Written by Zach Hansen
Home renovations can be a complicated and stressful process for both parties. When hiring a professional contractor, there are certain qualities homeowners look for. Mastering these skills will make you the best in the business and build your customer base.
Good Reputation
In every area of life and business, having a good reputation goes a long way. Of course, building a good reputation takes time and dedication. Fortunately, there are some extremely useful tools that you can utilize to build a good reputation quickly, as long as you provide a good service.
First off, encouraging your customers to leave positive reviews is crucial. Clients often rely on reviews when determining who to take their business to. The more reviews your business has, the more legitimate you appear. Thankfully, as long as you’re providing quality work, customers usually don’t have a problem with leaving a positive review. So, make sure to leave a space for clients to provide reviews on your company website, and more importantly, make sure you’re providing quality work your customers want to tell the world about.
If you’re wondering how to build your reputation in the twenty-first century, the best way is through social media. In this day and age, customers often find their favorite businesses through social media like Facebook and Instagram. Aside from running social media ads (which is one of the best ways to reach your target audience), having a social media presence shows your customers you go the extra step to provide a positive experience, and that you genuinely care about your business.
Excellent Communication
Ensuring excellent communication with your clients is a crucial aspect of being a professional contractor. Good communication will make the whole experience more fluid for both parties.
Some things can be discussed upfront to avoid confusion during a project. For example, you should always talk about their timeline. If there’s one thing that’s sure to irritate your client, it’s turning in a project tale. Timeliness is deeper than contracting. It’s an essential part of every good business and can be found in every seminar titled “how to be professional at work” that’s ever been produced. Oftentimes, the customers may underestimate the time their home renovation will take, so it’s important to be upfront with them about their expectations and negotiate a reasonable timeline for the project. Also, if your clients aren’t ready to hire you yet, don’t worry. Just make sure to choose a date for a follow-up meeting or phone call whenever they’re ready.
Proper Licenses
Depending on the service you’re providing, it’s important to be transparent about the licenses and certificates you have that make you well suited for the job. As a professional contractor, you should always carry a copy of your licenses with you during meetings with your customers. This will make them more comfortable and will build trust right from the start, which is super important for making sure the entire process runs smoothly.
Professionalism
When discovering how to find a good contractor, one thing that will make you stand out to your customers is professionalism. No matter how many licenses and certificates you have, if you’re unprofessional in your demeanor and work ethic, you might leave a lasting negative impression.
Many of the things you’ve read in this post deal directly with professionalism. Excellent communication, timeliness, a healthy social media presence, and properly managing expectations are all aspects of a professional demeanor. Additionally, dressing the part and being charismatic are also things you can do to forge a professional image that’s sure to impress your clients.
Quality Work
Lastly, the most important aspect of learning how to be a contractor is the fundamentals of quality work. At the end of the day, people hire a professional contractor to provide quality work. Truthfully, providing quality work is the bare minimum in the contracting industry.
Providing quality work as a professional contractor means providing a finished product that meets your customer’s needs in every way possible. When you transform their bathroom or kitchen into the space of their dreams make sure to take pictures of the whole process, including before and after photos. Also, these photos must be of high quality. Invest in the right equipment and team to provide images of your projects that highlight your skills and the story you’re trying to tell.