How Many Here Do A Follow Up Call To A Prospective Customer After Leaving A Bid ?

Mike Heritage

Hi Everyone this is my first post. Glad i found this site. seems to be very informitive. Just wondering if a followup call to a prospective customer is a good idea after leaving a bid on a job. Trying to find ways of raising my closing rate. any sugjestions greatly appreciated.
Mike

ProWallGuy

Always.

Unless I didn't want the job in the first place.

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Wallpaper Hanger St. Louis
Digital Murals Installation

BMAN

Almost never. I tell people upfront that I am not high pressure and I let our product of high quality work sell itself. I let them know that I don't want to be a pest and call them back so if they have any questions feel free to call me anytime.

Brian

Same for us.

About 5% of the people we call are ready to go, and our call just provides an easy way to get the process going. Others are very appreciative of the follow up, ask some questions, and ultimately hire us. I am certain that follow up calls help.

Brian Phillips

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Houston Interior Painting
Houston Exterior Painting
Houston Painting Contractor

MakDeco

Ditto,

But how long do most guys wait?

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MAK Deco

PressurePros

Bman, You may want to consider changing that mentality. Sure everyone appreciates a soft sell but calling to follow up is a courtesy. At least half of the customers I cannot close at the estimate but that I call back turn into conversions. Be careful of selling with your own wallet so to speak.

Maybe this would make it more comfortable..
"Hi Mrs Johnson, Bman calling from Bman Painting. I just wanted to give you a follow up courtesy call to see if you had any questions I may not have adressed for you the other night"

Guess how many times you will hear this? "Oh, Bman, hi, thank you for calling, actually we did have a couple of questions" Answer them and the job is yours. Don't make that call and the next guy that comes down the pike that does answer them lands the job. (after you did all of the educating)

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Ken Fenner
Pressure Washing PA
Roof Cleaning Services PA

Steve Richards

Almost never..unless I really wanted the job, or it's a past client.

I don't really do proposals though. After I look at the job, I type up a contract, and send it to them. If they sign and send it back, I put them on my schedule, if they don't send it back within the 60 days I specify in that contract, then I figure I didn't get the job. Don't really matter/care why, so there's no reason to inquire.

I know most folks here don't do it that way...but it's been working fine for me for 27 years, and I'm too old to change my ways now (I've also recently started yelling at the neighbor kids to stay off my lawn).

ProWallGuy

My schedule is:

2 days later
Then 5 days later
Then 2 weeks later
Then 1 month later

I have made 4 call backs within 1 month of submitting the proposal. If I can't sell them by then, I probably won't ever. But that file stays in my 'open submitted proposals' folder until they tell me its sold to someone else, or quit calling, etc. Sometimes, I go through that folder just for kicks and start calling everyone left in it. I have scored a couple jobs months later. Hey, it only takes a minute or two to call or leave a message. It is not high pressure, its just 'touching base' with them. I use the excuse that I was "cleaning off my desk, and came across your proposal. What is the status of this job?"

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Wallpaper Hanger St. Louis
Digital Murals Installation

ProWallGuy

Also, if you are a 1-man shop, it doesn't really matter. But if you are trying to keep a crew busy, it matters.

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Wallpaper Hanger St. Louis
Digital Murals Installation

Steve Richards

Absolutely...
I've only been a 1 man operation for the last 12 of those 27 years. Back then I'd also "come down" on bids if I had to, to keep my guys working.
Now , like I said, I'm old and cranky. But I know that if I don't get a job, it only means I'll be working for someone else instead.

welovepainting

If you want the job call back anywhere with-in 3 days no more than 7. Three days is plenty for the prospect to get other prices, and or decide what the want to do. Dont wait to long they might lose the desire or most importantly sign up with someone else..

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House Painters Commercial Painting Contractors Cleveland, Ohio
http://www.welovepainting.com
http://www.cleveland-ohio-painting-contractor.com

welovepainting

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House Painters Commercial Painting Contractors Cleveland, Ohio
http://www.welovepainting.com
http://www.cleveland-ohio-painting-contractor.com

ProWallGuy

I never said to come down on bids. I never do, unless the scope of work is changed. I meant that if you have 1 mouth/family to feed, the volume of sales is less important than if you have several to feed. So the aggressiveness of follow ups is adjusted accordingly to volume of sales needed.

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Wallpaper Hanger St. Louis
Digital Murals Installation

MakDeco

You have to be too old to tell the kids to stay off the lawn!

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MAK Deco

Riverside Paint

Same here. I close a high percentage of my on-site estimates. The prospects that say they'll "get back to me" tend to be price shoppers and I almost never win bids with price shoppers. The only exception to the rule is with brokers/agents. I always call them back.

BMAN

I am not saying this will work for everyone, and now that we are growing I will be ding more call backs. I have hired a full time foreman so I can concentrate more on sales and growth. Our volume is increasing and I don't want to lose good people during the winter.

Giftcard

It’s not the wallet it’s the emotion. How many customers not aware of the cost to have the service performed, may be have a baby on the way plans for a wedding, they enjoyed the experienced they had with you and will use your company when the time is right. What will you trigger when the phone rings, are they reading a book, how about having a birthday party, just getting in from work, just about to get in the shower. Calls trigger a yes or no response why trigger a no when you have a yes they just have to add you in there budget. Using the mail works great for us it’s less intrusive.

daArch

Never have I called back after submitting a bid. I usually hear right away if they want my services.

I would feel like a beggar if I made one (I'm not saying I would SOUND like one, and I'm not saying you guys are begging - this is MY Albatros, not yours)

I like this following approach, and it will make me feel better making a follow up, thanks. Follow up phone calls are a good thing, if you can find the approach with which you feel comfortable.

Now, last winter between X-mas and New Years, I sent off emails to all the answered bids, with the excuse that I was cleaning up the year's paperwork and would like to place their estimate in the proper file. Were they still interested in my estimate or have they made other provisions. 75% said they wanted me to do the work , but were waiting for........(insert excuse here)......

NOT ONE called or emailed back.

----

But hey, who needs work ??? I'm a kept man, I gots me a suga mamma with a big fat trust fund, I just work to get me out of the house and build my self esteem
(hmmmm, this reeks of: )

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Wallcovering Installations by Bill Archibald|paperhanger|Eastern Mass|Greater Boston Area|Dover|Wellesley|Franklin|Sharon|MA

bcf

I probably call back about 50% of the estimates that have not given me an answer. Of these, I've gotten around 5% of the jobs. Lately people have found prices less than my materials costs. I try to find out if it's a reputable company, but a price that at least 1/3rd less then mine, they just think I'm scamming them. It's been killing me lately, these along with the tire kickers. The worst is that the largest fence company around has decided to offer the lowest price guaranteed. I know that their quality is not that great, as do some past customers, butlow price rules around here.

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Matt Ehrenzeller-General Manager
A Great Divide Fence Company
www.agreatdividefence.com

GoodPainter

I do not normally call back.
Once when I was slow (around june or july) I gave a quik callback to 5 est.
out of 5 I got 4 of the jobs --but prob they would have called me anyway,
I jumped the gun and was scared after they didnt call the next day! ha

Anyway my closing rate dropped to 50% was at 75% so i am going
to have postcards sent the day after the est so they get it within 1-3 days
that reminder will at least get the yessers to sign faster rather then waitin
on them 2 months down the road( if they have to wait 2 months for budget I let them know i am booked 3 months out).

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Robert Good
It's Your Life-Make Fun Of It!
http://www.robertgoodpainting.com