Category Archives: Sales & Strategy

Winning new business, customer retention and staying ahead of the competition are important benchmarks for any business. It’s not magic. Reaching these goals takes dedication, hard work and a deep understanding of current business and industry trends.

Information is power and becoming an expert in your trade will increase your credibility and help you gain more referrals. Below, you’ll find five books that we think every contractor should read.

The bidding process is one many of us go through each and every day. While many jobs are similar, each lead or job we receive deserves it own unique bidding process. I am going to break down the bidding process one should go through each time you present a bid.

Let the Bidding Begin

The first step to any bid is of course gathering the quantities, whether you are measuring an existing structure or doing a takeoff from a set of plans. From there, you must “extend” your numbers, either manually or by entering the information into an estimating program. There are many such programs available, such as eTakeoff, Eagle Bid and PEP Cloud.

There are several things to consider when you think about what type of work you want to do. Generally speaking, it’s better to do a few things well rather than trying to do it all. Consider what types of work are available in your area, what you are best equipped to do and what it is that you do well. This will help you to determine what niche you want to aim for and, in turn, the makeup of the crew you will need.

Hiring

Depending on the size of your operation, I would suggest a mix of skill sets and levels. A strong superintendent to help oversee your operations is key to your success. This is especially true as you grow your company. At some point, you will realize that you can’t do it all yourself; marketing, estimating, contract administration, supervising, hiring, and the list goes on, doesn’t it?

When you’re a one-man shop, it’s hard to make time for everything, especially when you’re busy out on jobs. Sales should be your number one priority because without it, you don’t have a business to run. Customers are very in tune with what they do and don’t want when spending their hard earned money. Take some time to brush up on your sales skills and become the person they do want to hire!

Even sales experts make time for practice and reviewing the fundamentals. Don’t get caught off guard the next time you’re trying to close a deal. Instead, prepare for a win. Continue reading to learn sales techniques and strategies tailored to small business owners that you can implement immediately.

When it comes to deciding how much you should charge for your labor, there are a number of components to consider. Basically, these include salary, load, burden and profit. Let’s walk through the process of building a “Sell Rate” for your company.

Salary

We will begin by taking a journeyman painter who, just as an example, makes $21.71 per hour. To that salary, you will need to add the other items mentioned below.

Load

The term “load”, or “burden,” is used to describe several expenses that are related to employee salaries. Normally, these include federal government taxes (FICA and FUI), worker’s compensation, state unemployment tax, liability insurance and health insurance benefits. You can check with your accountant or calculate these percentages yourself. Either way, you should be sure to keep them current as they are subject to change. For the purposes of this example, I will plug in a hypothetical number of $6.64 per hour. Adding this to the salary comes out $28.35.

Speed and persistence are key to lead generation, but if you are not prepared for what lies ahead, quickness and tenacity won’t matter. That is because many contractors call potential clients unprepared and end up losing out on that valuable revenue.

Nonetheless, the good news is that you can easily prepare yourself for every referral call you make by answering the following nine questions. For an extra boost of confidence the next time you pick up the phone, prepare by reading through the following questions.

Video is quickly becoming the most popular form of content homeowners engage with. Video lets you provide an experience with storytelling. The medium brings your referrals inside your business. It gives you the upper hand against your competition.

As simple as it is, video is king and fortunately for you, it is very easy to shoot, create, share and market. Watch and read below as we explain all the benefits of video and how you can start shooting quality videos today!

Creating videos for your company, whether done professionally or with equipment you have on hand, is important. Video helps you stand out, builds an experience around your work, and allows you to make an emotional connection with your potential customers.

Dealing with an irate customer is usually not the most pleasant task. However, it’s something we all have to deal with at one point or another. It is vital for you and your business to know how to take a customer complaint and turn it into a positive experience. Complaints are great because they tell you the services your clients are not happy with and also give you the opportunity to address the issues at hand.

The CARP method, developed by author Robert Bacal, is based upon the sequence and timing of defusing angry customers. Bacal has taught many universities the importance of performance management and appraisal and how to improve business communication. The CARP acronym consist of these helpful tips to remember when trying to calm an angry client.

No matter what industry you’re in, whether it be home improvement, auto sales or even professional sports, you’re going to hear your fair share of complaints over the phone. When people have an issue with your brand, they are going to call to complain. Since you can’t control how other people act, you must decide how you’re going to respond.

Reacting to an irate customer over the phone is no easy task. You have to first digest all the information they are telling you, relax the customer, and then respond in a calm and professional manner. Needless to say, this process is easier said than done.

If you’ve missed Part 1  or Part 2 of using the laws of persuasion to help your business, I recommend you get familiar with them to understand some of the principles behind people’s decision making. While this is the final post of that information series, it will not fall short of sharing what you need to see improvements.  By evaluating and applying these next few laws of persuasion, you will be well equipped to see great changes in the present and future.