How to Use Pre-Loss Documentation as Marketing for Your Restoration Business

When people call restoration companies after a loss, they’re scrambling, searching Google for a reputable name, a local business, and scanning reviews. But if you’ve already visited their property to take photos before any damage occurs, your name is already familiar. They remember your visit, they’ve filed your business card for safekeeping, and you’ve built an in-person relationship. 

Studies show that although online reviews play a strong role in a business’ reputation, in an emergency, people are still more likely to call a person or a business they know or have heard of than they are to trust the results of a cold search. That’s why pre-loss photos can give you a competitive edge; they’re a proactive marketing opportunity that makes your restoration company top of mind.

Most franchises that use DocuSketch think of it as a tool for documentation; something for recon, adjusters, or an insurance file. But DocuSketch is one of the most unique and powerful sales tools you can use to establish credibility and win over clients before losses happen.

You can leverage DocuSketch as: 

• A marketing asset that shows off your professionalism
• A trust-building tool that creates “wow” moments for property owners and managers and positions you as tech-forward
• A no-cost service you’re willing to perform during a walkthrough to protect the prospect in the event of a future loss

Why Pre-Loss Photos Are a Powerful Sales and Marketing Tool for Restoration Companies

Face time matters in fostering good business relationships. If you make a connection and carry out the no-cost—to them—360° tour of their space to document everything, the chances are much higher that you’ll be the first person they call. DocuSketch can be what gets you in the door, turning from a production tool into a marketing tool.

With it, you can:

• Build goodwill
• Showcase your tech
• Start a neutral, low-stakes, low-friction relationship with the customer before they need your services
• Position yourself as a trustworthy brand for when they’re in dire straits
• Get around the ‘we don’t have a budget’ or ‘we don’t need tech’ arguments upfront
• Show authority and expertise as a loss leader 

By offering pre-loss scans to high-value prospects, not only do prospects have insurance documentation that moves the restoration project along faster, you’re also recording everything in the state it was before you started working on anything. This acts as a kind of insurance for your business as well that saves your team from false claims. 

Here are some potential strategies I discussed with Servpro Team Olson’s Santa Davidson that you can use to close the deal: 

• Master Service Agreement. Do pre-loss tours at some initial locations free of charge, then scale to paid agreements. This proof-of-value will convince stakeholders of DocuSketch’s merits.
• Marketing and Sales. Create before and after timelines to show to prospective customers during pitches. Using these sketches and 360° video walkthroughs will visually differentiate you from competitors and help to get buy-in from decision makers who weren’t on site during the tour. 

The 5-Step Framework for Turning Pre-Loss Documentation Into Marketing 

Turn a standard in-person visit into one with a higher ROI by creating the brand awareness and service quality people will remember in the event of a disaster or loss. Here are the steps to take to plant the seed in the prospective customer’s mind: 

1) Shift the Mindset from “Wait for the Loss” to “Start the Relationship Early”

The next time your marketing team is going door to door, leverage technology and bring it into the conversation as a natural pitch. When your contact sees an interesting camera and asks: "What is that?", it’s not just an opportunity to explain, but to give them a no-frills demo of what DocuSketch can do. 

2) Lead with a Simple, Low-Friction Pitch

Ask to take a tour of the building using DocuSketch at no cost to the property owner beyond their time as a tour guide. That way, if they ever have a loss, you’ll be the first person they reach out to. If they know it will only take 15 minutes, that it’s a service you’re willing to offer, and they’ll get an asset they can use later, makes it much easier to say yes. Here’s a sample script you can use: “I'll take tours of your main apartments + 3 other floor plans, show you what it looks like, and be on my merry way. How does that sound?"

3) Tailor the Offer to the Property Type

Whether the site visit is a hotel, apartments, a city hall building, or a vacation property, you can adapt the conversation to suit the person you’re talking to and the environment you’re in, and what the customer might need in a restoration project. No matter the state or type of the location, the marketing angle is the same: this doesn’t cost them anything but their time, and what they’ll get in exchange is future protection if/when they need it. Not only will customers be happy with the something-for-nothing offer, but they'll also be consistently impressed by the tech. It can help them feel more secure knowing they have high-quality pre-loss documentation.

4) Turn the Documentation into an Emergency Preparedness Plan

After documenting the space, introduce an "emergency preparedness plan". Then exchange contact information and let them know that when they’re standing in 3 feet of water, they’ll know exactly who to turn to. Assure them you’ll have a team sent to them in an hour. When business owners know they’re prepared for an emergency, they feel like you’ve helped them, not wasted their time. 

5) Explain Why: Be Top of Mind, Not One of a Thousand Options

No one wants to scroll through Google when the ceiling of their apartment is leaking. Remind the potential customer that search hits for “flood damage” will turn up hundreds of results. Being on a first name basis with someone who has been in their building and talked to them about restoration is the best scaffolding they have in an emergency. Especially when you’ve already assured them of how quickly they can get there to help. 

How DocuSketch Supports Pre-Loss Marketing and Relationship Building

Using DocuSketch in pre-loss tours is effective organic marketing and a simple way to grow your business. Make it a scalable habit and build a repeatable system so that it becomes second nature during site visits. You never know when a property owner might experience damages or a loss and need to call on you. Capitalize upon this by consistently putting your name out there. Leverage the tech you’re using, and build value with the prospect by showing what the tool can do, how it can help them, and why they’re more secure with high-quality pre-loss documentation on record when they need it. Do this, and it will be a no-brainer why your company is the best one to call in a crisis.