Tag Archives: customers

Getting Repeat Business

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Nothing sells better than previous work that was done correctly, on time, and that made the customer satisfied.  Every contractor looks to increase their sales each year yet many continue to miss out on the easiest sell there is in the business…selling to a satisfied customer!

As a contractor, if you are having trouble getting repeat business with customers there is all likelihood that they may notconcretepour have been as satisfied as you thought.  The secret in repeat business isn’t selling what you’re “going to do” for the customer but what you have proven that you “can do.”  Customers don’t buy bad memories.

So, let’s look at how you can get repeat business.

#1 Get it Right…the 1st Time

Most customers will not give a contractor a second chance; so you better get your first job with a new customer right the first time.  This requires you to perform quality work in a quality manner.  Remember, quality isn’t necessarily what you think it is but what your customer thinks.  Therefore, it is very critical that you clearly understand what your customer’s needs and expectations are and do everything possible to conform to the customer’s definition of quality.

#2 Meet with Customer at Job Completion

I’m simply amazed how many contractors who are not even at the job when it is completed.  They may be off getting another job started, measuring a parking lot to be sealed, or selling another new prospect.  If you are an owner you should do everything possible to be at the job when it is actually completed.  Rain or shine, problems or no problems, the senior person needs to be at the project to be able to make the first impression and sales effort toward the next project.

#3 Don’t Survey…Go Face to Face with the Customer

A good many contractors still attach a customer satisfaction survey with their final billing statement.  This sales/marketing technique has been taught for many years, I ought to know as I’ve shared this same sales tip in many conferences.  However, this effort isn’t good enough and, more importantly, rarely gets the results that was initially thought and taught.  What’s the best action to take?  Make it a personal visit with the customer, at the conclusion of their job, to walk the job site and discuss what they like and what they want to be improved, corrected, reworked.  Going this extra step will gain you a personal audience with the customer and award you with lots of “brownie points” toward landing the next project with this customer.

#4 Inform the Customer that You Want Their Next Project

Think about this: you’ve just completed a project that the customer verbally confirms that they like what they experienced.  This same customer tells you that they have another parking lot to pave or seal and stripe.  You should, at that moment, not be shy about telling the customer of your interest in doing their next job.  Have some fun with the customer by insisting that you want to extend their positive experience.  Don’t be shy and just wait until the customer calls you later about that new work…because they just might not call!

#5 Maintain Follow-Up Points of Contact with Customers

This truly takes some discipline but it is really more of a scheduling issue than anything else.  Set up a process in your scheduling for the year that allows you to be reminded of three to five follow-up contacts with each customer.  The future contacts might include seasonal reminders to take care of their pavement, birthday cards, congratulations on the birth of a new child or a child’s graduation, or just dropping a note to say hi.[pullquote]The future contacts might include seasonal reminders to take care of their pavement, birthday cards, congratulations on the birth of a new child or a child’s graduation, or just dropping a note to say hi[/pullquote]  If out of sight leads to out of mind then repeat follow-up will lead to repeat work.

#6 “Sell” Warranty on Your Completed Work

You may actually give a large portion of this away but selling your customers on allowing you to extend a warranty on your firms work will assist the effort to keep the customer leaning your way.  Actually, you may find that it opens the door to more strategic planning and budgeting on your customer’s part to taking greater care of their pavement maintenance needs.

#7 Induce Repeat Customers with Discounted Pricing

Now before you think I’m just referring to lowering your prices for the sake of it, consider that you have little to know marketing costs associated with landing repeat business.  In some cases you may not even be required to make another formal presentation but just amending the prior contract.  This is worth something of a discount to the customer.  Trust me, most customers do expect something in the form of a discount if they have worked with you before.  And if you have completed more than one job for the same customer in the past I can almost guarantee you that the customer expects some kind of a discount.

#8 Work the Customer for Referrals

This effort is all consultant sales!  If your customer is happy with you and your crew’s effort they will most likely be more than happy to give you the names of other friends and relatives that need your work.  Don’t be shy about asking for such names.  And don’t be shy about following up with your customer periodically over the next year to get additional names.  Satisfied customers are never “put out” to help a hard working business person who is honest, does quality work, and is a pleasure to work with on top of everything else.

It has been my experience that many contractors often can build up to 40% – 60% of their annual revenues directly tied to repeat business.  These same contractors never take such repeat business for granted as they expend a lot of energy to insure that they get every future project that their customers will be completing.

As you move to grow your company, don’t take any job lightly.  Even if the job has gone badly, work hard to be visible and work diligently to solve the customer’s problems.  Don’t avoid uncomfortable situations, especially if your crews have screwed up a job royally.  It is often the “2nd shot” out of the rough that gets you and your company back in the middle of the fairway and set up for a great finish!

Strategic Planning, ,

How Contractors Can Make a Good First Impression with Phone Etiquette

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TCBF

This article originally appeared on ForConstructionPros.com.

 

There is an old expression that says, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” This is especially true when trying to develop new customer growth. Consider the following questions:

  • What initial impressions are made on potential customers when they are first introduced to your company?
  • More importantly, what impression do you want potential customers to have?

With an abundance of options available to most customers, it is imperative that you and your company give the customer every reason to like you at first glance or first communication. Telephone etiquette is a key area where contractors can focus to make a good first impression.

In a study of why customers defect from doing business with their current contractor, more than 40% of the responding customers blamed their defection on how they were treated by a business. More specifically, a significant reason included the negative tone and apathetic attitude that was projected over the telephone. Telephone etiquette is crucial to a small and growing business — heck, it is crucial to any size company.

Starting with yourself, everyone in your company needs to understand how to answer the telephone, how to take a message, how to respond to customer questions and how to do all of that without leaving the customer feeling irritated, stupid or with unanswered questions. We might never get a “second chance” if a customer has a lousy experience during that first phone call.

So let’s lay out a few guidelines for your company to use when answering the telephone. Many of the guidelines also work when initiating calls to prospects or customers.

Company name + “How may I help you?”

Sounds too simple, but try calling any contractor you know, even your own office, between 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. or 3:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. and see what happens. Why these times? Because that’s when a contractor’s telephone is the hottest and when people answering the phone have the least amount of time. It is critical that each receiving call be answered in a similar and positive fashion:

“Good morning (or afternoon), this is Friendly Excavation & Supply; How may I help you?”

Tip: Encourage your people to smile when answering the telephone. A training tip is to set a mirror in front of an employee to let her view her facial expressions when on the telephone. Sound crazy? Try it yourself and see if it doesn’t help change your approach and attitude.

Take notes & briefly summarize comments

Anyone answering the phone should keep a pen and message pad handy so that notes about the customer call can be immediately taken. In my own consulting efforts I find contractors missing important facts about customer calls because someone neglected to record the details. If you have a receptionist you should have fewer problems with this concern, but be sure that the receptionist is trained in these same first impression techniques.

However, many small contractors and construction dealers don’t have a designated telephone receptionist. In many companies the person who first answers the telephone might also be the bookkeeper, job scheduler, even the chief bottle washer. Everyone, including secretaries, front line employees, supervisors, foreman and yourself must realize the importance of taking accurate notes. They also should make it a point to periodically summarize for the customer what the customer is saying. This not only helps make sure you’re on the same page as the customer but it let’s the customer know you’re engaged in their call.

Tip: Instruct your employees to record names, dates, addresses, key questions asked or problems mentioned, etc., while speaking with the customer. It is not important to record every word spoken, only key points. For some in-house training try reading a one-page article from a trade magazine and have your employees take notes on your reading. Compare the notes they take to the actual facts read from the article.

Close with “Thank You for Calling!”

First-class customer service begins by sharing appreciation with a customer for having chosen your company to do business with. This appreciation should start on the very first telephone call.

Once the reason for the telephone call is completed, it is wise to always end your call with a sincere, “Thank you, Mr. Smith, for calling. Have a nice day.”  While this is simple, it does leave the conversation on a positive note.

Remember, your first-impression efforts must be positive, encouraging the prospect to feel satisfied about their first experience with your company. Because many first time telephone calls will be handled by your company’s office personnel it is crucial that these people are properly trained on professional telephone etiquette and held accountable to creating a great first impression.

While customers sometimes initiate calls when they are angry or frustrated, it is always in the contractor’s best interest to stay calm and collected when on the telephone. A relaxed but attentive and responsive voice over the telephone is often rewarded with both a welcome sigh of relief by the customer and additional work for the contractor. Remember, empower your telephone skills to make a first impression that begins a long and successful relationship with a customer!

Employee Development, ,