BUSINESS ADVICE
8 ways to make a first
good impression
» IT’S BEEN SAID THAT YOU ONLY
have one chance to make a good first
impression. Benjamin Dyer, CEO of
Powered Now, explains that people buy
on trust and trust starts with this first
impression.
“People buy from people” is a wellknown
saying. It partly explains why
some installers get frustrated when they
don’t win work, when by all accounts they
should have done. That’s why thinking
about the first impression you make is
so important. Sure, if you’re a sole trader
and want to stay that way, and already
have enough business, this doesn’t matter
much. But if you are just starting up or
want to grow your business it matters
a great deal. Impressions lead to trust
and trust leads to sales. That’s why it’s so
critical.
Be easy to contact
When prospects find it hard to contact
you when they haven’t even given you
their business, they will wonder what
you will be like once you start work. It
creates a terrible impression. At the least
make sure that your email and mobile are
freely available. Also, have a really helpful
answer message on your phone and
always return calls quickly.
Be timely
As far as humanly possible, try to turn
up at the exact minute you said you
would. You might not think this matters,
but it is a key opportunity to demonstrate
that you can be taken at your word.
Powered Now’s survey of 1,000
homeowners found that 83% said that their
biggest irritations were trade companies
failing to show up when they said and
being slow with quotes. If you want to sell
to a prospect, you must build trust. That’s
why straining every nerve to respond
quickly to customers and always arriving
on time will get you off to a good start.
Technology can help. James Chandler
of Chandler Building says: “We turn up on
a job to quote, do it all on the iPhone and
send it to the customer. We’ve noticed that
getting the paperwork out to the customer
quickly normally means we win the job”.
Establish your professional
credibility
Once you are in front of the customer
they want to know if you can do the job
competently. So, make sure that you
talk about similar jobs that you’ve done
before. Talk around the issues that you
have overcome in the past and mention
the standards that you work to. Discuss
local authority notices and what has
to be reported to them or Gas Safe.
Few homeowners have an appetite for
completing complex paperwork so this
heads off the thought that they might do it
themselves or use a cowboy.
Make sure that you talk about your
qualifications, trade body membership
and insurance. Talk about how onerous
the Gas Safe training and exams are. It’s all
too easy to assume that your client knows
this or has looked at your web site or the
message on the side of your van. That’s
always a dangerous assumption. It’s much
better if you practise weaving this into
your conversation. But remember that
nobody likes a clever dick.
Casually explaining what your expertise
and qualifications are can help to build
the right image. “This is similar to the job
I did last month in Acacia Avenue, that
turned out beautifully” can help. Another
type of line is, “I have more than 20 years’
experience. Of course, my qualifications
have to be renewed every 12 months”. You
get the picture.
Be appropriate
One tradesman was over-friendly with
my wife. I didn’t like it and nor did she. We
never used them after that, despite being
contacted several times. Enough said.
Other installers have offered to take
their boots off, this immediately creates a
good impression. Some people don’t like
visitors using their toilets, certainly if they
don’t ask.
Being appropriate always builds trust
and has a much bigger impact than you
might first imagine.
On the first encounter you do some
work, make sure you thoroughly clear up
afterwards. If you are just visiting for a quote,
explain that you will always clear up and
take away rubbish after the job is finished.
Don’t take anything for granted
There’s an old saying in business that the
word “assume” makes an ass out of u and
me. And it’s true. You shouldn’t assume
that you will get the job. You also shouldn’t
56
JUL/AUG 2020
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