You also want to have the proper infrastructure to both do the work and answer customer questions on a timely basis. "Your work has to be high quality every time, and the customer can never be wrong."
"It's a close-knit industry where everyone knows each other," Oshiro says. Bid too high and you won't even get a shot at doing the job."įor that reason, EmpireWorks prefers to hire estimators and painters who already have the experience needed. "You need to have production quality painters to achieve the level of efficiency needed to be competitive on these jobs," he says. The actual painting requires a different mindset too. That includes community managers, homeowners and their elected board of directors. "Instead of one point of contact, you can have 200 to 300 clients," Oshiro says. HOA work is not like single-family and multi-family work. You have to be respectful of their time – they answer to a lot of people and are spinning a lot of plates." "Get on their schedule and prepare to bring some knowledge," Palumbo says. She recommends setting up office meet-and-greets or lunch-and-learns to get your foot in the door. This is a great way to market on a much more exclusive level." "Consider partnering with these other vendors and hosting your own events, independent of the industry-sponsored events. "When you are a reliable source, other vendors are happy to partner with you and share contacts," Palumbo says. For example, buying lunch for 30 community managers is more manageable if you're splitting the cost with other vendors. Teaming up with other vendors to share marketing costs is a good strategy. "Those are the ones you want to seek out." "Some vendors are more active than others," he says. Once you get involved in your local CAI chapter, Oshiro recommends making friends with non-paint trades – general contractors, landscapers, lighting, pest control, tree care, maintenance, insurance, etc. Once invited, do your homework and learn as much as you can before you meet, and ask a lot of questions when you do get in the door. This is how you get to know the managers and open doors." "You'll see more project managers at these than at the regular luncheons. "Sponsor the fun events – golf, awards, etc.,"Palumbo says. "Get involved and consider serving on a committee."Įxhibiting at tradeshows is helpful, she says, especially in your first year or two going after HOA business. "Join the appropriate industry association in your area, and attend as many industry events as you can," says Debi Palumbo, a San Diego-based Sherwin-Williams account executive who specializes in the HOA segment. Joining your local chapter of the Community Associations Institute (CAI) is a great way to break in. "Unlike the multi-family market, where one good contact can get you a large amount of work, the HOA world is much more fragmented."
"It's more labor intensive from a marketing standpoint," says Chet Oshiro, a partner at EmpireWorks Reconstruction and Painting, an Irvine-based firm that works with HOAs in California, Oregon, Nevada and Arizona.
HOAs need to be approached differently than commercial work and other types of residential jobs.
#SHERWIN WILLIAMS HOA HOW TO#
With 8,000 new community associations formed annually and an estimated $35 billion in annual operating revenues, the association-governed community will continue to shape the future of home ownership, and offers excellent margins for the painting contractor who understands how to work with these customers. Homeowner associations are one of the fastest-growing residential segments in North America. Tackling the special needs of homeowner associations
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