The Key To A Successful Construction Business Is Referrals
It seems like, I have had to start my business over, each
time that I move into a new community. I live in the same state, but
have lived in three counties and each move has seemed to cost me a lot
of old business. Here's what I've learned, in my travels as a general
contractor.
Most of my business came from people who referred me and knew that I did
quality work. I would work on their homes, provide them with an
excellent product at reasonable prices and they would recommend me to
any one that they knew. This worked out great, until I moved, and never
gave these people my new phone number.
Each time I moved, I changed my phone number and this was before cell
phones, and I would lose past customers, this meant referrals. I rarely
gave this a second thought, as I was advertising in my local newspaper
to get new clients. It wasn't until a few years ago, when I met someone
who explained the referral process to me, that I finally got it.
If you have people that are referring you to other clients, you need to
go out of your way to return the favor. Think about this for a second,
if someone you knew, is doing something for you, wouldn't you want to do
something for them. The good part about this, is that the more that you
do for them, the more that they will normally do for you.
This doesn't require a much activity, if you're not a relational or
social person. You could simply mail them a thank you card, with a gift
card to one of their favorite stores or restaurants, inside. People love
to beat knowledge and thanked, so why not thank them and show your
appreciation.
You would be surprised, at how some of these people, will go out of
their way and I mean out of their way to refer you business. Think about
this and if it makes sense, try to find a little more out about the
referral business.
Remember what I said in the article, take care of those who take care of
you and you will soon find your business, doing better than ever.