Two articles every construction company must write

We spend a lot of time talking about activities that high level construction companies practice. One of those frequent practices is writing articles for their website. Whether you are just starting your Learning Center (blog) or you have one established, the following are two articles every construction company must write. 

How much does your service cost?

The very first question a homeowner asks when they recognize a project they want to accomplish is, “How much is this going to cost?” 

This is a very fair and necessary question. More times than not it has nothing to do with being cheap. Homeowners want to have an idea of cost right from the start so they can properly assess if they should move on to the next step: call a contractor. 

They don’t call because they don’t know if you like them 

In elementary school you had that crush, but you were scared to death to talk to girls. You wanted to ask her to be your girlfriend, but you weren’t willing to take the risk of calling her until you had some assurance she liked you too. The great standoff held until you were able to get more information on her status. You sent your best friend over to her lunch table to get an inventory of her interest. 

Boom! She likes you too! Excited and energized you call her with boldness. And that’s the story of not just your first love, but also your interactions with your clients. 

They want to call, but they need to know what the chances are 

Your clients want to call you, but they aren’t sure they can afford you. They would rather deal with the current conditions of their home than the possible embarrassment or rejection of not being able to afford your proposal. They will continue to stand on the sidelines until they get a hint from you that you’re interested. 

Write an article detailing your pricing 

Clarifying your pricing structure does not hurt your business. This level of transparency builds trust and educates your future clients on what to expect. The more you can lead and guide your clients ahead of even their first call, the better. Keeping them in the dark and unknown puts them in a position of self defense and uneasiness. 

If you’re a painter, write what the average bedroom dimensions are and how much it cost to paint. If you’re a landscaper, give an example of a few projects and what they cost to perform. 

You will find that having this article readily displayed on your website will boost in-bound leads and the quality of leads you receive. 

Article #2 – Your Process

Every client asks this question or some variation of it. Do yourself a favor and write an article laying out your process and timelines. Do this once and you won’t have to keep repeating yourself. It also becomes training material for all of your employees. Ask them to read, know and reference so that they know what’s expected of them. 

Your future clients want to know how long it will be until they get a quote back. They want to know your schedule and when you’ll be able to do their project. The more you can tell them, the more comfortable they will be throughout the construction process. Customers that are at ease and a part of the process are more enjoyable to work with. 

Mandatory homework for your future clients 

Once you have both articles written and clearly displayed on your website, you can begin to use them for your future clients. Some will visit your site and read the articles on their own. Others will need to be directed to read them. We highly recommend sending these two articles to all leads before you go for your initial site visit. Assign them as homework and tell them they must read through prior to you coming out. Explain why it’s important. Tell them that it helps ensure we are on the same page and that we are the right contractor for you. 

Implementing this into your sales process will pre-qualify leads. It will shorten the sales cycle. And, it will help you to meet clients that believe the same things as you. 

For additional reading on this and similar subjects check out:

They Ask, You Answer by Marcus Sheridan

Where do I start in marketing my construction company