#marketing – JOHN L WHEATON BLOG

The email I received from my Development and Communications Coordinator, which came through our “Contact Us” location on our Website said:

“Good afternoon, I actually chat sometimes with John Wheaton on Instagram. I have been following the work closely when photos are posted on IG; the scope looks like you might be able to help my company with a current NYC custom curtain wall project. The project is (project address removed for blog purposes), and we not only have to provide the curtain wall but we own the design and installation of waterproofing behind the glazing. I was wondering if Wheaton & Sprague could provide pricing to consult on waterproofing for this job. Please let me know who to send preliminary shop drawings and arch info to. Note that this is a very time sensitive project. Thank you.”

This is an example of “inbound marketing.” In other words, it came to us; we didn’t go outbound to generate the lead directly. It was the product of RELATIONSHIP BUILDING. It is also an example of how leads and RFP’s (requests for proposals) are generated via social media.

“So how do I actually get leads for real sales from Instagram; how does this work?” Here’s a few pointers, experiences, and examples.

Posting is an act of “creating awareness.” It brings visibility. Keep posting.
Engage with the people who follow; follow them back; thank them for comments. Send DM’s. Have a conversation.
Keep posts consistent and organic. We must be true to our DNA, passion, interests, realities. No need to try to contrive ideas. Just post. Post interests, projects, comments, use hashtags
Put the company website link in the bio of the IG profile
Have a personal and a company IG profile
Call out the company in the personal posts. If you don’t have a company, or “you are the company” then put your blog or personal website link in the bio
Create a unique hashtag around your brand. Ours is #creatingstructure
Connect with as many people and companies in your space as you can; especially with those that are active.

When people tell you that social media marketing doesn’t work for business; it doesn’t work in professional services; it doesn’t return an ROI; that they can’t afford a social media support person, etc., etc., just smile and nod. Keep posting. You get to become the lead generator; the engaged one; the relationship builder in multiple platforms. But IG and Social is not the answer alone. It’s just ONE Answer. One means. It should be just another manifestation of an outward focus; an outward seeking mentality; a passionate desire to connect on many levels with people, with their businesses, and their needs. And remember, it only takes one lead, one proposal, one sale, one referral, to reinforce the importance. I can’t tell you how many leads we’ve gotten from social media platforms.

Be present. Be engaged. Create more content than consumed. Listen to the community. It works.

This week I secured a negotiated project with a client. I visited the client about 4 or 5 years ago. I hadn’t secured a project before this week. I know their CEO, Director of Marketing, VP of Operations, Engineering Manager, a couple of Project Executives, and project managers. But nothing happened prior. Sometimes these things take time.

Over the 4 or 5 years I have been an admirer of their growth and I have kept in touch with them. They are reasonably well represented on social media, so my company social media person and I advocate for them and support a lot of their values. One of them is their “Women in Construction” advocacy and staffing.

They like us, we like them. We both create visibility and awareness. There’s been a lot of talk, contact at conferences, and just some good mutual respect. But no work. No project. No actual transactional business relationship. But that’s okay.

Then it all changed. And it changed quickly. You see a project manager from another client that we worked with joined their organization last year. When the project executive on her project needed an engineering parter, and someone that could collaborate through the process, she said “what about Wheaton Sprague and John Wheaton?”

Then came the RFP, then the phone call, context, urgency, clarity of values, and timing. The proposal was written. Follow up happended from them immediately, and a deal was cut, a proposal signed and a Purchase order received.

You see, the relatiohship is paramount. The relationship is to be nutured always, regardless of where it leads transactionally or at a given moment. The relationship has meaning OUTSIDE of a sale. The SALE is just the final expression of value, trust, and relationship; a promissary note that describes what they will pay us when we deliver on our scope and promises.

Don’t ever lead with a sale. It’s disengenuous. Lead with relationship and with sincerity, not manipulation. Everyone knows you are in business to make money. But that’s the end of the process, not the start.

I’m grateful to now be working with them.

Sometimes these things take time.