What a $30,000 Marketing Investment Taught Me About Growing an Elevator Business

Marketing is one of those topics that almost every elevator business owner knows they should spend more time on.

The challenge is figuring out where that time and money really needs to go.

Years ago after starting Madden Elevator, I invested $30,000 into a marketing program because I believed it would help us take our business to the next level. Looking back, I don't regret making the investment.

Did I see the return I expected? Not exactly.

But I learned lessons that continue to shape how I think and approach marketing today.

The Idea That Opened My Eyes

The company I invested in had a lot of wild ideas, but they felt fresh and exciting, so I was all-in — even though my wife thought I was crazy (and if you've read this far, you probably do too).

One of their recommendations that stood out was surprisingly simple.

We purchased an iPad, loaded it with a personalized video, and had it delivered directly to a decision-maker at a local hospital we wanted to work with.

Instead of sending another brochure or introducing ourselves through another sales call, they received a device that played a personal message from me explaining who we were, what we believed in, and how we could support their elevators.

Did that one delivery immediately land the account?

No.

But it accomplished something just as important.

It opened the door to conversations that likely would have never happened otherwise.

That experience taught me something I still believe today: sometimes marketing isn't about getting an immediate sale. Sometimes it's about creating an opportunity to start a relationship. Everyone knows someone that knows someone who could use your services.

And once we began thinking that way, marketing our elevator business became less of an obligation and more of an opportunity for connection.

Not Every Strategy Is Meant for Every Business

Contrary to what the internet tells us, there is no one "right" marketing strategy for every elevator company out there.

There isn't.

The best marketing strategy is the one that aligns with how your customers find and choose your business.

If most of your work comes through referrals and long-standing relationships, your time may be better spent strengthening those relationships, asking for referrals, incentivizing those referral connections, and getting in front of local decision-makers.

If your goal is increasing visibility in your market, then your focus may shift toward building a stronger online presence.

The important part isn't trying to do everything under the marketing umbrella, but instead, try to understand where your next customer is most likely to come from.

Don't Overlook Local Marketing

Sometimes the simplest marketing efforts are still some of the most effective.

Your trucks, uniforms, business cards, signage, reputation — every interaction someone has with your company is marketing.

One strategy that worked well for us was cold calling.

People often assume cold calling is dead, but that wasn't our experience. Roughly one out of every ten conversations resulted in a proposal going out the door.

That's a reminder that consistent outreach still has a place in our industry.

If You Want More Visibility, Show Up Consistently

Today, your online presence matters whether you actively market your business or not.

Potential customers are going to search your company, visit your website, and look at your social media.

Not only do they need to be able to find you, but they need to know exactly what to do once they land on a page of yours.

Social media doesn't have to be overcomplicated for our industry.

You should share projects you're proud of, celebrate your team and their wins, offer up maintenance reminders, and answer common questions that keep coming up.

Participate in local community conversations.

Most importantly, make it easy for someone to contact you when they're ready.

Every extra click, confusing form, or missing phone number creates friction that could cost you an opportunity.

Stay Connected After the Sale

Marketing should never stop once someone becomes a customer. In many ways, that's when it begins.

If you prefer close relationships with your customers, maybe someone on the team is responsible for managing those accounts and keeping consistent contact with them.

That was the biggest way we continued developing those relationships and landing more referrals.

If you’re a larger company, a simple email newsletter or an outreach can help you stay top of mind while continuing to provide value and enhance that relationship.

That value might include:

• Seasonal maintenance reminders.
• Elevator safety tips.
• Company updates.
• Recent projects.
• Customer success stories.
• Opportunities for feedback.

Your customers don't wake up thinking about elevators every morning. They just want them to work when they need to use them.

Your job is to become the company they think of when they need someone they can trust.

Build the Strategy That Fits Your Business

One of the biggest lessons I took away from that $30,000 investment was this:

Successful marketing is about understanding your customers and consistently showing up where they're already paying attention.

For some elevator companies, that's referrals and cold calling.

For others, it's social media, email marketing, and building a recognizable brand in the community.

The goal is to build a marketing strategy that fits your business, serves your customers well, and creates opportunities for the right conversations to happen.

Sometimes the biggest return on your marketing investment can't be measured by the first opportunity it creates.

It's measured by everything that opportunity eventually leads to.

Once you make that shift, it’s only up from here.