Business Clinic


IT


BENJAMIN DYER is the CEO of Powered Now. Powered Now aims to take the pain out of admin and paperwork for trade businesses like gas engineers, electricians, builders, and many more.


www.powerednow.com


8 ways for tradespeople to make a good fi rst impression


SOME tradespeople wonder why they don’t win many quotes, but the answer is simple: people buy on trust and trust starts with the first impression.


Here are eight key ways to make sure you impress from the first moment of meeting.


Turn up on time The very first point is to, as far as humanly possible, turn up at the exact minute you said you would. You might not think this matters, but it is your first opportunity to demonstrate that you can be taken at your word.


Be appropriate One tradesman was over-friendly with my wife. I didn’t like it and neither did she. We never used them after that, despite being contacted several times. Enough said.


Treat your customer with courtesy There are many ways that you can treat your customer with courtesy. Offer to take off your boots when you enter their house. Never use the toilet without asking and, better still, hold yourself.


If you do some work on the first encounter, make sure you thoroughly clear up


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afterwards. If you are just visiting for a quote, explain that you will always clear up.


Listen before you tell You almost certainly know much more about your trade than the homeowner you are speaking to. But always listen before you start telling them the answer. That’s for several reasons.


It lets you understand how much they know. It helps you realise what they want and probably hear some nuance you wouldn’t otherwise get. Also, people want to have their chance to talk; they don’t want to be cut across and made to feel stupid.


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 assume that the customer knows everything they need to know to make their decision.


So, it’s your job to try to find out what they understand and try to explain what’s possible without being patronising.


Demonstrate your expertise Casually explaining how many similar jobs


you have done before and 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.


Find a common connection People buy from people like them, so if you can find any common connection, it helps. It might be football, something you both like on TV or anything else. Just don’t stretch things too far. Also don’t push any connection too far if you do find one.


Produce the quote quickly Finally, if you have done everything already discussed, you will almost certainly be asked to produce a quote. This is where it is imperative to generate the quote quickly. Keeping the customer waiting after they have chosen you and are anticipating the next step is a sure-fire way to undo all your previous good work.


All the best!


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