According to Jonathan Sweet, senior editor of Professional Remodeler, the biggest trend for 2009 will be a longer sales process than ever before, rewarded by smaller projects. Why? Given the state of the economy, even well-to-do homeowners are waiting things out before doing, well, anything when it comes to their homes.

Courting vs Selling

In his article, “Time to go a courtin,’” Sweet talks with Bob Gallagher, a Sun Design Remodeling Specialists owner. Gallagher’s advice is to “court” rather than “sell” the client. This doesn’t equate with sending customers roses and chocolates. In this business, it just means that you will need to give 150% percent effort as opposed to 100% before you see results. For example, more visits and phone calls may be necessary to get the business you hope for. Gallagher also says his team focuses on why to remodel as opposed to what to remodel.

Staying Active in a Competitive Market

The long and short of it? It’s not a time to sit back and ride out the downturn. Rather, if you want to stay active in a market where there are more contractors competing for fewer jobs, it may be time to step up your game. Focus on your best selling points, whether it’s persistent follow-up, creating great rapport on the telephone, or providing helpful, detailed consultations. And during your down-time, don’t forget to up your marketing efforts, following CalFinder’s advice on mapping and tracking leads.

According to Exterior Contractor, 30 percent of leads that remodelers think are “dead” are in fact willing customers. To help these customers find their way back to your company, it’s vital to understand the path they take through your selling system. This can be done with the help of a lead map.

A lead map keeps track of your potential clients, from the moment they make their initial inquiries through the processes of sales, production, and even giving feedback. Luckily, making a lead map is easy, and even a simple version is effective to help you visualize how well your current system responds when leads don’t. Read the rest of this entry »