Creating an Image for Success

We’ve all heard the stories before, stories about – contractors. Folks are eager to share their experiences with others in vivid detail. Nightmarish stories about contractors leave a bad taste in the mouths of many consumers today. Statements like, I could never reach him, he never returned my calls, didn’t finish the job, used to spit in the azaleas, pee in the bushes, smoke on my property and throw cigarette stubs in my lawn, would drink beer on my property, and the all time classic – you could see his butt crack! It’s easy to see why contractors get a bad rap. But it’s not impossible to get past this negative stereotype; it just takes a bit of work.

Creating a negative image is easy; you don’t need to know how to do that, it’s effortless, disgusting and unprofessional. That’s the problem! Creating a positive and professional image, well, that takes a little more effort. If you aren’t up for the challenge of bettering yourself or your company then you have made a decision to remain stereotyped. On the other hand, if you want to succeed and help your business grow you’re going to have to bite the bullet and take the following steps to get you there.

Begin with the end in mind. Where do you see yourself and your company next year? It’s important to visualize the image you want to create for the company. Next think about the impression you want to create in the mind of the customer. If you can’t imagine it, you can’t focus on it and it won’t be presented as polished or professional. If you’ve read my other articles you should know how I feel about consistency. If not, go back and read them when we’re done here. Consistency is extremely important, and is critical to the image of your company. All flyers, print ads, and brochures, should all have the same look and feel. Keep your logo, slogan, font, colors, and message consistent throughout. Make sure that your company name is on your truck; regardless of if it’s a magnetic sign or permanent lettering. Why? Because developing name recognition is all about the consumer being able to spot your company name and be comfortable because they have seen it somewhere else. Having the company name on your vehicle also presents a sense of permanence and stability to the consumer.

Ok, so you’ve done that. Are you still getting the cold shoulder? Well, what do you wear when you go out to do your estimates? Are you in old dirty torn jeans or nice clean new ones or maybe some khakis? Does your t-shirt have a chili stain on it? Or do you have a nice clean company t-shirt or polo shirt with the logo on it? Clean shoes? Neatly combed hair and brushed teeth? Good. You should. It helps.

Alright, so far we have professional literature and a polished looking person coming to the door. But what happens after you ring the doorbell and have to begin speaking to someone? Always introduce yourself, be polite, and shake their hand. It’s important to know what the standard questions are that could be asked of you, and it’s even more important to know how to answer them. You’ll get a feel for that pretty quickly if you’re new. A word of caution here. Don’t make it up as you go, people will be able to tell if you pull the answer out of thin air and are lying, not to mention they may well have spoken to another contractor who knew the answers and took the time to explain them to the customer. If you don’t know, tell them you’ll find out and get back to them. Then do it. Do make sure that you have a polished and professional delivery when you speak. Practice some of your answers if you are uncomfortable speaking in public or to people. It helps with stage fright. Maintain good eye contact and use only proper language. No vulgar language or staring at the ground or off in another direction. It’s annoying and it makes people feel like you are being deceptive. Remember to thank them when you leave.

The image you’re creating should be reflected in your employees as well. Make certain to discuss the level of conduct you expect from them, including courtesy and discussions about the job. Be careful to let them know not to try to answer specific questions about the work they are not trained or experienced enough to handle. The customer is going to remember one thing, and one thing only; the employee told me that _________. Fill in the blank. You get my point. Misinformation at the hand of a well-meaning, eager employee can be your downfall. Make sure workers know to tell the customers to either call the office, or that they’ll relay the message. Shift the dialog back to the professional. It’s where it belongs.

Employees need to maintain their appearance too. A good place to start might be to have them wear company t-shirts. Additionally, while many customers may not be in when work is performed, it is always best to check and see if someone is there when workers arrive, and also to let them know when they’re leaving. It just seems to sit better with the homeowner if you communicate with them if they’re there. It’s their property after all, and they’ll appreciate the respect for it, as well as the professionalism.

Let’s step back and take a look for a minute, shall we? Joe Customer gets two flyers in his front door. One from you, and one from Company X. Yours seems familiar to him since you advertise in other areas like the phone book and maybe a coupon mailer. All your ads are designed to look the same. He likes your flyer. Company X has a flyer that simply says:

“PRESSURE WASHING

COMPANY X

CALL JOHN 555-1212

FREE ESTIMATES”

Joe customer calls you both, since he wants more than one quote. Company X shows up in dirty jeans and the t-shirt with chili stains. You show up in a professional looking company outfit. Company X makes up answers as he goes. He’s not polite, doesn’t shake hands, or look at the customer. You shake the customer’s hand, are polite and informative. See how easy that was? You’ll get the job.