📨 Contractor’s Digest – Sunday Marketing & Sales Guide (March 9, 2025)

Last week, we covered how to systematically generate high-value referrals to keep your pipeline full. Today, we’re diving into the second biggest difference between 6-figure contractors and 7-figure business owners:

🔹 Creating a distinct market position that makes price competition irrelevant.

Let’s get into it.

At a recent builders' association meeting, I asked 17 contractors a simple question:

💬 "Why should someone hire you instead of the contractor down the street?"

Here’s what they said:

Here’s the problem: None of these are differentiators. They are baseline expectations. When everyone makes the same claims, you blend in with the competition, leaving price as the only deciding factor for customers.

I worked with a high-end remodeler who was losing 20% of bids to lower-priced competitors. Even though his craftsmanship was superior, his marketing was indistinguishable from every other remodeler in his area.

This lack of differentiation was costing him:
💰 $800K+ annually in lost projects – 2 jobs per month at $35K each
⏳ Hours wasted preparing estimates for price-shoppers
📉 The ability to charge premium rates reflecting his expertise
😤 Clients who didn’t value his unique strengths

After analyzing his most profitable projects and best client relationships, we uncovered something surprising:

His clients weren’t hiring him for “quality remodeling”—they were hiring him for his expertise in historic home renovations.

We repositioned his business as:
🛠️ “The Historic Home Renovation Specialists: Preserving Architectural Heritage While Creating Modern Living Spaces.”

This required:
✔️ Redesigning his website to showcase historic renovations
✔️ Creating case studies of past projects and challenges
✔️ Using specialized language that resonated with historic homeowners
✔️ Building relationships with historical societies & architects
✔️ Refusing to bid on generic remodels that didn’t fit his expertise

Within six months, his business was unrecognizable:
📈 Close rate on qualified leads skyrocketed from 31% to 68%
💰 Average project size increased from $35K to $57K
⚡ He charged 30% more than general remodelers—and still won the jobs
🚫 He stopped bidding on projects that weren’t a perfect fit
🔥 Most importantly, he worked exclusively with clients who valued his expertise

The result? More profit, better clients, and less stress.

To uncover your unique market position, block 90 minutes this week and work through these five questions:

1️⃣ What do we do better than anyone else? (Be brutally honest—“quality work” isn’t enough!)
2️⃣ Which project types generate the highest profit margins?
3️⃣ Which past clients valued our unique approach the most?
4️⃣ What problems do we solve that most contractors struggle with?
5️⃣ If we could only work on one type of project, what would create the most value & satisfaction?

✅ Complete the Differentiation Workshop (above) with your team
✅ Create your "Only Statement": "We are the only contractor in [market] that [unique aspect]."
✅ Audit your website & marketing materials – Do they make you stand out or blend in?
✅ Identify 3 past projects that best represent your unique expertise & document what made them successful
✅ Meet with your team to discuss how operations should align with your specialization

Next Sunday, I’ll break down the follow-up system that helped one contractor convert 58% more leads—without spending a dollar more on marketing.

Until then, I’d love to hear from you: What’s your biggest challenge in differentiating your business? Reply and let me know!

To your success,
Benjamin Patton

P.S. Found this valuable? Forward it to another contractor who could benefit. They can subscribe and get our free eBook "Top 10 Mistakes Contractors Make in Marketing" at contractorsdigest.com