It's only recently that a distinction has been made between replacement contractors —purveyors of replacement windows, siding, and roofing; gutters and gutter protection systems; and decks and sunrooms — and full-service remodelers. It's an apt differentiation, according to Charlie Gindele, president and owner of Dial One Window Replacement Specialists in Santa Ana, Calif. “The businesses are totally different,” he says, noting the discrepancies in volume and number of jobs completed. But those differences shouldn't create an unbridgeable gap between two industries that are in many ways similar. In this, the third of a four-article series, REMODELING talked to replacement contractors about what they do best.
Smart MarketingThe first thing that strikes you about good replacement contractors is how on top of their numbers they are. Their whole business, in fact, is an exercise in game theory. By studying data from several years back, they can determine — with a great degree of accuracy — what percentage of leads turn into appointments, and what percentage of appointments turn into sales. Factoring in their average job size, they can quickly calculate how many leads they need to reach their volume goals for the year.
Because leads are the lifeblood of any replacement contractor, marketing — the act of generating leads — is the most important task these companies undertake. It's so important that Dale Brenke, president of Schmidt Siding & Window Co. in Mankato, Minn
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