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Building Green in a Black and White World-- Chapter 5

The following is an exerpt from the book Building Green in a Black and White World. Section 3; Chapter 5; Part 3; Brochures

David Ritchey Johnston
January 1, 1900
HousingZone

Brochures

Your brochure is often your first chance to present who you are to your buyers. You can communicate a lot in a brochure through a good description of your corporate values, your approach to building, and the ways you show that you care about your clients. Just seeing your homes doesn’t necessarily give potential buyers an opportunity to hear about those issues. For example, a builder named Doug Parker wanted to let his community know that he was a different kind of builder. He had been building in Boulder, Colorado, based on his reputation of 25 years. Most of his jobs were referrals. This provided a relatively steady, if not particularly satisfying, stream of job opportunities. Yet, he longed for a new set of job prospects that would be more challenging and more consistent with the direction he wanted the company to go.

Inside Brochure Doug hired Standing Stone Design of Boulder, Colorado, to create a new image for his company, Big Horn Builders. His previous presentation package was based on snapshots of past jobs in a haphazard portfolio. Since he had been referred by past clients, he had personal references that helped build his clients’ confidence, but the only way he could truly show what he had done was to take prospective clients on a house tour of past jobs. This was often inconvenient and difficult to schedule. Standing Stone suggested he display a montage of past work in a unique brochure so he could emphasize the quality of his work and his commitment to energy efficiency and green products.

Other Building Brochures Doug increased his exposure by being the only green builder on the Tour of Homes. He displayed a wonderful example of green design and labeled each of the features with wall plaques describing their benefits. There had never been a Tour home with that kind of detailed explanation of green features. The public was fascinated with the educational component that went beyond pretty kitchens and expansive master suites.

Doug’s brochure let them know that Big Horn Builders was both a quality builder and environmentally conscious. He jumped to another level in the market based on that approach and has become known as the green remodeler in Boulder. Doug took his prominence in the market and grew it into a part time consulting business with the City of Boulder, training other builders in how to build green. His recognition also got the attention of the local HBA, which invited him to sit on their board of directors.

Greelee Park Other builders have experienced similar success based on telling their green story. The combination of compelling graphic design and depiction of green products typically hidden behind the walls make the benefits of the home for the buyer a very effective sales tool.

McStain Enterprises effectively uses brochures and sales materials to communicate their green building ethic. Their Greenlee Park brochure identifies the why and how of green building to prospective buyers. The brochure is backed up by a well-trained sales team that gives tours of homes, showing the features identified in the brochure.

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