Category Archives: Strategy

Your Leads May Have A 2nd Life

Apr 12 2013

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Buying leads is often a necessity for many small businesses as a well established form of advertising, to increase a company’s work flow. Here at CraftJack, we often stress the principals of one’s close ratio in factoring the cost per job versus the more commonly used (and frequently misguided) cost per lead. An example I have been known to use by comparison is advertising your business on a billboard by the side of the highway. Assuming an average of 5,000 cars drive past the sign in a given period and 5 calls (not projects) were a direct result of that advert, you wouldn’t call and request a refund for the other 4,995 cars. You would absolutely need to find out how much business you received from commuters who called after noticing the sign to accurately calculate what your cost per job was in order to determine if that billboard is a profitable form of advertisement for your business. The same is true for lead generation.
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4 Steps to Closing More Sales With Questions

Mar 1 2013

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Whether you conduct your sales pitches over the phone or in person, one thing that rings true in either case is that asking questions – preferably the right ones – will help turn more of those leads into customers. One of the single most powerful aspects in the process of selling is actually the asking. The more questions you present to a prospective customer, the more insight you will gain into their needs and objections while simultaneously presenting a more trustworthy presence in their eyes. Salespeople often spend too much time delivering their pitch and not enough time asking questions, uncovering those important elements the homeowner is looking for and the factors that will guide them toward hiring a contractor. Here are 4 simple steps to closing more sales calls with questions.
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How Mnemonic Devices Can Help Your Sales Process

Feb 6 2013

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My father, who was in the insurance sales business for 30+ years, used to have this incredible trick he used in sales. Ever since I can remember, he always wore a watch on his wrist. Nothing overly fancy, but a nice watch. And on the crystal face of his watch there was always a very small neon green dot sticker. Now, my father, being the quintessential sales personality that he was, would always address one’s curiosity the same way when asked about the presence of the green dot. It would go something like this:

Client: What is that green dot on your watch?
Dad: Do you have any friends or coworkers in need of long-term disability insurance?

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The Benefits of Hiring a Subcontractor

Dec 5 2012

The home improvement industry, like many others, has a wide variety of offerings when it comes to choosing a contractor for one’s project. One of the best pieces of advice for any homeowner making a decision is to allow 3-4 companies to submit an estimate for their work on a project. This allows for  objective comparisons by measuring a company’s history, references, quality of past project, capability of meeting your needs, and most importantly, the ability for the homeowner to make a decision based upon their personal gut feeling when face-to-face.

The variety of contractors submitting bids for the same project can range from small independent contractors working from a van, to large general contracting companies with a dozen crews on both commercial and residential projects. If you fall into the former category and are running a company on a smaller scale, networking with other contractors can allow for greater exposure and revenue through hiring subcontractor. This can help to increase the amount of work you are able to manage simultaneously and allow your company to fulfill specialty requests that you may not currently employ anyone with those skills.
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3 Ways Forums Can Generate Leads

Nov 26 2012

Seeing as you are reading this blog post right now, chances are you are savvy enough to navigate the internet and are already using some form of lead generation online. Many contractors and small business owners find helpful information to better improve their own businesses while reading websites, blogs and forums online. These are great sources for finding out the latest innovations and hot topics surrounding your professional field. There are plenty of great forums out there where contractors, like yourself, actively participate in group discussions about anything pertaining to their specific industry and where homeowners can ask for expert advice. Here are 3 ways you can increase inbound leads though online forums:
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Your Handwritten Personal Touch

Oct 26 2012

Every year as we enter the month of June I become giddy, knowing my birthday is approaching. I’m not as openly joyful as, say, when I saw a little boy hoping to receive a bundle of toys, but I take pleasure in the anticipated arrival of birthday cards I’m bound to receive from family and friends. It’s a small joy, but one that makes me feel good inside. In today’s busy and ever evolving digitally advanced world, we tend to see fewer hand written notes, be it a thank you note, birthday card, or even just a simple letter sent from a friend.
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Your 3-Step Checklist For Every Job

Sep 10 2012

Most contractors don’t set out to do a job with mediocre end results. They want their work to shine. To speak for itself. To look so good  that homeowners can’t stop talking about it with their friends. This seems obvious when we stop and think about it. The problem is, we don’t often stop and actually think about it.

You may find yourself caught up in the rush of the day-to-day events and tasks, getting from one job to another, picking up supplies, and tending to your own family’s needs that the quality control check list of any project has the potential to fade and fall by the wayside.

Here are 3 quick points for any contractor to rate themselves on before completing any project:
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Why A Contractor’s License Could Mean More Jobs

Dec 7 2011

“License and Registration, Sir.” “But I Don’t Need One…”

I was speaking with a contractor a little while back who was explaining to me the whoas of not being hired for several job because the homeowner only wished to work with fully licensed contractors. The state in which he works is not one that requires all contractors to carry a license so he never felt he needed to spend the extra cash and time dealing with acquiring one. Upon asking about the costs and time involved in becoming licensed, it quickly became apparently clear that he had not inquired at all and therefore knew very little about the whole process, but had decided long ago that it was not worth it.
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3 Ways to Stay Up to Date With Industry Information

Sep 15 2011

Knowledge is power, but knowing how to have that knowledge come directly to you instead of wasting precious time constantly researching for it might be a super-power. The best way to ensure you business is thriving in today’s economy is to be confident that you are fully informed on what is happening in your line of work and what are the new things people are talking about in business.  Here are three simple ways to make the news and information work for you by using three free and easy services.
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3 Reason to Attend Your Next Local Trade Show

Jul 19 2011

I recently attending a tech conference on using social media and other tools to reach one’s audience.  What I learned from attending the event was incredibly valuable to the future of my business and got me thinking in more creative ways.  As a contractor you should consider attending more trade shows.  Here are 3 reasons why:
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