Imagine you’ve got a massive toothache on the bottom left-hand side of your mouth. The pain is unbearable, searing – it’s seeping into your gum, and lower jaw. You got to the dentist to get it checked out.
“Sure, I can fix that right up with some drilling and filling,” he says, as his buzzing metal gadgets hover over your face. While he’s at work your dentist happens to notice an unrelated problem on the other side of your mouth. Maybe it’s a wisdom tooth that’s going to cause you a world of pain in the future – that is, if you don’t get it taken care of soon.
But your dentist doesn’t want to charge you an extra $500 – he doesn’t want to come across as pushy, or seem like he’s “looking for problems” to pad your bill. So he keeps his mouth shut.
Now imagine you go to another dentist who actually flags the underlying issue you didn’t know existed. He tells you exactly what he can do to help you. Then you can decide what you want to do about it.
Who’s done the more thorough job? Which outcome is better for you? And what do you think of the first dentist who treated you now? It might seem painfully obvious.But so many tradies have an issue communicating exactly the same thing – they’re uncomfortable pitching important upgrades on-site.
It makes them feel salesy and sleazy and pushy. But here’s the thing;
On-site upgrades are in the best interest of the customer, and it’s in the best interest of your business. It’s a double whammy. On-site sales are actually the best way to boost your operational efficiency and enhance the value delivery experience for your customer.
How often do you get the opportunity to go back to the clients house? How likely are you to maintain contact with them? Let’s face it, your business card’s going straight in the bin. Repeat marketing like automated emails and SMS are great tools – but they’re much more powerful if you establish a solid connection with the customer on the job.
If you don’t have that conversation, you’ll lose 90% of your clients over time because when they do need you again years down the line, they’ll struggle to remember who you are. That’s why it’s important to have a dynamic schedule in place so that you’re taking the time to have these conversations and provide top-botch service.
So many tradies overbook and overcook their schedule and constantly rush from one job to the next. So when Susie’s saying “would you mind looking at the sink?” during rush hour, you’re a million miles away. Nothing good comes from rushing.
Remember, you’re the expert. Own that space. Make time to have that conversation. Make sure you’re identifying problems. If you get this right, your clients will enjoy better quality service and have a much more positive experience, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg – the benefits are unbelievable.
At Response Electrical, about 50% of the revenue comes from this work. On-site upgrades are the bread and butter – if you’ve got a team, you’ll obviously need to make sure your staff are on board and have a system to follow – the system should include scripts and incentives so their expectations are clear and their delivery is confident.
So remember; do a thorough job – dedicate yourself to the best possible result for the client. Have better conversations, embrace the “no”’s, but make sure you ask.
