October 2019

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Marketing Talk ‘YOU ARE YOUR BRAND’ George Stewart, Regional Manager for SIG Roofing, explains why ‘you are your brand’ and how to make a success of it... Someone once said ‘you never get a second chance to make a first impression’. It’s a simplistic way of looking at things, but it’s true, and in business it’s essential you get that first encounter right as its widely accepted people make their mind up about what sort of person they are dealing with within the first seven seconds. But before you win that first meeting there’s work to be done. Let’s assume you have a business plan and you’ve taken soundings, perhaps from fellow roofing professionals, to establish there’s potential demand for your services. Now you have to think about how you will present yourself to your customers. I don’t mean the channels you choose for your marketing, although that’s important. I’m talking about the need to decide what sort of business you want to be perceived as. Putting it in retailing terms, are you a discount store, a mid-range supermarket, something more upmarket or a top end department store? Influencing expectations Where you position yourself will influence customer expectations. At the lower end they will still expect a good job but at a ‘budget’ price. This will be reflected in the service provided and materials used, and ultimately the rate you can charge. It almost goes without saying that at the premium end of the scale, expectations will be higher. The customer will expect to see the best quality materials being applied by highly skilled craftsmen and absolutely first class levels of service. And they will be anticipating an appropriately sized bill to cover the cost. Your brand identity, or logo, can convey an “Reliable? Professional? Expert? Friendly? Responsive? They all contribute to your reputation or brand” impression of your style of business. Bold, blocked lettering in brash colours will suggest a competitively-priced offering, while something more subtle and style-focused will point towards upper-end quality. So you’ve decided on your market, but it’s crowded out there with 63,000 other roofing professionals working in the industry. So what else do you want to be known as? Reliable? Professional? Expert? Friendly? Responsive? Probably all of these. They all contribute to your reputation or brand. Be your own ambassador As a small business, it’s almost certain that it will be you that the customer will be dealing with. It will be a very ‘personal’ service and you will be your own ambassador. So it’s vital to remember that word-of-mouth and recommendation are potentially your most powerful marketing tools. How you are and what you do can follow you around, and even go before you. Here I’m talking not only about personal recommendation but also review sites. The public are increasingly scrolling through online reviews before they make their purchasing decisions. Do you leave a job neat and tidy? How easy are you to do business with? Are you readily available when a customer has a query or do you send a junior member of the team? What is your telephone manner like? If someone leaves a message, how quickly do you respond? Is your pricing accurate and transparent? All of these will impact on what customers think and whether they put your name forward to friends and family. Worth the time and effort Remember, it can take a good deal of time and effort to build your profile and create a successful brand. But it can be lost very quickly, particularly in these days of social media. So there’s a lot to think about as you prepare the ground for that first encounter, but it will be worth it. Of course, you should also put an appropriate amount of time aside for advertising, updating your website if you have one, leaflet drops and for spreading the word on social platforms. Your van will be an excellent mobile advertising hoarding, and when you’re on a job a simple board with your carefully designed logo on it at the front of the property will put the name of your business and contact details in front of passers-by. But remember, when they make that call it’s down to you and how you respond. You are your brand. Contact SIG Roofing 0845 612 4304 www.sigroofing.co.uk @SIGRoofing 30 TC OCTOBER <strong>2019</strong>
New name, serious roofing heritage Redhill 1936 <strong>2019</strong> see’s BMI Redland celebrate 100 years of concrete tile production and we’re proud to look back even further to 1837, when our first Rosemary clay tile was made. Ever since we’ve been delivering innovative roofing and waterproofing systems. Now as BMI we continue this work by providing shelter, protection and peace of mind for architects, roofers, building and homeowners alike - through roofs that are designed to transform the way people live and work. bmigroup.com/uk Providing total roofing solutions
Page 1 and 2: OCTOBER 2019 An Inspector Calls Per
Page 3 and 4: I V Editor’s Comment MATT DOWNS E
Page 5 and 6: REGULARS 18 NFRC TECH TALK In the s
Page 7 and 8: Insulation Your technology is getti
Page 9 and 10: Aluminium Roof Lantern FROM THE AWA
Page 11 and 12: Handrails:- EasyGuard free-standing
Page 13 and 14: Job done. Virtually dust-free! EJOT
Page 15 and 16: BUY 5 ROLLS OF TORCH ON FELT AND GE
Page 17 and 18: “A very informative day. Well wor
Page 19 and 20: WHEN I’M FACING MY DAILY BATTLES,
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Page 23 and 24: Introducing the Elite range Revolut
Page 25 and 26: third to half the price. This is pa
Page 27 and 28: it is today, and it has taught them
Page 29: Global experience requires local kn
Page 33 and 34: FIBR RE CEM MENT SLATES The charm o
Page 35 and 36: Focus... on results When you need a
Page 37 and 38: Grade 2 Listed Property - Northampt
Page 39 and 40: LOW CARBON GRP DAYLIGHT SOLUTIONS Z
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Page 43 and 44: GUARANTEE High quality micro concre
Page 45 and 46: 100,000 miles of blood vessels and
Page 48 and 49: BMI Centenary Focus FURTHER GROWTH
Page 50 and 51: Advice: Green Roofs A GUIDE TO GREE
Page 52 and 53: Advice: Green Roofs Above: Semi-int
Page 54 and 55: Advice: Green Roofs WATERPROOFING G
Page 56 and 57: Height Safety NEW HEIGHTS FOR DESIG
Page 58 and 59: Height Safety support future works.
Page 60 and 61: Product Planning TAKE THE TIME TO P
Page 62 and 63: 5 Reasons Why.. EPDM IS AN ECO-FRIE
Page 64 and 65: The Right Perception SHAKING OFF TH
Page 66 and 67: Roofing Updates For further info on
Page 68 and 69: Roofing Updates For further info on
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Page 72 and 73: Fixings: Viewpoint system design an
Page 74 and 75: Health & Wellbeing CONTINUING TO MA
Page 76 and 77: Guarantees GUARANTEES - WHAT DO THE
Page 78: Cladding Updates For further info o
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Whatever your flat roofing requirem
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LEADING INDEPENDENTNT WATERPROOFING
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October 2019

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