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over-delivered in some other areas . But it has destroyed my trust in them . I won ’ t ever use them again , nor will I recommend them to anyone .
It ’ s always a mistake to allow yourself to think that customers are stupid and won ’ t see through half-truths and untruths . They usually will .
The initial phone call
Your first chance to make a good impression is when a customer first contacts you . As we all know , this can be difficult in smaller companies as you may be in the middle of a job . At the very least make sure that if you can ’ t take the call , you call them back quickly . If your business is a bit larger you can even arrange to have a telephone answering service for a surprisingly low price . Just search on Google for “ telephone answering service ”.
Try to find the key details from the first call . Some customers find it tiresome to be asked too many questions at once . So , at every opportunity you need to move your knowledge forward and note that down . You should ask why they are considering having the work done . Asking
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why gives you something to refer back to that can help to get them over the line later .
You should also always ask how they heard about you and keep a record of that .
‘ the key is that the client sees me and I can sell to them at that point . That ’ s why I always visit every job at the start
’ The site visit
Most quotes follow on from a site visit . A site visit is a great opportunity . While you may not think it , the reception that your quote will get is heavily influenced by the impression you make on that visit .
“ The key is that the client sees me and I can sell to them at that point . That ’ s why I will always visit every job at the start ” is the advice from Mark Goodchild of electric-call . net .
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The quote
Of course , not every job justifies a formal quote and sometimes time and materials is the most practical approach . However , where there is a quote , this is the next opportunity to impress .
Here are the main principles that make a great quote :
• If it ’ s for a larger job , try to make it look a million dollars . The one-off fee for a designer to create a template for you that you can use many times can be well worth the money
• No surprises for the customer – be clear whether this is a fixed price ( Quotation ) or the best guess cost ( Estimate )
• Always explain that unforeseen problems could mean an additional charge , it protects you
• Think of ways that will increase the credibility of your quote . Some examples are the number of years of experience you have and memberships of trust programmes like Checkatrade or Trust-a-Trader . Pictures of examples of work can also be great
• Give a full description of the work that you will do , along with a statement
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that you won ’ t cover what isn ’ t listed . This all helps to justify the price that you will charge
• You usually don ’ t need a full list of materials , this might help the competition
• Explain your major terms of business and ideally include a copy of detailed terms and conditions too
The bottom line
Funnily enough , sales don ’ t involve much in the way of tricks . You only want to sell to customers what they want , then deliver it . That ’ s because so much business ultimately depends on your reputation .
I hope that the discussion here has provided some useful background on how to sell successfully . All of the best .
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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