FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT: RICHARD LICATA – Page 2
We did not have a stellar August this year. Revenues were good and more then we budgeted. Unfortunately, gross profit did not keep pace as we retained less then anticipated. Remember, it is not what you make but rather what you keep.
We are facing some head winds going into the winter months this year. While the economy is still strong, the Chicago Housing market is down double digits. This translates into less people moving and less opportunities (leads) for our salespeople.
But we are not just sitting at our desks waiting for the phones to ring. If we do that – that will be the end of us. Rather, the sales staff is actively working their lead sources to make sure they keep us in mind when they know someone is moving. Additionally, Reebie has increase its marketing spend to generate more leads from the internet.
But wait…..there’s more! Some of the oldies and goodies still work today as long as you tweak them for today’s environment. That being said, we resurrected the good ole time tested system of direct mail. That means we are mailing out post cards. What has changed from years past is that these post cards aren’t being mailed out to people who recently put their home on the market. Rather, lists are compiled from homes that have just been place under contract. This makes the timing right because, now that their home has sold, they are ready to take the next step and look for a mover. Below is the new post card that has been developed. You will notice that there a call to action and not wait until the last minute to plan their move. Also, at the top of the card and prominently placed is our Google Score. We’ve been working very hard to provide top notch service and our crews have been asking our customers to leave a review if they are satisfied with our service. Since these efforts have been in place, we improved our scores and now have an excellent 4.7-star rating with Google. When prospective customers do research on potential movers, these reviews are one of the first things they look at. Having this prominently displayed settles that concern and will motivate them to action and call us.
Although it is early, we already see the benefits of these marketing efforts. Although we are digging out of a hole, the leads for the past few weeks have been favorable.
