By Tommy Mello, owner A1 Garage Doors, a $100M+ home service business. Sharing what I’ve learned to help other entrepreneurs scale.
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When I started my garage door company, my mum was my customer service representative (CSR) for some time. And here’s what happened…
Whenever she got on the phone and answered customers, she would call them “honey” and tell them all about me: “I have the best technician, his name is Tommy…” (She never told them that I was her son.)
By the time she hung up, the customer knew all about my life story. And here’s the thing that blew my mind:
When I showed up at the customer’s house—I’m not even kidding—they were putty in my hands. They would look at me and say: “Are you Tommy? I heard that you’re the best!” Anything I told them to do, they would just say yes.
What I didn’t realize was that my mum was setting up the future of the company.
She was building a reputation for the company, which made our marketing strategies so much more effective.
Recruiting is an underrated marketing strategy.
Marketing is more than acquiring new customers. Marketing is also acquiring new talent. Just think about it: How do you get 5-star reviews? Happy customers. And what leads to happy customers? Happy employees!
Yes, a CSR might be the first point of contact for customers. But your other employees are also the brand of the company. And if you get the right employees that can “split the sea” for you—people who can turn your strategy into reality—trust me, your business will grow.
Jim Collins said it best: You get the right people on the bus, and your company will go from good to great. I’ve heard of people hiring a couple of 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’s my question for you:
How much do you spend on finding A players?
Here’s the biggest missing element that I see in almost every entrepreneur or leader I meet. How do you know if you’ve got it figured out or not? Ask yourself this question: What’s your marketing budget like? Or, what are you spending money on right now?
Most people say, “We’re spending on Google, Facebook, Valpak, programmatic TV…” All that is important, but here’s the thing that you may miss: How much are you spending on finding amazing people?
Ask yourself these questions: What can you do to turn your company into a magnet for great people? How much does that cost?
How do you market to A players?
The first, most crucial step is to understand who your ideal employee is or isn’t. Create a “player avatar” so that you can target them with messages that make them want to apply to your company.
You will also want to market divertly. Find ways to show their spouses or family how amazing it is to work at your company. Family can often influence career choices more than you think!
Your people are your best marketing.
We’ve hired many other A players, which helped us grow year after year in a “bad” industry—an industry where people told me that I’d “never be worth anything.” Our people are our best marketing. What about you?
