The construction sales process and how to improve it

If you’re not taking time to focus on sales, you’re not giving your construction company the opportunity to reach its potential. Increasing sales should be a top priority in your construction company’s strategic plan for continued success.

Creating effective sales tools will help you achieve your goals and grow your construction business – and here’s how to do it.

What is the construction sales process?

The construction sales process involves several steps with the goal of generating leads and ultimately gaining new business.

It’s important for construction businesses to understand the sales process, tailor it to their company needs and recognize how it benefits the bottom line.

What happens when you nail down your construction sales process

Having an organized sales process will engage potential clients and drive revenue growth. Here are some advantages of putting a sales strategy in place.

Improved sales performance

You’ll gain clients if you spend time seeking them out in a meaningful way. Determine your success by looking at the number of leads that turned into signed contracts before and after you followed a sales process.

Increased sales productivity

Define the sales workflow, and your team will be more efficient in winning clients. This will save you time in client meetings and on sales calls.

Enhanced customer relationship management

With a process of reaching out to potential and current clients, you’ll create stronger client relationships. Maintain consistent communication – as it fits within your defined process – and you’ll see repeat clients, higher customer satisfaction and more positive referrals.

Consistency and scalability

A well-defined sales process leads to consistent, quality craftsmanship. Having steps in place will increase efficiency and allow you to take on more projects as your demand increases.

Better sales forecasting and reporting

Gather usable data by tracking and analyzing each project’s length and size. Then use this information to improve your forecasting, and you’ll stay ahead in the industry.

Higher win rates and revenue growth

When you’re targeting the right clients, you’ll be able to convince them why your business is the best fit. Customized marketing efforts will land you more deals and grow your business.

What are the key steps in the construction sales process?

In the construction sales process, there are some basic steps to follow. You jump in with identifying leads and end by closing the deal. Here’s a general outline of the typical sales procedure.

Prospecting

Engage potential clients by identifying sales leads through referrals, networking, advertising and trade shows. An easy way to generate leads is by sending email blasts introducing your business and including a free quote or sales deal.

Lead qualification

Sift through collected leads and determine client potential by assessing their project needs, timeline and budget. Don’t waste time communicating on projects that don’t fit within your expertise.

Proposal/quote preparation

Prepare the proposal by giving a thorough outline of the details, scope of work, pricing and terms and conditions.

Follow up

Address your potential clients’ questions and concerns by following up the proposal with a timely email or phone call. Be persistent without being pushy in these communications.

Contract negotiation

Once the proposal is accepted, it’s time to negotiate and finalize the contract terms and conditions, scope and payment schedules.

Closing the deal

Sign the contract and formalize the deal. The project execution phase comes directly after the sales process is finalized.

8 strategies to win more construction sales

Prioritizing your sales process will give your business a competitive advantage, help dictate where to center the attention of your construction marketing and, ultimately, promote growth. Here are eight steps you can take to help fill your project pipeline, increase job sales and achieve your long-term goals.

1. Dedicate time and resources to sales

As the owner or president of your company, you should be dedicating a third of your time to the sales process and winning new jobs. If that time commitment sounds unattainable, you might consider hiring a dedicated sales associate. An experienced salesperson can use sales tools to help keep track of incoming leads, make daily sales calls and fuel the fire by keeping your job funnel full.

2. Decide on a target market

Once you can allot time and resources to sales, you’ll decide on the client audience you want to target. Your target market can include potential clients, existing or past clients and ideal clients you’d like to reach with your construction marketing. Defining your target clientele will make it easier to market your services and will almost guarantee a healthy amount of business.

3. Put that list into action

Now that you’ve compiled a list of clients you’d like to target, it’s time to get to work. Take the time to set up a pre-sales process calendar that will help you manage when and how often to make contact. Know when it’s the best time to make calls or send marketing emails. Making a regular, but not intrusive, effort with sales tools and tactics will keep you fresh in the minds of potential clients and will increase the chances of them reaching out when they’re ready to build a new home or start a renovation project.

4. Create long-lasting client relationships

When it comes to making sales, forming loyal client relationships is one of the best construction marketing strategies you can use. Being in the construction industry, you know that client referrals make up a large portion of your incoming prospects. And people are more likely to refer their friends and family if they’ve had a great experience. That’s why fostering relationships with your clients is not only important for securing their future business but also their referrals.

5. Don’t be afraid to ask for referrals

Know how to ask your clients for referrals in order to build your client list and land more jobs without spending a ton of valuable time and money. Client referrals are a great way, if not the best way, to get more business without dedicating too many resources.

6. Use your website as a selling tool

Today, everyone goes straight to the internet to find what they’re looking for. If your construction company isn’t online, chances are you’re losing out on a whole lot of business. Putting effort into your website works wonders when it comes to construction marketing and driving up sales. If you’ve got a well-designed, easy-to-use website with quality photos of your work, you’ve definitely got a higher chance of landing jobs over your competition. It’s a good idea to look into video marketing as video posts show more engagement than other visuals.

7. Perfect your sales pitch

Potential clients have so many options when it comes to choosing a company for their renovation project or building their new home. That’s why you’ve got to put your best foot forward and do everything you can to stand out when it’s time to make the sale – so check out these sales presentation tips.

A paper brochure isn’t enough anymore. Take the time to create a nice presentation and consider highlighting how you’ll keep your clients involved throughout the process. If you’re a Buildertrend user, this is a great time to shine a light on the Customer Portal to set yourself apart and land that sale.

8. Prioritize social media

The market research firm Statista found people around the world are spending an average of 145 minutes, nearly two and a half hours, on social media each day. This means your clients and potential clients, especially the younger generations, are more likely to reach out if you’re active and using construction marketing on platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. Using social media is a great method for collecting leads because people who like what they see can quickly send you a direct message to reach out. After all, the DM is basically the new email.

Take your sales process to a new level with Buildertrend

Ready to up your sales and lead-generation game?

Buildertrend’s construction project management software is here for you. Manage your incoming leads and land more sales with the capabilities of CRM Software (customer relationship management).

CRM tracks all your lead activity right in Buildertrend. Use your data on past leads to see the most effective way to reach new clients and win jobs. It’s a strong sales tool that’ll keep your client communication organized and your client retention strong.

Buildertrend’s sales process will help your business through every step. Schedule a demo today to see how Buildertrend can take your sales process to the next level.

Construction sales FAQs

Get answers to the most common construction sales questions.