By Tommy Mello, owner A1 garage doors, a home service company with sales of over $100 million. Sharing what I’ve learned to help other entrepreneurs scale.
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When I started my garage door company, my mother was my Customer Service Representative (CSR) for some time. And here’s what happened…
Whenever she answered the phone and answered customers, she would call them “sweetheart” and tell them all about me: “I have the best technician, his name is Tommy…” (She never told them I was her son. )
When she hung up, the customer knew all about my life story. And here’s what blew me away:
When I showed up at the customer’s house – I’m not kidding – they were cheesy in my hands They looked at me and said, “Are you Tommy? I heard you’re the best!” Everything I said to them, they just said yes.
What I didn’t know was that my mother was shaping the future of the company.
She built a strong reputation for the company which made our marketing strategies so much more effective.
Recruiting is an underestimated marketing strategy.
Marketing is more than acquiring new customers. Marketing is also gaining new talent. Think about it: how do you get 5-star reviews? Satisfied costumers. And what leads to happy customers? Happy employees!
Yes, a CSR can be the first point of contact for customers. But your other employees are also the brand of the company. And when you find the right people who can “cleave the sea” for you – people who can turn your strategy into action – trust me, your company will plant; grow.
As Jim Collins put it best, you get the right people on the bus, and your business will go from good to great. I’ve heard of people hiring a few key players, giving them a bit of equity, and then going from millions to billions.
In other words, your people are your best marketing.
So here is my question for you:
How much do you spend to find A players?
Here’s the biggest missing element I see in almost every entrepreneur or executive I meet. How do you know if you figured it out or not? Ask yourself this question: What is your marketing budget? Or what are you currently spending money on?
Most people say, “We spend money on Google, Facebook, Valpak, programmatic TV…” All of this is important, but maybe you’re missing this: How much do you spend to find great people?
Ask yourself these questions: What can you do to make your company a magnet for great people? How much is it?
How do you market to A players?
The first and most important step is to understand who your ideal employee is or is not. Create a “player avatar” so you can target them with messages that will make them want to apply to your company.
You also want to market distracting. Find ways to show your spouse or family how great it is to work at your company. Family can often influence career choices more than you think!
Your employees are your best marketing.
We hired a lot of other A players, which helped us grow year after year in a “bad” industry – an industry where people told me I would “never be worth anything”. Our employees are our best marketing. What about you?
