Webinar Recap: Bone Dry Roofing's 74% Set Rate

Here is the TLDW (too long didn't watch) recap of this week's webinar with Bone Dry Roofing CMO Matt Tyner. Enjoy!

Click here to get a link to the recording.

The 10 key points

1. Interesting content.
   No one cares about their roof until there’s something wrong with it. Put content out there that people want to read, so you can build the human relationship first.
2. Speed and follow-up.
   You need to be the first one to reach out to the leads and you can’t just send one or two messages.
3. Ownership is key.
   Software won’t solve your problems, you have to put the right people behind it
4. Hire people
   If you have a high abandon rate, hire people. The business you’ll get from one of those jobs is going to offset the cost of what you would pay to hire someone.
5. Customer service
   Lead numbers have softened over the past 2 years, so customer service is more popular. Very few home service companies understand who their customer is. Once you know who they are then you know how to serve them.
6. Long game
   Not every piece of information that goes out has to be a sales piece. We want to create a genuine human connection with them. this is the long game, we’re focused on creating a genuine human connection.
7. In-person only
   No zoom meetings for new leads, in-person only. Build the relationship. Prevent cancellations by staying in touch with the customer in between the booking and the appointment itself.
8. Repair-first
   Do a higher percent of repairs over replacements. If you do a good job of repairing, the customer will come to you for the replacement.
9. Internal improvement
   Stop comparing your performance to other companies. You should just be competing with yourself feverishly. Strive to improve by 1% every day.
10. In-office call center
    In-office is best solution for call center - people answering the phone are more connected to the value proposition of the company

Full webinar recap:

Intros

• Webinar hosts

• • Chris Bache: Co-founder and CEO of Hatch, moderator of the webinar.
  • Matt Tyner: CMO of Bone Dry Roofing, primary speaker.

• Matt Tyner's background:
  • Extensive experience in the HVAC and plumbing industries before becoming the CMO of Bone Dry Roofing.
  • Roles included business growth, product development, sales, and marketing.
  • Worked with various companies ranging from startups to large, multi-million-dollar businesses.
• Bone Dry Roofing overview:
  • Company size: $200 million contractor with 20 locations and over 500 team members.
  • Geographic focus: Primarily in the Midwest, with locations in Colorado and Florida.
  • Current focus: Aligning operations for growth in the upcoming year.
  • Teams led by Matt: Marketing and call center teams, with a significant emphasis on integrating marketing efforts with operational success.

Marketing team structure & staffing strategy

• Director of marketing: Streamlines internal projects and focuses on execution.
• Creative team:
  • Creative director: Oversees the look and feel of the brand.
  • Graphic designer: Supports creative initiatives.
• Community engagement: Focuses on community involvement and enhancing the company’s presence.
• Social media manager: Manages engagement and content creation for social media platforms.
• Digital marketing manager: Works closely with agencies on SEO and PPC strategies.
• Email marketing coordinator: Manages email campaigns and community-focused content.
• Videographer/photographer: Produces internal video content and commercials.
• Motion graphics specialist: Creates animated content to tell the brand’s story.
• Data specialist: Communicates marketing results and community engagement to local markets.

• Customer assurance:
  • Housed within the marketing department, responsible for managing reviews and ensuring customer satisfaction.
  • Focuses on resolving negative experiences and upholding the company’s brand promise.

• In house resources
  • Emphasized that financials will indicate when to invest in in-house resources, such as PPC management or media buying.
  • The decision to bring roles in-house should be based on cost-effectiveness and the added value of having dedicated, full-time experts.

• Integration importance:
  • Marketing and call centers should work closely together to maximize lead conversion.
  • Common mistake: Assuming the issue is a lack of leads when the problem might be in the conversion process.
  • The call center is the first human interaction with potential customers, making it crucial for success.

Strategies to improve appointment set rate

• Lead management: Focus on converting existing leads rather than constantly seeking new ones.
• Importance of managing and nurturing leads to provide the best customer experience and increase conversion rates.
• Consumers value the peace of mind and quality service, which should be reflected in how leads are handled.
• Speed to lead: Respond to leads as quickly as possible to demonstrate care and commitment.
  • Implemented a partnership with Hatch to automate and expedite responses via text, email, and phone calls.
  • Aimed for a seven-day cadence of outreach to ensure consistent follow-up.
  • Cadences: Developed deliberate and personalized communication strategies to build relationships with leads.
  • Appointed a dedicated team to manage and nurture leads.
  • Emphasized that technology alone isn’t enough—investment in people and processes is crucial.
• Measuring success:
  • Response rate: Tracked how quickly the team responded to leads.
  • Phone call speed: Targeted an outbound call within two minutes of receiving a lead.
  • Answer rate: Aimed for a 99% answer rate during business hours, with a sub-1% abandon rate.
• Investment in resources:
  • Advocated for hiring more staff if abandon rates were high, stressing that the revenue gained would justify the cost.
  • Suggested that call center roles should be valued and compensated well, contributing to overall company pride and customer satisfaction.

Balancing lead acquisition and efficiency

• Prioritize optimizing current lead management before investing in more leads to avoid unnecessary cash burn.
• Aim for a 73-75% appointment set rate before scaling lead acquisition efforts.
• Different lead sources have varying levels of warmth:
  • Referrals: Extremely warm leads.
  • PPC and SEO: Warmer leads, especially if direct.
  • Lead providers (e.g., Angie): Colder leads but cost-effective if managed well.
• System optimization is crucial to handling colder leads effectively and realizing their potential impact on the business.
• Financial models should account for the varying costs and conversion rates of different lead types.
• Colder leads from providers like Angie can be profitable if the system is optimized, as they cost less per lead.

Customer loyalty

• Current customers are the best source of revenue; focusing on them can lead to significant growth.
• Work in progress to better understand and engage with existing customers through a sophisticated database beyond just CRM.
• Move beyond simple CRM data to create a comprehensive customer profile for more targeted marketing.
• Emphasize genuine human connections over purely sales-driven communications.
• Aim for long-term relationships by focusing on customer loyalty and service quality.
• Develop campaigns that resonate with customers, focusing on community involvement and brand-building rather than just sales.
• Position the brand as one that values relationships and service, differentiating from competitors who focus solely on transactional marketing.

In-person, repair-first strategy

• Bone Dry Roofing prefers in-person meetings for new roof leads to build strong, long-term relationships.
• While some companies use drones or Zoom, Bone Dry emphasizes a high-touch approach with personal interactions.
• The focus is on repair first, as it builds trust and leads to future roof replacements without needing additional marketing efforts.
• The strategy revolves around creating repeat customers who return for subsequent roof repairs or replacements, reducing marketing costs over time

Technology, tracking, and performance

• Current tools:
  • Zoom Contact Center: Used for call center operations.
  • I 360: CRM system in use.
  • CallRail: Call tracking software for campaign attribution to revenue.
  • Homegrown database: In development to integrate data from various systems and provide a full funnel view of the customer journey.
• Call tracking goals:
  • Working towards integrating tracking from different platforms into a centralized marketing database for a comprehensive overview.

• Reply time tracking:
  • Hatch: Used to track reply times by agent, focusing on speed to lead.
  • Emphasized the importance of continuous improvement rather than comparing performance with competitors.
  • Tools within Hatch help monitor and improve response rates, with a goal of under five minutes for replies to ensure effective customer engagement.

• Reducing opt outs
  • Avoid spammy communications by making messages personable and relevant.
  • Use a conversational tone, similar to how one would text a family member, to reduce opt-outs.
  • Personalization tools and customer feedback are leveraged to refine messaging strategies.
  • A focus on creating genuine, human connections in communications rather than transactional messages to reduce opt-out rates.

Q&A

• No-show/cancellation rates:
  • Rates vary between 2-7%, with efforts in place to reduce these through customer engagement and guidance throughout the process.
  • Continuous communication with customers helps mitigate cancellations and builds long-term relationships.
• Re-engagement strategies:
  • Implementing targeted sequences for no-shows and cancellations to re-book appointments and improve conversion rates incrementally.

• Building team culture:
  • Emphasis on hiring the right people who naturally cultivate a positive and productive culture.
  • Culture is seen as something that develops organically within the team, rather than being imposed from the top down.
• Focus on team and skill development:
  • Valuing individuals as people first, which fosters a strong, supportive work environment.
  • The team's collective ownership and commitment to success contribute to a positive culture.

• Canvassing:
  • Minimal canvassing is done, mostly focused on notifying neighbors during a job and addressing any potential issues.
  • Canvassing is not a core strategy for Bone Dry Roofing.
• Automation with Hatch:
  • Hatch allows for both automated initial responses and full conversations, depending on the specific use case.
• Future follow-up:
  • Additional questions from the webinar will be addressed through follow-up communication, ensuring all inquiries are answered comprehensively

In-house vs outsourcing call center

• In-house advantage:
  • Employees answering the phones are more personally connected to the company and understand its value proposition and customer service philosophy.
  • In-house staff are inherently more invested in the company’s success, making them more likely to provide superior customer service.
• Outsourcing concerns:
  • Outsourced call center agents may prioritize other clients over your company, leading to less personalized and effective customer interactions.
  • While outsourcing can be supplemented with AI or IVRs for capacity issues, it may not align with the goal of delivering the best customer experience.

• Call centers as a core competency:
  • The call center is central to selling the service, whether it's setting appointments or confirming details, making it a critical function to keep in-house.
  • A deep understanding of the company and its offerings is crucial for the call center to be effective, which is best achieved by in-house teams.
• Technology and AI integration:
  • AI and automation can be beneficial when thoughtfully integrated, but the focus should always remain on what best serves the customer.
  • Efficiency and automation should not come at the cost of customer satisfaction; the right balance of people, technology, and processes is essential.

Final thoughts and webinar wrap-up

• Matt Tyner’s perspective:
  • Emphasizes the importance of keeping call center operations in-house to maintain high standards of customer service and connection.
  • Encourages thoughtful integration of technology without losing sight of the primary goal: serving the customer.
• Closing remarks:
  • Matt Tyner is open to further discussions and connections on LinkedIn, where he actively shares insights in the service industry.
  • The webinar concludes with an invitation to explore Hatch’s offerings and how AI and automation can fit into the broader strategy for growing businesses.