New Client: Gavigan Homes

Gavigan Homes - Beaufort, SC

My marketing manager, Drew, runs all of my business marketing entities from Facebook and Twitter, to managing and updating my business website, to online promotions and advertisements, to contacting potential clients and gaining me new client leads. While browsing online, he came across a relatively new website called Houzz.com which is a database for anyone in the home design business. Of course, he signed me up right away and created an account. When I say anyone in the business, I mean anyone and everyone; from engineers, interior designers, custom home builders, general contractors, CAD designers like myself, and so much more. This website has a lot of similar qualities to some of the popular social media platforms like Facebook & Twitter. It gives you the capability of posting images, posting comments, connecting with industry professionals by 'Following' just as on Twitter. It also has a great section of the website where any Joe Schmoe can sign-up and post in the discussion board area with any DIY questions they may have. This allows the professionals on the website to give their insight and recommendations, which I thought was pretty neat.

While compiling our database for prospective client leads, he decided to use Houzz as our main resource for contacting potential clients. This process, he has explained to me, is very time consuming trying to find the owner's contact info (instead of just a secretary who the e-mails route to), logging website info, address info, business profiling (whether it was a builder, a general contractor, a property management company and so on and so forth). After compiling a list of roughly 300 business professionals within 100 miles of Charleston, he created a business proposal letter to send out to these potentials. We slowly started to get inquiries back, which was very exciting--it soon became clear that all of his hard work was paying off.

One of the emails we received back was from Billy Gavigan, the president and CEO of Gavigan Homes located in Beaufort, South Carolina. Little did I know at this first initial interaction that I would soon be forming a rewarding relationship with a reputable client. Quoted from their website, "The Gavigan Brand continues to be renowned for quality custom homes at affordable prices. Gavigan Homes has been ranked in the top 10 for SC builders for the region two years in a row and continues to have great growth. The company has been featured in several national publications. Growth plans for the upcoming years include NC and coastal Florida." Since our initial conversation back in August, I have been working side-by-side with Billy to revamp his floor plans and renderings for many of his residential communities. I enjoy this client, as he has a great sense of humor and is confident in my skills and experience. 

Billy has since brought me a great referral, for which I designed a hotel in downtown Beaufort. The project was rewarding, with little modifications to my original design (this always makes a designer feel good about his/her work!). I look forward to my relationship with The Gavigan Group and the opportunities it will bring in the future.