Show and Sales

By Dave Udy

Now is the perfect time to jump into the garage organizing industry. Why? Because we’re at the genesis of a huge, growing trend to clean up the garage and add extra living space. I know this because I’ve been involved for years, even before I recognized it as a trend. It’s now in the early stages, called the “innovator” and “early adopter” stage. But how do you find new prospects and customers? How do you generate dozens, if not hundreds of hot leads?

The first people I know who recognized the lowly garage as extra space, even a place to entertain friends, were some of my buddies during my “Harley” years. I had friends that, because of their love of the bikes, spent way too much time in their garages. They were tinkering, polishing and tuning, and getting together to laugh, ride and drink beer. Before long, many of the garages became gathering places. Then there were “contests” to see who could have the most elaborately decked out “Harley” spot. I even know people that built new garages just for that purpose—like me.

Some of those makeovers were simple, and some were elaborate: decals on the floors, new flooring materials, cabinets and framed art, special parking pads and signs. If we could imagine it, it was done. It really became somewhat of a “my garage is better than your garage” kind of one-ups-manship, but all in fun. Mine was known as “Club Dave.”

So, enough of my crazy days. As I got involved in this exciting new industry, I looked on those days as verification that the trend had begun. But what does all this have to do with lead generation for your garage organizing business? It’s just to let you know that I’ve seen it firsthand.

My friends and I were the early innovators. We wanted something and made it happen. As the word spread, it started a small fire that’s turning into a huge blazing trend that’s now moving to the “early adopter” stage.

Seek and You Shall Find

Where and how do you find these early adopters and innovators? Think of the story I just told you and you’ll begin to get the picture. You need to be where they are, so they can find you. And where is that? At SHOWS.

Think of all of the pretty pictures you’ve seen of beautiful garages. What’s in them? Expensive bikes and classic cars. When those items are important to you, you spend a lot of time in the garage. You also spend a substantial amount of your disposal income on your toys, and you undoubtedly have friends who do exactly the same thing.

Yet, here is what I find funny. I’ve never seen a garage organizing/makeover company at a car or motorcycle show. Go figure. The best place to find customers and no one is there! Got an idea yet?

How about the next best place? It’s obviously the home and garden, remodeling, redecorating, spring and fall shows. Look at the demographics for those shows: upwardly mobile, disposable incomes, homeowners ages 35 to 70 who are looking for new ideas. That sounds a lot like innovators and early adopters.

Judging by the participation in those shows by garage/closet/cabinet companies, my guess is that you’ve already figured that one out. What I wonder is, are you getting many good, qualified leads from those shows? Maybe a few. Perhaps 1 percent of the number of glossy flyers that you’re handing out.

How would you like to leave every show with 50 to 100 warm—if not HOT—qualified leads? Here’s how. First, know what business you’re in. By that I mean are you in the “garage organizing business,” or do you just sell cabinets or wall systems, or just do pretty floors, or is your only claim to fame the ceiling racks?

Get a clue! The trend is to recapture space and make it nice, pretty and useable if possible. That means you need to be in all of those businesses at once—whether it’s selling shelving, kits, ceiling hangers, cabinets, special floors with embedded decals, or whatever.

I am telling you this both from experience and observation. I spend a fair amount of time at “Home & ... Shows” and I see what most companies do. Just walk around sometime and watch. It’s a lesson in futility. You’ll see people selling “their” system as being the only one on the market, as if there is only one way. They seem to forget that it’s the customer who decides. So they miss out on finding out what it is the customer wants. And the customer is always right. If you’re willing to give them what they want at a fair price, they will buy from you.

Here’s the surprising secret to qualified lead-generation success: sell them something on the spot. Why? Because marketing and advertising were never meant to be “loss leaders.” If marketing is not profitable, how do you know it’s working? Would you keep a salesman that wasn’t making you money? Would you just keep paying him without results? No, you wouldn’t, unless of course he’s your son-in-law.

But profitability is not the only reason to sell something on the spot. You’ll also uncover valuable information: People are willing to spend money to get at least a little uncluttered. In addition, you get their names, addresses and phone numbers. And if you’re smart, or at least lucky, you can even get an appointment to stop by and check out their garages.

Building Trust

What do you sell them on the spot that fits your category? There are probably several items that would fit. The key criteria should be:

• The product is oriented to the garage.
• It can be carried out easily, or better, delivered and installed by you.
• It’s something unique that can’t be found at Wal-Mart.
• It has a relatively low price point—under $50—so people will be predisposed to buy on impulse.
• Good candidates include small racks or shelf units, kits, tool storage and organizing devices, or products to protect items stored in the garage.

The secret is in the selling. Once people pay you even a small amount, not only have they demonstrated a willingness to spend money on garage organization, they’ve established a relationship with you and your company. The trust-building process has begun, and you automatically have a leg-up on the competition.

There are other benefits as well. You’ll collect money at the show, which provides a direct revenue to offset part—if not all—of the expense associated with being there in the first place. Plus, you and your employees have had a chance to talk to people at a greater depth and even make appointments to visit prospects at their homes.

All this adds up to greater sales opportunities in front of more qualified prospects who are ready and able to buy.