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Building Materials: Give to Community for Increased Sales

Posted by Heather Brautman | Wed, Oct 09, 2013 @ 03:02 PM

You’ve got the website, you’ve got the commercials, you’ve got the ads. Ever wonder how you can get your name out more, without the same old, same old routine? Check out our round-up of “if you build it, they will come” ways to get your name out into the community. You’ll bring in more business, while still treating your employees to some fun, as well as in some cases, doing some good in the ‘hood.

Buildhouse1Habitat for Humanity: The big name in building supply - literally! The good folks at the Habitat for Humanity charity literally supply buildings, creating homes for those who need them most. So don’t look at them as your competition! Instead, look at them with a keen eye for partner potential. You could always go the route of creating a volunteer team from your work staff, but another way to go is to see what you could supply. Making a donation of your own building materials helps Habitat, but helps you too. Because you’ll get your marketing team in on it and spin the news out to your social media network followers, perhaps do a press release, and see how else you could maximize the exposure. Habitat chapters are all over the world. A quick check of CrossCheck’s Petaluma headquarters shows a nearby group, plus four more within easy driving distance.

describe the imageScouts: They may not be the ones contracting with your company or buying your supplies, but don’t count out the littlest building material users. Children who participate in the Boy and Girl Scouts of America often have a need for building materials as they work their way through their various patch systems. Scouts go through a number of individual and group projects, and are highly involved with charitable activities too, building things in their communities. Contact your local Scout organization and offer Troop discounts. Make yourself available to do show and tell with power tools, safety discussions, and even lead talks about material options.

Stock Car Races: Whether or not you had the opportunity as a kid to build your own stock car and take it down that one killer hill in the neighborhood, you can relive the experience and ensure folks in your community get to do so as well. Get your advertising machines revved and put the word out about a local stock car race competition. It’s your event, so you get to pick the rules, including ages of the riders, how many people can serve as “pit crew,” decorations, themes. And, oh yeah, include information about how everything crews may need to build their cars are easily available from your business. Perhaps even a discount on materials to all registered participants.

Of course, if you can’t get enough of stock car races and want to take things to the next level, there’s always…

Red Bull Flugtag: Something this crazy could only be borne out of caffeine! The makers of Red Bull have gone much further than just “giving you wings” – with their annual Flugtag competition, they help you fly. Teams across the country work to make the most outlandish vehicles they can create out of – you guessed it – the most outrageous building materials possible. Those select few granted admission to the actual competition are seen by more than half a million spectators worldwide. While we can’t promise you’ll be one of the 30 teams chosen to compete, we can say that your logo will surely be splashed everywhere and the competitors’ profiles will do nothing but boost your business. You can even make a big deal out of your trek to the competition, by posting video diaries and team member bios on your company website, seeing your own Flugtag start to finish.

Theater1Almost Famous: What if you could secure a regular customer who needed a variety of building materials from you year-round, with supplies for anywhere from 6-10 (or more!) completely different installations each time? You’re talking about community theater! Sets are often constructed from scratch and require everything from risers to scrims to rotating floors. Set up an “audition” with the theater director and let it be known that your building supply company would like to help encourage the arts in the community. Theater personnel may request a discount (and possibly offer a trade of advertising your company information in each program, on their website, and in sponsors’ packets. An additional benefit? People may not ask for your autograph, but those actors and crew who are regularly using your supplies may come to you when they need something for their own homes or businesses.

Once you get your name out into the community and sales go up, you start the ball rolling for some potential payment problems. Avoid the mess and grab our free guide as you take your first step towards securely accepting checks without giving away the house!

 

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Topics: Building Materials, Increase Sales

Written by Heather Brautman