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SERVING
SANTA CRUZ &
THE ENTIRE
BAY AREA

SINCE 1928

CA LIC #736486

P.O. Box 2310
Santa Cruz, CA 95063

Tel:
(831) 426-0342

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(831) 426-2451

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TOM RALSTON CONCRETE

 


Relationship Marketing:
Working with other professionals can help you build your business

By Lane Mangum

You already understand the value of well-known business building techniques such as a professional image and good service, setting customer expectations and meeting them, and getting referrals.

Now you are looking for ways to jump to the next level. You can expand your business exponentially using the powerful principle of relationship marketing.

Marketing is not just advertising. Marketing is everything you do to promote your business, from networking to your website to sending Christmas cards to past customers. Relationship marketing includes all the ways that you use relationships to promote your business. For a concrete business, this means partnering with other professionals who can help you build your business.

 

Who are these professionals? This depends on your business focus. They could be custom home builders, general contractors specializing in retail upfits, architects specializing in restaurant design, or, in the case of concrete countertops, kitchen designers.

Lees take the example of custom home builders. Your community probably has a chapter of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). You can join this association and attend meetings and networking gatherings where you can meet custom home builders. These builders can introduce you to their high-end clients who would love to learn about the beauty and versatility of decorative concrete.


For this retail countertop project, the contractor got the job because of their relationship with the general contractor.

Let's take the example of custom home builders. Your community probably has a chapter of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). You can join this association and attend meetings and networking gatherings where you can meet custom home builders. These builders can introduce you to their high-end clients who would love to learn about the beauty and versatility of decorative concrete.

Another good example is general contractors specializing in retail up-fits, or the remodeling of an interior retail space for a new store. These stores often use stained or polished concrete for their floors and concrete for their countertops.

If you can meet contractors who specialize in this type of project, they can keep you apprised of new opportunities that appear in the plan room without you having to check all the time or join the Associated General Contractors of America. By networking with your local NAHB chapter, you can find out which contractors specialize in retail up-fits.

 

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