Why You?

marc

How do you diferentiate yourself from other contractors that do the same type of work?

In other words..........Why should I hire you over you competition?

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Marc

buildenterprise

No illegal labor
No dissatisfied customers
Long reference list
Owner operated company, meaning I am the one actually doing the work
Meet or beat labor warranty policy
Not the lowest price

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marc

I'm trying to put myself in the potential customrs shoes here...........Do you honestly believe that "Not the lowest price" is a good reason for me to choose you vs. your competition?

I like most of your other answers although I'm trying to find out why you are different. Most contractors are going to tell me that they don't have any dissatisfied customers. I would rather hear that you have had issues and this is what you did to fix them and turn a dissatified customer into a satified one. Actually now that I think about that, I may not believe you. Can you show me some testimonials from customers that may have had an issue and were satisfied with the outcome?

I love the long reference list as long as you show it to me before I ask you for them. (As a contractor/salesperson I pull out our list with over 2000 customrs) They are sorted by city so that you can go to your city or cities close to you and see if you know anyone or write down the address so you can go by and look at our work. I am a siding contractor so it's easy for my prospects to see my work without bothering my customers. I will also show them over 100 testimonial letters and 100s of customer surveys on our workmanship, service, salespeople, installers and prices. Our customer list is also broken down so it will show you how many jobs we have done in each neigborhood. We explain to the customer that there is no way we would be doing 4,5 or 6 jobs on any street if our workmanship was not excellent.

I personally like The owner operated company but I also know that a lot of people would prefer to deal with what they think is a large company. I think that they believe that a larger company is less likely to go under during tough times (In most cases that is incorrect) but I do think that's what some peole believe.

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Marc

buildenterprise

"I personally like The owner operated company but I also know that a lot of people would prefer to deal with what they think is a large company. I think that they believe that a larger company is less likely to go under during tough times (In most cases that is incorrect) but I do think that's what some peole believe."


I actually have found the opposite to be true in most of our jobs. People don't want to be just another number to a large corporation. They want a more personal business relationship. Now we're talking smaller residential here, not commercial. It really doesn't matter what size company you have, you could still "go under" just as easily. More easily in fact, a larger company = more overhead and costs.

Yes, I really believe "not the lowest price" means you should pick me over the competition, if their price is lower.

You would rather hear that I have had issues and had to fix them? First time I've ever heard that one.

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silvertree

You know Marc, that's a good angle--Problems that have come up, and this is how we turned Lemons into Lemonade-----
I'm going to fine tune that and use it.
I advertise- Firm bids- Clear Communication- Real start and finish dates-

No cliches like -Quality materials-Trained craftsman-Experienced- and the list goes on.
I think your onto something. Who doesn't have good references? I mean like what are you going to do, give them a list of everyone you've done work for?
Challenge the HO----------well some HO's anyway.

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Vote for Pedro
Kitchen, bath, St Paul remodeling
Minneapolis Remodel Blog
203K Loan Consultant Minnesota

buildenterprise

That's what my reference list is, there's no bad ones to speak of except for the ones we never actually ended up working for. You know those ones.

Firm bids-this is the price unless YOU the HO make changes along the way, that's another one of ours.

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kevjob

we sell on owner operated and on site daily and one PM, me, we also sell our license, insurance, licensed subs, permits, engineers, architects, quality material. We try not to sell on price.

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Kevin
Basement Finishing Highlands Ranch Colorado
Littleton Colorado, Basement Remodeling
Kitchen Remodeling Denver

mdshunk

We suck less than some of the other guys.

marc

Just a thought.............

Owner operated equals If you get sick or hurt, My job stops.
(I don't want that to happen)
Just another way to look at things.

I started the post because I wanted people to think about what makes them diferent from other contractors. A lot of home owners think it's all the same and if we can't make them see the diference we will most likely lose to the competition. I've been looking at my own business and just the ads that we run. Quite frankly if I took my company name off the ad and put yours in it would probably work for you. I NEED to change that.

Fully insured
workmanship warranty
Quality products
Licenced

These kind of things shouldn't even be in the ad. They are probably assumed anyway. Now it gets 10 times more important when you are in front of the customer. What are you giving them that NO other contractor can give them. And can you prove it to them. Do you think they believe you when you say it? Or would they believe it more if your customers told them? That's the power of testimonials.

If you told me that you've never had a customer that wasn't 100% satisfied, I'd start listening for the next lie you will tell me. Even the best contractor in the world has issues.

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Marc

silvertree

Marc, what your talking about are platitudes. I still remember the first time my Certainteed rep told me to mention that the windows were made of virgin vinyl and that my installers were factory trained. I couldn't do it!
But what you're talking about is so simple that were all afraid to use it in our advertising. But the best ads I remember focus on things like"You talk,we'll listen". And others like "How can I help you" instead of "Are you finding everything you need". Well I'm still looking for a hot momma who finds me fascinating and attractive so I'll think I'll walk by the produce section again.
I just told that to the cashier at my local grocery store------

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Vote for Pedro
Kitchen, bath, St Paul remodeling
Minneapolis Remodel Blog
203K Loan Consultant Minnesota

Bone Saw

I could see this as a "possible" viable argument if there were imminent residual damages or exrtaordinary expense incurred as a result of a stoppage, however GL quashes that argument. Actually I took a pretty hard hit a few months ago where I did a sumersault from about 10' landing flat on my back inches away from my skid steer bucket giving myself a concussion, was working the next day. Customer never knew it happened till a few days later when he noticed me wincing in pain as I worked, guess it kinda worked as a "retro" selling point, I think character and technical savey, goes way beyond sales savey anyday, so I usually sell on something that is never really brought up in these "selling on price, value, service, insured, licensed, reference, etc etc etc" threads, RESULTS, the nice thing about results is they usually sell themselves.

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Custom Decks & Carpentry LLC.
Chester County Custom Decks
Custom Deckbuilder Mainline
Philadelphia Deck Builder
Custom Decks & Carpentry on Facebook

Pete M

Marc... A great deal of the differrentiation process boils down to the customer's perception of the company and the person standing in front of them trying to sell the job.

Failure to understand the customer's mental road blocks and thought process can kill a nice job before you even knock on their door.

Ask yourself, "What would I look for and what reservations would I have if I had to hire a contractor to work in my home?" Is it price only? Is it reputatation? Is it references?

I 'm sure your personal list is much longer.

My point is: Understand what the customer's perceptions and potential objections are when making these types of decisions, then set up a selling system that conquers those situations before they even come up.

Marc... my mantra is, "People Buy What They See"

They will believe what you "show them" far more readily than what you "tell them." Customers will always believe their eyes before they believe any hype or promises.

Don't tell them, show them.

buildenterprise

Seriously marc, how original can you be, with a million other guys out there doing the same thing. Alot of them are equally as qualified as you, and all the prices are within a certain range. I think you're asking for the impossible here, come up with a selling point that NO ONE else has?


"ABC Builders, LLC
We NEVER drink on the job, hardly"

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buildenterprise

More than once I've heard "Man, that last guy, I was afraid to let him in my house". So yes, customer's perception of you the individual selling the job face to face, that's where the rubber meets the road, so to speak. You know what they say about first impressions.

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silvertree

I'm betting Marc does come up with something different. Perception is reality to the potential customer. Different doesn't have to be off this planet.
If Marc sells the image he presents to the client he will close the sale. All he said was what you repeated, we all look the same, this is great for people in the marketing and advertising business, and to a degree the consulting field, they get to put a package together and sell it over and over. And we know this works, but it doesn't work well and usually the more you spend the more business you see. But what about the guys who spend 3% or less on marketing and sell as much as guys spending 3 times as much. No one has come up with anything original that works for a while so most people stick with the" This has always worked" routine. Well it works, but people have changed in how they buy and we have to change along with them. There is plenty of room for novel approaches to advertising and sales and all were seeing is mostly changing the names of our techniques, kinda of like calling a garbageman a sanitation engineer.

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Vote for Pedro
Kitchen, bath, St Paul remodeling
Minneapolis Remodel Blog
203K Loan Consultant Minnesota

masterk

This is why I always leave a satisfied customer with a dozen buss. cards. When you get a call from a new customer and you find out that you were referred it's alot esaier to land the job. Thats why once a job is complete I stay in touch with customers. Holiday cards are great!!!

Danno6102

I find that the most compliments I get, other than my work, is that they chose me because I was friendly, well mannered, easy going, returned phone calls, & was on time.

KCLicenses

So maybe anyone can claim what you claim...but do they? Sometimes the best marketing comes from focusing on a point that is universal for all companies or products, but the competition ignores it. As someone mentioned, the customer's perception is their reality. So if they perceive that you are the only one offering something or the only one who does such-and-such, then that is their reality. You can't claim you're the only one...but you can emphasize that aspect of your business/product/service to the point that the customer believes you are the only one, or at least the best in that area.

Kristie Cook

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Kristie Cook
Licenses, Etc.
www.LicensesEtc.com

PressurePros

Because, instead of submitting to ego and answering that question with a bunch of cliches, I am going to sit down with you face-to-face. I'm going to smile when I meet you. My handshake is firm but I have nothing to prove. This is about you. I don't have to be anywhere else right now, this is your time. I'd love to discuss that golf trophy, I am an avid fan of the sport. Time to get to business? Tell me what you envision in this project. What details have you and the wife seen elsewhere that impressed you? What are your biggest concerns? I'm listening to you. When you have nothing more I will guide you further through the process with questions of my own. I'll do my best to address your concerns. I'm going to build confidence not by being a condescening guy that thinks he can tell you what you want, but by using the clues you have given me to show you benefits that will excite you. I'll propogate your excitement with my professionalism. My logo'd truck, collared shirt, professionally designed literature, website, trade knowlege.. hopefully these are making an unspoken impression on you. I'll back up everything I promise with testimonials from your neighbors. When I leave your dining room I have done my best to instill confidence not by tellling you what I am or what I can do but by parleying that I can fulfill your needs with the expertise you seek.

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Ken Fenner
Pressure Washing PA
Roof Cleaning Services PA

Ed the Roofer

Okay Ken, when can you come over to meet and get things going.

If I were the homeowner, I would have stopped you half way through and told you that, with that excellent prose'.

Ed