Thank You for Knowing My Industry

“Thank you SO much for asking for that. It is refreshing to have a client actually care.”

Can I tell you how many times I have heard that in the last week?

I have been using my action book, Hiring a Contractor to assist me in hiring contractors for some work I am having done. When I asked the contractors to bring with them a sheet that has their license, bond, insurance and references all ready for me to review and verify, that is the statement I heard over and over.

Another statement that I frequently heard was, “You have no idea how important this information is.” Well actually I do, and I do not make it a secret that I work with the industry either. If anything I make it known.

What I do find interesting (and I tell companies this all the time) if this information is SO important to your customer, then why do you not provide it and why do you not teach them why it is important?

[crickets chirping]

Yup that is the most common answer I get. The other one is “well they should know this.” Newsflash: If your customers knew this they would be in your shoes or in a complimentary business. They are hiring you because you know the industry, you know the business, and you know how to get the work done. You are asking them to trust you, but you’re not giving them any reasons to trust you.

So what can you do about it? Like with anything, it takes one or two people to make a major change. I know there are a lot of construction companies that Do it Right out there, but consumers rarely hear about them because it is easier and more exciting to talk about what is wrong. (If you want to meet and learn from companies that Do it Right check out my book, Contractors: Doing it Right, Not Just Getting it Done. I list companies by name and tell their story so you can see that it can be done—profitably.)

Getting back to what you can do about it . . . create a leave behind sheet that has the vital legal requirement information on it (legal company name, insurance, bonding, license number, et al.), then below that information have a section titled “Why this information is important to you . . .” Make sure you include how they can verify your information and encourage them to ask other contractors for the exact same information. You know as well as I do, that not many contractors can or will produce the information—giving you one heck of a unique selling proposition as well as quality clients. Help your prospects hire YOU!