The Internet has truly been a blessing to our business in the last two years. Without this new source of phone calls we could be using the phrase "because of the economy." The funny thing I've noticed is that simply having a good position on the search engines doesn't exactly translate into phone calls and sales. A few posts ago I talked about what you need for a good website. The other half of the equation is how you conduct yourself during an estimate to land sales and make a profit.
The Internet has truly been a blessing to our business in the last two years. Without this new source of phone calls we could be using the phrase "because of the economy." The funny thing I've noticed is that simply having a good position on the search engines doesn't exactly translate into phone calls and sales. A few posts ago I talked about what you need for a good website. The other half of the equation is how you conduct yourself during an estimate to land sales and make a profit.
When I was operating my business as a one-man show or with a helper, my estimating process was a little less refined because my mind was in a million directions. Like Todd McDonald talks about in a recent article, probably half the time I was the guy showing up with stain on his hands at an estimate. As we've grown I've switched my role more towards estimates and limited my time in the field. Instead of doing two or three estimates a week, I do that now in a day and answer another five to ten e-mail requests a week. When you get that much practice, it goes a long way, and I'll share a few things I've learned.Ask and listen more than you talk. Along with the pride we have for our work comes the desire to talk about it. Talking about your talent too much ultimately makes you come off as a know-it-all, and the only people who are attracted to that are usually challenging customers. Talent is subjective and should take a backseat to the bigger picture of determining exactly what the customer wants from the contractor of choice and how the fine details of a project are addressed.Pretend that you are talking to a novice. I hear "I didn't know that" during estimates because most other contractors seem to rush estimates. When consumers are spending thousands of dollars they want to be fully educated to understand your value. Arriving at a quick number based on measurements and hoping they say yes is underselling yourself and your worth. It's important that you establish a level of comfort for the customer with your company and deliver on your promises afterwards.
The eyes have it. Body language is the primary vehicle in establishing trust with people. Keeping consistent eye contact can be a hard habit to develop if it isn't currently your strong suit. My best advice is to spend $40-50 bucks and join a Toastmasters public speaking club so you can learn the habit.Paint the picture. During an estimate I like to talk about how we will do every aspect of the project and walk around asking about the details that matter. I don't say things like, "We can't do that," but instead talk about real solutions and options. Afterwards I talk about timelines for the project. This process does a good job of qualifying the customer and getting them interested in moving forward.
I heard John Maxwell say, "Tough times separate the winners from the whiners," and I couldn't agree more. Let everyone else around you focus on how tough life is while you work harder on making a better sale and a better floor. We're all in this together and I'm looking forward to seeing all of you at next year's convention so we can talk shop. In the meantime, if you have any good tips, let me know.
