Is Your Business Military Friendly?

Any company can advertise being military friendly. But does your business really mean it? Like with any specific community — there are subtle signs that tell military families that you support them, will meet their needs, and actually understand their concerns. If your business does not utilize certain key things, it may be time to change things up.

Community Involvement

Do you get involved in truly engaging the community through activities or sponsor programs and organizations you partner with? Military families want to see the companies they utilize and support active in the community. For example, witnessing our personal lending office have a table at the local veterans hiring expo, sponsoring a little league baseball team or donating to a military affiliated program can go a long way to show meaningful dedication to our community. Having boots on the ground community involvement can also assist in building the foundation to be the go-to business for that service.

Displays

If a military family were to walk into your office right now, would they be able to visually see how you support the military community? Small gestures like having a flag or something that is service branch specific to a military installation near you can be an easy way of telling others that you are a military friendly business without having to vocalize it. Did you receive a certificate of appreciation or were you featured in a local paper or magazine for an event you did with a local unit or organization? Having these types of recognitions out in the open shows families that you are involved and you support the community. Not everyone is going to ask the questions to dig deeper for information that isn’t immediately apparent, so having small displays or gestures where others can see will help create that repertoire in the community.

Knowledge

Every military family that comes to you should be able to walk away and tell their neighbor “They know what they’re talking about” and “Make sure you go there”. You don’t want your customer to walk away feeling like you aren’t knowledgeable, and more confused than when they arrived, needing to go somewhere else for clarity. Take the time to learn about the military lifestyle and what PCSing entails. Educate yourself on the VA Loan and the struggles military families have when finding a new home on orders. Understanding what a military family goes through and having the knowledge to help them through the process will get you not only repeat customers but many referrals as well.

Experience

This can only come with time, but military families want someone who is experienced in what they need. They’re looking for individuals who have either served themselves or have the experience of helping other military families utilize the VA home loan and get into a home which meets their needs. These experiences tell us that you understand our concerns, our nomadic lifestyle and will respect the needs of our budget. This experience also comes with from the word-of-mouth referrals that our community will pass on based on the customer experience that is also provided.

Don’t let a military family pass on your business simply because they cannot tell if you are military friendly or not. Take these few easy steps and make sure it is known and taken to heart. Doublecheck your website and social media footprint to make sure that your business says, “We are Military Friendly and — we want your business”.