Improve Your Selling Skills or Else!

As a contractor, you might position yourself as a provider of superior service, technologically advanced products or having the ability to “tackle the big jobs.” Or maybe you talk about other unique skills that show off your business in the marketplace.

In effect, you are creating your “Value Proposition“

But today’s sales environment is much different from 10 or even 5 years ago. With the emergence of the Internet, computers, hand-held devices and increased competition along with the influx of non-differentiated products and services, your clients or customers have become more knowledgeable and less likely to respond to sales techniques of the past.

The new rules of contractor selling

Quality craftsmanship and a high level of customer care are expectations and are no longer a “sales edge” over your competition. You have to earn client loyalty through effective solution-based selling.

Contractors that 10 years ago were “product driven” are now “market driven.” They approach their clients in a “problem-focused” way, providing “value-added” solutions to the homeowner’s needs instead of just slamming products or services down their throats.

To be successful today, you have to pay attention to relationships as much as you do to your own business. If you develop solutions where you work with client by showing them the value of your products and services along with YOUR unique selling proposition, then your chances to beat the competition are much higher.

In other words…

To today’s contractor, selling is a problem-solving exercise by building trust and respect BEFORE he or she can ask for the business from each client or customer.

And while all sales types or philosophies aim to sell, you should be using strategies that build long-term relationships that pay off in repeat business and referrals from satisfied clients or customers. If you think your sales could use a boost, check out my new workbook; A Contractor’s Guide to Selling More! This one isn’t free, but I bet it will help, check it out.