Many of us get leads from various source including referrals from clients, colleagues, friends, or from the internet, advertising, or your website “contact us” form or other marketing efforts. Knowing and keeping track of the origination of these leads is very important. You would think this would be a very basic function that business owners
Sales
Having effective sales procedures in place and knowing how to differentiate yourself from your competitors will help you get more qualified customers and increase your profit margins. The following articles focus on subject such as getting leads, good communication and follow up, writing proposals and closing the sale.
Contractor Etiquette
You have done everything right. You made sure the potential client was qualified, you found out what they wanted, you measured, you wrote up a great proposal, it was priced right and you didn't get the job. Possibly you didn't even get as far as presenting a proposal. Maybe you met with the potential client,
It’s Not Fair
How often have you been tempted to say this? I hear those words a lot, mostly when it comes to competition. In fact I'm often told that it's impossible to compete. The question is compete with who? Before looking at who your competition is, let's look at who your potential client is and who your
Outsell Your Competition
In recent surveys we have been told that competition is becoming more and more of a problem. Business owners and those in sales have been telling us that competition is a factor in a number of ways. These concerns include unqualified or dishonest contractors low-balling prices, and clients who don't know how to evaluate proposals.
Profitable Sales
In recent surveys we have been told that competition is becoming more and more of a problem. We have also been told that you want to make more money. That means that you not only want to outsell your competition, but you want to do it profitably. As we all know there isn't any benefit
Sticks and Bricks
Have you ever wondered why your beautiful, well documented, detailed proposal doesn't lead to the sale of the job? Contrary to popular belief, it is not always the price. And no, it is not necessary to give them even more detail. In fact it's often the details that kill the sale. In reviewing contractor proposals
What’s The Difference?
Helping prospects see the difference to close the saleHow many times have you heard that question? It is often used in an off-hand, matter of fact way and it is sometimes used in a sarcastic manner. This is the question that everyone who is making a decision to purchase something does or should ask. It
Proposals – You Can’t Live with Them, You Can’t Live without Them
With all the estimating and bidding complaints I get from contractors, it seems to me that rather than being a positive experience, the whole subject of bidding, estimating and creating proposals is often the bane of existence for professional contractors. I have had clients tell me that when they hear that a prospect is going
When Selling Isn’t Selling
In these somewhat tough times, we often look for ways to sell better, close better, outsell the competition or handle the unfair competition. We are often afraid to be viewed as a salesman or as so many clients have said to me: "I don't want to seem desperate." So instead of desperation, instead of feeling
Where Did All the Prospects Go
How often have you met someone or had a prospect for your business and found that the promising prospect or lead just went nowhere? I believe this has happened to most of us, whether it was a possible new client, a new position in a company, a new company itself or even launching a new
The Worst Salesmen
Recently, my husband and I were shopping for appliances. Following are a few examples of what we experienced. After we went into the first store, the salesman immediately told us that he could help us finance our purchase. That was interesting, but it was the furthest thing from our minds considering that we planned to
Decisions – Decisions
How often have we all heard this expression! Although making decisions is part of our normal every day life, some of us have more difficulty with decision making than others. And yet decision making is critical to all our lives and businesses. As business owners, managers or salesmen, we are faced with decisions regarding marketing,
Close More Sales
Probably the biggest topic in sales is closing the sale. Unfortunately, much of the sales advice out there amounts to tricks to close the sale. We often look for ways to sell better, close better, outsell the competition or handle the unfair competition. We are often afraid to be viewed as a salesman or as
Communication is the Key to Sales
No matter how great our products and services are, they won’t do any good if we can’t sell them. I’m sure we have all experienced the frustration of knowing that we could really help a potential customer, but still somehow couldn’t convince them to use our services. I often hear salespeople complaining that in spite
Sales Forms as a Valuable Marketing Tool
Most of us use some type of form to collect information about someone wanting to use our services. That form is a valuable tool not only for sales but for future marketing as well. You have the basic questions covered, name, email etc…however there are other questions that you should ask. Questions such as “What
Creating Proposals that Sell
Have you ever wondered why your beautiful, well documented, detailed proposal doesn’t lead to the sale of the job? Contrary to popular belief, it is not always the price. And no, it is not necessary to give them even more detail. In fact it’s often the details that kill the sale. In reviewing contactor proposals