In today’s tight market it can be pretty hard to win a contract. Some numbers on a piece of paper usually won’t cut it anymore. Homeowners may be apprehensive and looking for the best deal but they also need reassurance that their contractor will do a professional and timely job. With that in mind here are 10 things we think homeowners are looking for in a contractor. Holding as many of these winning characteristics as possible will be tantamount to winning bids in the current recession.

1. Confidence. Of course the way in which you carry yourself is important. Many homeowners are already tentative about new remodeling projects, so the last thing they want is a contractor is unsure of himself.
2. Knowledge. There’s no need to know everything, but homeowners will have a lot of questions and those contractors who can adequately answer them on the spot will move to the front of the line.
3. References. Any blog similar to this one, but geared toward homeowners, would have references very high on a list of 10 things to look for in a contractor…and for good reason. In an age of high competitiveness as we have now, getting some sense of a contractor’s past performance is key.
4. History. That leads us to history. If you had a choice between the new kid and the contractor who’d been in the business for 30 years, who would you choose? This is not meant to discourage new contractors. By no means, even the youngest remodeling contractors have likely had several years of experience under the tutelage of a tested predecessor; you just may have to sell yourself on other counts. For time-tested remodelers, having a long history shows endurance and commitment.
5. Thinking on your feet. With budgets and time frames often tight in remodeling, a contractor who remains calm and composed under pressure and can address problems accurately as they arise will garner a second look from homeowners.
6. Reasonable Price. Oh yes, and we can’t forget that giant number (no matter how small you write it) that is the price on a bid sheet. Just remember that price is only one of these 10 things homeowners are looking for. Of course you must be cost competitive, but homeowners who have done their research will know better than to rely simply on the bottom line.
7. Honesty and to some extent, transparency, is also a key. Because homeowners cannot know for sure how honest someone’s words are on first meeting, they’ll rely more on feeling. At the same time the best way to convey a sense of honesty is to be honest. This means not getting yourself in over your head by claiming abilities you don’t have or promising time frames you cannot keep. This is how contractors get bad references and lose money.
8. Resources. A tape measure, pencil, and a pretty face do not a good contractor make. Be ready to field questions about tools and manpower to complete the work on time and with quality and professional performance.
9. Organization and Cleanliness. During the interview and bidding process a show of organization will make a positive impression. After the job is underway, maintaining a clean job site will make that impression last and go a long way toward getting your name spread around to other prospective clients.
10. Energy Efficiency. Remodeling in the near future will likely have a heavy focus on energy efficiency. Tax credits and the stimulus package are pushing the green envelope even further. Therefore knowledge of energy efficiency upgrades and even available tax credits for different projects.

Tags: advice, booking jobs, characteristics, contractor strengths, getting contracts, homeowners, marketing, what homeowners look for, winning jobs

This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 17th, 2009 at 1:32 pm and is filed under Marketing Tools. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.