Almost every restoration contractor I’ve ever spoken to or met with claim they want to get more commercial jobs and do more restoration work. Almost all of them have no real legitimate idea how to get those jobs called in to their office! Thinking that they can have their marketer “drop off” a business card to a hotel or some other commercial prospect just isn’t going to work.
I could write 40 or 50 pages here that could provide some clarity to the steps needed, but reality tells me you’re not going to read that many pages, and probably not even five pages. The very best way to learn what the needed steps and process is to attend both the RMS™ and CMS™ classes – held throughout the year in either Orlando or Atlanta. The RMS or CMS is Restoration Marketing Specialist™ and Commercial Marketing Specialist™. Both get you certifications once you pass the exam.
As a mostly residential restoration contractor, you generally receive a few small commercial leads each year. Often, you can have challenges with the right manpower, as well as the right equipment for the job.
Because of the unique nature of many commercial jobs, having the correct administrative procedures in place, and properly documenting the loss may be difficult unless you are fully prepared. Failure to have these critical functions in place, in advance, can create a financial burden, or worse, the difficulty of getting paid in full.
No contractor wants to “give a job away” because they weren’t properly prepared.
What if:
- You had the knowledge and the support to say YES to commercial projects
- You could perform the work with the skill and confidence needed
- You documented and tracked everything the correct way
- You submitted your invoice and had complete supporting documentation
- You got paid in full in a timely manner
- You added $20,000 – $50,000 or more of PROFIT to your company
- With deductibles on commercial properties upwards of $50,000 (or more) you will likely have much less insurance intervention
- You become MORE recognized as experts in your field
- You are better positioned to take on even larger commercial projects
The opportunities in your market are significant.
Fact: In the US there are almost 5 million commercial buildings with about 100 billion square feet.
That means for every 100,000 population there are about 1665 commercial buildings – that equals about 6650 commercial properties in the typical contractor territory. Also, a fact: 6 – 7% of commercial buildings have a reported water loss each year, or about 400 buildings a year (in a single territory). And that’s only those that were reported!
Don’t look up! (Skyscrapers aren’t your ‘right size’ yet). – At least until you’ve been through the RMS and CMS class.
Larger properties, including “franchise type” hotels, nursing homes, and medium-rise (up to 8-10 stories) buildings present a totally different strategy to market to and develop a committed disaster program. The fee-based CREST Commercial Program (only available to members by invitation) is designed for those members that want to target and build a strong portfolio of these types of larger commercial clients.
These larger verticals require a completely different strategy.
- Hotels & Hospitality
- Nursing Homes / Assisted Living / Elder Care
- Strip Malls & Plazas
- Doctor & Dentist Office Groups
- Schools & Colleges
- City & County Municipal Facilities
- Hospitals
- Just to name a few
Knowing and understanding exactly what your target prospect wants is extremely important and knowing what to see and who to see makes all the difference in the world. Certainly, when disaster strikes, they want to get back in business quickly. There are so many nuances that we’ve literally spent years learning what approach works best for each different vertical.
Author: Dick Wagner, Co-founder of The CREST Network and CRESTLibrary.com
By Dick Wagner, Co-Founder The CREST Network, LLC
Nationally recognized coach, consultant, trainer, and speaker
Creator of the renowned PREP™ pre-disaster program
Owner of AskDickWagner.com BLOG
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