Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/40026
40 • SEPTEMBER 2011 • WORLD FENCE NEWS Last month we talked about what makes a fence company successful and profitable, and stand out from the rest. The answer is pretty much the same things that generally make a ham- burger franchise like McDonalds or Burger King more successful than a local mom and pop hamburger stand. Sure there are exceptions, but they are rare, and that is why there are lit- erally thousands of Burger Kings and McDonalds across the country and the world. The franchise model and mom and pop joints both make the same product – hamburgers and fries – but the franchise model has set systems, procedures and standardized processes to deliver a consistently good product You must begin building trust with potential customers from the very first contact BY TOM LUBY, PROFIT BUILDERS INTERNATIONAL that the customer can expect, at a price they want, exactly the same every sin- gle time, no exceptions. Sure, the franchise operations have a strong buying consortium and a solid marketing campaign, but that's not what delivers the consistency of product and price and the attention to detail that the customer demands, and keeps them coming back with systems and operating procedures that are iden- tical no matter where in the world you go, and every product comes out the same. At the heart of these systems and procedures is good communica- tion throughout the organization. Everyone knows exactly what their job is, exactly how to do it, and exactly what the results need to be, time after time. In the fence industry, good inter- nal business communication with the systems and procedures in place to handle every eventuality begins when the phone rings or when a potential customer walks into the showroom. Technically speaking, getting them there in the first place would con- stitute the real first step, but a franchise marketing machine like the one the big companies have described earlier does not exist in the fence industry, so let's save fence industry marketing and ad- vertising ideas for another time. From the very first contact with a potential customer, your company must be totally professional and instill in the customer's mind a feeling of comfort and confidence in your com- pany that will ensure that customer buys their fence product from you. Once they trust that you and your company are the very best, they will buy from you, period! Dynasty Profiles Your #1 source for Imported PVC and Aluminum Fences We are the largest manufacturer of PVC and Aluminum fences in China. All our products are designed to meet North American standards. We have a dedicated sales office in the US. Buy "direct from the factory overseas"… deal locally with our US office. We make it EASY to buy from Overseas. We extrude 100% virgin material. And offer more than 35 different profiles. All mono– extrusions. No Lead!! We also offer full fabrication facility, with CNC routers, and experienced workers. Now offering the full line of Caps and Accessories from our warehouse in Tennessee. PVC Profiles Pre-Fabricated Fence Panels Post & Picket Caps Ornamental Aluminum Panels Residential, Commercial and Industrial grades. Powder coated with DuPont paint and pre- assembled. Panels available with standard assembly or "Hidden-Screws". Aluminum Fences Tel. 877-846-0640 info@dynastyfence.net But then you are only part way there; you sold the hamburger and now you have to deliver it, hot and fresh. And you must deliver a consistently good product every single time. One failure means the entire sys- tem is flawed and must be revamped. One bad hamburger and that customer will never come back. No bad ham- burgers (or fences) are allowed. No cold hamburgers (or late deliveries) are allowed. No spoiled tomatoes or wa- tered down milkshakes (or crooked gates) are allowed, only perfection every single time. I'm sure you get the picture. Now how do you do all that? First, let me assure you I know that selling a consistently good ham- burger is not the same thing as selling fences, but like with the hamburgers, the consistently good part must be there. Also, you don't buy hamburgers like you do fences, one or two per life- time is closer to the norm. Fence sales are more like a home or car sale, but the principles are ex- actly the same; consistency and pro- fessionalism are critical. Also the nature of our business dictates surprises; no fence installation is exactly the same. Every yard, lot or field is different, the elevations are dif- ferent, the gates are not the same, the terrain is not the same, and what is be- neath the ground can really drive you crazy. But how you handle every job and every customer must be consistently good, and that is the key. The "What happens if?"question must be anticipated and answered in advance. That was not my job; why don't the gates fit?; who was supposed to call in the digs?; why don't we have the right materials in the truck?; when do we pick up the check or when does the customer send the check? Every scenario must have an an- swer and everyone must know exactly who does what, just like in a continued on page 42