From Grocery Clerk to Franchise Owner: A Father of Four’s Journey to Success
When Bill Burns decided to make a career change and start his own 1-800 WATER DAMAGE franchise, he needed a marketing partner to help him succeed. He found it in Scorpion.
Quick Stat
15-20X ROI Each Month
The Goal
Getting the Phone to Ring
Bill Burns spent years as a grocery checker for a Safeway in Northern California to support his wife and children, but as his family grew, he started thinking about a different career path. He carefully weighed his options and picked up the phone to inquire about becoming a 1-800 WATER DAMAGE franchisee. He had no experience in restoration, but he took a leap of faith and invested in equipment, put together a team, and started promoting his new business to the community.
That’s when he hit a snag. The phone wasn’t ringing, and he needed new jobs if he was to support his family and his techs with his new business. “I was definitely starting to feel the pressure from not generating enough calls,” said Bill. “I knew doors opened for a reason, but I had no idea how this was going to pan out.” That's when he turned to 1-800 WATER DAMAGE’s preferred marketing partner: Scorpion.
The Solution
Much-Needed Expertise
When our team started working with Bill, we took the time to understand his challenges and goals. Then we started addressing them. We used our expertise in-home services franchisee marketing to reach the right customers so Bill’s business could make more of a local impact and book more jobs. Bill saw results: “We’re getting calls almost every day, and we’re turning 50–75% of those callers into customers.”
PPC Advertising
Targeting the Right Jobs
One of our first steps was to launch pay-per-click (PPC) advertising that would target the right jobs at the right time. Previously, Bill was only getting a few calls, and the ones he got were at night, on the weekends, or from customers with low-paying, low-profit jobs. Bill was tired of settling for undesirable work, so we started running ads where it counts: when homeowners are actively searching for the exact services he wanted to deliver. We made sure these ads ran during his business hours—when he actually wanted to send his techs out. Bill no longer had to choose between family time and his business. Finally, he could pick and choose the jobs he wanted.
Advanced Ad Targeting
Maximizing ROI
Now that we had Bill’s ads running, the next step was to turn it into a well-oiled machine that would deliver the highest levels of return on investment (ROI). We utilized our proprietary technology and reporting systems to stay on top of his campaigns at all times, making changes as necessary to maximize his ROI. We analyzed his competitors and made sure his ads were showing up in the areas where he had the best competitive advantage. The result? More phone calls and leads from homeowners with the higher paying projects that Bill and his techs actually wanted to take. “I see my ad targeting as sitting at the roulette table, moving my chips around,” said Bill. “I’m looking at a whole slew of data—competitor reviews, keywords, the best times to run ads, my past ROI—and using that information to place my bets with the hopes of winning the jackpot...and I usually do.”
Online Dashboard
Delivering Better Service
Bill was getting more leads, jobs, and revenue, but his #1 priority was delivering the best service in town. With Scorpion, he was able to record and review every single call to gain better insight into the unique needs of his customer base, which helped him ensure his company was providing the highest caliber of customer service. “I never get back to a potential client without listening to their initial call first because it’s important to understand their frame of mind. Due to the nature of our business, people are usually emotional or stressed out when they reach out to us. Listening to their calls gives me insights I would never be able to capture by just looking over notes.” This approach has paid off. Bill’s franchise is the highest-rated restoration business on Google within 250 square miles, competing with about 90 other businesses.
“I remember when the calls finally started coming in. It was like a light bulb turned on in my head and I thought, ‘This is it—this is the secret!’ We never would have arrived where we are today without Scorpion.”
Bill Burns
Franchise Owner, 1-800 WATER DAMAGE
Continuing Success
The Secret to Success
Since partnering with Scorpion, Bill’s company has seen significant growth. With an average close rate of 50-75% for web-driven leads and an average 15-20X return on investment from digital marketing, Bill, his family, and his techs have seen more stability and success than ever before. Bill has also taken full ownership of his franchise.
Bill, we’re so happy we’ve been able to help you on your journey. Here’s to the next step!
