Buying leads is often a necessity for many small businesses as a well established form of advertising, to increase a company’s work flow. Here at CraftJack, we often stress the principals of one’s close ratio in factoring the cost per job versus the more commonly used (and frequently misguided) cost per lead. An example I have been known to use by comparison is advertising your business on a billboard by the side of the highway. Assuming an average of 5,000 cars drive past the sign in a given period and 5 calls (not projects) were a direct result of that advert, you wouldn’t call and request a refund for the other 4,995 cars. You would absolutely need to find out how much business you received from commuters who called after noticing the sign to accurately calculate what your cost per job was in order to determine if that billboard is a profitable form of advertisement for your business. The same is true for lead generation.

In a recent conversation I had with a CraftJack member, the topic of cost per lead/job came up when discussing their own success with leads we had been providing them. They have been very happy with the leads, but that is not the topic I wish to discuss. The contractor began telling me about his standard procedure with leads he receives and what he does with them after he feels the window for closing a given lead has passed.

The first thing he does is call the lead right away after receiving it. That’s a given. He then follows up several times that same week hoping to discuss the project and set up an in-home estimate. If he is unable to set up the estimate, he lets the homeowners know that he appreciates the time he was given on the phone and that if they have any questions at all in the future – even having him review a bid from another contractor to ensure its accuracy – he would be happy to assist in any way he can, as a friendly gesture. He then creates a calendar reminder to follow up with them some time down the road to make certain their needs had been fully met and that they found satisfaction in the results. And again, offering his help in any way possibly.

The contractor then told me that he had just closed on a job from a lead that he initially did not win, but to which he had followed the above procedure, and the homeowners decided to have him correct the mistakes done by another contractor. Months later, they again hired him to do additional work in their home because they liked both the work he had completed for them and liked him as a person. All-in-all, he generated 2 projects and close to $20,000 in revenue from a $29 lead, all because he was courteous and had a strong follow up process. He also understood that just because he was not hired for the initial project, doesn’t mean he had to give up and not hope for something more in the future.

Leads, in this case, seem to have a second life when well nurtured from the start. Don’t give up on a lead just because they said “no” to your first call. Figure out a method that works for you and run with it. Consider the opportunities that may arise by adding all of your leads (for jobs won and not) to an email marketing campaign you are conducting and reminding them that you exist and that you can provide amazing results for any of their home improvement needs.

The World is your oyster. Now wrestle that pearl out of it!

(Flickr photo by DanBrady)

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Whether you conduct your sales pitches over the phone or in person, one thing that rings true in either case is that asking questions – preferably the right ones – will help turn more of those leads into customers. One of the single most powerful aspects in the process of selling is actually the asking. The more questions you present to a prospective customer, the more insight you will gain into their needs and objections while simultaneously presenting a more trustworthy presence in their eyes. Salespeople often spend too much time delivering their pitch and not enough time asking questions, uncovering those important elements the homeowner is looking for and the factors that will guide them toward hiring a contractor. Here are 4 simple steps to closing more sales calls with questions.

1. Stop, Look and Listen
Assuming you are conducting an in-home estimate, take a moment to stop what you are doing and look at your surroundings. You can immediately gain more insight into their stylistic preferences and the condition of their home. Ask the homeowner a few questions that will help them explain what they hope to achieve in hiring a contractor such as yourself. Listen to their description and identify keywords that are repeated. This is where you’ll begin to understand where their priorities lie and what issues they feel are most important to the success of their intended project.

2. Empathy Goes a Long Way
Try to identify with the homeowner and put yourself in their shoes. Understand the problem by asking questions related possible solutions that you yourself would feel comfortable selecting, should you be in their situation. The homeowner will recognize that you care and it will help to create a more meaningful connection in your professional relationship, and in turn, likely lead to a more successful final result.

3. Questions to Help Prioritize
You have listened to the homeowners discuss what they are looking for and feel you can relate to their needs. Now is the time to ask more meaningful questions that will clearly identify how they prioritize various factors in meeting their project goals. Don’t hesitate here to be direct. Ask them whether price is a major factor when choosing products or materials, if they prefer functionality over aesthetic design, what kind of time frame they anticipate, etc. Some answers they give you may require further details. Ask them to be more specific so that you can feel comfortable knowing you have a better understanding of their needs and wishes and are on the same page as them. Perhaps they can show you some examples that they have seen used elsewhere (check out Pinterest). There is a reason why clinical psychology works so well for many. Therapists don’t tell you exactly what to do. They ask the necessary questions of the client to get them talking, feeling comfortable, and describing what it is that is important to them and the matter at hand. Which in turn yields better results.

4. The Most Important Question of All
Ask for the sale. This is the very question that separates the average salesperson from those that are most successful. It may seem like a bizarre question to be asking but it makes the different. After you feel that you have absorbed all the important information, have developed a comfortable relationship that shows you care and can deliver, and have provided the prospective customer with all of the details they would need in making their decision, it’s time to pop the question. The question itself should be worded in a way that you feel is most appropriate for that situation.

• I have some openings in my calendar. What day works best for you to get started?
• What factors will you be considering before making your decision?
• I understand what you are looking for and I know that I can help make this happen for you. Can we set up a time now for us to begin the work on your project?

These are just a few examples, but the most appropriate format will be delivered organically on the spot that will feel most comfortable and seamless into the conversation. Come up with as many variations as you can and practice them ahead of time. The right one should seem to present itself naturally within the conversation in the moment.

Questions are the most escential tool for fully understanding a situation, identifying potential issues, and coming up with possible solutions. Those that ask questions in the initial phase of a sales call are more likely to be the ones that close those leads. Questions will help you deliver the best results to any given project, bringing satisfaction to the customer beyond their initial expectations making them into customers for life.

Good luck and have fun.

(Flickr photo by Tsahi Levent-Levi)

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My father, who was in the insurance sales business for 30+ years, used to have this incredible trick he used in sales. Ever since I can remember, he always wore a watch on his wrist. Nothing overly fancy, but a nice watch. And on the crystal face of his watch there was always a very small neon green dot sticker. Now, my father, being the quintessential sales personality that he was, would always address one’s curiosity the same way when asked about the presence of the green dot. It would go something like this:

Client: What is that green dot on your watch?
Dad: Do you have any friends or coworkers in need of long-term disability insurance?

He would use the green dot on his watch as a mnemonic, a with which to remind himself – or have someone do the reminding for him – to discuss a given topic or promotion. Mnemonics are cues or devices intended to assist one’s memory and used by many sales professionals as an aid in remembering to cover all the important topics. The genius of my father’s trick (though he was not the creator of it) was that it not only reminded him to present a thought, but it allowed him to easily transition into the idea organically in conversation by having the customer initiate the topic for him.

Mnemonics can be used for most anything. My father often used his green dot to remind him to ask clients for referral leads. Your mnemonic may be used to promote a special you are running during that month, a question you like to ask all prospective customers (ex. “what are your main criteria when choosing a contractor?”), or it can be an acronym that helps keep you on track, known as a first-letter mnemonic. A common first-letter mnemonic used in sales is to ACCEPT the situation:

A – Acknowledge
C – Clarify
C – Consider
E – Explore
P – Propose
T – Timeline

Acknowledge the customer’s  needs and thoughts and let them know you hear them and understand what it is they want to accomplish.

Clarify the scope of work and what the customer is looking to have done. Make sure you are both on the same page and are heading in the right direction.

Consider what factors are most important to the customer. Is it price, design, materials, space, etc. Gather ideas that best support those values to present to the homeowner.

Explore various solutions in both price and styles to broaden the options for customers. Cost might be their number one priority. But you may be able to provide several design solutions within their price range that they may have originally discarded thinking they were too expensive and unattainable.

Propose. Literally. Let them know why you are the right contractor for their job and how you understand what they want and know that you can deliver a product that exceeds their expectations. Don’t forget to actually tell them that you would appreciate the opportunity to provide your skills and experience and would like to be considered for the job. It shows that you take pride in your work, care about the needs of the customer and are committed to making this become a reality for them and you.

Timeline. Lay out the complete timeline of how long it will take to complete the job and all the steps in between. If the homeowner has an unrealistic expectation of when they would like the work completed by, explain exactly how long the work will actually take to complete and why it will take that long. This will paint a more clear understanding of all that is involved and the customer will appreciate your attention to detail and outline of the schedule. The timeline for the project should be one that is suitable for both the customer and contractor alike.

The 1992 film Glengarry Glen Ross had Alec Baldwin‘s character popularizing the first-letter mnemonic ABC (Always Be Closing) in what became one of the most famous scenes depicting the sales process (of real estate) in cinematic history. Hopefully, your work environment is not as hostile as what is shown in the film, but the mnemonic is one that any sales professional can adapt to their industry. Treat every lead with equal value, importance and opportunistic integrity. You never can be sure how lucrative a single lead may be and what it might turn into.

I’m often updated by CraftJack contractors on how a single lead, costing $25, turned into a $30,000+ project. Always Be Closing. Not every lead will turn into gold (or even call you back), but working them to the best of one’s ability will be the ultimate difference between those companies that purchase leads to work, and those that make the leads work for them.

What mnemonic devices do you use in business?

(Flickr photo by thehumble1)

The post How Mnemonic Devices Can Help Your Sales Process appeared first on The Toolbox by CraftJack.

Time to Take Care of Business
Fast forward seven months to the events that took place this past week. Knowing those two desks will likely be needed in the near future, we wanted to get those phone jacks working immediately before we were left scrambling to find a reliable contractor once we hired someone new. Seeing as CraftJack does not yet service leads for data and telecommunications professionals, I did what most consumers do when looking for a contractor: I turned to the all-powerful Google search engine hoping to find a local professional. I entered the keywords “data communications” and our zip code into Google and found myself staring face-to-face with HomeAdvisor’s offer to match me with up to 4 professionals free-of-charge. As I stared blankly at the screen before me, there was a moment’s hesitation when I thought to myself, “oh, this is gonna be interesting.”

The Case Study
After completing the few steps needed to submit my service request, I sat back waiting in anticipation to see what would happen next. I was pleased to be matched with 3 professionals in my area and was able read several reviews about each company. Within minutes I received my first phone call from one of the matching companies. He was polite, courteous, and not overly aggressive about setting up a time to come out and have a look at the issue at hand. The conversation was everything I would expect from a professional contractor (See past article on this topic). We agreed upon a time for him to come out the following day. Several moments after we hung up, I received a followup email from that contractor thanking me for the time and opportunity to come out and have a look at the problem.

Noah

I look forward to meeting you tomorrow morning.  I should be able to resolve your issues.

Our terms are COD company check or cash.  Our rate is $98.00 per hour ($147.00 minimum).

Please feel free to visit our website:  www.company.com

John

Company name, Inc.
Office number
Cell number

Simple, straight forward, and well worded. Nice! (Check out our past Toolbox article on email tips)

Several hours later I received another email. This time it was from the second company I was matched with. Keep in mind, this is not only hours after my request was submitted, but I had yet to receive any additional phone calls aside from the first contractor who called me. I decided to wait until the following day when the first gentleman would have completed his visit before responding either way to the second company’s email. Here’s what that email looked like:

Hi i will like to help you with the phone repair please contact me today
I can send some one today please contact me by phone or email.

– THANKS

BILL
TITLE
COMPAY INC.
123 S MAIN AVE
ADDRESS, ST
Office number
Cell number

Let’s have a closer look at this email: First, it’s not addressed to the consumer. Second, the “author” had total neglect toward layout and sentence structure. Poor grammar. Lack of any real information about services, pricing, and company website or capabilities. A medley of upper and lower case usage throughout. They somehow managed to repeat part of the message while limiting the content to 2 lines of information. Also, a general disregard to professionalism.

You can see a world of difference between the first and second email. The former was not even a first impression. They had me as soon as they called and spoke with confidence and clarity over the phone minutes after I filled out the service request form online. The latter was sent as an introduction to their company and was to be taken as a first impression. A representation I can only assume parallels in the quality of their service.

Oh, and because I know you are all eagerly awaiting the much anticipated climax of the story, that is to the be the third company I was matched with…keep waiting. Not only did they fail to call, they didn’t even send a poorly written email. They must be doing quite well for themselves, having no time to bother with additional job opportunities. Or perhaps I should be waiting patiently for their proposal to be received via snail-mail sometime this Spring.

To me, the lesson is clear: the first contractor to call has the greatest chance of scheduling an estimate and winning the job. And not calling at all really ruins your chances all together (something we covered in past Toolbox articles). Although I work in and know about the lead generation business, I doubt the method with which I chose my contractor greatly, if at all, differs from the way most homeowners seeking to hire a professional based their decision on. It’s all about convenience and good impression. If you nail those two, it’s in the bag.

(Flickr photo by Naveg)

The post A Homeowner’s Perspective on Choosing a Contractor appeared first on The Toolbox by CraftJack.

Contractors often mistakenly send me emails that were intended for homeowners. Unfortunately, a fair amount of them read like a greeting card my four-year-old  composed at day care. If your follow-up email to a prospective customer sounds like it was written one-handed on your iPhone while stopped at a red light having a side conversation with your buddy in the car, there’s a good chance you will lose out on a lot of potential jobs. Here are six easy tips to help you improve your emails to homeowners.

Email Etiquette
I’m often surprised by companies that don’t place much value or importance in their email communications, often composing them much like a high school teenager texting their peers. Email etiquette plays a large role and can add tremendous value and positive reputation for your company, instilling a sense of professionalism and trust to one’s prospective customers. That’s not to say that there is no place for informal responses. Once you have established a rapport with the customer and understand their personality, concise and informal email responses may be acceptable and even appreciated for their brevity.

Whether you are in an office all day or out in the field and finding little time during your day to draft a comprehensive email, consider creating a well crafted template that can be used for many of your initial email correspondences with prospective customers. Spend the time creating the message, refining the layout, and editing the content. Once you feel it is the best representation for your company’s profile, you can save a version of the email in your phone and on your computer. The next time you need to send a homeowner an initial sales or follow up email, just fill in the appropriate info pertaining to that specific project and send it out. Here is a outline you may consider referencing when formatting your sales email template:

1. Subject Line
The subject line may be one of the most important aspects of your email. It is the first thing the recipient will see and may be the deciding factor in whether they choose to open your email or dump it in the trash. Make the message clear and meaningful.

2. Greeting
The greeting does not have to be overly formal, just courteous. A simple, “Dear ____” or Hi, Mr./Mrs. ____”. Never jump right into the message without a greeting. Having a greeting shows you place consideration and kindness ahead of just searching to make some money. It also displays your attention to detail and care for each specific client as it’s more personalized than what may otherwise seem to be just a generic auto-generated email response.

3. Message
This is the meat and potatoes of your email. This is where you should inform the homeowner of all the experience you have and how you can meet the needs and exceed the expectations of their vision for the project. Make sure you are to the point, clear and confident. You don’t want your message to ramble on about topics totally unrelated to their project or become too long that they don’t want to read it. Address their needs, let them know you are the right person for this job, provide a link to your website where they can see some examples of your work, and find out what day and time best works for them so that you may come out for a free estimate. Hopefully, this email is a followup to a conversation you had with them on the phone. If it is, most of the content can remain the same. Just include the date and time you set for the estimate, thanking them for allowing you the opportunity to provide them with your intended services.

4. Closing
Much like the greeting, this can be left to your discretion and what best suites your personality. Whether you sign off with, “sincerely, truly, thank you again, much appreciated” or “cheers”, just be sure something is there. Again, it’s the considerate thought that matters.

5. Signature
Your signature at the footer of every email should have all the necessary contact info for you and your company. I’ve personally chosen not to hire one company over another simply because I could not locate their phone number fast enough and since neither company stood out from the other, I went with whosoever number I could find first. Also, try to avoid having those insanely busy signatures that includes your company taglines, every phone number of every employee who works for you, links to every website you belong to, 10 credentials, inspirational quotes, tremendous images, and animations. Stick to the important stuff: your name and title, company name, phone number, link to your website and any social media you maintain. This is what my email signature looks like:

6. Proof Read
Although this is mostly a templated format, there is going to be content specifically related to each individual customer. The best advice I can give is to always, always reread your emails before sending. I have been guilty far too many times of not doing so and have found myself embarrassed to see many spelling errors, wrong numbers, wrong email addresses, and even the wrong name in the greeting. Save yourself the embarrassment and spend the extra 30 seconds proof reading your email before hitting send. It’s worth it. Trust me. Also, be sure you don’t make the ultimate email faux pas by selecting “reply all” instead of just reply. Yeah…I’ve done that. (Great example linked here)

The key to making the most of your sales process is simply to always remember that this is going to be someone’s first impression of you and your company. Always present yourself the way you wish to be perceived. A homeowner is likely to go with a contractor that they feel is professional, courteous, and will be the best fit for their project. Be that person!

(Flickr photo by Ed Yourdon)

The post 6 Steps to Closing More Jobs With Better Emails appeared first on The Toolbox by CraftJack.

As the Winter comes into focus, many home improvement companies see a dip in sales, which is to be expected. Here at CraftJack we tend to see a significant drop off in leads and advertising traffic beginning the week before Thanksgiving that extends beyond the New Years holiday. This too is to be expected as many homeowners will likely want to have small projects completed earlier in anticipation of the arrival of Thanksgiving guests in their home, the desire to spend extra cash on holiday gifts, and/or travel. As this is something that occurs annually, it’s a great time to get your ducks in line for the new season that’s just around the bend. This can mean wrapping up and filing recent paperwork, sending out your holiday greeting cards to past customers (see past Toolbox article), or actually cleaning and tiding up your office. Another great opportunity for this down time is to reevaluate your sales pitch and process. Here are some tough guidelines to revising your sales pitch that Clint Eastwood‘s characters could have followed. After all, he called ‘em as he saw ‘em:

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly – Updating Your Script
Look over the script you have been using. If you don’t have an actual script, record yourself conducting a fake (or real) sales call, then go back and write down all the topics and questions you discussed. Are your questions still relevant? Does the verbiage need tweaking? Get it down to a science covering all the important subjects. Keeping an outline of subject matter in view while on the phone is a great way to ensure you cover all the necessary information. He may have been The Man with No Name, but take it from him. “You see, in this world there’s two kinds of people, my friend.” Those to stick to the same old script, and those who rework it to become a well-oil machine.

Hang ‘Em High – Refining Your Talking Points
Have you found any of your questions to seem largely unimportant to the client or yourself? The Marshal will tell you that it “Seems like you’re a man trying to give away money and don’t have too many takers.” Triage your list of questions eliminating those that waste precious time without providing any real value in return. What questions keep coming up in conversation organically? Concentrate on those questions and topics that you feel most prospective customers want to learn more about. Refine your talking points with better, more concise answers to those core aspects. Bonus points for providing homeowners options using new techniques that other contractors may have yet to offer (see past Toolbox article here).

In the Line of Fire – Addressing Clients’ Concerns
How have you best addressed concerns from clients? Rework your answers to be explained as best they can, making sure you help put their concerns at ease. Additional bonus points awarded here if you are the first contractor to call and speak to them, setting a standard precedent that others must now follow. They didn’t pick up the first time you called? Take it from a federal agent: “Oh, he’ll call again. He’s got…panache.”

Dirty Harry – Your Sales Call Attire
What is your dress attire and presentation like when you show up in person for an estimate? Make sure you’re wearing clean, presentable clothing and not tracking in dirt or drywall dust from a job you just left. Presentation and projecting professional conduct is just as important as the quality of your work. It shows you value the prospective clients time and consideration, and that you respect your own trade with strong confidence and integrity. You can take your chances showing up straight from a job site, but, “you’ve got to ask yourself one question: Do I feel lucky? Well, do ya, punk?”

A Fistful of Dollars – Gaining Valuable Feedback
It’s a good idea to follow up with prospective customers even if you know you didn’t win the job in hopes of gaining valuable feedback. You didn’t get the job. Fine. But find out why. They’ll usually be straight forward and honest about it, whether it was due to the reviews seen about another contractor (or you), someone with more experience, or simply a better price. Use that information and see how it can help change the results the next time around. It doesn’t matter if you’re a gunfighter or a carpenter, “A man’s life in these parts often depends on a mere scrap of information.”

Million Dollar Baby – Sales Strategies and Resources
“How many eyes do you need to finish this fight?” At least another set. Practice your new pitch on a colleague or spouse. This will help vet errors or gaps in the pitch and establish a working flow with a natural progression to your conversation. You can also do a bit of research of your own online, regarding successful sales tips and techniques. YouTube is a great destination for sales resources. Check out “This Week in Sale“. It’s a weekly video series that provides tips and suggestions to sales professionals. Sales is all about connecting with the prospective customer, understanding what they are looking for, and making them aware of how your company anticipates exceeding their expectations at a reasonable cost. The sales team is the front line of your company and should therefore be tuned and crafted with as much discipline as the skills of your trade. A good sales associate who has a well defined pitch can make a substantial impact on your companies revenue stream and success. And like all other important factors in one’s business, there is no end to design. A sales pitch should be reevaluated and refined regularly.

How has your sales pitch been modified over the years?

(Flickr photo by Sean Davis)

The post 6 Things Clint Eastwood Movies Can Teach Contractors About Sales appeared first on The Toolbox by CraftJack.

The home improvement industry, like many others, has a wide variety of offerings when it comes to choosing a contractor for one’s project. One of the best pieces of advice for any homeowner making a decision is to allow 3-4 companies to submit an estimate for their work on a project. This allows for  objective comparisons by measuring a company’s history, references, quality of past project, capability of meeting your needs, and most importantly, the ability for the homeowner to make a decision based upon their personal gut feeling when face-to-face.

The variety of contractors submitting bids for the same project can range from small independent contractors working from a van, to large general contracting companies with a dozen crews on both commercial and residential projects. If you fall into the former category and are running a company on a smaller scale, networking with other contractors can allow for greater exposure and revenue through hiring subcontractor. This can help to increase the amount of work you are able to manage simultaneously and allow your company to fulfill specialty requests that you may not currently employ anyone with those skills.

Let’s use the painting industry as a case study. If a residential painting contractor primarily focuses on just doing interior painting, leaving exterior out of his scope-of-work, he is potentially missing out on a large percentage of the job opportunities in his area. Seeing as exterior painting is closely associate with interior painting – versus a completely different trade – this is a perfect example of when a partnership with a colleague can prove profitable. Stop turning away exterior painting customers and leads. Instead commit to a subcontractor that you feel will best represent and enhance your companies reputation by allowing them to complete the work that you are not doing yourself, and continue increasing your company’s marketability and revenue stream. Here are a few key points to consider when hiring a subcontractor:

• Their accreditation: liability and worker’s comp. insurance and contractors license
• Their history and reputation
• References from past customers
• Professionalism: would you hire them for your own home improvement needs?

Also consider the agreement you establish with that contractor. A had shake is good, but having a written agreement will set standards and expectations that are also legally binding. The contract you create between yourself and the subcontractor may include, but not be limited, to the following*:

• Scope-of-work the subcontractor is being hired to complete
• Fee structure
• Which party is responsible for any additional fees (i.e., transport, delivery, change order, etc.)
• Length of the contract
• Restrictions prohibiting the subcontractor from working directly for the client
• Site inspections before and after completion of work

Hiring subcontractors that are reliable, fully insured and licensed, and ones that you feel will comfortably best represent your company’s reputation is a great way to increase work flow and revenue stream. Any business can benefit from avoiding saying, “we don’t do that,” in favor of, “lets see how we might be able to help you with that.” Even if all that means is steering the customer in the right direction with a referral to another service provider. Heck, the recipient may be inclined to give you a finders fee.

What are your own personal qualifications you require when hiring a subcontractor?

(Flickr photo by Wayne National Forest)

* We recommend consulting a lawyer and having your contract reviewed  and edited by a professional. This list should be used as general recommendations on subject content.

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Seeing as you are reading this blog post right now, chances are you are savvy enough to navigate the internet and are already using some form of lead generation online. Many contractors and small business owners find helpful information to better improve their own businesses while reading websites, blogs and forums online. These are great sources for finding out the latest innovations and hot topics surrounding your professional field. There are plenty of great forums out there where contractors, like yourself, actively participate in group discussions about anything pertaining to their specific industry and where homeowners can ask for expert advice. Here are 3 ways you can increase inbound leads though online forums:

1. Participate
Reading the seemingly endless discussions on a wide variety of topics about your industry can be a wealth of information and prove incredibly useful for you and your company. You’ll learn about features you may already implement, and perhaps additional ways they can be done differently. You’ll also read about elements that you may not be aware of that could be helpful to you. But the value goes far beyond the reading. Make sure you participate in discussions or questions that have been created by posting answers based on your own experience and then also posting comments on other answers if you feel it’s missing critical information. As you participate in discussions more frequently, you will get to know the other contractors who are regular contributors and begin to develop a professional rapport. Your colleagues on the forum will be there to help answer your own questions in the future and be a great sounding board for your own issues or ideas for your business.

2. Be the Expert
Locate the topics and sections of a forum that you feel most comfortably represent your featured skills and experience, and begin providing users with your best feedback to those questions. Making a point of being a regular participant in these topics with clear and helpful solutions will surely be recognized by fellow contributors and readers alike. There is a big difference between someone who has done a little of everything and a person who has spent their entire career perfecting the craft of a specific sort. They are experts in their field high and sought after for their services and guidance.

3. Convert FAQs into ROI
Professional forums often include brief bios as a signature to each forum post you make. It’s a good idea to include a link in your profile to your company website or LinkedIn page should a reader wish to follow up with you further. Establishing yourself as a valued expert in a field will likely lead to follow up discussions and possible work from readers on the forum who feel confident in your ability to meet their home improvement needs. Make yourself available to answer those questions that homeowners have about their project, whether it is regarding how much they can expect to spend for what they want to have done, how long the work may take to be completed, or recommendations on materials and appellations for the project. Many homeowners would appreciate the offer from an expert to come have a look at the project site – obligation free – for further suggestions and help. Some of these consultations could lead to the homeowner retaining your services as they have come to know, trust and value your involvement, advice and expertise.

You’ll find that the return on your investment with online forums is much like anything else in life: what you put in is what you get out of it. The more active and helpful your comments are seen, the more users will actively seek out your guidance on these forums and ultimately end up hiring you for their projects.

What forums do you participate in?

(Flickr photo by laughlin)

The post 3 Ways Forums Can Generate Leads appeared first on The Toolbox by CraftJack.

The key to getting business done right is being passionate about what you do and how you do it. While you’re not going to enjoy every little detail of the process, it’s still very important to really like what you do as a whole. Your passion for your work will be obvious to homeowners when you sit down and talk to them about the seemingly infinite possibilities you can deliver to their home improvement project and then again when you step back to gaze at your final product. Here are 3 ways to stay passionate about your work:

1. Bring the passion and excitement to the table
Take a moment to think about what your customers are preparing to do and how it will enhance the quality of their lives. This is probably a project that they have wanted to complete for a while but may not have been ready until now. They’re probably really excited about this. Take some of that enthusiasm and let it inspire you when you first speak with them on the phone and then again throughout the project. Let the homeowners feel as excited about hiring you as they are about the project itself. Displaying passion in your work will help you gain more sales for your business, improving the bottom line, and you will simultaneously be feeding your own passion for your work. It’s a win win.

2. Identify and improve those tasks you enjoy the least
Focusing on aspects of your job throughout the day that you enjoy most is a definite way to keep your mood positive. Then there is the other stuff. The tasks that are less exciting and perhaps more difficult, but still ones that need to get done. Make a list of all those necessary tasks, setting aside time to carefully focus on one at a time. Really think about what it is that you don’t like about it. Is it because it’s tedious and boring? Perhaps you don’t like it because you find it difficult to do. Work out how you can get them done in a more enjoyable manner. If it’s an issue of difficulty, do some research about how other people have done it differently. Try several methods until you find one that is easier, faster and more enjoyable. The challenge alone might peek your interest in finding the solution.

3. Try new things
I mentioned the importance of conveying excitement to the homeowner, which would both increase sales and boost personal passion for your job. Another way to keep your energy level high is by trying new methods and techniques to accomplish different and often better results. Research what new ideas, tools, or applications are being developed in your field and see how you can apply some those new principals to your own work. Past CraftJack Toolbox articles have covered the benefits of attending trade shows and ways to stay up to date with industry information to learn about all that is new in your line of work. Learning about new advancements in your field will help ignite that spark needed to re-energize your passion while also make you better at your job. Put that new knowledge to practice when meeting with prospective customers. Tell them all about what you can offer to the project that other contractors likely will not, and be proud of that.

You are going to have those down days when you would rather be doing something else. Have those days, but make certain they don’t happen often. Remind yourself what it is that drew you to this work in the first place. Let that young love reignite the passion in your craft and let it show when meeting potential customers. Find a solution for those tasks you dislike so much and make them work for you instead of the opposite. And never be afraid to try new things. It will demonstrate your desire to improve, keep your business at the forefront of industry development, and will make you and your company better at what you do and what you can provide to your customers.

Jeff Stein, a profession of mine at Wentworth Institute of Technology (now dean of Boston Architectural College) used to surprise his students once every semester with “Mountain Day”; a day in which class and institutional responsibilities were set aside for no reason other than the need to take a mental health break. It was a unexpected but much needed vacation to help regain ones strength and motivation. Take one for yourself. It may be the best thing you can do for you and your business.

Stay frosty.

(Flickr photo by aiesecgermany)

The post 3 Ways to Stay Passionate About Work appeared first on The Toolbox by CraftJack.

Every year as we enter the month of June I become giddy, knowing my birthday is approaching. I’m not as openly joyful as, say, when I saw a little boy hoping to receive a bundle of toys, but I take pleasure in the anticipated arrival of birthday cards I’m bound to receive from family and friends. It’s a small joy, but one that makes me feel good inside. In today’s busy and ever evolving digitally advanced world, we tend to see fewer hand written notes, be it a thank you note, birthday card, or even just a simple letter sent from a friend.

Think about what kind of impression you might leave on your past customers if you adopt the tradition of handwritten notes coming from your business, letting them know you appreciate their patronage or that you are just thinking of them around the holidays. Imagine what kind of impact that can have on your company’s reputation and how those homeowners will feel when they receive a letter from you in the mail wishing them well.

Knowing many companies have a large number of jobs they have completed and considering the time it would take to write each letter by hand, don’t let that daunting task put a halt to this idea. One way to achieve this goal without developing carpal tunnel syndrome is to order all of your cards at once, but leave a one-line personal message with your signature at the bottom of each card before mailing. This will enable you to send out a large volume, retain the personal touch, and ensure it doesn’t take away too much time from your day-to-day routine. This is a good idea for those annual holiday greeting cards you might blast out. Leave the fully handwritten thank you notes to send those homeowners at the time you’ve completed a job. It will be appreciated and remembered.

Leaving a good lasting impression shows you care about the quality of your work and, more importantly, about the customers complete satisfaction with the job you’ve done. Their fondness of you and your company is what will remind them to refer you when they hear of a friend thinking about a potential project on their own home. Don’t forget to send another handwritten thank you note after you have received a referral from a past customer.

Work can get so busy that the notion of writing thank you notes or holiday cards to customers you have already been paid for work that has been completed can feel like a waste of your time. But consider for a moment your greeting cards as a form of marketing or advertising. Let us do the math:

1. 250 custom cards and envelopes = $120
2. 250 Stamps = $135
3. A few hours of your time

You’re looking at a total of $255 in materials plus a few hours of your time (for annual holiday season). What if out of those 250 cards you sent out, only one recipient felt so good as to refer to you one customer that hired you for a job. That means you only had a success rate of 2.5%, but you still managed to land a job for the cost of those greeting cards and your time. I would venture to say that someone who cares enough about their business and it’s customers to do all of that, is the type of person who is likely going to land far more referrals than just 2.5% of past customers.

Give your business that personal touch. It will ensure your company stands out from rest while making a few people happy in the process. Now, isn’t that worth it?

(Flickr photo by kissyface)

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