Driving Sales In Service

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laketime

Senior Member
What are some ways other contractors have found to increase electrical service sales? I am looking for ideas for the residential and commercial (b2b) market.
 

GUNNING

Senior Member
you are only as good as your last sale

you are only as good as your last sale

BRANDING/NAME RECOGNITION
MAINTAINED GOOD REPUTATIONS/GOOD COMMUNICATION SKILLS
GOOGLE

Specialize by getting and maintaining quality institutionalized clients.
Its not how much you get its how much you keep.


Good systems and procedures.
 

hurk27

Senior Member
All I can say is know the product your selling, just in the last couple weeks I would go to replace a couple of fixtures and end up replacing all of them, many products will sell themselves, but you have to know and can communicate the benefits of using the product in most cases to save them money.

I do allot of lighting installs, and offer good high end fixtures that customers can expect a long life out of, for outside HID lights I use RUUD fixtures and can give references to installs over 9 years old that have never had any problems, when it comes to inside I suggest 3 lamp T8's over 4 lamp T12's then show them the wattage difference that they can save on, but have more light in the work areas, in some cases I use T5 fixtures, but I back my suggestions and I have yet had a customer who wasn't happy, <<< which is job one.

but it doesn't have to be lighting, just offer things that you would not think twice about installing in your own house, treat a customer like you would want to be treated, think of it like this, if you didn't know anything about electrical wouldn't you like someone to be able to explain to you what you would want to know, as to why the electrician is suggesting such and such? be that person to the point that you can make them feel like they are making a good choice, but also back up what you say, so this is why I say you have to know your product.
 

GUNNING

Senior Member
If I had taken all this advice I would be rich instead of where I am.

If I had taken all this advice I would be rich instead of where I am.

There are two different sides of this business. Look at the HVAC and alarm contractor models. They refer to a sales/closing agent then do the job.
Real estate brokers, pre qualify their clients by finding out things like do they own the property or how deep are their pockets or are they shopping and how much time do you invest in there needs.
Is there a charity you can get involved in to extend your good name. Give Senior citizen discounts, they have kids. Give Teacher and religious discounts, the add space in the church fliers are cheap real estate.

Then there is nuts and bolts. When my customers hear a vacuum fire up they know the job is not going to end up as a fix and clean up. Keep the job looking and staying clean (booties, T shirt or uniform policy). Nobody likes to hire a plasterer after paying you to cut holes in their walls. Its an open sore festering till the plasterer gets there and your name is attached.
Educate your staff and hire educated people. Maybe do profit sharing, retirement, health insurance, or supplement these as perks, to get them on board and the good electricians will find you.
The leaches will too, but it wont take long to weed them out.

Start the sale when the call comes in. Close the sale, then do a dynamite job. Use praise not degradation's on the help. Self inspect the work before you pick up the check. That's the final step. Ask yourself does this look like it did when we got here? That and a sticker on, not in, the panel will get you back in the door. Maybe do followup calls or thank you notes, to correct problems or find out if your guys are doing night work.

BUT, if you are profit sharing, night work wont happen. Wont pay enough, and the others will rat out the few that do because it will be out of there pockets.
 

cowboyjwc

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Simi Valley, CA
And no one likes the, I come, I do work, I go, guys. Make that customer feel like they are the most important job that you have. Tell them what you're going to do and how you're going to do it. Look at the pictures on their wall and see if you can find something to chat about. And make them feel like they are the most important job that you have. I know I said that twice. I can't say it enough.
 

Ponchik

Senior Member
Location
CA
Occupation
Electronologist
And no one likes the, I come, I do work, I go, guys. Make that customer feel like they are the most important job that you have. Tell them what you're going to do and how you're going to do it. Look at the pictures on their wall and see if you can find something to chat about. And make them feel like they are the most important job that you have. I know I said that twice. I can't say it enough.

agree 100%.

for the 3rd time, Make them feel that they are the most important customer that you have.

Dont try to get in&out. spend some time and charge for it, they will be glad to pay.
 

Fulthrotl

~Autocorrect is My Worst Enema.~
What are some ways other contractors have found to increase electrical service sales? I am looking for ideas for the residential and commercial (b2b) market.

i just got a cold call from a company in atlanta....
they send you referrals as a text message, for a fee.

it's a month to month deal, so if it isn't profitable, you can drop it.
they say to expect 15~30 resi calls a month. they won't send any
one referral to more than 3 people, and you can specify the geographic
range.

100% residential, up to and including service changes.

they are talking $100 for the first month as a trial, then
$150 a month thereafter.

they are supposed to send me some information via email,
but nothing has showed up yet. not a good sign.

if it looks worthwhile (in other words, i drop $100 and take
it for a spin) i'll let you guys know how it turns out.

but the absence of followup, for a totally online based service,
doesn't look good. if i do sign up, i'll do a one shot CC number
with paypal, so it prevents repeat dinging of the CC.
 

GUNNING

Senior Member
I just read that Google has cut out a lot of staffing and goodies and is remaking themselves into an advertising company.
That is now there business model, advertising.
At $3.30 a click there would be someone looking only at you. No middle man. Just you, and they are interested in only your services.
At $100 that is about 30 leads. At $150 that is 45 leads.
If you spent that money on a flashy helpful web site you wouldn't need to pay that other guy $10 to $15 a lead to do this for you AND have him selling the lead to 3 other guys in your area.

Google.... effective , expensive, mysterious....
 

Palmbay

Member
Location
Palm Bay Florida
We made a resi. Catalog, with pictures of the common products and upgrades we offer. Then its backed up with set pricing, so if they want it, we get paid for it on the spot. Its worked so well, i have contractors call us in on projects they have got, and we show them all the great things we can do for them. Think 95% of projects get some sort of up,sell because we offer something they didnt know about or they didnt think we did. It can be a dimmer, or fan control, or new under cabint lighting with a switch on the wall. Even special colored outlets and switches, we sell those on ever kichen we do, because they didnt know you could get them. Also when it comes time to start a new project, you are the athority. We have customers that call us every year to upgrade there home with products we help them select, and then we install them. Samples work great too. When i go to look at a landscape lighting job for instance, i have a 10 light demo setup, and i schedule at around dusk. If i didnt do that, 50 % of those jobs would get shoped, and we sell more fixtures on the job because they can see the result.

You have to back all this up with making your customer feel like they are the only customer you have. Drop cloths and shop vacs are mandatory.

Also..... Happy Wife, Happy Life! Remember who makes the decisions in a house hold. He will be on the couch if she doesnt get her way. If you can explain it so she understands it, you will get paid to do it.

1 more thing. Remember that if your customer goes to a store to buy something, they pay for it up front. Do this, and you will have happy customers, and the ones that dont, are the ones you didnt want anyway. If you collect money when you go look at the job, you got it, no shopping the job, they are commited to you now.

Track your customers. I know who talks about us positivly the most. Keep them happy, and there referals happy. I can track them back, 10 customers sometimes. That is how you build returning customers. Positive feed back on the cocktail circuit is the best advertising.
 

Sparky555

Senior Member
We made a resi. Catalog, with pictures of the common products and upgrades we offer. Then its backed up with set pricing, so if they want it, we get paid for it on the spot. Its worked so well, i have contractors call us in on projects they have got, and we show them all the great things we can do for them. Think 95% of projects get some sort of up,sell because we offer something they didnt know about or they didnt think we did. It can be a dimmer, or fan control, or new under cabint lighting with a switch on the wall. Even special colored outlets and switches, we sell those on ever kichen we do, because they didnt know you could get them. Also when it comes time to start a new project, you are the athority. We have customers that call us every year to upgrade there home with products we help them select, and then we install them. Samples work great too. When i go to look at a landscape lighting job for instance, i have a 10 light demo setup, and i schedule at around dusk. If i didnt do that, 50 % of those jobs would get shoped, and we sell more fixtures on the job because they can see the result.

You have to back all this up with making your customer feel like they are the only customer you have. Drop cloths and shop vacs are mandatory.

Also..... Happy Wife, Happy Life! Remember who makes the decisions in a house hold. He will be on the couch if she doesnt get her way. If you can explain it so she understands it, you will get paid to do it.

1 more thing. Remember that if your customer goes to a store to buy something, they pay for it up front. Do this, and you will have happy customers, and the ones that dont, are the ones you didnt want anyway. If you collect money when you go look at the job, you got it, no shopping the job, they are commited to you now.

Track your customers. I know who talks about us positivly the most. Keep them happy, and there referals happy. I can track them back, 10 customers sometimes. That is how you build returning customers. Positive feed back on the cocktail circuit is the best advertising.

Great advice Mike.
 
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