3 tips for managing the remodeling pre-sale process

For any business to succeed, the sales strategy must be the most important part. Without winning new clients, many other parts of a business don’t matter … which is why booking new projects each year is often an important focus for a small-to-medium sized remodeling company. By properly managing your company’s sales leads, you can ensure success in this area of your business. Let’s talk about three tips to help you properly manage your leads and close more business, more consistently.

Tip 1: Be First! #winning

In sales, the vendor (or, in this case, remodeler) that responds to the prospect’s outreach first gives itself the best shot at ultimately winning the business.

So, how do you ensure you’re always the first to respond to your prospects?

1. Implement an auto-respond email. Nearly all website providers have an option to automatically email a prospect from your company once he/she submits information through your website. Whatever version you have of a “Contact Us” page can be set up to capture prospect information AND shoot out an automated “Thank You” email on behalf of your company.
2. Use a CRM tool to automate lead communication. A customer relationship management (CRM) tool is a software that helps your business store and organize contact information for all prospects, customers and contacts. More importantly for sales, a CRM will help you create processes to ensure your team knows how and when to contact leads. Don’t currently have a CRM in place? Buildertrend has you covered with a built-in CRM.
3. Get mobile. Ensure that your CRM is available anytime, anywhere with a mobile app. To be the first to make contact with a new prospect, you need to be able to do it from where you or your sales rep is at any time. So, make sure your CRM or lead management software has a fully functional mobile app that gives you access to the prospect’s contact information as soon as they submit a form.

Tip 2: Be Consistent.

On average, it takes eight calls to reach a prospect, and the average sales person typically gives up after just two. This means if your company makes a rule to call a new prospect a minimum of eight times before giving up, your team will be in a better position than most of your competitors.

If you’re using a CRM, you can create a templated workflow to pre-schedule those eight phone calls for you and your rep so that you don’t have to remember to call each day. Having a pre-built schedule of calls will ensure that no matter the season or status of your current sales, your company will be viewed as going the extra mile to win a prospect. Remember: On your third attempt to contact a new prospect, you have already outreached the majority of your competitors.

Tip 3: Focus on “The Why.”

The first two tips for managing your remodeling pre-sale process have been focused around contacting prospects, specifically via phone calls. If your team is spending time making all these phone calls, it’s important to know WHY you are calling and understand what you are trying to accomplish.

If you make a phone call without a game plan, you will not be consistently successful in winning new business. So, what’s a good game plan for a remodeling business? On the first phone call, your focus should be on one of two things:

1. Schedule an in-person meeting. The best way to sell your company and your product or service is to get it in front of your prospect, which is not something you can easily do – or even should do – over the phone. Instead of having a long-winded conversation about your business and why the prospect should want to work with you, simply ask for 30 minutes of their time. By setting a specific day and time to meet, you are setting yourself, and your business, up for success. It’s important that you have a game plan for that in-person meeting … a properly branded presentation that shows your business, strengths and competitive advantage.
2. Qualify the lead. In all sales – and especially in construction – it’s important to layer some qualification questions into the process. Why? You don’t want to waste time and money on prospects who are not going to be a good fit for your company. First, identify the types of prospects you want to work with. Are they located in a certain area of town, requesting specific types of projects, or constrained to an exact budget? Identify what’s important to your company and write it down. Have this checklist of questions with you and ready to use for every first new prospect call. If they’re not a fit, then don’t waste time asking for a meeting.

The sales cycle is important in every business, so it’s critical to have a process that allows you to consistently win. If your business is always the FIRST to contact, is CONSISTENT with follow-up phone calls, and is focused on the WHY of every call or contact, then you will be a leader in your space and have consistent revenue each year.

Are you ready to start using the top home remodeling software in the industry, trusted by nearly 1 million home builders and remodelers across the globe? Contact us today to learn how we can help.

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Buildertrend Staff