Question: The work we do is complicated. And many buyers don”™t know any better. They ask me for a lower price and when I don”™t give them one, they move on to hire someone who doesn”™t really know what they”™re doing. When I walk into some buildings I”™ve never been in before, I see a lot of bad work. I”™m in it for the quality of the work and not about to lower my standards. How do I help buyers understand they get what they pay for?
Thoughts of the day: Make sure your quality is what you think it is. Teach your clients about what they”™re getting from your company. Make sure your employees understand your standards ”“ thinking about it before the client does. Build a community of satisfaction. Use customer retention as a competitive weapon. Make sure you”™re looking for the right customers.
Before you launch on your soapbox about how your services are better, do some research to make sure you”™re right. Go back and visit jobs done in the past couple years to see how they”™re holding up. Find out if the customers are fully satisfied. Look for any errors your team might have made. Make sure your company is walking the talk.
Assuming your company”™s work quality is as high as you think, talk to your clients after the fact. Make sure they understand why they”™re satisfied, and it wasn”™t just an accident their job was installed well. Show them the little details that add up to a measurable difference.
Make sure every employee understands how important it is to solve your clients”™ problems by doing it right the first time. Take time to educate new employees before they go out on jobs about how to talk to clients, how to spot problems and what to do if they have questions or concerns. No matter how busy you are, don”™t let a new employee out into the field until you”™re sure they get it, and then make sure they have supervision until they”™ve been fully tested out.
Make a list of questions to ask customers before, during and after a job. Start with “What are you looking to accomplish?” and “What special concerns do you have?” While the work is going on, ask: “Is there anything else you”™d like us to attend to?” “How well are we doing in your book?” When finished, ask: “Are you 110 percent satisfied with the work?” “Would you be willing to give us a gold star?” and “Can we do anything additional for you?”
Become a thought leader, talking and writing about what it takes to do your work. Write articles about work you”™ve had to correct, showing examples of work done poorly. Show how it has cost more to repair the problems than it would have to do the job right the first time.
Feature jobs you”™ve done well. Use them as success examples. Get customers to promote you. Ask for quotes about how your company has helped them succeed by helping them avoid time and money problems.
Once you get a contract to fix a problem, write up a case study explaining what was done improperly and how it was fixed. Ask the new prospect if they”™d be interested in a discount if they”™ll let you feature them in an ad. Ask the prospect if they”™d be willing to be a reference ”“ since they now know the difference between bad work and what your company can do.
Not all customers are created equal. Some want what you have, but just can”™t afford it. Some can afford it but don”™t care. And some are just right ”“ want what your company provides and can pay for it. Those are the customers to focus on.
It”™s much easier to sell quality to someone who gets that quality is worth paying for. Early in the selling process ask potential clients to give examples of when they”™ve had to choose between cost and quality. Pay attention to the story they tell. Just make sure the ones that are left have the budget necessary to close the deal.
Looking for a good book? Try “Marketing Services: Competing Through Quality” by Leonard L. Berry and A. Parasuraman.
Andi Gray is president of Strategy Leaders Inc., strategyleaders.com, a business-consulting firm that specializes in helping entrepreneurial firms grow. She can be reached by phone at 877-238-3535. Do you have a question for Andi? Send it to her via email at AskAndi@StrategyLeaders.com. Visit AskAndi.com for an entire library of her articles.
