The good news I’m told is that the tide is starting to turn, but I’m still hearing complaints from certain quarters about the lack of enquiries, savage under cutting and a drop in sales conversion rates. Fortunately, regardless of who you are none of these issues is insurmountable. In fact the simplest solutions are often the most effective.
“The secret of business, especially these days, is to focus relentlessly on your unfair advantage – the thing you do that others don’t.” – John Rollwagen
Guys, this is so easy to do in the building industry it’s beyond a joke. I’ve been vocal about these three “magical” steps below for years.
1) Return your phone calls. Most builders and contractors don’t return their phone calls at all. The ones that do are often 2 – 3 days later. Phone calls should be returned the same day or by 9 am the next day.
2) Show up for your appointments. On time. Won’t that surprise them! Not showing up for appointments, or showing up late, is one of the major gripes clients have with builders and contractors.
3) Do exactly what you say you will do, and do it when you say you will do it. It’s the little things that count!
So there you have it, just these three actions alone should give you an “unfair advantage” over your competitors. Remember making sales is first and foremost about building trust and confidence in your company and in you. The best way to build trust in any situation is to “demonstrate” it.
Once you’ve established a level of trust you need to set the parameters under which you will work. If you don’t set these parameters, the customer will.
One of the first questions I recommend with any prospective client is, “What is important for you when selecting a builder or contractor?” (In other words what is their selection criteria for choosing a builder or contractor?) Followed immediately by, “When would you be ready to start the job?” These two questions put the prospect on notice that you’re not there to dish out prices.
Let them know you’re serious about doing your work and if they just want a price, you’ll be on your way. Other more detailed qualifying questions coupled with a sprinkle of tact of course are no doubt also required here.
The primary purpose of your questioning is to discover what the owner is thinking. If their primary interest is price, then sorry, It’s time to leave and look for someone willing to pay a fair price for your services.
If you find you’re experiencing too many price sensitive people, it’s important you look at how you’re attracting enquiries. If you are offering “free quotes” or reaching out to people looking for low prices, that’s what you’ll get. And if your competitors are coming in at half your price, and getting the job, you’re aiming for the wrong market.
