Replay - Why You Wont Run the Good Neighbor Program
Jun 04, 2024
Clay Neumeyer
Can you imagine doubling your revenue while still taking time off for family activities? Discover the secrets behind the transformative Good Neighbor Program, a strategy that can drastically reduce lead acquisition costs by harnessing the power of existing customer relationships. We'll uncover why some electricians hesitate to implement this game-changing approach and share practical tips to overcome these fears, helping you master sales, simplify pricing, and deliver premium service in your electrical business.
Join Clay and Joe as they explore effective strategies for gathering and leveraging customer reviews to build credibility and trust. Learn how a seamless review process can create powerful endorsements that attract new clients. Plus, we'll highlight the importance of first impressions and the pre-arrival process, sharing parallels with successful real estate tactics. Don't miss an exciting teaser about Zach, who doubled his revenue while balancing part-time off seasons. This episode is brimming with invaluable insights to propel your business to new heights.
Join us LIVE 5 days a week on the Facebook Community page:
Can you imagine doubling your revenue while still taking time off for family activities? Discover the secrets behind the transformative Good Neighbor Program, a strategy that can drastically reduce lead acquisition costs by harnessing the power of existing customer relationships. We'll uncover why some electricians hesitate to implement this game-changing approach and share practical tips to overcome these fears, helping you master sales, simplify pricing, and deliver premium service in your electrical business.
Join Clay and Joe as they explore effective strategies for gathering and leveraging customer reviews to build credibility and trust. Learn how a seamless review process can create powerful endorsements that attract new clients. Plus, we'll highlight the importance of first impressions and the pre-arrival process, sharing parallels with successful real estate tactics. Don't miss an exciting teaser about Zach, who doubled his revenue while balancing part-time off seasons. This episode is brimming with invaluable insights to propel your business to new heights.
Join us LIVE 5 days a week on the Facebook Community page:
Hello, hello, hello, and welcome back to yet another episode of Electricpreneur Secrets. This is episode 214. You're going to want to stick around to find out why you won't run the Good Neighbor program. Yes, we're making assumptions on your behalf. I'm your coach, clay Neumeier. This is With Me, as Always, my esteemed co-host, joseph Lucani, and we're the Electricpreneurs just a couple of master electricians with business addictions here to serve you with another of our freemium program. This coach call today One of the ways that we're helping you master sales, simplify pricing and deliver premium level service. All we ask is that you take everything we're giving. Just promise to take action and report your wins back. Joe, how are you doing today, brother?
Speaker 2:
It is a beautiful day to have a beautiful day. I've been feeling really good. Continuing yesterday to energy. I'm not loving the extra cardio I'm doing every morning, but hey, still running the 75E challenge, getting it done, doing what I can, and I'm ready to show a bright-eyed, bushy tail today.
Speaker 1:
Awesome man and Action Wednesday. Speaking of action, we've got big action here this week. I mentioned it Monday, but we've got a great big deal of a client success interview coming at you guys tomorrow with Zach, who has doubled his revenue over the year, doing really well Just a small team, small business, but one of the most remarkable things he's done is having 120K plus months while spending his afternoons hunting with his boy man that sort of part-time effort and seeing those max months for him huge, huge accomplishment. I cannot wait to share that story with you guys. So make sure to tune in with us tomorrow as well. Joe, let's jump into this Good Neighbor program First off. Let's just give it a quick definition for anyone that hasn't heard of this before Good Neighbor Program. What's all this about? Why would we want to do it in the first place?
Speaker 2:
So realistically. We came up with the concept because, after looking and seeing how much it costs for leads like to just acquire leads from anywhere, it became anywhere from $200 to $500 per lead and we thought how can we reduce this cost? And the best way was to say well, acquire more free leads to offset the balance. Get one lead and use that lead to get you more as a result. Now multiply it really Exactly so what the process is. Just to hyper-symbolify, it is the people that are going to be most affected by the job you're doing right now at your customer's home is the quote-unquote the Joneses, the ones to the left, the ones to the right and across the street. They're the ones that are looking at what you're doing and they're the ones that are going to have the closest relationship with your client.
Speaker 1:
And to insert a statement there. You know how the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence it's fertilized with bullshit you ever heard that before I have I actually heard a great quote with the grass is greener.
Speaker 2:
Can I drop it? Yeah, do it, man. Okay, the grass is greener on the other side is actually incorrect. The grass is greener wherever you water it, so the thing that you get attention and put towards that's where your green grass will grow. If you're always looking at your neighbor's property, his grass will be greener because that's what you sent your attention on manifesting.
Speaker 1:
I love that man Nevertheless. That's the problem right.
Speaker 1:
Keeping up with the Joneses. We know this very well and, as we're breaking this down, I feel like I feel compelled to just throw a definition, like a new definition of marketing for people, and this is actually, in part, from Alex Formosi. I heard this on a podcast that he said and I thought wow, that's really brilliant. Bringing awareness to what you're doing. That's it. It's getting people to know about your offer, getting people to know about how you help, and there's good neighbor programs a piece of this. So, capitalizing on this, keep up with the Joneses and this awareness, joe, how does this play out?
Speaker 2:
So what ends up happening is you've gotten direct permission at the end of the call, so you've worked with this customer. They're satisfied with your work, they wrote you off, they paid you, everything's good, five-star review, awesome. We're then going to introduce conversation that asks if we have permission just to check with their neighbors and see if they also have an electrician that they've worked with or they're looking to work with for any future projects or needs. So you get that customer's direct consent and then you use that consent to go and knock on the neighbor's door and say, hey, I was just working at not hyper-sympathizing, I was just working at your neighbor John's house, the one in the red house across the street and he thought it'd be a good idea for us to just introduce ourselves and say, hey, we're his electrician. We want to let you know that we're available.
Speaker 2:
Do you have anyone in line for your next service? Just basic intro conversation of this is who I am. This is why I'm knocking on your door. This is how I can help you Would, at the very least, would you like me to leave behind my number so you can get in contact with us for any future needs? And the funny thing about the whole plan is that when you run it, the biggest fear is just doing it, but the biggest result is simply just knocking on the door because it's not putting a door hanger that you get the value from. It's you initiating another conversation with a likely person who would want to make a purchase from you?
Speaker 1:
Yep, and I think the big problem that comes in here I mean there's actually a couple points. One is we're asking you to add another question after the sale which, as we recognize, many electricians are having troubles asking for the review at that point. But it's something that's so important because you're so much more likely to get that action from someone. I mean that's why we call you're so much more likely to get that action from someone. I mean that's why we call it sales satisfaction process. You take the word satisfaction and you really look at the root of it is satisfied. But to look at the compound part of it is action. And so to say your customers in satisfaction means that they would literally take an action on your behalf. That they would literally take an action on your behalf, the problem becomes well, for how long will they be in satisfaction? Like real satisfaction where they'll take an action on your behalf, joe there's actually a window for it.
Speaker 2:
So personally I believe it's 24 hours, but I have heard it is as less, as little as eight hours, and that's the interesting part about it, because anyone will say it's eight to 48. But if you think about it, let's say you completed your job, it's done. You wake up the next morning Are you thinking about what you did the other day? That job's already gone and behind you. That's why when you email over your review link, you find that no one does it, even though they swore they were like of course we'll shout your name from the rooftops, of course we'll write you a review, but then they always leave the messages on red. It's because you've passed that satisfied action opportunity window. If you get the review now, or you get their permission to run the good neighbor policy, you need to then also take action and make good on it. Get the review, get the neighbor's address.
Speaker 1:
Now I know this one wasn't really about reviews, but just to plug this in here. The most common answer I hear on the various discovery calls that we get on with electricians is out of every 10 calls we're averaging one to three actually submit a review. Now do you recall your stats from when you were running this play Joe about how many out of 10 you'd get?
Speaker 2:
I can take a guess, but I don't have a specific number. I would say that it'd be closer to six out of 10. And the reason being is because what we would do is we would get the lead right then or, sorry, we get the review right then, and there we were using a program that we now implement with our own students, where we'd say okay, we've gathered every possible review link that you could have left us, for we're taking every single action that we can so that what will end up happening is, when I present this offer to the client of, hey, can you write me a review? I've made it as easy as humanly possible, where literally all they have to do is just click a link and they go right to the site. And I'll even load it with them on their iPad, hand it over to them and smile patiently like we read it out.
Speaker 1:
Totally, with a little focus on it. I've seen as much as 70 to 80% of reviews come through. Of course, everything has ebbs and flows, but to really think about that, to move up from one, two or three, from 30% to 70, 60%, even what Joe said, to double those reviews, that has a huge impact, huge impact. Now, add this to the good neighbor program that we're talking about and think about okay, well, if I also have John's good review when I go knock on the door, is that even more added firepower here?
Speaker 2:
It is because, as we go into the process, I'm trying not to give all of it away. I gave all the cookies away, but the thought is to go in to say after they just wrote us an amazing review on the service we did. Now you have more credibility as to why this person should watch you, why should they allow you into their home. Because, at the end of the day, all they know about you is they saw you across the street working on John's property. They don't know what kind of service you provided, but if you've gotten John's permission and you just wrote your great review and he thought it was a good idea that you introduce yourself to the neighbors, just so that if they ever needed an electrician they'd have one on standby I can't see this client looking and saying you're trying to sell me something, because I'm not. I just want you to take my number. That's all I want you to do.
Speaker 1:
yeah, so we hear some big concerns around this. Uh, one is like, okay, well, cold calling or bold knocking, as we say, that takes some extra cojones, if you know what I mean. But in this frame of light, literally not even trying to sell something here, trying to raise awareness of your trustworthiness, of your ability to solve electrical problems and to just be a good person, because, again, that old rule that we all know and yet we tend to just kind of ignore the hell out of this Joe, people do business with people they know like and trust. Now, could anyone deny that people would come to know, like and trust us more if we were to show up more to meet more people more often with truly just a service attitude to help them?
Speaker 2:
Yes, say yes. And I have one extra nugget on top of that can that can even communicate more?
Speaker 1:
Please go.
Speaker 2:
So when you think about it, we have our pre-arrival process. There is a process that we implement that teaches you exactly what you're supposed to look like, how you're supposed to hold your hands, the amount of eye contact to make that perfect first impression. Now, if you implement that now, the customer has a snore future customer has a snapshot of you mentally that they will then recall going forward when they eventually do need you for that lead. So when you follow that process, you make that first impression. Now, every time they think of you, that is what will come up mentally. So you've literally inceptioned yourself in as looking like a 10 before they've ever needed you, before they've ever called you, and now they have the number that ideally should be compelling enough for them to want to ring 100% man and honestly, I don't steal from this game very often.
Speaker 1:
But look at realtors. When it comes to marketing like, look at realtors and the efforts they go through, because realtors have one of the worst markets on the planet. The reason that is is for the average realtor sale, that client actually forgets their name within a few months, unless unless they're up on the billboards like. You see them with their big face, their big shots. Now I'm not saying go do a billboard with your face on it, but there's a reason they're doing that and it goes back to that same rule know, like and trust.
Speaker 1:
And there's a reason that realtors are going door to door and leaving you little handwritten pamphlets that are asking if you want to sell your home or different real estate investors are taking that and it's actually some of the most predictable sales on the planet. Even though the percentage is lower in how many will convert, it is some of the most statistically predictable sales because they're hard numbers. You know exactly who's going to see your message. And guess what? One of our clients in the class we were talking about this the other day she mentioned like disk profiling and how she really doesn't like answering the door. There's also this timing component that we need to be intricately aware of. And the reason why is if I knock on your door one time, what are the chances that I'm going to get a solid, happy person that invites me in to do an electrical inspection?
Speaker 2:
I mean, it's a possibility, but it doesn't always mean that it's a strong one right at the first introduction.
Speaker 1:
Totally Now. Add the because frame Now if I knock on your door and I'm here because I just served John, your neighbor, who you know. Is it a little more likely to get the smile and the positive interaction and maybe even electrical inspection smile and the positive interaction and maybe even?
Speaker 2:
electrical inspection. Yeah, it's far more likely because now you don't represent some blind, no name person, it's no. I literally have a direct connection point to someone you have a direct connection point to and we're both mutually friends with the same person, so wouldn't that make sense that we're also friends Totally?
Speaker 1:
Now I'll go a step further, and this is the advanced level of the good neighbor program. Imagine I keep seeing your van in the neighborhood because neighbors are hiring you, and each time you run the same good neighbor program consistently, and so I get used to seeing you serve. Now John's other neighbor, your van, again knock on on even John's door. Hey, john, we're back in the neighborhood, just wanted to say hello, great to see you. How's everything going with the ceiling fan that we replaced for you?
Speaker 2:
Now we have a direct connection and it's immediately impactful.
Speaker 1:
So you can see how this multiplier does take hold and how the trust is going up. And other people, now that they recognize you and you've got four or five clients in this neighborhood, what's happening. The trust is increasing and they're all wondering well, wow, why are so many other people in my neighborhood using Service Loop Electrical?
Speaker 2:
It's one of these beautiful things that I remember really enjoying, which was you drive a 14-foot billboard. That's really what you do. You drive a billboard at all times, but what people fail to recognize is that you yourself are also a billboard when you're in the neighbor's yard. Have you ever noticed that sometimes in trades we take off our button off, or we take off our button shirt and we're just in our t-shirt working on the lawn and you wonder why, when you're smoking your cigarette, that people might think you're different? I always felt you keep the uniform on and you always assume you're on stage whenever you're visible to the neighborhood, because you know that that person could be watching you from across the street and when you do the good neighbor policy policy, that's the impression they're going to have. Before you've even knocked. They already watched you. Why not let them watch something that's worth seeing?
Speaker 1:
dude, I'm such a neighbor watcher not not to a creepy level, but listen like. Let me ask you a question. Do you speed down your own block? No, when you're driving home, no, I drive about 28, 30 kilometers an hour. Mind you, that's even less than miles. Maybe what 15, 20 miles an hour?
Speaker 2:
Yeah, we're in a private development so we have a very low speed limit. So the benefit is that obviously you don't want to go over the speed bumps the wrong way, but personally, anyone else's home, anyone else's business, whatever they're doing, it's never been an impact to me. It's like I hope you're doing better than me. I genuinely hope that every person on my block does better than me, because my property value is going to go up as a result.
Speaker 1:
I like that outlook. I was going to say I drive slow because I want people to drive slow and I look and I wave and I'm acknowledging people and seeing what activity is happening in my neighborhood, like how many of you listening or live with us in the Facebook are the same way. Don't you care about what's happening in your neighborhood? The attention's there if you really think about it. So, anyway, our objective is not here to talk you into the Good Neighbor Program, it's just to talk you out of talking yourself out of it Because, honestly, that old dog won't hunt and where you put yourself out there, new doors will open. The worst case that everyone is afraid of and why they won't run the Good Neighbor Program is for the you know what, it's maybe even common, the no. That goes like this knock, knock oh hi, what do you want?
Speaker 1:
well, I just wanted to let you know that we're working at john's. Yeah, leave us alone. We don't have time for this. We're eating dinner. Bye click. If anything, we thank them.
Speaker 2:
We can thank them, though, and the reason why we can thank them is because they already identified themselves as someone that's not going to be our ideal client. I personally feel that how someone treats someone at the door, how you treat a waiter, how you treat a janitor, shows the kind of person you are. It's one of the reasons why, when someone knocks on my door, my wife often yells at me that I'm taking too much time with them. It's one of the reasons why, when someone knocks on my door, my wife often yells at me that I'm taking too much time with them. So the fact is is that, if you get that person, thank them, because they not only identify as they're not your client, but they did it in the shortest amount of time, which is actually respect to yours.
Speaker 1:
You know what I'm going to add? A twist to that, I personally believe, going back to the timing that person just confirmed they're not my client today I would go back to that house, joe, that timing thing again. Listen, who's busy and just has to get short sometimes because they're not even really in control, they're an autopilot. That happens to me, and afterwards I'm always quick to reflect on it and go. I was a bit short there. I wish I could apologize to that person. Or if it's someone in my household, I will, or if it's with you, brother, I will. But it's not always. You know, there's the knee-jerk reactions sometimes that aren't fair to us or them. That's why I would go back and I would knock again and I would even start hey, last time you shut the door in my face, this time I'm hoping for just a couple extra seconds. I'm not here to sell you anything.
Speaker 2:
I got to admit, you definitely changed my thoughts on that, because if someone came and knocked the second time, it was like, hey, I know you slammed the door in my face last time, but I have something that's really worth saying that I figured it'd be worth it, even if you slammed my door twice. Yeah, I would be looking at that and be like you know what.
Speaker 1:
All right, let's hear what you got. Go ahead, you just did something incredible and it was a physical reaction and I believe that it was authentic. I, too, would smile at that point, joe. Yeah, I would smile, because this person just basically called me out on my bullshit. I'm not a bad person. I was in a rush and clearly displayed some pretty disrespectful behavior, but ultimately I'm going to smile and I'm going to go. Okay, man, you got like 30 seconds here. What do you need? I?
Speaker 1:
can work with 30 seconds, but that's my assertive self.
Speaker 2:
I can work with 30 seconds. Give me 30 seconds, I'll make it work.
Speaker 1:
All right, all right, let's crank out a couple action items and close this one out, because we're going a bit long brother let me start with one here, it.
Speaker 1:
Is you ready? Ready, I would say, just try it, and I know it's scary, but just trying it won't be enough. So here's the reverse action. If you're only gonna do it once, don't bother, but I'll let you know that I'll be over here thinking about what everyone else is feeling is painful and scary too, and I'll be looking to do that thing because I'm trying to stand out in my market. So your action is to decide who you are in this and what you want to do. Be the guy that does what others won't, or be the guy that succumbs to the same fears that others do, and that's a basic action.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, it could be the only if you want.
Speaker 2:
No, that's nice. So let's see if I can add any spice to that. So, to go even further with it, it's another thing to say how you practice the game or how you practice how you play the game. And if your first interaction with this client is you trying to wing this conversation, you're trying to wing your elevator pitch, it's always going to flop unless you meet someone like us, who's just really nice, at the door. So the all-star action is if you've decided that this is the person you want to be, are you going to come prepared or not? Do you know what you're going to say If you were given 15 seconds at at the door? Are you going to take that opportunity or let it slip?
Speaker 1:
nice man. Those are some burners. Guys. This has been another episode of electric printer secrets. Your free coaching call and that one thing today was why you won't run the good neighbor program, and a little couple of nudges there at the end to make sure that you give it a try, do it consistently and watch the multiplier effect happen. You guys, um, our pleasure right, I'm your coach, clay newmeyer. This is coach joe lucani. We can't wait to share zach's story with you tomorrow. So join us for episode 215 to learn how you could have your biggest months of double your revenue, even when you're having part-time off seasons to go hunting with your kids. Cheers to your success. We'll see you there. Can't wait for it. See you soon.