A Marketing Checklist for Your Garage Door Business

How long has it been since you were really serious about your marketing and promotion? If you want to grow, you should first be  marketer and second a garage door business owner. Review this 19-item checklist to ensure your marketing is on track.

· How does your garage door company greet customers?Are your phones answered with a smile? Do customers talk with a real person when they call, or just hear a recording?

· Consider your hours. Can customers reach you in an emergency? Will you make a sales call on the weekend? Business needs to be done at the convenience of the customer.

· How professional is the appearance of your showroom? Is it cluttered or roomy? Do you have a showroom where customers can see a variety of full-sized garage doors so they can compare for themselves?

· Do you have an area within your showroom where customers can comfortably sit down and discuss their garage door needs with your employees?

· How presentable are your employees? Do they wear T-shirts and dirty jeans, have unkempt hair or visible tattoos? Or, do they wear color-coordinated apparel that ties in with your company colors?

·Do your printed materials look professional and have one cohesive look to tie them all together? Does your logo appear in the same colors and fonts on all your literature, signage and trucks?

· Are your business cards easy to read, or do customers have to use a magnifying glass to read the type on the card?

·When one of your employees visits a customer’s home, do they wear foot coverings and a name badge with their photo on it?

·What kind of image is represented by your company vehicles? They should be clean, nicely painted have no visible damage.

· After you have done business with a customer, do you follow up to make sure the customer is happy with the job and the professionalism of employees?

· Do you offer products other than garage doors and openers? If so, customers need to be made aware of your entire product line and you should communicate with them on a regular basis about their needs.

· Do you have “leave-behind” promotional pieces for your business? Along with a nicely designed brochure, give your customers a key chain or other useful item with your business name phone number printed on it. [Click here to read more about the importance of promotional products to your marketing campaign. Click here for tips on choosing the right promotional products for your business.]

· Have you identified the type of customers you are seeking? How old are they, where do they live, what kind of lifestyle do they have and how much do they earn?

· Do you have an advertising plan designed to generate new leads on a regular basis?

· Do you have an annual ad budget that is based on achieving a specific amount of sales for the year, and have you reviewed the plan with your employees?

· Do you promote your Web site in all of your advertising? Have you had your Web site updated within the last few years? [Click here for tips on online reputation management.]

· Have you made a list of what your business offers customers in comparison to what your competition offers? Are you promoting that list?

· Have you selected a professional company to help you with your advertising? Have you reviewed their work and talked with their clients to verify that they are fulfilling the needs of other customers?

· Do you have a public relations plan designed to keep your business’ name in the local media? [Click here for tips on gaining exposure with promotional events.]

There’s never been a better time than now to become an aggressive marketer. Some businesses wait for the customers to call them, instead of generating their own leads. The difference between the two types of business owners is critical and the marketer will always come out on top.

To contact the writer, e-mail herb@herbgross.com, or call him at 704.846.0199. For free advertising tips, join his e-mail club at www.herbgross.com.

Also, read up on what NOT to do with your marketing campaign. Click here to view "Marketing Mistakes: Avoid the Big 10."