Over a year ago I had posted/seen a thread (which I couldn't find, again, on RC) that several of you had posted some services that you listed yourself on to obtain new business/clients. At that time I listed my business on Service Magic even though there were mixed reviews from some of you on RC. End result was I have had the busiest year, ever, because of my listing on the service.

Some of you had mentioned some other services that you used to grow your business and wanted to re-visit that discussion as I have hired a part-time guy now and want to grow him into a full time position by seeking other opportunities.

What I would like to know are what are some successful things you are doing to market your services? In return, I would share some tips I have learned to make Service Magic more effective in getting more leads and closing more deals.

RC mail me, instead, if you would rather keep some of this information private.

Thanks,
William

Yeah get service, they charge you $50 a head for customers who just want to buy an $15.00 HDMI cable or some other penny item and then there are the phantom customers that don't exist yet you still have to pay $50.00 each.

thats what im worried about with service magic also......yes I'd like to be busier but I'd want to be busier with productive, profitable projects......I'd rather do 2-3 decent jobs a year than 100 hang and bangs....jmo

On a slow month ServiceMagic still gets 2,000,000+ unique visitors a month. Has to be some business in there somewhere.

You pay for those low margin leads. You'll have to increase your labor margin for it to make sense.

You have to understand your business model and decide if it's right for you. If you want bigger jobs with more margin (sometimes more headaches) than this isn't for you. If you base your business on service and can handle a lot of smaller service calls then it could be very beneficial.

 Oh..Here we go again.  Last time we had this conversation, I was actually accused of being a ServiceMagic employee.

Here's the deal.  ServiceMagic works and it works well.  That being said, you've got to know how the leads work.  I don't do big Crestron systems that alot of you guys do, but I get alot of work from ServiceMagic.  I get alot of hang and bangs, but I also get alot of complete home theater systems (not dedicated room) And we had a very successful 2010 because of ServiceMagic.  

There are a couple of others out there.  Onforce, ServiceLive..I'm signed up with them too..I've never done 1 job for them, because they dictate what they pay. 

With SM, you quote it, and let the best man win.  

If you have any specific questions about SM, shoot me a PM, I'm more than happy to answer any specific questions.

I use service magic as well and I have gotten some very decent jobs and some not so good jobs. The trick to service magic is to screen you targeted zip codes to areas you want and can service easily. I removed myself from the hang and bangs and only do the complete home theater service in one or two zip codes. The credit request is your best friend because clients don't always read through the list of services offered and pick the wrong one. I have yet to be declined a credit request.

Not gonna make you rich but can help if you use it properly to fit you model.

Have you thought about putting Crestron system packages together and selling them on ebay for extra cash?

I did once I saw those yahoos doing it a few weeks ago. Hell its easy to install and we can help you set it up:)

What ever happened to those guys?

RTI, Zohan and Stamp (also Sig SV). I don't list on the home theater installation section on SM to avoid tire kickers. I only list on "hang TV", "computer repair" and "repair home theater". Two weeks ago I called a lead back from home theater repair and she said she had already went with another company. I thanked her for taking my call and invited her to call me back if it didn't work out with her other contractor. The next day she called and said the other guy was "too busy" and wasn't sure when he could come out and look at her system and apologized and asked if I could come out and take a look. I made $3,400.00 on that $75.00 service call that cost me $7.00 (around there but not $50.00 like the new home theater leads cost) in two days worth of work. It took care on my $1,900.00 mortgage payment.

So 39, I have no intention of "whoring" out Crestron. The deal here is to sift through the raw leads and make some money while looking for my core customer. In the example above, the original installer sold her an $89.00 surge protector (never wired the $5,000.00 PJ to any surge protection at all). later, the client had a lightning strike and the installer came out and sold her a new Russound control unit (because it had been struck by lightning) and didn't bother to sell her a newer better surge protector, replace the remote that was damaged or the ipod dock that wasn't working.

Service Magic will work if you call the lead immediately, give them a range of pricing (no specifics but set an appointment to give a free estimate) and list yourself in some of the low-end undesirable categories like system repair. My average TV hang ticket is $475.00 BUT my average repair home theater ticket is $1,800.00.

There will always be tire kickers in our business. The problem is the internet has "commoditized" (sorry if not a word) our business and it is only going to get worse, not better. I don't give specific pricing on SM over the phone because I want to sell the deal in person when I give my "free" estimate. I learned this in my home improvement sales techniques classes I took years ago. I have walked into a house and sold $40,000.00 worth of equipment on the first visit with a new client and walked out with a check for payment in full. This particular client called 8 other Service Magic contractors and I was the first and there were four more coming out later that week. I sold the deal on the first visit and told the client that it would be "unfair" to make the other guys drive out and go through the motion of giving a quote (making the other guys waste their time and gas money) when they had already signed with me. Then I asked them to call the guys and cancel the appointments while I was still there and they did!
The science (yes, I call it a science) is give just enough info to get the appointment to give the "free" estimate. This shifts me from being the "sales guy" (bottom feeder creep) to being the "technical advisor" in their home. You and I know the common story where the sales rep tries to sell the client the $1,000.00 "widget" and the client declines but when the installer goes out to do the work he sells the homeowner the same "widget" but the $4,000.00 version because the client trusted the installer better the sales rep. If the client goes for the cheapest price after I have gone out to the house it wasn't because they were "tire kickers" but because I never moved the standard from "sales weasel" to "professional consultant".

The number one rule when listed on these websites is to set the appointment NOT give them prices over the phone. There are plenty of trunk slamming "order takers" who can give the lead a cheaper price over the phone. I have trained several hundred sales people aound the country how to sell properly over the phone and in person and finally decided to grow my own "book" of business rather than be a regional manager or VP of sales and grow someone else's business.

Yes, it's all in the zip code. It's like playing tennis. You can run all over the court chasing the ball or you can make the other guy chase the ball, instead.

William,
do skip out on the Home theaters. If they are tire kicking just get a credit request.
Never fails.

Do you mean "don't" skip out? I think what you are saying is get the lead and if it is bogus ask for credit?

I cant force you to go after the real money. Your loss. Me? Im signing up with ebay and paypal and puttin' up my prodigy4cheap.com website.

After today's posts I realize I am selling myself short. You are not BSing me about the prodigy4cheap thing are you?

Hey, didn't one of the guys here have a new website that we could list our info to do installs?