When a customer calls on you to provide them with a quotation for the home improvement job they require, they are not only calling on you to obtain a price, but more importantly, for your expertise and knowledge in that particular field.
By this stage your marketing and advertising efforts have served their cause by tempting this potential customer to call you. What you do not want to do know is become just one of their quotes. This form of communication should always be viewed as an opportunity to further impress.
To many people see quotes and estimates as purely a way of providing their cost and massively underestimate what their quotations and estimates could be saying about them. Look at this point of contact as a marketing weapon and the final conversion tool to get from lead to sale.
Price is a huge factor for anyone making a purchasing decision but it is not the only one. People need to have faith that their decisions are the right ones. Its a battle field out there and while all your competitors are using price as their only weapon to convert quotes to sales you should be smart and look at submitting your quotes and estimates to stand out, shine and make the decision easy for these customers because you are already displaying your knowledge and professionalism.
Implement the following to start making an impression!
Full Work Description:
Provide a full description for any stage of any job no matter of size to promote your understanding of their requirements and display your expertise knowledge. Highlight what the objective is and how you intend on reaching it. Don’t go into so much depth that you bore the reader but enough to clearly demonstrate your understanding of the task. This will also give the customer an understanding to the extend of the job and the chance to question any part they are unsure of. Another point of contact for you to shine.
Presentation:
You can make an instant impression about yourself by the way you present your quotations & estimates to customers. This is an easily implemented advantage and can be done for very little cost.
Submit your quotations in a presentation folder to allow for ease of reading and provide the customer with an image of professionalism and the thought that they are important enough for you to spend the time on their project.
Cover letter:
Always provide a cover letter with your quotations thanking the customers for giving you the opportunity to supply a cost for their job. You can also include available start dates which will show that your organised and proving service is important to you.
Testimonials:
Include any testimonials you have received from previous customers. Even better, include testimonials form past customers that are job specific or local. This will help build confidence and confirm you are a safe bet to do business with.
You could always attach photographs of the jobs in relation to the testimonial showing the quality and type of job you do.
Warranties & Guarantees:
Include a copy or statement of any warranty or guarantee that may come with your service or the products you supply. If your product comes with a manufacturers 5 year warranty than show it. This will install confidence in you and your products.