5 Ways Your Contracting Business Can Impress Potential Clients

You never get a second chance to make a first impression. For many potential clients, the way they see you at first may determine whether you get their business. While you can’t guarantee how they will interpret your effort, there are a few things you can do to shape it. Follow these five tips to ensure that your first impression is a good one.

Respond Quickly and Fully
For many projects, your first opportunity to interact with the client may come in the form of a phone message or an email. People want to know what your availability may look like, and ask for more details about a possible proposal. One of the best things that you can do for them is to respond to their communication in a timely manner and make sure that you answer fully. No one wants to wait forever for an answer, and many clients will look for multiple possible contractors at the same time. The one who treats the lead as an opportunity to shine will be more likely to get the job.

Show Up on Time
In a busy world, everyone seems to be running on a tight schedule. You might be booked up for months, with consultations, meetings, and project work all in the same day. But it’s worth keeping in mind that your clients may have the same obligations and limitations. If you agree to meet with them at a particular time, you should do your best to arrive promptly. Clients watch everything that you do, and things like late arrivals can make them wonder what you will be like if they hire you. A track record of timeliness puts them at ease.

Put Your Best Foot Forward
In the first meetings, you’re getting judged on everything, including your appearance. You don’t have to look like an A-list actor to get a job, but you should put your best foot forward. Keep a clean set of clothing that you can change into, especially on days when you are interacting with potential clients in person. If you have to go straight to meeting with a client after doing dirty work, do your best to clean up in the interim. Wearing slightly-messy work clothes might not be as intimidating if you can offer clients a clean and tidy office in which to meet.

Be Prepared
Of course, your initial presentation to the client can be helped or hurt by the degree of preparedness that you can demonstrate. If you think that the client may be signing a contract at the appointment, you should have the contract ready for their review. Invest some time to try to anticipate the questions that they may have so that you can answer them as fully as possible. Err on the side of being overprepared rather than underprepared. Clients will be less bothered by seeing documentation that they don’t need than they will if they ask for documentation that you don’t have.

Make Expectations Clear
When clients hire a contractor, they are expecting you to have the most expertise in the room. That puts you in a position of power, but you should exercise it with care. Clients may have no idea what to expect from the process, hoping you will be able to inform and guide them. The way that you act shows them what they can anticipate from you. Make your expectations clear, especially any limits you have with the project. Outline everything that you need, as well as the best ways that the client can meet them. Give clients time to review this information, and make sure that they understand. You’ll avoid a lot of problems that way.

Impressing clients takes a lot more than you might expect, especially in the first couple of meetings. For more advice about how to start your own contracting business, contact CSLS today!

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About CSLS

Contractors State License Service (CSLS) is the largest school in California devoted to the Construction professional. For over 23 years, CSLS has helped its students pass the exam to become licensed contractors in the State of California, licensing more students than any other school. From our main offices in Southern California, CSLS operates over 25 locations with full-service support and classrooms. We have grown to this extent by providing quality, professional services. In comparison, this provides 7 times the number of convenient locations than the second largest contractor school. Contractors State License Services is one of the only contractor schools in the state that is run by educators, not lawyers or people mostly interested in the bonding and insurance business. Contractors State License Services formerly operated under the oversight of the State of California's Bureau for Private Post Secondary and Vocational Education. As of January 1 2010, the new Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education (BPPE) came into existence replacing the BPPVE. CSLS now operates under the provisions of the California Private Postsecondary Education Act of 2009 (CPPEA), Article 4 Section 94874(f). Our Mission is simple; We can help you pass your California Contractors License Exam. Celebrating our 25th year, CSLS has helped over 120,000 students pass the California contractor licensing exam to become licensed contractors in the State of California. Additionally, we offer complete home study and online contractor’s license programs to help you pass your California contractors license exam. CSLS offers licensing classes for all types of contractor licenses, including General Engineering Contractor, General Building Contractor, Specialty Contractor, Insulation and Acoustical Contractor, Framing and Rough Carpentry Contractor, Cabinet, Millwork and Finish Carpentry Contractor, Concrete Contractor, Drywall Contractor, Electrical Contractor, Elevator Contractor, Landscaping Contractor, Warm-Air Heating, Ventilating and Air-Conditioning Contractor, and many others. For a complete list of contractor licenses, visit www.MakeMeAContractor.com and tuned for more informative posts.