UK Construction - How to impress your prospects and win more work

It is well-known that people buy from people. That’s a reality. Face to face interactions and calls with prospects allow you to build a relationship and also discover the prospect's motivations and any other opportunities.

It is amazing to see what is hidden behind a seemingly unpromising lead. Trust should be the main goal of every contact. It’s a key element because people buy from people they trust. In this article, Benjamin Dyer, CEO of Powered Now, shares his ideas about how to sell more effectively and win more work.

Understanding the motivation

There are many reasons why customers may want work done on their property. Is it because the family is growing and a new family member will be joining the family soon? Are they trying to maximise the property's value before sale?

Understanding the customer's motivation can help you suggest the best solution. If the sale seems to be stalling, you can talk about the job in a way that is relevant to the customer's needs.

Professionalism is key

Demonstrating your professionalism enables you to establish credibility. Few homeowners are able to complete complex paperwork for their local authority. It's important to be able to communicate your knowledge without being too patronising. It's also worth asking your customer if they aren't interested in building regulations.

Trade association memberships, qualifications and sharing stories about similar jobs in the past are all helpful. Referencing the lessons learned and pitfalls helps you to communicate your knowledge and discourages people from considering DIY.

Build trust

Trust is essential in any sales situation. I have personally chosen a higher-cost option for a very big deal because I trusted the team more.

Every interaction should be seen as an opportunity for trust building. For example, it's important that you show up when you say. Same goes for delivering quotes on time. These are the issues that cause disappointed trade businesses to claim that they don’t know why they lost the deal.

➡️ Read more: Why quoting software is essential for trades?

According to a recent survey by Powered Now, 83% of homeowners said that trade companies fail to show up when they say.

Technology can be a great help. James Chandler from Chandler Building describes his workflow: “We turn up on a job to quote, do it all on the iPhone and send it to the customer from our app. We’ve noticed that getting the paperwork out to the customer quickly normally means we win the job”.

Talking to many fast-growing clients, we noticed a common theme: quoting within 24 hours. This is an easy way to make a good impression, but it's still unusual.

If your potential customers are not able to contact you before they placed their business this might lead them to speculate negatively about your character once the work begins. Having a helpful sounding answer phone message and prompt response are the minimum standards. This is what you would expect if you were seeking help.

It is important to write down everything that the prospect requests. Nobody likes to be reminded of things that were forgotten.

Price expectations should be set within a reasonable range

Surprises can kill sales. It is important to make sure your prospect thinks in the right place before you send them a quote. This is why customers sometimes reject your proposal outright and sign up for a competitor that is charging more.

➡️ Read more: Getting Pricing Right 5 Top tips

Close deals with care

Trust is the key ingredient in closing deals. With trust, closing can be made easy.

Word of mouth recommendations make it easier to sell to people who trust you. Recommendations are more effective because at least half of the prospects trust you before they even speak to you.

It is why companies in the construction industry need to do a good job at a fair price. This is the great thing about it. It also gives you the pleasure of interacting with happy clients and increase customer satisfaction.