[ Focus: Marketing ]
read your emails because they see you and your company as worth keeping in contact with. Perhaps they will tell you about opportunities in advance, or start to include aspects unique to your business in their specifi cations. For the small business dealing with the householder, it is more distanced, but might include dropping them a note of thanks if they recommend you to a friend or neighbour.
Becoming the trusted advisor An extension to the concept of building relationship, this is a higher level that is achieved as a result of demonstrating credibility. Quite often, it can be as a result of turning work away and saying: ‘You don’t need to do that; there is a far simpler way to solve the problem.’ This approach moves you away from the category of ‘sell anything I can’ to ‘responsible and professional’. At the larger company level, being a trusted advisor can result from running an in-house seminar, or giving free advice. It is about investing time, effort and sometimes money to establish your position. Once you have achieved the status of trusted advisor, you are likely to be involved at an early stage of a project, possibly having the inside track against your competitors. If dealing with a householder, then they are less likely to look for alternative prices and just accept your price.
Cross Selling Cross-selling is the process of selling additional products and services. The most obvious consumer example is the offering of an extended warranty with a domestic appliance. While this can be irritating for the customer on occasions, when done correctly it can add value to the sale and provide your customer with additional service. While on a domestic visit, look for other areas that might require work – an external safety light or adding double sockets, for example. A free safety check can also identify opportunities. Handled well, it will be seen as a benefi t by your customer. But be careful not to appear to be pressurising or tricking them into buying.
Customer satisfaction We hope it is obvious that customers have every right to expect good service. If they are happy they will invite you to do more work for them, and they will recommend your service to others. Also, be aware that in this modern digital age, if they are not happy with the service they receive it is very easy to tell a large number of people quickly via the internet. So focus on delivering a quality service fi rst time around and, when the job is complete, follow-up to make sure they are happy with the service they have received. Once a project is completed, make a call to confirm
everything was satisfactory and to resolve any possible problems. This also provides an opportunity to start the conversation about new project opportunities.
Focus on the customer In summary, focus on your customer; understand what their needs are, then deliver these in a way that differentiates you from your competitors and gives good customer value. That could include cross-selling, which adds to the benefi ts your customer receives and increases the value of your work. If your service is good, you will get repeat business and referrals – and you may even become a trusted advisor.
62 ECA Today January 2012 Marketing initiatives for the small contractor
Understand your customers’ needs ■ When you meet a customer gather information about their needs by questioning. ■ Look around and note the condition of the building and identify any other requirements they might have.
Lowest price or best value customer ■ Understand if they are looking for lowest cost or best value. Decide if this is the right project for you.
■ If adopting a value approach, only present relevant benefi ts. ■ If lowest cost, make sure there is enough profi t in the job to justify your time.
Build relationships ■ Reassure customers, look for areas of common interest – for example, admire their garden.
■ Support your claims with testimonials. ■ Give advice on certain issues without charging. ■ If they recommend you, send them a note of thanks.
Deliver excellent customer service ■ While in their home, treat it with care and respect. ■ Keep any promises you make. ■ A few days after the job is complete call back to check everything is OK.
About the author
Chris Ashworth Chris Ashworth co-authored the ECA report 2021 Vision: the Future of the Electrical Contracting Industry. He has worked in the construction industry for more than 30 years and is founder of Competitive Advantage Consultancy, which provides strategic marketing services to the construction industry. He is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, a member of the organising committee for the Chartered Institute of Marketing Construction Industry Group (CIMCIG) and a regular contributor to industry journals.
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