Consumers have many choices when it comes to selecting a contractor to help them with a general remodeling project or a more specific aging in place renovation or home modification. Think of how many people you know who share the marketplace with you and offer services that a consumer might consider in addition to yours.
Obviously, many factors enter into someone’s decision-making process about what they are looking to accomplish, what they think needs to be done, why they have reached out to you for help, and then who should be the one they select to help them.
People will initially consider such criteria as how much the job costs, how much money they are willing to invest, the design, the final look, and how you relate to them.
So, why should someone want to do business with you? How to you rise to the top and stand out among all of the other choices that are available to someone? In a word, it’s called justification.
That is what you need to do each time you engage a potential client, and it’s also what they are seeking from you. They want to know what’s in it for them and why you are worthy of them doing business with you eventually.
Your clients must be included in the process and learn what you can do for them if they choose to work with you. They must have a strong personal, emotional connection to what you are offering and who you are as a company.
It’s not enough to have nice designs, ideas, or proposed solutions for them to consider. They must know how and why you are a good company – for them. They need to be convinced that you can create for them what they visualize and experience when they meet with you. In short, they must believe in you and your company well enough to want to hire you for their project – over all the other contractors capable of doing similar work.
Most people don’t make a decision until they are convinced that you can provide what they are looking for better than anyone else – or any other option that they might be considering – and that you are worthy of their trust and investment.
Thus, rather than trying to make a sale each time, concentrate on making it onto people’s short list. Literally, they are interviewing various contractors and looking for which ones to exclude from additional consideration and which ones deserve a second look. If you don’t make this cut, forget about ever making a sale with that person.
In order to be at the top of your game and to distinguish yourself from all of your competitors, you must be devoted to understanding your business, including the ins and outs of everything you offer and what your competition offers as well.
Then it means having the ability to use your knowledge, experience, and communication skills to relate and connect with your potential clients to convey the specific reasons why you are right for them and why they should add you to their short list and continue to keep you in the running as the one to select for their modifications – regardless of whether that is next week or several months from now.