Turn Customers Into 2x Business Growth with Brad Akers

In the latest episode of Marketing Without Rules, host Lewis Vandervalk chats with Brad Akers, a seasoned consultant, to uncover how businesses can turn everyday customer interactions into catalysts for exponential growth. Transitioning from his successful marketing agency background, Brad now focuses on equipping businesses with tools to optimize customer acquisition and community engagement, ensuring sustainable success.

This Podcast is sponsored by Blue Crocus Solutions, a marketing agency offering website design, branding, and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) services for Home Service businesses.

From Roofing to Consulting: Brad’s Path to Innovation

Brad Akers’ professional journey is rooted in practical experience and transformation. Starting in roofing distribution, Brad expanded into agency ownership, helping contractors scale through websites, SEO, and online ads. Recognizing systemic gaps in client acquisition processes, Brad pivoted to consulting, where he now empowers businesses to create repeatable systems that focus on referrals and neighborhood engagement.

“I realized businesses were solving for the wrong problems. My mission is to help them focus on what truly drives growth.” – Brad Akers

Building a Client Acquisition Mindset

Brad champions a shift from conventional marketing methods to a client-acquisition-first mentality. This approach entails optimizing every touchpoint in the sales and production process to secure future opportunities.

Key Tactics:

1. Maximizing On-Site Presence:
   • Every job site serves as a springboard for new opportunities. From branded vehicles to proactive communication with neighbors, businesses can transform visibility into credibility.
   • Example: A junk removal company’s branded truck parked in a neighborhood signals professionalism, inviting curiosity from neighbors.
2. Referral Generating Activities:
   • Instead of passively asking for referrals, Brad emphasizes referral-generating activities, such as encouraging clients to post positive experiences on social platforms like Facebook and Nextdoor.

“Referrals don’t just happen. You have to actively create the environment where they flourish.” – Brad Akers

Turning Neighbors into Advocates

One of Brad’s most compelling strategies involves engaging with neighbors during projects. By addressing concerns and providing value to the community, businesses can turn potential inconveniences into trust-building moments.

Tactical Example: Leaving customized notes for neighbors explaining the project and offering assistance fosters goodwill and opens doors for new business.

“Your brand’s reputation isn’t just built with your customer but with everyone who interacts with your process.” – Brad Akers

Amplifying Social Proof

Satisfied customers are the most credible promoters. Encouraging clients to share their experiences—complete with pictures and testimonials—magnifies reach and solidifies trust in the brand.

Actionable Steps:

• Provide clients with templates for social posts.
• Incentivize referrals by tying rewards to immediate actions, such as social sharing or group posts.

Overcoming Challenges: Time and Authenticity

For those skeptical of the time commitment or the perception of being disingenuous, Brad provides clarity:

“If you’re not willing to do small things like this to grow your business, what else are you unwilling to do?” – Brad Akers

The system Brad advocates is scalable, repeatable, and can be delegated to team members with minimal friction.

A Structured Approach to Referral Programs

Brad breaks down a compelling referral process:

1. Conduct a post-service survey to ensure customer satisfaction.
2. Ask clients to:
   • Post a testimonial on their personal Facebook.
   • Share their experience in community groups.
   • Leave a Google review.
3. Offer financial or service-based incentives for participation.

Example Script:

“Would you mind posting about your experience and tagging our business? We’ll even guide you through it so it’s quick and effortless.”

Results: A Proven System for Growth

Brad’s methodology has consistently delivered measurable results. On average, his clients experience three additional opportunities per job, translating into significant sales growth over time.

Case Study: A roofing company struggling at three jobs per month increased to over three jobs per week within months by implementing Brad’s strategies.

Conclusion

By adopting Brad Akers’ system of leveraging client interactions and neighborhood engagement, businesses can build lasting growth and outperform traditional marketing tactics. These strategies are not fleeting trends but sustainable processes rooted in human psychology and genuine service.

For more resources and to explore these concepts more deeply, explore Brad’s FB community and download his FREE training materials.

Revisiting the Foundations of Customer Acquisition Strategies

In a previous episode with Brad Akers, he delved into the foundational principles of customer acquisition, emphasizing the numbers behind marketing investments and the psychology of building trust. This section explores his earlier insights, offering complementary strategies to the ones discussed above.

The Math Behind Customer Acquisition

Brad emphasizes the importance of understanding the financial reality of marketing. Too often, businesses invest in tactics like Google Ads or SEO without fully grasping their cost-per-acquisition (CPA) and ROI.

Example:

In a roofing context, Brad highlighted a scenario where a $5,500 monthly spend on marketing, including ad spend and management fees, yielded an average cost of $458 per appointment. At a 25% closing rate, this equates to a cost of $1,832 per acquisition—barely leaving room for profit in most cases.

“If you’re not ready to invest consistently for 8-12 months in SEO, don’t start. Results take time, and early impatience often leads to failure.” – Brad Akers

Creating Compounding Growth

The key to mitigating high CPA lies in leveraging each customer interaction to generate additional opportunities. Brad’s approach revolves around turning one job into multiple leads through:

1. Direct Mail Campaigns: Focused on neighborhoods where work is being done, these campaigns serve as conversation starters rather than direct lead generators.
2. Social Media Engagement: Boosting location-specific posts to increase visibility among neighbors and community members.
3. Neighbor Outreach: Proactively engaging neighbors to address concerns and build trust while promoting services.

Warm Leads vs. Cold Leads

Brad highlights the distinction between warm and cold leads:

• Cold Leads: Prospects searching for services but unfamiliar with your brand. These leads require more effort and often yield lower conversion rates.
• Warm Leads: Generated through referrals or community engagement, these leads convert more easily and create a ripple effect of opportunities.

Actionable Tip: Prioritize warm lead generation by enhancing customer experience and tapping into neighborhood networks.

The Flywheel Effect: Sustaining Growth

Brad introduces the concept of the flywheel – a cycle where satisfied customers generate new business, reducing dependency on cold leads and paid marketing over time.

Steps to Build a Flywheel:

1. Deliver exceptional service to every customer.
2. Engage proactively with neighbors and community members.
3. Incentivize and simplify referral-generating activities.

“The goal isn’t a funnel—it’s a flywheel. A self-sustaining system that grows with every satisfied customer.” – Brad Akers

Case Study: Turning One into Five

In one example, Brad helped a struggling roofing company grow from three jobs per month to three per week by implementing his compounding growth strategies. The client’s increased visibility and community trust amplified their referrals and boosted their sales.

Key Metric: An average of five opportunities generated per job, turning initial investments into exponential growth.

Conclusion

Brad’s insights from this earlier discussion lay the groundwork for understanding the numbers and psychology behind successful marketing. By combining these foundational strategies with the customer acquisition systems outlined in the latest blog, businesses can unlock sustainable growth.

For more detailed strategies and resources, explore Brad’s training materials and join his Built Right Facebook community.

To see more episodes of the Marketing Without Rules Podcast, visit the podcast here
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