Residential Metal Roofing Executive Report

Your Company Story and the Holidays

Issue #64 | November 11, 2016 | Seth Heckaman

It has been good to see the weather continue to cooperate with us in most areas of the country. I know many of you still have significant backlogs extending through the end of the year. Please let us know of any ways we can help you.

I hope you have marked your calendar for our 2017 Metal Roofing Summit that will be held March 13 – 15, 2017 here in Piqua, Ohio! I am excited to announce that Todd Gongwer, author of Lead…for God’Sake!, will now be joining us to discuss pursuing our best in leadership. Todd has been tapped by leading organizations and teams, from Tyson Foods to the Indianapolis Colts, for his insights on leadership and how to lead through powerful relationships. He is an incredible addition to our agenda. You can view the complete agenda and register on the website.

In this issue of the Executive Report, I want to revisit the importance of your unique company story and explore opportunities available through the holiday season to further build and define that story.

We all know that consumers, despite the hours spent researching and evaluating available products, will still ultimately decide to do business with a company they connect to emotionally. Most consumers will only buy if they know and believe who you are and what you are passionate about.

Looking at my own web habits, and our Google Analytics confirm this is true for many others, I am always sure to visit the “About Us” section of any company I consider doing business with. I don’t seek out that page to read more product information or learn the square footage of a company’s warehouse; I want to learn who the company is and and what they are passionate about. I want to see pictures of their team members, their hobbies, and learn if they are engaged in their community. If researching a home improvement company, I want to know the story of how they chose to make their career in construction, what areas of their business they are most passionate about, and how they care for their team members. I, and most consumers, are intentionally seeking an emotional connection and will quickly be drawn to the company that creates one through a compelling company story.

This story should strike a balance between hobbies, community service, and other personal passions, while also including passions relating to your business and those relevant to a potential customer. If you are passionate about quality, tell the story of how consumers will see evidence of that passion when working with your company. We covered the importance of creating this brand and identity in a past issue of the Executive Report.

Beyond your “About Us” page, social media is the ideal medium for delivering your company story. It is the type of content consumers want to engage with over social media. They are much quicker to engage in a post regarding your activities in the community or an employee appreciation event, than yet another marketing message on the benefits of metal roofing.

The last two months of the year provide many opportunities for you to leverage your passions to strengthen your company culture and story. With the spirit of the holiday season, you can show your team how much you value them and together serve those less fortunate in your community. Here are just a few ideas we have used in our organization or seen some of our dealers use:

• In the month of November, there are many opportunities to serve and show appreciation to our veterans. One of our dealers is a veteran himself and is very involved in the Honor Flight Network, chaperoning veterans on visits to Washington, D.C.
• Organize a work day for your team members to get out and involved in your community. Many of our dealers have engaged with their local leadership to rebuild parks, clean up public areas, and more.
• Show your team members your appreciation for how hard they work all year long. Holiday parties and shared meals may seem trifle, but truly invest in making them a special event so your team knows how much you care.
• Many non-profit organizations spend the end of the year looking for individuals to fill vacant board seats. As entrepreneurs, business owners, and sales and marketing experts, you would be incredibly valuable to non-profits striving to serve your community. It is a rewarding experience getting deeply involved with an organization you are passionate about.
• Todd Miller serves with the Salvation Army here in our area. You and your team could commit to ringing kettle bells for a day in your community.
• I have the pleasure of serving with our local Habitat for Humanity affiliate. Though home builds are not usually conducted in the winter, many affiliates are completing indoor remodeling projects or have ReStores where you can serve.
• There is a growing trend of companies requiring their team members to perform a certain number of community service hours per year as terms of their employment. It is not an incredible amount, maybe 5 – 10 hours, but creates a culture of service within the organization.

These are only a few of the innumerable opportunities there are to write a compelling company story through the end of the year. I encourage you to take inventory of your passions and write a story your team will want to participate in and consumers will want to engage with. Not only will you and your team be all the more fulfilled by a larger mission and vision for your organization, but it will clearly distinguish you from your competition.

Once you have developed your company story, don’t forget to promote it on your website, in your advertising, and in your in-home presentation.

As always, please do not hesitate to reach out via email or phone if we can be of help.

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