Home Improvement Marketing That Actually Works: The PIGS Method

Most contractors are simply using tactics that they see other contractors using in order to get leads and grow their business - copycat marketing.

What they're all failing to see is that it's the blind leading the blind.

We need to base everything we do off of solid sales and marketing principles.

When you simply use tactics, you're gonna run into a lot of different problems.

Ad costs are gonna go up.

Market sophistication isn't gonna be addressed.

And you're gonna lose your identity blending in with everybody else.

How do we fix this problem?

By having a real methodology based on principles.

We want to transform your brand and your company from who you are, to who you need to be, in order to be well known for what you do best.

Everything we do needs to build trust with your potential customers instead of just generating more leads.

I've been doing this (digital marketing for home improvement contractors) for over 20 years - and I've helped these contractors absolutely transform - not only their identity, but their business, their revenue, their profits, and the level of satisfaction they get from their business.

How do I do it?

By being honest with you about what you actually need, so that you can be honest with your audience about who you actually are.

Why Most Contractor Marketing Misses The Mark

1. The Fatal Flaw in Home Improvement Marketing

The biggest misconception that home improvement contractors have about marketing their business is that they need to be doing what everyone else is doing.

I think this is the fatal flaw in most contractor business owners' mindsets.

Competitive benchmarking is valuable, but if we look like everybody else, we're gonna get the results that everyone else gets."

2. Why Traditional Agencies Don't Get Contractors

Now, knowing all this stuff about home improvement marketing makes it very clear that the agencies working with these companies tend to fall for the same mindset.

They don't understand that building a relationship with your market is the primary goal of your marketing efforts.

It's not about short-term wins.

It's not about generating leads today.

It's about becoming known as the most trusted, most knowledgeable, most legitimate, most authentic contractor for your ideal service in your service area.

3. Building Trust vs Chasing Leads

What makes home improvement marketing unique?

Well, when people are buying home improvement services, they're spending a lot of money.

That usually raises red flags.

They have fears associated with working with contractors.

Contractors in general tend to have a bad name.

There are a lot of bad actors - Chuck-in-a-pickup-truck contractors - that “fly-by-night”.

We all know this.

And so everything that we do in our sales and marketing needs to disarm these fears.

It needs to build comfort and trust with your audience.

The Pigs Method: A Principle-Based Approach

The PIGS method is different because it puts first things first.

We need to start with understanding where you want to go before we can help you get there

Now who you are, where you come from, and where you're going is pretty much what makes everyone's identity up anyway.

When you know where you're going and you know who you are - these are the kind of things that are going to attract your ideal customer and repel your bad fit customers.

Plan: Getting Clear on Your Vision

So it's critical to start with getting clarity and building a plan.

Now what do you need to get clear on?

Well, it's pretty simple.

You've got to figure out what jobs you want to do more of.

What jobs are you known for doing successfully, for doing well?

What jobs would you fill your schedule with?

If you only could pick one job, what would it be?

Identity: Becoming Known for What You Do Best

Knowing all this stuff makes it extremely clear as to why identity is so important.

A lot of contractors just think they can get along by word of mouth.

And that works up to a certain stage, but what you really wanna know is what people are saying about you.

And if that's not true, then you wanna make sure that your actions are aligned with what you want them to be saying.

And if it is true, and it's what you wanna hear, well, you really need to lean into it.

Generate: Attracting Ideal Clients Naturally

So, you've got a clear plan, you know what kind of leads you want to generate and what kind of customers and jobs you want to repel - and your identity is in alignment with this.

You know who you are and you know who you're not.

You know what you want and you know what you don't want.

Now, when we can get that in front of your audience, in front of your service area, it makes it so easy to attract your ideal client.

BECAUSE you have clarity on these things, we can give your audience clarity on these things.

Converting Quality Opportunities into Lasting Relationships

Schedule A Call With Me

The sales stage is really about leveraging sales principles and technology for home improvement contractors.

When we use principles and technology in sales, this is going to do two different things.

One, it's gonna differentiate you from your competitors - because most of them are not using a structured sales process, even loosely structured, or technology to organize and follow up with and nurture their relationships with their prospects.

Your 90-Day Business Transformation

30 Days

Clarity and Direction

It takes about 90 days for us to get everything set up and rolling in the PIGS process (if a contractor is diligent about doing the work). The home improvement contractors that I work with immediately start seeing a shift in their business - because it all starts with that plan, and with getting clarity.

So, having that plan brings them peace of mind - and it brings them power in decision making.

It makes it easier to decide where to pour their energy and what to cut off.

30-60 Days

Identity Breakthrough

When we've got clarity on their identity, this is where the first real deep breakthrough happens - because they start showing up as more of their authentic self in their business.

They say, “I know who I am. I know what makes me unique and what makes me valuable. I understand why people want to work with me over my competitors”.

That makes them better in doing the work, in managing their company, in marketing their business, and in their sales opportunities.

The most powerful transformation we start to see, the one that I love - is between the 30 and 60 day mark - when we've started rolling out ads.

Content that's in alignment with their identity is going to bring them closer to their goals.

Their audience starts to take notice of who these people are, what makes them valuable and unique.

60-90 Days

Systems and Results

When we hit that 60 to 90 day period where we're implementing the automated technology, the sales and lead nurturing software, THEN they really start to feel ownership.

They understand that their business isn't living in the past anymore, that they have stepped into a modern home improvement business as owners, as visionary directors.

They are bringing to life the vision that they have, the goals and the plans that they've taken the time to write down and to take action on.

They can see it all in a way that's organized and brings them security and confidence.

All of this stuff really changes their day to day - not just in those 90 days, but as a business owner looking from the top down, from a bird's eye view at what they're creating and where they're going.

It really brings a peace and a freedom that a lot of home improvement contractors are looking for.

Real Contractor Success Stories

From Subcontractor to Specialist

We talk about Scott all the time, because he went from a subcontractor that would take pretty much any home improvement job that came his way to a deck building specialist that was swimming in deck remodeling leads.

He’s now able to take his pick of the clients that aligned with his value and his unique selling propositions.

What his ideal jobs are, where his real value is, where his comfortable place is, the jobs he can do well and his customers are gonna be ecstatic about.

Measuring Real Business Impact

For Scott, it wasn't just about feeling.

This had a real impact on his income, his revenue, and his profitability.

And so those are very real metrics that show the reality of not only niching down, which any contractor can do, but understanding why you've chosen a niche.

Seeing the value in specializing, in leaning into our strengths and having the discipline to say no to the jobs that are not going to serve our greater vision.

Is This Approach Right for Your Business?

What Makes an Ideal PIGS Partner

So how do you know if this is the kind of thing for you?

Well, if you know you're not a chuck in the truck, if you know you're not a fly-by-night contractor, if you know you're good at what you do.

If you have a reason for the choices that you make, and you have an opinion about your niche in the home improvement space, you're probably an ideal candidate for the PIGS Method.

The Commitment to Transform

Whether you're ready for this kind of transformation or not really comes down to:

Are you willing to take accountability?

Are you willing to step up and do what needs to be done?

Are you willing to make the hard decisions?

Are you willing to make sacrifices in the short term to bring your long-term vision to life?

Are you willing to make that kind of commitment?

Do you have the conviction that it takes to say:

I know where I wanna go,

I know what I wanna do,

I feel that this is the right thing for me,

I'm going to commit to writing it down

I’m gonna take earnest action to bring:

myself and

my business,

my family,

my community

into alignment with that?

Well, then you might just be the kind of guy that would benefit from the PIGS Method.

If you wanna know if this is gonna work for you or not, you have to ask yourself, am I the kind of guy that's gonna do what I say I'm gonna do?

Am I committed to taking action when it's clear to me that this is the action that's gonna bring me to where I wanna go?

Am I willing to be authentically real with my community, with my service area in who I am, who I am not, what I believe in, what I see is right and wrong?

Then there's a good chance that this will succeed for you.

But if you're not willing to make those commitments and be that kind of person, then it's never gonna work.

Ready to Transform Your Contracting Business?

What to Expect Working Together

So if you see the value in what I'm talking about -

If you see a need for:

clarity

and structure

and brand alignment

and identity

and generating ideal high ticket, high profit leads on autopilot

and giving those opportunities,

the attention

and the love

and the respect

and the service that they deserve,

then you should reach out.

Don't hesitate to say, David, this sounds like the kind of thing I've been looking for.

Can you talk to me about how you can help me make this come to life?

All I'm here to do is help.

And so if you reach out to me, I'm not gonna try to sell you anything.

I'm not gonna try to convince you that this is for you.

I'm gonna ask you where you're at and where you're going.

And I'm gonna see if there's anything I can do to help get you there.

Your First Steps Forward

Whether we partner together or not, that's not what this is about.

This is about helping you serve your community in a better way.

It’s about helping turn your business from a burden into a blessing.

That's my vision.

That's my purpose - is to help as many home improvement contractors as I can have this transformation.

And that transformation starts in the mind.

It starts by accepting, well, we're not necessarily in alignment with who we really are.

And we're not necessarily clear on where we're trying to go.

And we might need some help getting there.

Well, that's what I'm here for.

I believe God put me here to help you get that clarity and help you make that transformation.

And so if I can do that, whether I make money off of it or not, I feel fulfilled.

So don't hesitate to reach out to me because I'm here to help.

Now, I'm warning you, I was born in New England.

My approach may come off as harsh.

I'm gonna tell you the truth.

I'm going to be straight with you and give you earnest feedback on what I hear.