This July, Greenbaum Stiers Strategic Marketing Group proudly participated in our first NFRA (National Foundation Repair Association) Conference, held at the Westin in Frisco, Texas from July 10 through July 12. The event was a whirlwind of networking, learning, and industry engagement.
Teeing Off and Cooling Down
The conference kicked off with a Golf Tournament, sponsored by our Greenbaum Stiers, which brought together over 40 participants. The fun continued with a pool party, setting the stage for relaxed networking and camaraderie right from the start.
Engaging Educational Sessions
The following day, the conference ramped up with a communal breakfast in the ballroom, sparking lively discussions and paving the way for a full day of educational sessions. I attended a particularly informative session by Ed Meyer on the complexities of foundation types and waterproofing systems. Meanwhile, Will Drockton from Nash Distribution delivered a helpful presentation on selecting the right sump pumps, featuring their exclusive Westinghouse Residential sump pump lineup.
Optimizing Google Business Profiles
I had the privilege of leading a session on July 12 focused on optimizing Google Business Profiles. The well-attended session provided crucial insights into securing and enhancing these profiles for better visibility and lead generation, underscored by a real incident of a listing hijack—a vital lesson in digital vigilance.
Great Questions: Insights from Business Owners
During the event, I was approached with some excellent questions that sparked deep discussions on business growth and lead generation:
1. What are the major differences between companies that bring in <$1mil in gross revenue annually vs companies that bring in >$4mil in gross revenue?
I appreciated this question because early on, in our agency’s infancy, we were regularly taking companies with $500K-$725K in gross revenue and setting them on the path to grow into $1.5mil, and then $3mil etc. At first a company is typically the owner and one other person if they are lucky. The owner has no choice but to work in the business. Once capacity is reached for that owner, they have to take some profits off of the table, if they want to grow, and hire another producer. This could be a sales rep and/or an installer or technician. This is the typical path we prepared our partners for because it meant being willing to let go of the day to day in the trenches, and moving more into a position that allows for them to work ON the company. You need to establish the brand, mission, vision, goals, and then understand when and how to staff up. Most of the businesses we work with look to increase prices, add additional services, and expand on their marketing and advertising to increase lead generation when they previously relied on word of mouth and referrals that got them previous growth. I could go on and on with this subject as this evolution of our clients businesses is one of the most rewarding for me personally and professionally.
2. Lead generation is struggling, how can we improve this?
This was another great question and I think 9 out of 10 conversations we had at the conference revolved around low quantity and low quality of leads presently. In most cases, the businesses were relying on only one or two lead sources. My suggestion was to look at their revenue goals for the year, understand their current pacing, look at the total advertising spend and the diversity of their advertising plan. We find lead generation to be very successful on Google Search Ads, Google Local Service Ads (aka Google Guaranteed), having a very optimized Google Business Profile to capture all of the leads possible, a Referral Program, email marketing, snail mail marketing, Meta (Facebook and Instagram lead gen) and then TV/OTT if the budget allows. We work with individual home service providers from $500K gross revenue annually all the way to $25mil+ annually. Each requires a very unique strategy based on their geography, services, goals and capacity.
Exciting Discoveries in Innovation and Technology
Our exploration of the exhibitor hall was fruitful, leading to several exciting discoveries:
A lending platform that partners with home improvement contractors to offer flexible financing, improving project closure rates and increasing average project sizes.
An automated platform that measures and rewards employee performance, enhancing productivity and retention.
Advisors that help structure warranties and insurance for tax benefits—a unique find in home service conferences.
A comprehensive CRM tool that integrates functionalities like digital drawing, bidding, and direct communication, aimed at enhancing operational efficiency.
Final Thoughts
Though the NFRA Conference could improve in areas of organization and communication, the quality of the content and the breadth of the exhibitors were outstanding. With over 250 contractors attending from various states, the diversity and reach of the conference were notable. For those in the foundation repair industry, the NFRA Conference is a goldmine of opportunities and insights, making it a must-attend event.
Our first experience at the NFRA Conference was incredibly enriching and provided us with numerous insights and tools that we are eager to explore further and integrate into our offerings for our clients.