What Do Prospects Want to Hear from You?
The Customer Experience is something contractors often neglect. What does your company deliver to prospects and customers from the moment they learn of you to the time that you complete a sale, and how does that pave the way for a future sale?
I’ll cover several aspects of the customer experience over the coming months, but I want to start by discussing what prospective customers expect when they first meet a contractor. That introduction might be in person at a home show, through an inbound referral phone call, or even a visit to your website. The question is, what creates an enjoyable experience for them and encourages them to seek further interaction?
You get one shot at a first impression, your chance to make an impact. So will they respond, “I want to know more,” or will it be, “Not this guy; time to call the next one?”
The best advice I can give when presenting yourself to prospective customers is to make it about them, not about you! Let me repeat it – make it about them, not about you!
Many companies, whether in person or through their website, start talking about themselves. We’re the best, the biggest, the most caring, the most trained, the cheapest, the most expensive – whatever the quality, they focus on it. I call this unfortunate behavior verbal diarrhea!
Here are the problems with a focus on self:
- You’re not standing out from your competitors. Everyone is guilty of bragging about their business, so be different.
- You’re telling them things they expect to be a given when spending their hard-earned money.
- You don’t know what they care about, so you’re throwing darts at a wall wearing a blindfold, and facing the wrong way!
Rather than tell them all about you, focus on them:
- Talk about how your customers benefit from your company’s experience, customer care, focus on quality, training, etc. What is in it for them? How does your hard work make their life better?
- Ask them about their hopes and dreams for the project– find out what makes a difference to them! You can’t provide a solution until you know their problem!
- Put your testimonials front and center. It may seem like testimonials are talking about you, but they share a detailed example of your Customer Experience –what people are really buying! Help them see what life will be like if they do business with you.
Customers can get products and services from anyone. Many contractors promise great products, great service, and affordable pricing. But only the most successful contractors talk about the customer – and nail the Customer Experience. This focus brings prospects to an emotional point of action and turns them into customers.
If you’d like to talk practical steps to apply this to your business, call me at 1-800-543-8938, ext. 201, or send me an email at todd.miller@isaiahindustries.com.
Until next time, happy selling!
Todd Miller has spent his entire career in the metal building products manufacturing industry. He is president of Isaiah Industries, an organization recognized as one of the world’s leading metal roofing manufacturers. Todd is currently Vice President of the MRA (Metal Roofing Association) and a Past Chair of MCA (Metal Construction Association). Through his website, he strives to raise the bar on standards and practices to provide property owners with the best possible products for successful roofing projects.
You may pull quotes from this article provided you include a link back to the original article on this site. You may not reprint this full article, or even a significant amount of the article, without explicit permission. To gain permission, click here.
Leave a Reply