How much would your customers pay you?

4. Prepare customer for finale
Just before finishing up your project, alert the customer so they can get caught up in a little excitement. Think about the fans of a race when they see the leaders getting ready to break through the finish line tape. No one hangs around with anticipation for the runner who came in last, unless it's a parent of course, but rather, there is a great amount of energy and excitement associated with the finish. Get your customers excited about the job's completion, maybe even dressing it up a little with ribbons and balloons.

5. Follow-up with 'thanks'
After any project, no matter the size, begin giving the customer some form of gift that signifies the level of the project. I've seen contractors give away ball tickets, have barbeque catered to the customer's home or business with invited friends, and even a contractor who sponsored a mini-carnival for the family's kids to enjoy their new expanded driveway with basketball and tennis courts.

Following up also requires the contractor to make personal calls, some by phone and some in person to the customer. Such follow-up resells the feeling that a contractor backs up his work, is proud of his workers, and believes in his level of professionalism.

Now, if you could employee each of the five elements just listed, consistently, do you think your customers would pay you what you think you are worth? We may never go as far as Radiohead and literally market our customers that we do the work first, and you pay us what you want, but we can go a long way toward making the customer better understand why we charge what we charge. You never know, they may just begin to feel like they are getting a great deal, maybe even more than they paid for!

Good luck!

For more information about how to drive greater customer understanding and appreciation for your work contact Brad Humphrey at brad@pinnacledg.com. Or visit Brad at the upcoming World of Concrete in January 2008 in Las Vegas.