Top 7 Tips For Getting More Clients As A Contractor
A Guide To Help Contractors Gain More Clients
If you’ve been in business for a while, you know that your income depends on getting more clients no matter how good you are at your job. That’s why we wrote this article filled with tips for getting more clients as a contractor.
Selling is a never-ending challenge, whether you are employed by someone else or running your own company. An income is much more consistent if you have a constant stream of new clients and this article will give you some ways to do that.
If you’re reading this post, then it’s obvious that you’re doing your research and trying to be a successful self-employed contractor. Let’s dive right in.
1. Create A Website
Every business needs a website — even contractors. Websites are critical for marketing your business, getting found online, getting more clients as a contractor, and having a way for interested clients to contact you. In fact, it’s important to have a website so you don’t miss out on potential customers.
If you’re a contractor, you know how tough it can be to find new customers. One way to market your business is by creating a website so clients can find you online. A website lets you show off your work, helps answer potential clients’ questions, and makes it easy for people to contact you.
A website is a great marketing tool for your construction business. Your website will be the center of your online presence, so make sure it reflects your construction business well.
You can use your site to:
- Talk about what you do as a contractor
- Explain your services
- Give people a way to contact you
- Get found online
2. Improve Your Brand By Having Your Logo Professionally Designed
Key Takeaways
- A great logo helps your customers identify you.
- A professional logo helps establish trust.
- Engaging a professional logo designer is more affordable than you think.
- Having a professionally designed logo sends a message that resonates with your clients and helps them remember you thus helps with getting more clients as a contractor.
Logos are the visual shortcut that represents a business. People see a logo, and they instantly think of your brand. It’s why companies spend millions to create and promote their logos — they’re one of the most important parts of any business.
Just think of how many logos you’ve seen today. Every company has them, and if you’re like most people, you’ll see hundreds of logos in any given day. Your logo is what makes your business stand out from the crowd. A great logo helps your customers identify you more quickly than a plain text name does. A professional logo helps establish trust by telling your customers that your business is legitimate and serious about its products or services. Engaging a professional logo designer is more affordable than you think, and it will give you a logo that stands out from the competition.
Having a professionally designed logo sends a message that resonates with your clients and helps them remember you. If you’re ready to create or update your company’s logo but aren’t sure where to start, read on for our tips on how to hire the right logo designer for your business.
3. Ask For Referrals
Key Takeaways
- Do your job well.
- Let clients know that you’d appreciate referrals.
- Ask specifically for the types of referrals you want.
- Be ready to explain why a client should refer you.
- Offer something of value in exchange for referrals.
- Do your job well.
If you are not doing an excellent job for your clients, don’t be surprised if they don’t refer you. If you’re looking for referrals, first make sure that you’re giving clients a reason to refer you.
Let clients know that you’d appreciate referrals.
Many people are afraid of asking for referrals — they think it’s rude or pushy. The truth is, that your clients know that you want and need referrals to grow your business. They may not think of referring people unless you mention it.
Ask specifically for the types of referrals you want.
Most everyone will be happy to provide names of contacts who can give you referrals, but that’s not always the most effective strategy. You’ll get better results with targeted requests — asking specifically for people in certain industries or with specific needs. Be ready to explain why a client should refer you.
It’s hard to get a referral from someone who doesn’t understand what makes you unique in the marketplace and what problems of theirs your business solves better than anyone else’s does. Offer something of value in exchange for referrals.
You can offer a discount on their next purchase or a gift card for the person making the referral — whatever works best for your situation and business model.
4. Be Active On Social Media
Key Takeaways
- Social media can help you build relationships and show off your expertise.
- Post on a regular schedule, but don’t overwhelm people with posts.
- Offer special deals or promotions to your followers.
- Post photos of your work and client testimonials.
Once you have your website in place, it’s time to move on to social media. It is a key element to getting more clients as a contractor. Social media is another great way to advertise your small business. It allows you to reach a larger pool of potential customers and can help you develop a personal brand that stands out from the rest.
A few tips include:
Be active on social media. Social media can help you build relationships and show off your expertise. Post on a regular schedule, but don’t overwhelm people with posts. Offer special deals or promotions to your followers. Post photos of your work and client testimonials.
Research different platforms. Different types of businesses are better suited for different social media platforms, so do some research and find the platform that best suits your business model. For example, Facebook tends to be best for B2C brands that are looking to create a more personal relationship with their audience, whereas LinkedIn is better for B2B companies
Be wary of how much time it takes. While posting on social media can be good for business, it’s also easy to get caught up in spending all day posting things when you should be working on other parts of the business
Consider hiring someone else if needed. If keeping up with social media is taking too much time away from other aspects of your business
5. Optimize Your Google Business Profile
Key Takeaways
- Add as much information to your listing as possible.
- Add photos and videos.
- Encourage client reviews.
- Respond to both negative and positive reviews.
- Optimize your profile with keywords, categories, and business descriptions.
Here are five ways you can improve the effectiveness of your Google Business Profile:
Add as much information to your listing as possible. At a minimum, include a business description, multiple photos, and videos, a link to your website, hours of operation, keywords, and categories. If you have more than one location, it’s helpful to create individual listings for each.
Encourage client reviews. Reviews from real people are a great way to build trust with potential customers. Google uses an algorithm that weeds out suspicious reviews and prevents businesses from soliciting them.
Respond to both negative and positive reviews. It’s good practice to respond to all reviews — not just the negative ones. When you respond publicly to a review, it demonstrates your commitment to providing excellent customer service and builds trust with others who read it. Thus, driving leads to your business and helps you get more clients as a contractor.
Optimize your profile with keywords, categories, and business descriptions. This is basic search engine optimization (SEO). Include high-value keywords related to your products or services in these areas of your profile. Keep in mind that these words or phrases should be relevant to what potential customers would search for when looking for your business or product on Google.
Update any changes promptly. You should update any changes or additions right away — especially if they are seasonal or holiday-related.
6. Sponsor Community Events Or Local Sports Teams
Key Takeaways
- Sponsoring an event or local sports team will help new customers find your business.
Sponsoring an event or local sports team will help in getting new clients as a contractor. Leverage your sponsorship through social media by posting photos and using a branded hashtag for the event. Sponsoring a charity, community event or local sports team is a great way to get your name out there in the community. If you sponsor a local sports team, you can include your logo on their uniforms and/or equipment. Sponsoring an event? Include your logo on printed materials, including flyers, ads, and promotional items such as T-shirts and water bottles.
7. Develop Relationships With Insurance Agents And Real Estate Professionals
Key Takeaways
- Insurance agents and real estate professionals are good sources for leads because they often know of people who need contractors.
When you are looking for new clients, you don’t need to put all your eggs in one basket. You can get more leads and sales by developing relationships with insurance agents and real estate professionals. Insurance agents and real estate professionals are good sources for leads because they often know of people who need contractors.
Insurance agents will often call on contractors first after a storm or when a property is damaged. If they know of a reliable contractor, they will be more likely to refer the client to the contractor. In order to receive these referrals, contractors must establish trust with the insurance agent by completing the job correctly and communicating issues with the project early on.
When dealing with homeowners, contractors should give them the insurance agent’s contact information if there are any problems during a project or any questions about payments or coverage. This will also help build trust between the contractor and the insurance agent.
Real estate professionals can be another source for leads because they often hear about people looking for contractors after purchasing a new home or when getting a home ready for sale. Brokers can be especially helpful when selling homes that need renovations because they can refer homebuyers to reliable contractors and help them find financing for renovation projects.
Conclusion – Getting More Clients As A Contractor
These seven tips are designed to enhance all areas of your contracting business, regardless of your specific trade. As you implement these strategies we know they will help on your path to getting more clients as a contractor.
As always, be sure to take the time to start a proper marketing campaign for yourself, and don’t be afraid to push the envelope when asking for referrals. These two steps alone could greatly enhance the number of prospects you attract, and allow you to reach a wider audience for your services.
One important thing we want you to take away from this guide is that there is no one-size-fits-all strategy for approaching your new and existing clients. If you are committed to staying in touch with the people you have worked for, then I am sure you will find time for both long-term and short-term strategies that can be used.
It’s up to you to make certain that your business, your work ethos, is one that resonates with clients in a way that makes them want to engage your services. The best way to do this? Stay focused on what you’re doing and why, listen to the needs and wants of your clients, and never be too proud or arrogant to simply say “yes” when asked for help or a new design. After all—it’s all about the client.
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