Marketing Tips For Finding General Contractors To Work With
Deliver A Dozen Donuts, Pastries, Muffins Or Any Tasty Bakery Product!
A lot of contractors are having challenges adapting to the new economy. Trade contractors who rely on the same general contractors they did a few years ago to supply jobs to bid on are finding it more challenging as well.
If you are a trade contractor, subcontractor or whatever you call yourself and you want more opportunities to bid jobs this one marketing method works and works big no matter where you are located. Big city small town, it does not matter.
Every general contractor gets hundreds if not thousands of sub-contractors, trade contractors, suppliers, bankers, customers and even construction accountants asking for something. So if you want to stand out in the crowds use this tiny bit of construction psychology because it works!
We serve contractors across the USA and mentioned this idea to all of them at least once and only a few of them do it. Could be a variety of reasons, too much work to get to now, busy on other projects, who knows.
One contractor in particular has elevated it to an art form or providing a variety of snacks on a regular basis.
No selling, No Cold Calling, No Pressure Just Drop And Go!
Here Is How It Works:
-
Make a list with two columns. One column has general contractors you know you want to work for and the other column has general contractors you within ten miles of your business is located.
-
Only target companies that have an office or a warehouse type space. NO RESIDENCES! You do not want to bother a contractor you do not know at his or her home this could be dangerous and it is never a good idea.
-
Arrive between 09:30 AM and 11:30 AM. The morning rush of phone calls, dispatches, emergencies and related chaos is over and people are settled in and thinking about a snack.
-
Buy from a store or bakery, DO NOT BAKE, a dozen donuts or pastry products preferably in a plain white windowed bakery box. If they don't have a plain white box use whatever the store has available, DO NOT RE-PACKAGE ANYTHING!
-
Tape one of your business cards on all sides including the top and bottom of the box.
-
Thank them for all they do to support the community, smile and leave.
What To Expect:
-
Surprise is the most common reaction. The receptionist or whomever sees you coming and thinks you are up to no good and wanting something. Once they figure out you are bringing something and extending a gesture of friendship they warm up fairly quickly. Limit chit chat and get out quick, they will respect you for it.
-
Sometimes they will want to engage you in conversation and when that happens be polite and say now is not a good time and try to set an appointment for a later day. In most cases they will appreciate you for it because they were not expecting you now and it raise your credibility level as a professional.
-
Every so often someone will say they don't like what you brought and simply ask if there is something else they would prefer. Then you can decide the best course of action later.
-
On rare occasions people have been rude, nasty and asked to leave and never return. In that case SAY NOTHING put a blank look on your face and quietly leave. In addition this is where it helps to have Deflect-O-Matic skin (Randalism). Nothing a stranger says to you is about you. It is always a paradigm based upon false assumptions or a reflection of something on their mind and you are at the right place at the wrong time. Shake it off and move on.
-
The final most common response is the person who receives the gift with ease and grace.
-
After you leave their office go somewhere and make notes about the visit. Your first impression of their place of business speaks volumes if you know what to look for. Just know that everything you experienced is a reflection of the management at that general contractors company. There is a lot of information hidden in the preceding sentence.
In Summary we have a number of outsourced accounting clients that own and operate general construction companies and sub-contractors and trade contractors that we provide all of the contractors bookkeeping services and provide some one on one consulting. That means we see the profit and loss reports before and after they try this and we know this real world training in direct marketing works.
We get many thousands of hits a month on this website alone and I would venture to say less than a dozen sub or trade contractors will try this. Of that number two or three will continue the process and one will elevate it to an art form and increase their construction company's sales and profits to the point nobody except all of us here at Fast Easy Accounting would believe possible and to that person I say go for it!
Please leave a comment on the form on the right and tell me what you think.
Profitable Construction - Companies have known about the value of outsourced bookkeeping services for a long time and now you know about it too!
Our Contractor Bookkeeping Services System Is A System
We Scan Your Receipts And Invoices link the appropriate transactions to QuickBooks or Xero Accounting Online depending on the construction accounting service you are using and provide ongoing Cloud Based Contractors Bookkeeping Services by accountants who understand construction.
Thinking About Outsourcing Your Contractors Bookkeeping Services?
Click On The Button Below To Download A Free Guide
Business Process Management (BPM) For Contractors
Fill Out The Form And Get The Help You Need!
Need Help Now?
Call Sharie 206-361-3950
sharie@fasteasyaccounting.com
Xero Outsourced Construction Accounting Services
QuickBooks Outsourced Construction Bookkeeping Services
We Are QuickBooks Experts Specializing In Construction Bookkeeping Services
For Construction Company Owners who do not need the full power of QuickBooks for contractors and want 24/7 online access we offer Xero Accounting Online and we have custom setup for construction companies. Click Here For More.
About The Author:
Randal DeHart, PMP, QPA is the co-founder of Business Consulting And Accounting in Lynnwood Washington. He is the leading expert in outsourced construction bookkeeping and accounting services for small construction companies across the USA. He is experienced as a Contractor, Project Management Professional, Construction Accountant, Intuit ProAdvisor, QuickBooks For Contractors Expert and Xero Accounting Specialist and Bill.Com Certified Guru. This combination of experience and skill sets provides a unique perspective which allows him to see the world through the eyes of a contractor, Project Manager, Accountant and construction accountant. This quadruple understanding is what sets him apart from other Intuit ProAdvisors and Xero accountants to the benefit of all of the construction contractors he serves across the USA. Visit http://www.fasteasyaccounting.com/randal-dehart/ to learn more.
Our Co-Founder Randal DeHart - Is a Certified PMP (Project Management Professional) with several years of construction project management experience. His expertise is construction accounting systems engineering and process development. His exhaustive study of several leading experts including the work of Dr. W. Edward Deming, Michael Gerber, Walter A. Shewhart, James Lewis and dozens of others was the foundation upon which our Construction Bookkeeping System is based and continues to evolve and improve. Follow Randal on Google+
