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How Upselling Works In Construction Marketing
November 25, 2010 | 
Author Have you noticed whenever you buy a burger, the sales people always try to persuade you to “Go Large”, or have “extra fries” etc. Have you also noticed at the checkout of every superstore are racks of things you would not have thought of buying, but as you stand there waiting at the checkout, you suddenly realise all the things you “need”! Scary stuff! Real profits come when you get the client to buy a larger, more expensive, or more comprehensive product or service.
This is how it works in the construction industry:
EXAMPLE A: The Remodeler/Home Refurbishment – in the business of building extensions, bathrooms, sun rooms, loft conversions etc., How about suggesting certain enhancements at the point of survey. Or ask them if they had considered extending the work to include a the latest whiz bang disposal unit, designed to be 150% more efficient and thus delivering significant cost savings to your client.
EXAMPLE B: The Commercial Contractor – how about offering a Repairs and Maintenance service after the initial defects period following contract completion. This can deliver great benefits for your client because you already know the premises and can operate much more efficiently with the prior knowledge base you already have.
EXAMPLE C: The House Builder: If you are building housing schemes where a number of homes will be rented/leased you could offer and Liaison Officer based on site for the first 6 months after completion, to make sure people are secure in their homes, know where to find everything and are happy. You could offer this service as a free added benefit – this may be the deciding factor that will win you the contract over your competition! Alternatively, if the client/housing association/ local housing authority are intending to employ someone for this job, you could easily extend your business reach by supplying the right person for the job – someone who already knows the property and has proven qualifications to do the job.
EXAMPLE D: The Sub-Contractor: if you work for a number of larger contractors, the way you source the products you use is crucial. It may be that the main contractor already has an approved list of suppliers, but often good relationships can be established with individual Buyers to enable the Subbie to recommend where to source materials at competitive prices. A whole range of complex partnerships can be made to enable commissions to be paid and everyone benefits! Of course, it goes without saying that any deal agreed should be completely transparent and should ultimately benefit the client in terms of cost savings and quality products and services. One wrong move or “under the table” deal can result in lost credibility and trust. So keep everything above board.
EXAMPLE E: The Architect: Design & Build contracts are one obvious root to establish good working relationships with construction professionals on a project team and can be one way architects can “up-sell” their professional skills by working on a partnering basis. Partnered Contracts can be lucrative for all involved, including the client, but they have to be set up correctly to work efficiently. More about this in a later chapter. Architects who are willing to get involved at the Pre-Construction phase of a project on a “No Pass No Fee” basis are more likely to keep busy down the line. (“No Pass” meaning not getting Planning Approval for a project).
EXAMPLE F: Whatever area of construction you are in, you will have a network of approved professionals you work with. So you will have a lot of bargaining power when soliciting goods and services for your project. Sub-contractors, agents, architects, quantity surveyors, building consultants and merchants will all be part of the mix. This can be an area of healthy growth for your business when approved list suppliers, partners and subsidiaries reciprocate with their own recommendations for your company.
Visit the Masterclass for Construction Marketing at:
http://www.marketing.makingconstructionwork.com
Posted in Uncategorized | 
Tags: Added Benefit, Building Extensions, Commercial Contractor, Construction Industry, Construction Marketing, Contract Completion, Enhancements, House Builder, Housing Association, Housing Authority, Housing Schemes, Liaison Officer, Loft Conversions, Maintenance Service, Premises, Prior Knowledge, Refurbishment, Scary Stuff, Sun Rooms, Whiz Bang | 
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Top Ten Tips For Construction Marketing Presentations
So you get in front of the decision maker! You managed to sell yourself and your company, get past the ‘gatekeeper’ and now you have a listening audience. The way you conduct yourself in the next few minutes will win or lose you that lucrative contract.
These days construction marketing is far more than cold calling or even business to business calling. The marketing process is much more personal. It is unlikely that a major contract will be awarded to your company without the daunting prospect of the interview or presentation.
Here are my top ten tips for construction marketing presentations:
1. Focus on your core values. If you are able to give a presentation, it should focus on a central proposition, which should be the unique perceived benefit that the prospect gains from working with your company
2. Press those “hot buttons!” During the questioning phase the marketing person will have gained an understanding as to what are the key issues that will make or break this contract. The presentation must now focus on matching the benefits of the product with the needs of the prospect. Your presentation must demonstrate that the product/service you offer, meets your prospect’s needs, priorities, constraints and vision.
3. Be well structured, clear and concise. All sales presentations, whether impromptu or the result of significant preparation, must be well structured, clear and concise and professionally delivered. The quality and integrity of the presentation is always regarded as a direct indication as to the quality and integrity of the product/service your company offers.
4. Present with a human face! Be human in the way you present. Get your facts straight, but with personality! Sales presentations must always meet the expectations of the listener in terms of the level of information and relevance to the prospect’s own situation, but if you want to win the contract you need to relate person to person. Business decision-makers sign contracts when they become satisfied that the decision will make them money, save them money, save them time or save them pain! They also need to be certain that the new product/service will be sustainable and reliable so the presentation must be convincing in these areas.
5. Avoid trying to convince your prospect by going on overload. While the presentation must always focus on the main perceived benefit, it is important to show that all the other incidental requirements and constraints are met – but do not over-emphasise or attempt to ‘pile high’ loads of incidental benefits as this simply detracts from the central proposition.
6. Be relevant. Use the language and style of the audience – e.g., technical people need technical evidence; sales and marketing people like to see flair and competitive advantage accruing for their own sales organisation; managing directors and finance directors want clear, concise benefits to costs, profits and operating efficiency; and generally the more senior the contact, the less time you will have to make your point – no-nonsense, no frills, but plenty of relevant hard facts and evidence. The presentation must include relevant evidence of success, references from similar sectors and applications, facts and figures – all backing up the central proposition.
7. Take the right people with you. If you are required to present to a large group and in great depth, then it’s extremely advisable to enlist the help of one or two suitably experienced colleagues, from the appropriate fields, e.g., contract management, surveyors, estimators, client service, etc., in which case you must ensure that these people are properly briefed and prepared and the prospect notified of their attendance.
8. Keep control of the presentation. But do so in a relaxed way. If you don’t know the answer to a question don’t waffle – say you don’t know and promise to get back with an answer later, and make sure you do. During the presentation seek feedback, confirmation and agreement as to the relevance of what you are saying, but don’t be put off if people stay quiet. Depending on how confident you feel about keeping control of the presentation, invite your prospects to ask questions at any time.
9. Never criticise the competition If you take a swipe at your competition, you will undermine your credibility and integrity. You won’t need to descend into bashing others if you are confident that your own company can deliver on time and on budget and with great quality of service. Your prospect will know this!
10. Be practical and creative. If appropriate issue notes, or a copy of your presentation. Use props, samples and demonstrations if relevant and helpful and if you are using equipment such as a laptop and projector, make sure they are all working properly.
And the golden rule: Believe in your company! Whether presenting to one person or a group, relax and be friendly. Let your personality and natural enthusiasm shine through because prospects buy from people who believe in the company they represent.
Visit the Masterclass for Construction Marketing:
http://www.marketing.makingconstructionwork.com
Posted in Uncategorized | Tags: Business Decision Makers, Cold Calling, Constraints, Construction Marketing, Core Values, Decision Maker, Few Minutes, Gatekeeper, Hot Buttons, Human Face, Integrity, Listener, Lucrative Contract, Marketing Person, Marketing Process, Person Business, Person To Person, Priorities, Relevance, Sales Presentations | No Comments »
Eight Blunders That Kill A Construction Marketing Sales Letter
Junk Mail! We all hate it! Some people I know write return addresses on all their unwanted mail and it goes back to the sender – sometimes with a rude comment on it! If you receive unsolicited mail, what do you do? Probably trash it. That’s why there is an art to writing sales letters to maximise your chance of it getting opened and read.
You only have a few seconds to convince the receiver that your letter is worth reading and in larger companies, the secretary, receptionist or Personal Assistant will open the mail and decide if the person to whom the letter is addressed actually gets to see it!
Remember that your letter will be competing with perhaps twenty, thirty or even fifty sales letters received every day, sent by sales-people people hoping to gain your target’s attention. To get through, your sales letter needs to be good, different, professional and relevant.
The fact is that you have a maximum of 8 seconds to grab your reader’s attention.
Here are some of the things that kill a sales letter:
1. Using a small type face is hard to read and will be discarded. You need to use 12pt type face. You may just get away with 11pt.
2. The wrong type face can render your sales letter unattractive. Times New Roman is the classic, that’s why most newspapers still use this type face. However, something like Ariel or Tahoma can make for a cleaner look.
3. Too much ‘sales talk’. You need to make your construction marketing sales letter personal and conversational. Learn lessons from the tabloid press. They draw from personal experience and connect with readers quickly. But do make sure you get the facts right
4. Too many words can cause the reader to lose interest very quickly. If you keep your reader on the page, they will probably skim read and miss the crucial points you want to get across.
5. You need to organise the line spacing in a way that is easy on the eye. 1.15 is a good happy medium
6. If you use incorrect spelling or grammar you will lose the reader and your credibility! This is a real ‘turn off!’ and it is so unnecessary in this day and age with so many spell checkers and grammar helps on our Word Processors
7. Make sure you address the person correctly. Never use first names unless you know the person well. Make sure you know whether the person you are writing to is a Miss, Mz, Mr, Dr or whatever… if you are unsure, phone the company and ask the receptionist. Say you are writing in to the Chief Exec, or whoever, and ask the correct way of addressing the person. Most receptionists are very helpful with this information. (You might be able to find out more info on this call if you treat the person with respect!)
8. No clear objective – get to the point!
The letter structure should follow the AIDA format:
As a guideline, use the AIDA format:
Attention (I want to read on)
Interest (this is relevant to me and my company)
Desire (this is potentially beneficial and I want to pursue this opportunity)
Action (when I’m called I’ll talk/make an appointment/delegate action)
A FEW TIPS I USE MYSELF:
1.A headline can capture attention. Under the salutation write:
RE: Competitive Tender For …….. (Project)
2.Capitalise the first letter of each word in the headline
3.Keep sentences short – 3 or 4 in the letter
4.Use bullet points if appropriate
5.Finish with a call to action – say you will call in a few days to follow up (if you say it, DO IT!)
6.Use black ink type, BUT sign the letter in BLUE ink – it is well know that people respond more to personally signed letters in blue ink
7.I often hand write the addresses on envelopes – in blue ink. This will almost guarantee the letter will be opened. Never use pre-addressed sticky labels on sales letters – 10% may get through if you are fortunate.
Visit the Masterclass for Construction Marketing:
http://www.marketing.makingconstructionwork.com
Posted in Uncategorized | Tags: Blunders, Construction Marketing, Gramm, Happy Medium, Incorrect Spelling, Junk Mail, Larger Companies, Letter 1, Line Spacing, Marketing Sales, Personal Assistant, Personal Experience, Return Addresses, Sales Letters, Tabloid Press, Target, Times New Roman, Type Face, Unsolicited Mail, Unwanted Mail | No Comments »
It Doesn’t Work Anymore!
It really doesn’t work! Especially in the construction industry. In fact it never really worked. You know what I mean, the slick sales people coming out with all the predictable sales pitch jargon. It still happens sometimes when the telesales people get you on the phone! Some of them still read from a script and if you ask them the wrong question, they can’t speak!
Marketing for construction is all about building relationships not about cool cliches.
Top 5 Marketing Blunders That Can Cripple Your Construction Business
Posted in Uncategorized | Tags: Building Relationships, Cliches, Construction Business, Construction Industry, Free Stuff, Jargon, Marketing, Marketing Blunders, Sales Pitch, Telesales | No Comments »
How To Use Cold Calling To Make Business Work
Most people find “cold calling” difficult. If you are marketing in the construction business, or any other for that matter, hard luck! Its part of your job and you had better get used to it!
However, most of the work you will do on the telephone will be Business to Business calls, and if you have warmed up the recipient with a good, personal sales letter, your approach is made much simpler.
I spend a lot of my time on the phone to people – these are some of the tips and tricks I use to make it a positive experience:
1. Smile! Your positive attitude will come through in your voice
2. Be confident, even if you are rejected
3. Be polite, even if you are rejected
4. Never hang up!
5. If you need to conclude the conversation, physically stand up! Your body language will have an impact on the call
6. Never use a script! If they don’t have one you will die when they ask the wrong question!
7. Make the conversation open ended – so you have the opportunity of calling again
8. Listen to them! Listen to them! Listen to them!
9. Don’t try to save the world on the first call
10. Be business-like but personal – make sure you are properly briefed
11. Don’t address the person using their first name – unless you know them well and have a good relationship with them.
How to get through to the right person: Usually the first person you speak to will be the receptionist. Pick their brains! In the course of conversation, you can discover who does what in the company and who the key decision makers are.
They will often answer the phone using their first name: “Good morning. My name is Natasha. How may I direct your call?” Something like that. Feel free to address them using their first name. “Good morning Natasha. I wonder if you can help me.” Make sure you keep a note of their name for your follow-up call.
There are a variety of ways to get through to the right person:
1. “Natasha, I have been in touch with (prospect’s name) requesting to tender for (project) and am calling to track the progress of the project. Can you help?” It is unlikely they will have details, so will attempt to put you through to your key person.
2. If they have details, they will let you know – keep a note. Then ask to speak to the person directly, thanking them for their help.
3. If you end up with a voicemail, leave a short, polite message reminding them that you wrote a letter to them requesting to tender for (project) and ask them if they need further information, leaving your direct line contact details.
4. If you speak directly to the person, apply all the telephone techniques listed above(!) and start to build a relationship with this person. Keep note of the conversation and ascertain more details about the project they are dealing with. Think: you want to offer them a solution not a product. So as they are speaking, use some discernment. What is it that they need more than anything else for this project. What are they looking for in terms of a contractor? What are the criteria they think important in this selection.
5. If you only have the first name initial of the key decision maker, it is worth getting the full name of the person for future reference. For instance, if you know the initial is “A”, then use any name beginning with “A” when phoning. Say to the receptionist: “Good morning, my name is (your name) from (your company). Could I speak to Alan Evans please?” She will say, “Do you mean Andrew Evans?” You say, “Oh yes, I’m sorry, I meant Andrew Evans.” Job done!
6. When you ask the receptionist if you can speak with this person, it is better to use their whole name: Not: “Can I speak with Mr Evans please.” Say this: “Can I speak with Andrew Evans please.” This is formal but with a personal touch and gives the impression that you know this person.
So don’t be afraid of the dreaded cold calling. Telesales can be challenging, but also a lot of fun if you apply the right strategies.
Steve Flashman
http://www.makingconstructionwork.com
Build Business By Building Relationships
There has never been a time when marketing for the construction industry was so important. However, those of us who are involved in this crucial aspect of business development are acutely aware that the industry has been notorious at making huge blunders in its marketing efforts!
On of the top five blunders people in the construction industry make when trying to grow business, is in the way it deals with prospective and current clients.
Most business development professionals recognise that all marketing for construction begins and ends in one simple principle -
knowing how to build relationships.
It is at least 5 times easier to win a new contract from an existing client than to go out and find a new one! That is not to say that we should not be extending our client base because this is essential for ongoing company growth and to ensure a healthy sales pipeline.
However, if you are producing good quality work, you should find that 70% to 80% of your turnover comes either directly from current or past clients, or from referrals and recommendations from clients you have worked for. You need to spend a lot of time developing relationships with these key people as they can become your best marketing tool.
Current and past clients are like gold dust to your business. Your existing client base also forms potential sales revenue for backend products and services.
If you have no track record with your potential client, you need to be able to demonstrate that you are trustworthy. Endorsements and testimonials from people you have built relationships with, are crucial to substantiate this. It is also important to be available to your prospects so that they can have a face to face meeting with you. This is crucial even at the highest management level of your company. This will build confidence and reassurance because they are dealing with a real person and not just a marketing consultant with an ulterior motive!
There are many ways that relationships can be built:
1. Run a Lunch Club for your project team at completion.
2. Hold Continuous Professional Development Training Seminars with guest “experts” in the industry
3. Promise less, deliver more
4. Make sure there are open lines of communication
5. Give you workforce “Customer Relationship” Training
6. Distribute a high content newsletter
7. Open a Social Networking forum
etc., etc.,
You will find that if you apply these strategies every day, you will reap the benefits.
Steve Flashman
http://www.makingconstructionwork.com
Top 5 Marketing Blunders Of The Construction Industry
There has never been a time when marketing for the construction industry was so important. However, those of us who are involved in this crucial aspect of business development are acutely aware that the industry has been notorious at making huge blunders in its marketing efforts!
On of the top five blunders people in the construction industry make when trying to grow business, is in the way it deals with prospective and current clients.
Most business development professionals recognise that all marketing for construction begins and ends in one simple principle – knowing how to build relationships.
It is at least 5 times easier to win a new contract from an existing
client than to go out and find a new one! That is not to say that we should not be extending our client base – that is essential for
ongoing company growth and to ensure a healthy sales pipeline.
However, if you are producing good quality work, you should find that 70% to 80% of your turnover comes either directly from current or past clients, or from referrals and recommendations from clients you’ve worked for. You need to spend a lot of time developing relationships with these key people – they can become your best marketing tool.
Current and past clients are like gold dust to your business. Your
existing client base also forms potential sales revenue for “back-
end” products and services.
If you have no track record with your potential client, you need to
be able to demonstrate that you are trustworthy. Endorsements and testimonials from people you have built relationships with, are crucial to substantiate this. It is also important to be available
to your prospects so that they can have a face to face meeting with you – even at the highest management level of your company. This will build confidence and reassurance because they are dealing with a real person and not just a marketing consultant with an ulterior motive!
There are many ways that relationships can be built:
- Run a Lunch Club for your project team at completion.
- Hold Continuous Professional Development Training Seminars with guest “experts” in the industry
- Promise less, deliver more
- Make sure there are open lines of communication
- Give you workforce “Customer Relationship” Training
- Distribute a high content newsletter
- Open a Social Networking forum
- etc., etc.,
As a professional “marketing for construction” consultant, I am
applying these strategies every day – and they get results!
Free Report: “Top 5 Blunders…” available for immediate download at:
http://www.makingconstructionwork.com
OR use the sign up form on on the right hand side near the top of the page to get your FREE Mini-Course.
Steve Flashman
Marketing Consultant To The Construction Industry
http://www.makingconstructionwork.com
Posted in Uncategorized | Tags: Best Marketing, Business Development Professionals, Construction Industry, Endorsements, Gold Dust, Management Level, Marketing Blunders, Marketing Consultant, Marketing Efforts, Marketing Tool, New Contract, Prospects, Quality Work, Real Person, Reassurance, Referrals, Sales Pipeline, Testimonials From People, Turnover, Ulterior Motive | No Comments »