Stop Letting Leads Slip Through the Cracks in the Burn Season
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Stop Letting Leads Slip Through the Cracks in the Burn Season
Tim Reed
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Introduction: Strike While the Iron Is Hot
Every fall, our industry is given the blessing—and curse—of the cold-weather rush as customers flock to prepare their homes for the winter ahead. And while this boon is what keeps most companies afloat, very few are able to take full advantage of it.
In fact, most companies that struggle with financial problems in the off-season do so because they failed to take advantage of financial opportunities in season by letting leads slip through the cracks during the most important time of the year.
To back up a bit, it’s obvious that every company in our industry wants more leads—and the biggest companies in our industry work with outside marketers to procure those leads. But my question is simple: What do we do with a lead once we have it?
For many businesses, the answer is simple: nothing.
If we want to make the most of every opportunity, we have to stop letting in-season leads slip through the cracks. To do that, there needs to be a system in place to nurture customers from one stage of the sale to the next. If we don’t provide that, customers will (a) do nothing, (b) go somewhere else to buy, or (c) spend inordinate amounts of our time spinning in circles.
The good news is that every company can build a simple system to stop letting leads slip through the cracks during the burn season by following these simple steps:
- Define the steps of doing business with your company.
- Set up an automated email campaign.
- Make three follow-up calls at the end of every day.
Here’s how you put these steps into practice.
Step 1: Define the Steps of Doing Business With Your Company
One of the things that’s easiest for us to miss the longer that we’re in the fireplace industry is just how difficult it is to buy a fireplace. And because the process is unfamiliar, many leads stall out, simply because the customer doesn’t know what to do next.
My friend Matt Bradley says, “It’s really hard to buy something if you don’t know how much it costs and where you go to pay for it,” and that’s exactly what happens to our customers when we don’t define the steps of doing business with us.
Now, if we think about defining this process for an incoming lead, it needs to be general enough to apply to everyone, but specific enough to give clear direction. Your customer’s project is a journey through the jungle, and your job is to provide a map to follow.
The steps of doing business with your company (the landmarks on your map) will vary depending on how your business is set up—and it’s easy to get lost in the weeds—but think about the three to four steps that it takes for a new lead to move through the entire buying journey and make a purchase. For most companies, your steps will look like this:
- Step 1: Find a fireplace and get an estimate.
- Step 2: Schedule an appointment to confirm the details.
- Step 3: Order the materials and schedule an installation.
As simple as that sounds, explaining these steps—in that level of detail—with every new lead will do incredible things to harness momentum and keep customers moving forward.
You get bonus points if you can do this in your showroom conversations as well.
These steps should be plastered on your website, on your business cards, and, yes, even on the back of your installation vehicles. For all of the money that companies spend on catchphrases, brand colors, and fancy marketing reports, the results pale in comparison to explaining what you offer and how to buy it in clear, simple terms.
Defining the steps of doing business with your company focuses every interaction and keeps momentum moving forward. And that’s exactly how you take advantage of the opportunities you have in season.
What do we do with a lead once we have it?
Step 2: Set Up an Automated Email Campaign
More than TV, radio, Google, Facebook, or anything else, I believe the most effective marketing today is email marketing.
This may not be the answer you get from your marketing company (after all, they can charge you a lot more to sell you SEO, social media ads, and a company rebrand), but it’s simply the truth.
If customers in today’s world are serious enough to spend time on your website, then fill out a form with their address, phone number, email address, and project timeline, they’re dead serious about getting something done. And that’s worth more than all the “impressions” in the world.
Now, we can debate if a phone number is more effective than email, but I lean toward email because most people don’t pick up calls from numbers they don’t recognize, whereas the email has a chance to get in front of their eyes every single time.
Of course, people are busy—and that’s why we need an automated email campaign that consistently reminds them how to move forward with their projects.
The platform you use is up to you. Whether it’s Mailchimp, Constant Contact, WhyFire, or ServiceTitan, I’m not worried about which delivery system you use—as long as you’ve picked a delivery system to use.
Once you’ve set up your platform, build a campaign for all new leads that sends seven to 12 emails over the next three weeks (that might seem like a lot, but I promise you, it’s not). The emails should be short, easy to read, and actionable. Here’s an example of what the first three could look like:
Email 1
Subject: We’re excited to get started on your fireplace project
Message:
Hi [First Name],
We can’t wait to help you with your fireplace project—thanks for reaching out!
Now, getting a fireplace installed can seem like an overwhelming project, so to help with that, here are the steps that we take on every job to make sure your project goes smoothly.
- Step 1: Our team will help you find a fireplace and get an initial project estimate.
- Step 2: We’ll schedule an in-home (or on-site) appointment with you to confirm the details.
- Step 3: We’ll order the materials and schedule your installation.
To get started, click right here, and we’ll help you find a fireplace and get that initial estimate.
Best,
[Salesperson’s Name]
P.S. If you need an answer right away, here’s my direct number: [Phone Number].
Email 2
Subject: Want to get your project estimate?
Message:
Hi [First Name],
It’s [Salesperson’s Name] from [Business Name] reaching out again.
I want to make sure this doesn’t slip through the cracks and would love to help you find a fireplace and get a project estimate.
Would you like to make that happen?
Just click here to schedule a time that’s convenient for you, and I’ll be there.
As a reminder, here’s how all of our jobs work at [Business Name]:
- Step 1: Our team will help you find a fireplace and get an initial project estimate.
- Step 2: We’ll schedule an in-home (or on-site) appointment with you to confirm the details.
- Step 3: We’ll order the materials and schedule your installation.
I can’t wait to see how a fireplace transforms your home.
Best,
[Salesperson’s Name]
P.S. If the phone is easier, just give me a call at [Phone Number].
Email 3
Subject: Next steps on your fireplace project
Message:
Hi [First Name],
It’s [Salesperson’s Name]—hope you’re well.
We’d love to get started on your fireplace project when you’re ready. Is there a time that would work well for you next week?
As a reminder, here’s how the process works:
- Step 1: Our team will help you find a fireplace and get an initial project estimate.
- Step 2: We’ll schedule an in-home (or on-site) appointment with you to confirm the details.
- Step 3: We’ll order the materials and schedule your installation.
Click here to schedule a time that works for you and get that initial estimate.
Best,
[Salesperson’s Name]
P.S. If it’s easier to call, here’s my direct number: [Phone Number].
Even though it seems like a lot of emails, we have to remember that customers are busy, and we have to keep the fireplace top of mind. As long as the emails are short, easy to read, and actionable, you’ll find very few people unsubscribe.
Once this automation is built out, configure it so all new (non-service) leads funnel into it. You’ll be amazed how many appointments are booked automatically because customers understand the next step to take.
When you make it easy for your customers to do business with you, I promise that more of them will.
This article is brought to you by Napoleon.
Step 3: Make Three Follow-Up Calls at the End of Every Day
As amazing as automations are, the real magic is mixing them with manual follow-up as well. Now, many companies I’ve talked to say that there’s simply no way to follow up with their customers during the burn season because they’re too busy.
I’m not debating how busy things are when the weather gets cold, but I will stand firm on the fact that any salesperson can pursue 15 customers every week with just a few intentional minutes at the end of the day.
So, here’s the rule: As soon as the store closes and the door is locked, require all salespeople (owners included) to stop what they’re doing and call three new customers to ask if they want to move ahead with their projects.
I promise that this will only take a few minutes, and the return on investment from that intentional time will often be greater than anything else you’ve done that day. Plus, the group accountability of doing the same thing in the same way at the same time every day will make it as solid as cement.
The phone calls can be simple. Here are a few examples:
“Hi, this is [Salesperson’s Name]. I’m checking in because you wrote about looking to get your fireplace project started. I’d love to help you find the right fireplace for your home—and get you a price range for the project. Our schedule is filling up, but I can reserve space for your project if you’re able to meet this week.”
“Hi, this is [Salesperson’s Name]. I’m checking in on your fireplace project because I know you wanted to get this in before [holiday name]. We have a little bit of space left in our schedule, and I wanted to make sure I let you know before we had to give the spot away to someone else.”
“Hi, this is [Salesperson’s Name]. I know you had a lot you were juggling in your home remodel, and I wanted to make sure the fireplace doesn’t slip through the cracks. We actually have a factory promotion that just started, and I wanted to make sure you were able to take advantage of the savings by getting things going before the end of the month.”
“Hi, this is [Salesperson’s Name]. When we talked last, you mentioned that you were going to get another bid for your project, and I wanted to see how our proposal looked compared to what you’ve found. I’ve got an installation available on [date] that I can hold for you if you’re able to make a decision before the end of the week.”
Now, whether you get someone on the phone or have to leave a voicemail, these calls will generate incredible results—if they’re done every day by every salesperson.
The math is simple.
Right now, most businesses follow up with zero new customers each week; they’re simply trying to keep track of what came in earlier that day.
But by following up with three new customers each day, that adds up to 15 new customers pursued each week, 60 new customers pursued each month, and 720 new customers pursued each year.
And that’s just one salesperson.
Imagine what happens when you have two salespeople, the manager, and the secretary doing this—it’s like compound interest.
By setting aside intentional time to make three follow-up calls at the end of every day, you’ll make sure that you’re always in touch with your best opportunities—and that they’re given a simple path to make a purchase. Combine this with your automated email follow-up, and you’ll have the secret sauce that your competition is too busy to take advantage of.
Conclusion: Make It Easy, and People Will Buy
Just because most companies fly by the seat of their pants in the burn season doesn’t mean that you have to. And even though the busyness may still be there, these simple steps of intentionality can transform the way you do business—because every single one of them is about making it easier for the customer to buy from you.
I was recently at a conference of fireplace dealers and asked how many of them wished their manufacturers were easier to do business with—and every hand in the room went up.
If this is true for us, how much more is it true for our customers?
And even if we’re not able to achieve perfection, we should make it our constant goal to be as easy as possible to do business with.
By defining the steps of doing business with us, creating automated email campaigns inviting customers to take the next step, and making three follow-up calls per day, you’ll ensure that customers will have every opportunity to buy from you.
Now, this isn’t a guarantee that every lead you pursue will turn into a sale, but it is a guarantee that if you pursue every lead in this way, you’ll make it as easy as possible to do business with you.
And when you make it easy for your customers to do business with you, I promise that more of them will, which is exactly what you want in the burn season.
There’s only one chance at it each year—so strike while the iron is hot, and make the most of every opportunity.
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Tim Reed
Tim Reed is the president of WhyFire, where he helps business leaders in the hearth industry take control of their companies by providing them with sales tools to save time and make money. He’s also the host of The Fire Time Podcast, which is actively helping thousands of people grow themselves—and their companies.
