The flooring market feels like it’s in a slump for a lot of dealers—fewer walk-ins, empty schedules and margins being squeezed. And the numbers back it up: retail flooring sales are down about 8% over last year.
Unfortunately, most dealers try to fix it with what I call “spray and pray” advertising: throwing money at one gimmick after another, hoping it magically brings in leads. But here’s what usually happens: either they get no leads at all or they get buried in price shoppers who waste their time and energy. One dealer told me he was spending $3,000 a month on Google ads. His exact words were, “Yeah, the leads are mostly crap.”
I hear stories like this constantly. Dealers working harder than ever, chasing worse customers than ever, wondering what they’re doing wrong. It’s exhausting and discouraging.
If that describes you, it’s not your fault. The advertising industry has lied to you.
How the advertising industry lied to dealers
For years, dealers have been told by ad reps, trade shows and online “gurus” that the next digital shiny object will fix everything. “Run Google ads.” “Boost Facebook posts.” “Buy leads from HomeAdvisor.” Each one promises quick results—and each one leaves you disappointed.
And it’s not an accident. Google, Houzz and the rest have built billion-dollar machines convincing dealers that “spray and pray” is the smart play. Spray and Pray feels like action, but it’s not. It’s motion without progress. You’re doing something, but there’s no plan behind it. It’s scattered. I call it “advertising by the seat of your pants.” It’s one reason why so many dealers are stuck on the revenue roller coaster good month/bad month, repeat.
You need precision. You need a reliable way to attract, convert and keep high-quality customers. And you need a process that builds trust and predictability. Something that works even when the market slows.
In other words, you need an end-to-end tactical marketing system for attracting the best prospects, before, during and after the sale. It’s the opposite of spray and pray. It’s structured, measurable and built to put money in your pocket, not the advertising companies’.
Here’s how it works:
- Before: Strategies that happen before customers ever set foot in your showroom to position you as the obvious choice and magnetically attract the best prospects who are ready to buy right now and happy to pay full margin.
- During: Strategies that build trust once they’re in your world, creating a unique buying experience that enables you to maximize closed sales at full price without pushy sales tactics.
- After: Follow-up systems that turn happy clients into repeat buyers and referral machines.
This isn’t theory. Dealers using this system are booked out weeks in advance, raising margins and finally breaking free from the constant panic of “where will my next job come from?”
So stop playing the spray-and-pray game. Over the next few installments I’ll outline how.
Speaking & Webinars. Jim Augustus Armstrong is a sought-after speaker and founder of Flooring Success Systems. He delivers powerful live and virtual presentations that help floor dealers grow sales, improve margins, and strengthen their businesses. His team also offers a complete turnkey webinar package—handling hosting, promotions, and full execution. To inquire about booking Jim or setting up a custom event, contact: Support@FlooringSuccessSystems.com.
