My sister occasionally flies, sometimes to very distant locations. Flying, in and of itself, is stressful enough nowadays, what with getting to the airport two hours early, ”undressing” in front of strangers at the security desk, long, slow lines, and the potpourri of people you encounter. And that’s if everything goes smoothly. When it doesn’t, the anxiety level climbs exponentially.
On one of her recent trips, everything seemed to be going well. She got through security, customs, and boarded the plane on time. When everyone was seated, some 200 people in all, the wait began. That’s to be expected. Normally it takes 10 to 20 minutes to get underway. After 40 minutes the passengers started to get antsy. After an hour, the announcement came that there was a slight mechanical problem and it would be resolved soon. Another hour passed, and then another. Needless to say the mood was not joyous. Passengers were hot, they needed to use the restroom, they were hungry, and many were worried they would miss their connecting flight.
Finally, after 3 hours, they were underway, 200+ very angry passengers, who probably vowed never to fly on that airline again.
Could this have been avoided?
Which brings me to my point. How could this have been avoided? Could the airline improve this process? What single thing should they have done to alleviate this stressful situation?
Much of the stress felt by the passengers was due to their ignorance of the situation. It took sixty minutes to tell them something was wrong. And then complete silence. It’s no wonder they were upset. They didn’t know what to expect. They had questions, and no one volunteered to answer them. All they could do was to imagine what was going on, and it wasn’t pretty.
If the airline had kept everyone on board informed, then they would have known what to expect. At 20 minutes, they should have made an informative announcement. At 40 minutes, they should have made another, explaining the current situation. Frankly I think they should have de-boarded everyone, but even if they didn’t, they could have communicated often with the passengers and lowered their anxiety level.
The key to a successful interaction with clients is setting expectations
It doesn’t matter what business you are in. You may serve lower, middle or upper income clients. The one thing you need to keep in the forefront of any plan or process that involves others, is to openly and clearly set expectations. And in the construction business, as in almost any other business, you need to set those expectations at the outset of the relationship.
From the first call to receiving the final check, keep you prospective clients and your clients well informed about the next step. When you receive a lead over the phone or in person, tell them what the next steps are. What should they expect after they hang up? If you leave questions unanswered, you decrease your chances of closing that sale.
Your website is no exception. It should set expectations too. There is no reason not to have a page that clearly lays out your project process. There are some excellent examples online. And those with really clear process pages, are for the most part, the companies that are successful. They understand what it means to remove the unknown; to remove the barriers that can cause a sale to fail. They know that an uninformed prospective client is not likely to buy from them.
Throughout the project, stay ahead of your client. Don’t make them ask you what’s next. Meet with them periodically (preferably once a week or more), and let them know what’s coming up. Whenever you see their anxiety level rising, (what I call ‘Remodeling Fever’), calm their fears by bringing them up-to-date, or letting them know that, although progress may be slow in this particular phase, to look ahead towards the end results.
The Secrets Out!
Now you know the secret to success. Set expectations. If you keep this thought in the forefront of all your planning and interactions, you will succeed in your business and in your life. Communicating clearly and often will keep your clients happy and stress-free throughout the project, which in turn will make your life a whole lot better. Don’t let them get stressed out and anxious because they don’t know what’s next. Keep your “passengers” happy and coming back to you again and again, because they know exactly what they’ll get. A great job by an excellent contractor.
Editors Note: I have been reading and following Randall S. Soules writings for quite a while and have found him to be one the most intelligent and capable people on the subject operating and growing remodeling companies.
I highly recommend all contractors spend some time on his websites and get to know him. He is a valuable resource to all contractors, not just remodel contractors. Get to know him and enroll in his eCourse and let him know Randal DeHart, The Contractors Accountant recommended you.