The General Contractor

Article from ContractorSelling.com

There is an imbalance at many contractors that is created by some of the crew performing at a high level while others do not. Many owners perceive this as just a fact of life and refuse to believe that EVERYBODY could achieve profitable numbers. These underperformers SUCK resources from the rest of the team.

Let’s finish the series with part 7 of ‘Why your sales results suck’…

REASON #7 - They sell to Americans like a communist.

Alright, I know you are fed up with your poor performers but calling them a communist? Isn’t that taking things a bit too far? Not really when you consider how far off poor performers are with the way that most people in this country prefer to buy things.

That’s right, poor performers are not ‘on code’ with the average American when they choose only one repair and then present it to the customer. In the days of the ‘iron curtain’ in communist Russia, the people would stand in line for hours for a loaf of bread. In those days, there was no choice. Only one kind of bread was given to all people. Okay, they had two choices. Take it or leave it. Fair enough?

Our country was built on freedom. To give anyone who lives in the United Staes of America only one choice restricts people and makes them feel as if something is not right. In essence, your customer feels ‘not free’ with no options.

Show your customer the best option that is the most premium and cost the most first so they can see what the ‘good life’ is like. Then show them the options in the middle that have less warranty, service and complete repairs. Then show them the ‘least’ that you can do get it running. We love choices.

Don’t stand in the way of the freedoms that we in this country have paid and are paying dearly for. Sell like a patriot and give your customer ALL their choices.

Chicago Painters, Inc. today announced the launch of www.Chicago-Painters.com as an information portal for Chicagoland home owners to find information about interior and exterior painting concerns. With articles being added almost every day and an online monthly newsletter of home painting tips the website is anticipated to quickly become Chicagoland’s primary resource web site for interior and exterior painting.

Future plans include educational guides on selecting a contractor, professional advice from expert painters, and a question and answer forum for Chicagoland homeowners.

The web site will be an invaluable resource for Chicagoland homeowners in finding accessible information to address their painting needs. Information will be efficiently categorized for easy navigation.

Jim Amatore, president of Chicago Painters, Inc. stated, “Our goal for the website is to be the best home and family resource guide for assisting all homeowners in the Chicagoland area,” “The depth of knowledge and resources www.Chicago-Painters.com offers is unparalleled.”

About Chicago Painters, Inc. — Chicago Painters has been serving the Chicagoland in Painting Excellence since 2001. We are a small company that is owner operated. The owner, Jim, is a former United States Marine and
Operation Iraqi Freedom Veteran. One of the motto’s of the marine Corps is Attention to Detail, which has been carried over into Chicago Painters work ethic. For more information visit Chicago Painters.

We are pleased to announce the launch of Pann Home Serviecs, a Boston Remodeling Contractor, that provides electrical services, plumbing, heating, air conditioning to the Greater Boston area.

You’ve seen your HVAC, plumbing and electrical techs and sales people strutting around the shop acting like they can handle anything. This bravado is short lived when they face a customer who give them a stall or even a no. That’s right, these professionals freeze like a deer in the headlights when confronted with the least resistance.

Many customer say no as a subconscious reaction to your price presentation just as you say no to a clerk in a store when they ask ‘May I help you?’ You invariably say, ‘No just looking’ or ‘No thanks.’ It is just a subconcious response. Something you say without even thinking.

If the clerk would just make you think they could easily overcome this objection.

Poor performers do not realize that the slightest pushback you give a customer when they throw an objection at you can turn the sale around from no to yes in a heartbeat.

Question the situation when you are losing the job. Ask the customer why their way of buying is the best way. Do they always buy the cheapest things for their family? If not, then why are they starting with you? After all, you do 400 calls a year and the customer does just one or two. Shouldn’t you be better prepared to handle this call than them?

Taking responsibility by asking the customer where you went wrong is another tactic. Whatever you choose to ask remember that the pace is almost as important as the content of the question. Don’t look dumbfounded or confused. Act as if it is normal for people to research a large purchase and then ask another question.

One thing for sure. Standing there dumbfounded and then leaving when faced with a ‘no’ or a ‘think it over’ will never get it done. Say something.

That’s all for now, see you next week with reason #7

www.contractorselling.com

Moore & More Plumbing today announced the redesign of www.Mooremoreplumbing.com as an information portal for Austin area home owners to find information about plumbing solutions, and home improvement tips. With articles being added almost every day and an online monthly newsletter of home improvement tips the website is anticipated to quickly become Austin’s primary resource web site for plumbing and home improvement information.

Future plans include educational guides on selecting a plumber, professional advice from local experts, and a question and answer forum for Austin homeowners.

The web site will be an invaluable resource for homeowners in finding accessible information to address their plumbing needs. Information will be efficiently categorized for easy navigation.

David Moore, president of Moore & More Plumbing stated, “Our goal is to be the best home and family resource center and information portal for assisting all Austin homeowners with their plumbing and drain cleaning needs. The depth of knowledge and resources at www.Mooremoreplumbing.com is simple, concise and offers every homeowner some information about their home.”

About Moore & More Plumbing– Moore & More Plumbing has been Austin’s plumber since 1987 and is the customer service oriented plumber. Our service technicians arrive on time, use only quality parts, and do the work right the first time. Moore & More Plumbing is paid by the job, not by the hour. For more information visit www.mooremoreplumbing.com

We are pleased to announce the official relaunch of Star Roofing Group, a Seattle Roofing Contractor which has been serving the Northwest with quality workmanship on every job! In addition to our years of experience, we back every job with up to a 20-year warranty on workmanship and materials

We are pleased to announce the launch of Elite Home Improvements, a Charlotte home improvement contractor who provides gutter protection, pressure washing and roof cleaning services.

Article provided by Remodelers Advantage

Hey, looking for some great leads? Get into a home show! Well-managed shows are full of homeowners who’ve paid a fee to see you — and they’re ready to buy. Sound good?

They can be amazingly effective generators of high quality leads — if done right. Doing it right means determining your goals for the show, creating collateral materials to hand out, training personnel how to handle themselves and investing in a beautiful booth. Spend the time on this up-front planning or you’ll be throwing that hard earned marketing money out the window.

Your Goals
Want raw leads? If so, a drawing is an excellent tool . Have a system to rate the leads and handle the onslaught after the show.

Want appointments? Focus on the homeowners who are dying to have you - then qualify, qualify, qualify!

Want increased awareness in the community? A great-looking booth and pre-show marketing can help.

Hand Outs
A brochure or flyer (professionally designed, please) is essential. Other ideas are topquality specialty items like magnets or yardsticks.

Personnel
An unmanned booth is a waste of time. Have the booth manned at all times by enthusiastic, well-spoken, nicely dressed staff who understand the importance of this initial contact . Maintaining that constantly smiling exterior is hard work so keep shifts to three or four hours. Remember, no sitting, no eating, no drinking and no crossed arms. All of these things make prospects uncomfortable and will compromise your success.

A Booth that WOWS!
This is where the rubber meets the road. Those companies with the best booths get the most attention — and the most business. Guidelines include:

* make it approachable. Don’t hide behind a counter. Invite people in to feel, touch, and talk.

* professional lighting makes the difference between ordinary and stunning.

* target your top prospects. Install materials and information to appeal to your favorite market. If you sell mainly to middle class folks, don’t use Sub Zero appliances and all granite countertops or show photos of just $500,000 additions. If high end is your goal, stay away from laminate counters and vinyl replacement windows.

* show your range.

Article by ContractorSelling.com

Why Your Sales Suck! REASON #4 - Creating problems with no solution.

There have been many studies on creating dissonance with buyers to get them to act or purchase. In the contracting world this means finding and bringing problems to the client.

Creating dissononce does work, however when creating or explaining problems the solution must IMMEDIATELY follow the explanation of this trouble. Techs that suck explain the problem to the customer way too early before they have found a solution or a price.

They babble on for seems like an eternity giving the client a FREE Consulting session before they have ever found or priced out a solutions for the client. In common terms, the sales person becomes a pain in the a**.

You thought they were done talking? Not a chance! They then go into a diatribe about the lack of maintenance and all the problems with the system and then tell the customer they need to figure a price for all of this.

Usually they go out to the truck to gather all the pricing further creating dissonance without a solution until the client is driven to call another company in the phonebook, usually while the tech is in the truck.

What happened to all the supposedly great bonding and repoire the sales person developed? Did you ever notice how the customer is somehow ‘different’ after you return with the prices in this scenario?

Don’t describe the problem until you have priced it first. Dissonance followed by solution immediately is indeed truly a solution that will create action.

We are pleased to announce GTAPainters.com, a toronto painting contractor, that lists professional painting companies in the Greater Toronto area.