Help with referral program for roofers.

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Hi, my cousins have been roofers for years and they tell me customers are getting harder to find.

Mostly they work from referrals, but recently have found other roofers offering cash and/or gift incentives to people who give them a lead for a new roof.

I guess (as I understand it) one competitor is offering a 100 dollar off plus a 100 dollar gift for a new customer. My cousins want something like this, a complete ready to go customer referral program.

Do you know of any? Or, have any ideas on new customer acquisition for roofers? Their jobs range from 5500 to 9500 dollars.

Thanks for any ideas you have.

gjabiz

PS. Or would they be better off getting video and seo for new customers?
#offline marketing #program #referral #roofers
  • Can you and your cousins send email messages to past customers, offering them a referral fee?

    Can you and your cousins put fliers on the block of any house you work on that says, Hey, we're the ones that did that fine job at 1736 Main. Stop by and see it.

    If you know anyone who needs a roofer, we give $100 in referral fees?

    Can you and your cousin post your referral fee on your facebook page?(If you don't have a large following, buy ad space to get exposure).

    You don't need anything extravagant. You don't need to buy someone's program.
    You only ( need to know how much you want to pay, where to advertise it, and to write good copy to get great results.

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  • door knock. try to get a jump. (manager jumps on a roof to inspect and closes deal) door knockers are paid by hour and get a bonus for getting a jump.done all the time, works well.
  • You've been a member here since 2006 and I've got to wonder if this is a genuine post?

    What you're describing is lead generation. Many forum posts have been written about it here.

    I thought I recalled seeing your username on one of midasman post over at another forum where all he talks about is video lead generation. The search feature works wonders if you're truly wanting answers.
    • [1] reply
    • A couple of points. First, me. You can quit wondering if it it is genuine. It is.
      There is a difference between lead gen and satisfied customer referral, I'll give you that education in a moment.

      Considering I co-founded that other forum over 15 years ago, and I'm the number one poster well into the thousands, of course you will see my "username" over there. As for Don Alm, the "midasman", he goes on these rants every so often, rather than banning him (as we have done before), we think OUR readers are adult and can form their own opinions on the value of his posts.

      I have no connection to Don.

      Lead generation. It is important. And at this sub-forum, it is a hot topic because so many people are trying to sell small businesses on SEO, as if first page Google automatically translates into sales and more customers.

      It doesn't.

      Leads need to be closed. They need to be contacted and SOLD.

      A customer has already bought. He doesn't need to be sold. Offering a satisfied customer a reward if he brings you a new CUSTOMER, is much different than giving you a lead. Some roofers pay for a lead, $25 is not uncommon, and many roofers give $100 or more for a new customer, who buys (and may double that as incentive to buy, a discount).

      Night and day, cats and dogs, apples to oranges, Actually I do KNOW what I'm talking about, and DO know the difference. The post was hoping there might be a "plug and pay" type referral these roofers could use, as they have been in the business for over 30 years.

      Besides the shift to LEAD GENERATION in the thread, , I've rec'd interesting emails and PM from people charging up to $1000 a month for page one Google ranking service.

      Most new roofing jobs are coming from Angie's list and past customers. They would like to reach back to a customer from 5, 10 or 15 years ago and offer them an incentive for a new customer. Despite what the SEO salesman would have us believe, when people spend thousands of dollars on a new roof, they seldom make the decision based on whether or not a business comes up on page one of Google.

      gjabiz

      PS. Did this help with your understanding of the difference between lead gen and referrals? Also, 2006 was a change of software, an upgrade if memory serves, been here since long before that.
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  • So their competitors are offering cash and gift cards for referrals and you're thinking of following them? Don't do that. Do something completely different that will make your cousin stand apart and completely WOW the customer.

    Instead, after every job they should give the customer a handwritten thank you card and a free gift to show their appreciation. The gift should be something catered to the homeowner so they need to get a feel of what the homeowner would appreciate.

    Maybe the homeowner has a garden, give them flowers or a new bush to plant. Maybe they love coffee, get them a gift basket full of premium coffee and a new mug. Or maybe they love baseball, get them tickets to next weeks game.

    Do you think people give a crap about 100 dollars? They'll just use that to fill up their gas tank or pay the electric bill. Show them that you really care about them and give them a gift for the hell of it.

    This is what will motivate people to organically refer your cousin's business.
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  • I would offer to send them a new customer for free, no catch or obligation. They will knock your door down and demand you let them know how you did it. (local display ads and PPC).

    Instead of giving money for referrals they need to offer attractive discounts/coupons to new customers and ask them to leave reviews on G+, Yelp, etc once the project is completed.

    Then double or triple your cost for traffic and sell them traffic for future customers. i.e. if your CPM is $2 then they pay at least $4.

    There is no easier way to get clients than this.
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    • To offer a free, no catch no obligation, one you have to have credibility galore.

      Search the forum and you'll find cries for help from people who did just what you suggested and were turned down.

  • I'm sure having a decent looking site with testimonials helps (I do). But business owners are tired of being offered services they feel won't directly benefit their bottom line. Show them results first and they will pay attention.

    Would love to see those posts from people "turned down" on this!
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    Help with referral program for roofers.

    Hi, my cousins have been roofers for years and they tell me customers are getting harder to find. Mostly they work from referrals, but recently have found other roofers offering cash and/or gift incentives to people who give them a lead for a new roof.