ForConstructionPros.com

Last month we discussed how too many contractors do a great job completing their work but make a big mistake by failing to ask satisfied customers for referrals. It’s pretty easy - you just have the ask! - and you should ask with a pen and paper in hand to write down any leads you might get. And as long as you’re asking, why not ask for an e-mail address in this age of quick type-and-response communication?

This month I’ll offer a number of other proven steps you can take to improve your success with referrals.

Invite Customer’s Friends to Job Site

This technique is especially good if you have discovered in your selling process that your customer mentioned other friends of theirs with similar problems or desires. During this type of discussion you might ask your customer what he knows about his friend’s problem or want.

Then, as you get close to finishing your customer’s project, invite your customer to ask his friend over to see your crew’s results. Always invite on the finishing-up side so the customer sees the “good stuff,” not all the torn up effort and debris. Often a live visit from the customer’s friends may win you more work and is clearly a referral building effort.

Give Away 3 to 5 Business Cards

This is an old sales technique that still works. In this high-tech world we live in it is funny how many customers still ask for business cards. So, always give your customers more than one card; give three to five.