The Issue of Sales & Marketing – Stick to Your Strengths

While building work has been slower I have been reducing costs and moonlighting as my own marketing team.

As I ponder over website SEO, adwords, social media, magazine articles, blogging and constant lead generation tactics that take me away from my core skills as a residential Builder, I often wonder if we are all just more adept at blocking out the noise of advertising.

All the while I am reinventing myself as an online digital marketing guy instead of hammering nails into wood. Actually after thirty years in the building industry and the last eighteen years operating my own building company, I have moved up from the hammer to be quite proficient at the project management, sub-contractor and client management required for high-end residential work and small scale unit developments.

I find I am asking myself “do my clients want the best builder or the best marketing team?

This helped me realise my clients deserve the best builder and unless I rise above the noise of modern life and remind them of my existence they might just settle for a lesser quality product with an impressive wrapper. As business owners it is our duty to shout from the hills that we provide a specific service that adds value, solves a problem and is comparatively priced.

This is why we should stick to our strengths and employ others to complete tasks that we lack experience in. Building and development of property is the same, many people you know will have advice on the best way to approach your next investment project but unless they have recent experience their advice may not take in the big picture and possible pitfalls.

Opportunity abounds for those who are prepared and a major part of the prep will be to gather a team of trusted professional partners with the skills and experience to complement your own because with proper research the rewards are satisfying in more ways than one.

Never be so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.