For home improvement professionals in the gutter service industry, getting leads is one thing, but turning them into bottom-line revenue for your business is another.
No matter how well-planned your marketing strategy is or if you’re generating a ton of leads from advertising, you still need to know how to successfully close a deal.
As a home improvement gutter professional, it’s important to make every lead count if you want to start seeing results.
But how do you ensure you are doing everything you can to close more deals?
We came up with 4 key pieces of advice to help home improvement gutter professionals increase their closing rate.
Keep reading to find out what they are!
- Increase your lead response time
Your lead response time will be crucial to your success with the homeowner. It is essential that you respond to a new lead as soon as you can. A study by Vendasta showed that 78% of customers buy from the company that responds to their inquiry first.
If that doesn’t convince you that lead response time is important, maybe this will…
In another study showcased on Vendasta, there is a 391% increase in sales conversions when inbound leads are contacted within the same minute that they submit an inquiry.
A 391% increase in sales conversions!
That’s huge! As a home improvement contractor in the gutter service industry, your lead response time will be the determining factor in your business’s success.
We recommend hiring an admin or office manager to ensure these leads are being accounted for!
- Address concerns before they arise
As a home improvement contractor, you know your business better than anyone. This means you know what factors may cause the homeowner to hesitate when deciding to choose your services. If you can address objections they may have before they are brought up, you will have a way better chance of successfully closing the deal.
For example, maybe you aren’t the cheapest option but there’s justification for that. Or at least there should be.
“We may not be the cheapest, but our quality is above par and whenever an issue arises, we ensure that it is solved.”
We won’t write your whole pitch for you, but you get the idea.
Homeowners are more likely to feel comfortable going with a higher price if it can be justified.
- Show professionalism
Professionalism can be an issue in the home improvement industry. But as a gutter professional, you know how important it is to present yourself to a homeowner professionally, especially at first contact.
Don’t pick up the phone just saying “Hello?” or “Yeah?”
This will instantly turn the homeowner away. If you’re expecting leads to contact you on your personal phone, you should be aware of your language and tone.
Instead answer the phone like, “Hello, this is Jack from Jack’s Plumbing, how many I help you today?”
We don’t need to tell you why we think that is better than “Yeah?”, do we?
Make sure your emails are also on-brand. Include an email signature with a way to contact you and your logo. Having a well-established brand and a cohesive look is a key factor in establishing your professionalism.
Professionalism goes beyond closing the deal. Check out this blog to learn how you can stay connected with the homeowner, post-sale.
- Make a real connection
We’ve mentioned this time and time again. Building a real relationship with the homeowner is a key factor in closing a deal. You are coming into this person’s home and making changes. They need to feel like they can trust you.
Yes, we know, it’s “just gutters.” But that doesn’t diminish the fact that it is still a home. Homeowners need to feel the trust and care from you, the contractor.
Here are a couple of things you can do to make the homeowner feel secure.
- Make sure you answer all of their concerns. Repeating back a homeowner’s concern to them gives them the confidence that you fully understand them.
- Walk them through your process. Homeowners like to understand exactly what it is that you are doing. Give them the basics, no need to go into full detail.
- Offer them a schedule. Visibility and planning are important to the homeowner. Give them an estimated time for the project.
As a gutter home improvement contractor, it’s important to ensure your sales process is on point. Homeowners can be skeptical about trusting a contractor with their home. Focusing on improving your lead response time, addressing concerns before they arise, showing your professionalism, and making real connections can all give you an advantage over your competitors and help you close more deals.
For more home improvement sales tips, check out our Sales Tip Center. And if you’re in the Gutter service industry and are looking for more leads, check out this page to learn how conXpros can help!