You might already consider yourself a top tradie, but can you answer yes to all of these questions? Have a read and you might just learn how to take out your competitors and be even more kickass at what you do.
Are you easy to find?
We don’t mean letting people find where you live and stalk you, we mean is your business and its services easily searchable online? If someone Googled, for example, ‘f**king awesome plumber’, would you pop up? Your website and Facebook pages should be easy for people to find and communicate with – after all, that’s probably where you get most of your clients, right? You can engage a digital specialist to make sure your site is front and centre when people hit up the ol’ Google, but if you don’t have time/cash for that, just make sure that your contact details are loud and clear, including a phone number and email, and answer any queries ASAP!
Do you have that something ‘extra’?
This is basically ‘what makes you stand out from your rivals?’ Do you offer that little bit extra that will really make your client’s day and have them telling all their mates how great you are? It could be something as simple as offering a free cleaning service after you’ve been making a mess of their house, or even going the extra mile and offering to take a look at something else that wasn’t in the OG scope. We’re not saying that you should do anything major for free, but offering to do a small fix-up job as part of your wider job will definitely get you in the good books!
Are you the local ‘go-to’ tradie?
If you’re not, a bit of community service will go a long way. Yes, you can do community service without having a conviction, it’s called being a GC. Help out at local sports events, chat to the local store owners and get your name out there. Make sure to wear some branded gear or have posters/flyers/cool merch to hand out and you’ll be the face that people remember when they next need a tradie to help.
Do you send through quotes quickly?
Believe it or not, this is one of the ways you can really make your mark. Most people who are after tradie services will request quotes from a few different places, and if you’re the first one to come back, you definitely stand a better chance of winning that job. The longer you leave a quote, the more time the potential client has to find someone else to do it instead. Even if you just provide an estimate in the meantime until you’ve got a sec to get it all together, that’s better than nothing.
Do you take client feedback and actually use it?
Every business, no matter what product or service they’re selling, should give their clients the chance to get vocal. Feedback, both good and bad, is key for ensuring that you and your business are always hitting high. But just because you’ve got a place for clients to give their opinion, doesn’t mean you can leave it at that – you should always try to take that feedback and turn it into #goals. Except maybe the whinge-fests from those clients who are constantly on your back about everything – just send them a smiley face emoji and move on.