Kevin Hussey has tried it all when it comes to working with plumbers to acquire more water damage mitigation work. He runs a successful property restoration company out of Baton Rouge, Louisiana which is currently a part of the DKI Network.   

Kevin joined The DYOJO Podcast for a candid conversation regarding the ups and downs of his journey in the property insurance claim restoration industry. He was brought to the area from the slopes of Colorado when Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005. He has since had to learn to build an independent thriving local business that does not perform preferred vendor (aka program) work.   

One key to his current and future growth, cracking the code of working with local plumbers. Plumber are on the front lines of responding to a variety of water based home and business damages and can be a great source of leads for companies looking to provide services for extraction and structural drying.   Kevin shares many of his lessons learned, some the hard way, of building relationships with local plumbing companies. These lessons include:  

Starting his own plumbing company which seemed like a great idea at the time, as they could generate their own leads, but soon revealed many holes in his plan. Kevin found that running a plumbing company split his focus and his resources, leading to operating both at less than optimum capacity. He also alienated many of the plumbers that he had worked so hard to build relationships with. After two years, they decided to sell off the plumbing effort and focus more effectively on the property restoration.   As they worked to rebuild trust and relationships, Kevin uncovered some great ideas for working with local plumbers. He has gone through the process of trying a bit of everything, hoping something would stick, to now being more targeted and throwing darts at their goals.   

Kevin warns against paying too much for leads, the cost has to make sense in the overall revenue and profitability of the work being generated. Business owners and managers need to work to identify your ideal partners, as Kevin says, "The ones only doing new construction likely aren't the best fit."   His team has identified plumber referrals as a key to doubling their revenue and so they are working to double their lead volume from last year. Adding value to your client is always a good source of enriching existing relationships, so Kevin's team is looking into being able to offer continuing education courses for plumbers through their existing water damage training facility.  

The United Fire and Water team assembles baggies with inexpensive moisture meters, a drying log, and basic instructions, all branded with their company logo and information. By doing so, their plumbing partners have a better means of serving their client as well as an understanding of when to refer a mitigation company. Kevin's team hosts a weekly, free lunch Friday, where they feed their partners and hand out lead fees. They are also doing quarterly drawings for big ticket items such as a four wheeler to encourage engagement.   

Modern restorers have to be creative and always adapting to the market, especially if the majority of your work comes through independent sources. As Kevin says, "Your always paying for something," but like Mr. Hussey, you want to understand your numbers and spend your money where it counts. Developing your name as an organization who partners with local professionals will pay long term dividends and help you distinguish yourself from others who may try to buy you out of your relationships.   

You can listen to the full conversation with Kevin Hussey via The DYOJO Podcast Episode 44