.

Now go market your painting business,
Andy

To checkout the latest promotion go to www.StartAPaintingBusiness.com and get Painting for Profits at the lowest price of the season.

Tip #1 of 3: “Use an expiration date or deadline on ALL of your contracts/bids.”

You know as well as I do that people will drag their feet if you let them. That’s why you should NEVER submit an open ended bid/contract.

If you have been in the painting business for any length of time then you know that the price of materials (especially paint, AND GAS) can fluctuate throughout the year.

Putting an expiration date on your contracts encourages people to make a decision, or risk paying a higher price down the road.

So what is the optimal amount of time for the deadline?

Good question.

Typically you don’t want to go much shorter than 15 days... and certainly no longer than 30 days, because the last thing you want to do is keep bugging someone to see if they made a decision.

I personally like 30 days because it gives a good solid follow up time schedule.

If you don’t hear back within 15 days make a follow up call letting them know you would love to secure them in your schedule.

On a side note, you can even at that point offer some kind of special promotion to create even more urgency. (I give you over a dozen promotion ideas inside Painting for Profits.)

If you are unable to get a firm commitment on that first follow up call, let them know that you will be making another follow up call “just before the deadline expires on the estimate.” Then make one last follow up call a few days before the contract expires.

If the prospect still can’t make a decision or they decided to go with another company, simply file the bid contract away into a “FUTURE CUSTOMER” file that you will follow up with again later in the year, with another type of offer.

You do follow up with ALL of your NO’s don’t you? You should! Not only is it a great source of information about your marketplace, and it doesn’t cost anything to send an email with multiple types of offers throughout the year.

RECAP: Never submit an open ended bid/contract... ALWAYS use some kind of deadline to create urgency!

Be sure to read my next post: Tip #2 of 3 – “The POWER of offering your customers different pricing options”

Now go market your painting business,
Andy

5 Easy Ways to Increase Good Will and Boost the Profits of Your Painting Business

5 Easy Ways To Increase Good Will And
Boost The Profits Of Your Painting Business

This past year has been very tough… Sure you may have stayed consistent, but has your business grown?

Now with the approaching fall/winter/holiday season right around the corner (here in North America) anxiety and stress levels are rising for many painting business owners as they try to schedule as many late season jobs as they can, in order to stay afloat through the upcoming slow season.

With that in mind, here are five quality tips to help you increase good will and boost profits for your painting business.

1. Follow up with past customers and past “no’s” and make them a specific offer or a special promotion.
   
   Very few painting contractors ever follow up with past customers, let alone the people who didn’t accept their bid… BIG mistake.
   
   Did you know by doing regular past customer follow up, you can add up to 20-30% profits to your bottom line?
   
   It’s true! And one of the main reasons is because it doesn’t cost anything to advertise to these people. (Other than your time)
   
   Create a simple email or better yet, call them up on the phone and find out if they, or anyone they know needs any last minute work done.
   
   If nothing else, you are creating good will by following up. If they say they don’t need any additional work done this season, ASK THIS QUESTION:
   
   What is the next painting project you will want to focus on for NEXT YEAR? (I’m sure I don’t have to tell you what to do with that information come next spring… right?)
   
   This is just one of the strategies outlined for you, (step-by-step with examples and scripts) in Painting for Profits.
   
   
2. Create Good Will by supporting local business… Give customers a thank you gift card after each job.
   
   One of my favorite ways to create Good Will is to support local restaurants. NOT chain/franchise restaurants, but LOCAL mom and pop places.
   
   If you haven’t spent any time talking to (networking with) local business owners, you aren’t doing your job and you certainly aren’t growing your business “the easy way.”
   
   It is simple to have local restaurants, hardware stores, ice cream shops, etc. DONATE a few gift certificates for you to give away to your customers as a thank you gift once the paint job is complete.
   
   AND more times than not, you will get additional business because the owners of these places will refer your business whenever they hear of someone who needs painting.
   
   This is an example of a classic Joint Venture situation and it is one of the most powerful strategies for growing your painting business in this slow economy.
   
   Again, I outline the entire process for finding and creating Joint Venture partnerships (step-by-step with examples and scripts) in Painting for Profits!
   
   
3. Volunteer to collect food or clothes for needy families in your area.
   
   Another way to create Good Will and raise awareness about your painting business is to do a good deed!
   
   Over the course of a month, you can collect food or clothes from customers and donate them to your local Salvation Army store or food pantry.
   
   Create an offer something like this: Donate a bag of groceries (Or clothes) and get $100 off your paint job…
   
   Once all the goods are collected, get your crew (or family) together and deliver them to the charity of choice.
   
   Not only does it feel good to make a difference, it is something people REMEMBER and it WILL set your painting business apart from all the others!
   
   
4. Get involved with or create a community event that brings people together.
   
   It’s a GREAT time of year for attending or creating a community event!
   
   In fact, if your city or town is anything like mine, there are already dozens of them happening all around town.
   
   It’s easy to get involved too… and doing so will create a lot of awareness about your business!
   
   If you go to your local government web site, there is usually a link on the homepage that says “Events” or “Community Events” click on it to pull up a list of fairs, festivals, parades, etc.
   
   Make a call to the person listed as the organizer or coordinator and ask what you can do to get involved.
   
   Consider volunteering for clean up or set up duties. Take your entire crew or family to the event wearing your company t-shirts…. Hand out business cards, fliers, pens or pencils with your company name and number on them.
   
   
5. Start using free publicity – get into the habit of writing and submitting monthly press releases.
   
   Nearly every tip I have given you above lends itself to getting free publicity! EVERY time your company does something “Newsworthy” you should be firing off a press release.
   
   When people see your name in the newspaper or on the local news for being involved with something that benefits the community, you are automatically seen as the expert, and it WILL pay off big time in the growth of your business.
   
   Again, I give lots of detailed examples and templates inside Painting for Profits!

Any of the proven tips I’ve shared with you will boost Good Will and profits for your business!

If you would like to have a step-by-step blueprint for applying these strategies (and MANY others) you should get your hands on a copy of Painting for Profits RIGHT NOW.

Why RIGHT NOW?

Because for the next couple weeks, I am doing a price test to see if I am able to help more people grow their painting businesses...

I have been making Painting for Profits available for nearly six years now (updating it yearly to make sure it always contained the most cutting edge tips, techniques and strategies working in the field right now).

We have thousands of customers who have happily paid $197 and the program enjoys a 97%+ customer satisfaction rate.

MANY hundreds of people have sent in testimonials and success stories about how P4P has helped them save time, avoid the frustration of trial and error and most importantly make more money for their family.

In fact, many customers have gone on to become private consulting clients or 1-800-PRO-PAINTER licensees, so the systems I teach really do work!

BUT… with that said, times have changed, and $197 may be too much of a stretch for a lot of well meaning painting contractors.

I made a commitment six years ago to help improve the painting trade and industry and help as many painters as I could, so in my effort to continue to do that, I’m going to do a price test and see what happens.

For the next couple weeks, you get the complete Painting for Profits system, including the complete Bid to Win Estimating system, for just $97… no catches! (That’s a savings of $100 off what countless others have invested!)

If you would like to receive the program on a printable CD-ROM it’s just $97 with Free Shipping
Click Here to check it out: www.StartAPaintingBusiness.com

I look forward to helping your painting business thrive in this tough economy!

Andy

P.S. P4P still comes with my unconditional, no questions asked Money Back Guarantee, so if you are not thrilled with the content or the increase in business you experience, simply return the CD-ROM and I will process a fast and friendly refund of the purchase price!

You have nothing to lose for giving it a try because the tips, techniques and strategies may be just the thing that helps you keep your business moving in the right direction.

What Are You Thankful for in Your Painting Business...

November means 'Goal Setting Time' for me and my businesses... It's also a time for reflection and Thanksgiving, for all the success we have achieved and all of the struggles we have overcome.

2010 has been a tough year for just about everyone I've talked to (Including myself) but there is no sense dwelling on that...

Here are a few important things I am Grateful for: (Please post a comment and share your stories of success and gratitude.)

• First and foremost I am thankful for my loving and supportive family. My wife Janelle for how hard she works in our businesses and my sweet daughter Myla for being such a 'go with the flow' kid!
  
  
• I am thankful for all of my employees for delivering the BEST customer service and support to our customers.
  
  
• I am thankful for the hundreds of painting business owners who trusted me enough to invest in Painting for Profits and help them grow their painting businesses.
  
  
• I am thankful for my improving health and fitness level (P-90X Kicks Butt!)
  
  
• I am thankful for the wonderfully successful launch of the (NEW) 1-800-PRO-PAINTER Advantage and how quickly it is becoming a TOP nationally recognized brand in the residential painting market.
  
  
• I am thankful for all of the lessons I have learned and all of the setbacks I've been able to overcome.
  
  
• I am thankful for all of the Goals and Plans we have in place for 2011 that will allow us to grow our businesses, build stronger relationships and help even more painting business owners reach their goals.
  
  
• I am excited about how AWESOME the Updated and Expanded 2011 Edition of Painting for Profits has turned out, and I am especially thankful for all the hard work, time, energy and effort my team put into getting it ready!

That is just a short list off the top of my head. The cool thing about doing this exercise, is once I started typing "I am thankful" it made me FEEL GOOD... so good in fact, I could sit here all day thinking of things to be grateful for but its time to get back to work ;-)

Okay, I have time for one more... I am thankful for YOU!

Please leave a comment and share what you are thankful for this year and what you are excited about for 2011.

Painting Business Card Tips

I just picked up my first batch of painting business cards for 2010 and I'm really happy with them...

As many of you know I am in a growth stage of my painting business (despite the dreadful Michigan economy)

Economists say the recession is over and the economy is on the mend, so right now is the best time to lay the foundation and position ourselves to gain market share.

Here are 5 things to keep in mind when you begin to
design your painting business card

1. First impressions are crucial, so be sure your painting business card is not too cluttered.
   
   Keep it easy to read and don't use too many graphics... It's okay to include your logo but try to stay away from using graphics for the sake of filling up space.
   
   
2. Keep the look and feel of your painting business card consistent with the rest of your marketing materials.
   
   Use the same font, colors, etc., doing so will help create a consisten look, which is important to making your painting business brand memorable.
   
   
3. Include a slogan or tag line that is catchy and describes your business. Keep it short and make it benefit rich...
   
   
4. DO NOT waste the space on the back of your painting business card by printing calendars, sports schedules or anything else that will be obsolete some time down the road.
   
   Use that important space to MAKE A BENEFIT RICH OFFER! For the love of GOD, GIVE PEOPLE A REASON TO CALL YOU!
   
   An offer that works GREAT for a lot of my clients is (And this is a HUGE tip, I'm giving you FREE of charge) "Get A FREE Paint - Paint Job" CALL NOW!
   
   You will have to come up with your own specifics for that offer.
   
   
5. Be sure to include your web site address and email address.
   
   Think about running a contest on your web site and using the back of your painting business card to promote it.
   

Okay, these five tips should help you make your painting business card much more powerful.

In fact it will turn an ordinary painting business card into a Powerful lead generating BENEFIT card.

Have a great day!

Stress Reduction for Painting Business Owners... Spend More Time In The Big Picture!

End of the year and winter is just around the corner... These are stressful times for a lot of painting contractors. Questions like:

Did I make enough money over the busy season to make it through the holiday slowdown?

Will the phone ring enough this winter to keep my head above water?

Will the economy in 2010 be better than 2009...

While no one has a crystal ball, there are signs that the economy is starting to rebound and the housing market is beginning to turn around, but who knows?

The only thing we can do is keep a good attitude, make new and better plans based on the feedback from the year before, take more "consistent" action and see how things turn out.

For my organization (personally) 2010 is going to be about GROWTH! We have made plans to better our best in every area of our business, both online and locally.

We are reinventing ourselves... Being more creative with our marketing... giving more back... improving our brand and image... because 2010 is a "Positioning" year.

Throughout history, those who built the best businesses and amassed the greatest wealth were those who were able to position themselves to capitalize on a recovering economy.

It's time to MAKE NEW PLANS... BIG BOLD, throw caution to the wind, and bite off more than you can chew plans!

In early 2010 we will be introducing a new Hybrid Marketing Concept to the national painting market. My team and I have spent thousands of hours developing and refining this NEW cutting edge program, and it's going to improve the lives and businesses of painting contractors all over North America. (More on that to come...)

My point in this blog post is simple... The day-to-day "struggles" can be a grind. The tough lessons that are learned when you reach for more and dare to dream, can kick your ass to the point that you don't feel like going on.

That's why I'm reminding you to "Spend More Time In The Big Picture." Define who you ultimately want to be... How respected and profitable you want your painting business to become... How much more you want to give back to your community and family...

Imagine what 2010 could be like if you just went for your dreams...

My personal mantra for 2010 is "Going ALL IN!" I'm betting on myself and I'm biting off more than I can chew, because in the end, what the hell is the point of living in fear all the time.

If you are reading this and are serious about the house painting profession, and are ready to lay it all on the line, "Go ALL IN" we are with you every step of the way!

Over the next few weeks (through the rest of 2009) we'll be posing updates on this blog, about the projects we are finishing up (for YOU) that will give you 99% of what you will need to turn your vision into reality. You will have to supply the 1% action, but you will have access to the best tools, advice and ideas and information to help you achieve your success much, much easier.

Start prepairing your mind right now for bigger, better things for your life and business in 2010... Go ALL IN, bet on yourself and know that, we got your back!

Painting Business Owners Who Deliver Added Value Can Sell At Higher Prices...

Added Value... what does that mean exactly?

Well, added value can be anything that is included in the price of the paint job, that is perceived by the homeowner as an "Above and Beyond" benefit.

For example:

Three different painting contractors could bid a job at $3,500 and provide the same quality finished paint job, however one of them may also include, window washing, or free touch-up service, or two free gallons of paint... as an added benefit.

Added value is a great way to set your painting business apart from your competitors, but remember, you must be able to communicate that added value to the homeowner.

A great way to do this is to create an "Added Value" flier that you include in your estimate package. It should outline what your painting company does different or better then everyone else AND how the homeowner will benefit from it!

In this new economy, it is more important then ever to be able to differentiate yourself from all the other painting business in your market. What you offer as added value makes your company unique and more desirable to your prospects.

Sit down right now and brainstorm ways you can "Add Value" and improve the customer experience.

Hope this helps!