For most contractors, winning a bid is about sharpening the pencil to the point of lost profits. But I have a better way. Instead of becoming a better salesman, become a better story-teller.
What the hell are you talking about Darren?
People buy out of emotion, then rationalize the dollars. This is true especially with women, who make up the bulk of home improvement clients. Emotional purchases have to be the reason behind such crazy buying decisions as $600 Manolo Blahnik heels right? I mean a pair of Nike does the same thing right?
Anyway….
Instead of submitting bids that look like tax returns with numbers flying around all over the place, paint a picture. Create your proposal page by telling them all the great things your work is going to do to make their homes beautiful. Tell them how the sun room is going to give them more time to spend outdoors, how the new coat of paint is going to liven up their home and make it look like a million bucks.
You may paint like Picasso, but a little Shakespeare goes a long way!
By getting your prospects excited about the end result, you remove the most common stumbling block I hear about why contractors lose bids…price. If you can craft the message well enough, you can move your contracting company to the head of the line even if your bids are higher because you played to the client’s emotions and you painted the picture for them that no one else even thought about.
Set it and forget it
The nice part about this process is that for many of you, you will only have to do it once since most of the story will be complete and the specific customer info will be plug n play. Drop in a living room or take out a bathroom, the end result is the same. Creating an image in your prospect’s mind that they must have you because only you can see their vision for the final product.
But what if you can’t write?
If you find it hard to put pen to paper and create an “image” to use for your clients, have no fear. My buddy is a copywriter who will work miracles for you. You can email Larry for more details. In the end, going the extra mile when prepping bids can help you wind more jobs and make more money in a down economy!