Sure, this is an emerging industry, and it's tough to get things started, but I've identified (at least) 10 mistakes that can cause your home inventory service business to fail quickly.
- Not building a connection with prospects. Going into someone's home or business is an intensely personal process. Establish rapport and trust from the get-go -- who are you, why are you in business? Feature your story and photo on your website.
- Not building alliances. Trust and credibility can be leveraged -- build relationships with insurance agents, professional organizers, estate lawyers, and financial planners and use their networks to build your visibility.
- Not having a website. This includes registering a name ("parking" it) and not doing anything with it. Almost as bad are pages that say "Under Construction" or "Coming Soon" or "Site Not Ready Yet." If you've only got enough for 2-3 pages (About Us, Services, Contact Us), then just build those pages. Add pages when you've got the content ready! And make sure your site loads quickly! (Test it on old browsers and old computers, just to make sure.)
- Not providing enough contact information. If you only provide a web form -- no phone or e-mail address -- you're not convincing your prospective customers of your staying power. Reassure them you'll be there for them in the future when they have an insurance claim. Make sure you keep your contact information on your site up-to-date.
- Not building credibility. Provide lots of information -- sample reports, tip sheets, testimonials from customers (even if these were "test" inventories).
- Not identifying the prospect's "pain." Don't talk about the "features" of your service (the HOW of the home inventory. Focus on the WHY -- the peace of mind, the adequate insurance coverage, the faster "back-to-normal" speed.
- Not making a good first impression. Does your website have typos? Is it confusing or hard to navigate? Is your business name and logo clear and compelling? Is your voice mail message professional? Do you get back to them in a timely manner?
- Are you confusing your prospective customers? If you get a prospect to look at your website, you've halfway home! (Awareness of the existence of home inventory documentation services is extremely low. If you get them to your site, chances are they NEED or are INTERESTED in your services.) Don't sell Google Ads on your site, or advertise your pet-sitting business and car detailing services on the same page you're promoting your home inventory services. Help them understand exactly what you offer, and what steps to take to retain your services.
- Trying to hit a home run instead of a single. Don't try to make a $300-$700 sale from the initial contact. See the sales process as a PROCESS! Get their name and contact information (e-mail, phone, address). Ask questions to understand why they're interested in your services (usually there's a REASON -- fear of the upcoming hurricane season, or their neighbor just lost everything in a house fire). Then take a baby step -- ask if you can come and do a free estimate. Once you're there, offer them CHOICES: An express inventory for $99 (walk-through video inventory and photos -- up to 1 hour); a silver package for $199 (up to 2 hours); a gold package for $299 (up to 3 hours); or a comprehensive package (including full written report, and DVD, etc.) for $499. Get *some* kind of sale out of it, and then work on upgrading them over time.
- Not being patient. This is not the kind of industry where you can come in and "buy" clients through offering lower prices or heavily advertising. It will take you time to build your business -- about three times as long as you expected. It will also cost you about twice as much as you anticipated. But it will all pay off -- and your business will explode -- the first time one of your clients files a claim.
