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also shouldn ’ t assume that you know what they want or that the customer understands everything . It ’ s your role to gently , without patronising them , help your customer make decisions that are in your mutual best interests .
Market to existing customers
One area of business that can be easy to forget is your current customers . They are your greatest asset ; they already know and trust you .
An effective way you can benefit from this is to use an email campaign . Running a system like Powered Now from my company that sends automatic reminders for things such as gas safety
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certificates , annual maintenance on boilers and so on can generate a lot of work . By offering a discount for doing maintenance early ahead of the heating season , you can spread your busy patch in a better way too .
Get the quotes out
As has been touched on , it ’ s important to get any quotes out quickly . Having spent time speaking to you , the prospect will be at the maximum point of enthusiasm . They are looking forward to getting the quote . Each day that passes will disappoint them and reduce their commitment to you .
Once the quote has gone out , you may need to follow it
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up . Marcelle Stoughton , Director of Fencing Services , says : “ After I send a quote , as well as texting them , the following day I call the prospect by phone to confirm they got it and to see if they have any questions .” Be gentle , all pressure should be avoided .
Technology can also lend a hand . “ We turn up on a job to quote , do it all on the iPhone and send it to the customer ”. That ’ s the comment from James Chandler of Chandler Building .
Lose gracefully
Sometimes , you won ’ t win the business . When this happens , it ’ s vital to make the most of a bad job . Matty Stevenson of Bespoke
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Outdoor Spaces puts it this way : “ If I get an email back with bad news saying I haven ’ t got the job , I always respond saying thank you for the opportunity and wishing them all the best . I also tell them that if they want anything in the future , to not hesitate to get in touch .”
This way if the winner messes up , you will be first in line to take over . It also means you won ’ t have someone going around bad-mouthing you . If you are off hand or even downright rude , you may even cause negative comments to be posted online . It is a fact that homeowners are increasingly checking on the web before they decide who to go with .
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The final word
This article has only skimmed the surface , but my hope is that it gets you thinking . There are many ways to increase business without much effort . Maybe the ideas here can help ?
About the author Benjamin Dyer is CEO and co-founder of Powered Now . Powered Now ’ s mobile app aims to make it easier for installers and other trades to run their businesses .
www . powerednow . com
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