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Lead Generation

Let Them Sell Themselves!

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Close more sales by having a solid game plan in place before you ever sit down with your prospect. A series a well-thought out questions (and rebuttals) will go a long way in helping you close more deals. And by asking your prospects questions, you allow them to think they are in charge because they are doing all the talking. So let them talk, let them talk themselves right into doing business with you! If you need help doing this, I talk about it at length in my sales guide, check it out.

Tired of Paying a Fortune For Tired Leads?

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If you’ve bought leads from the big lead generation companies hoping they would turn into new business, only to find yourself competing against other contractors who submit low-ball bids just to get the work, then keep reading!

Being a marketing guy who works exclusively with contractors, I have seen my fair share of bad lead campaigns, but I think I have a better solution for you.

But first, I want to talk about the big lie lead generation companies tell to unsuspecting contractors like you

Buying leads was supposed to be just the answer you needed to help get you over the hump during one of the worst economies ever recorded, yet most of the leads you get turn out to be nothing more than tire kickers or low-bid buyers. And the lead generation companies only seem to care about their profits right? Sure, they’re happy to give you credit for a bad lead, but who is reimbursing you for $4.00 a gallon gas or the time lost driving all over town bidding on jobs that will never close?

So why not start generating your own leads?

That’s right, I am going to help you cut out the middleman and generate your own exclusive leads that target your best clients or customers; people with cash in hand who are ready to buy.

Interested? Then keep reading!

Contractor Selling Tips: Let Kids Help Improve Your Selling Skills

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My daughter is six and a basket full of cheer every day. But she is also a shrewd and crafty negotiator. Between her natural-born salesman dad, and her charismatic mother, she is going to be a very effective negotiator when she grows up.

In fact, she already is…

Now, she and I are both only children, and I certainly wasn’t spoiled growing up, and my wife and I are both trying to make sure we don’t raise a spoiled kid either. But when kids put in a solid effort, you just have to reward them, and this happens in business everyday!More

How to Handle Prospects Once They Walk in The Door

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Lead generation and prospect management is a complicated and often overwhelming task for many contractors. And it’s often the case that you spend so much time trying to just get the leads into your funnel that once you get them there you fail to take the necessary steps to keep them. In this post, I’ve outlined the 7 steps you should be taking once you get the lead into your sales funnel so you can CLOSE!

1. Focus on outcomes and value – As much as we may like to think people care about us, our prospects really don’t care about our products, services or solutions. They only care about the difference it can make for THEM. So, when you connect with your prospect, focus on the tangible outcomes your prospects would get from using your product or service. Drive home the benefits and keep those as the focus of every contact.

2. Take it slowly and let them come to you– When you get a lead, especially when you’re first starting out, it’s hard not to go for the hard press. But that rarely works. The more you push, the more resistant your prospect will become. So slow down, give them bits and pieces of valuable information over multiple contacts, and be secure in moving forward one step at a time. Remember if you push too hard (they’ll sense your fear and desperation) you’ll lose them, and you might as well consider them gone for good.More

Quick Tips for Contractors #1 – Do Something to Grow Your Business Everyday

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You have to put gas in the truck, go to the supply house or pay a vendor. These are all things you have to do to make your business hum along.

There is an old saying, you are either growing or you are shrinking, you ARE NOT staying the same. So make sure you spend time each day marketing your construction business. Incremental growth is still growth, and it all rolls up to more business. So make it a point to DO SOMETHING everyday to help promote your business.

Your Clients Are Talking to You – Are You Listening?

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I shot a video about keyword research the other day, and I think the point that I am trying to make in the video is that you need to look at keyword research as listening. Listening to exactly what your best clients or customers are asking for. Keyword research IS NOT hocus pocus, it is not Internet crap, and it is not something to be ignored. I mean, you can, but you will get buried under the weight of the stampede of clients or customers rushing past you to get to your competition.

6 Tips to Sell High-End Renovations in a Weak Economy

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Let’s say you do kitchen remodels, or additions, or basements, all major renovations that cost between $35,000 and $50,000 even in a down economy. So how do you convince the consumer to buy from you instead of your competition? There are a couple of ways.

  1. Sell a feeling, not a product – Instead of promoting fixtures, flooring, lighting or bathtubs, sell them on how having a remodeled bathroom will make the homeowner feel.
  2. Start high and work your way down – If you present the best of the best, the most upscale projects and capabilities before you discuss the full range of mid-priced and lower-end projects, then you have a better chance of selling the project ABOVE the level the client anticipated.
  3. Work now with next year in mind – The economy isn’t going to suck forever, I promise. But there is a bright spot to this train wreck of an economy we have had. That bright spot is that many of the knuckleheads you used to compete with have gone belly up, which means there is less competition in the marketplace. So start preparing your business now for next year and the year after that, long after we should be enjoying at least a modest recovery.
  4. Talk to people about value instead of price – This is a big one, every time you associate a cost to something, the husband’s head spins, unless you are talking finished basements or media rooms. Instead, focus on great quality at reasonable prices to be more effective when trying to close.
  5. Follow-up, follow-up, follow-up – Once you complete the project you need your client’s feedback, both good and bad. Ask them what they liked about working with you, and whether they have friends or neighbors who might be interested in home improvement projects.
  6. Promote – Promote – Promote – Not just with traditional marketing and advertising, I mean get out there and build partnerships and relationships with affiliated businesses and industries. For example, reach out to 5 real estate agents, 5 interior decorators and 5 architects each week and start building a team of people who you refer work to and get work from.

Remember, what you do today determines your business life a year from now, and what you did a year ago is impacting your business right now, so work today for your business tomorrow!

Photo Credit: Little Debbie

Improve Your Selling Skills or Else!

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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.More

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