Contractor Update

A business card is an important tool to help market your services. It's more than just a placeholder for your phone number and company name. It's a way to make it easier for potential clients to find your business, refer you to others, to remember you, and to recall what you do.

1. Be Clear: Let them know what you do! If it's not clear from the company name, include a tag line underneath to show what your company can do for them.

2. Use the Tag Line: Call out your company's benefits. Don't list your services. Look through the yellow pages for your ad -- all your competitors do the same things as you, so list what you can do for clients (Lowest prices, Fastest Turnaround, Highest Quality!)

3. Use Both Sides: Double your real estate on the card by printing on the back. It costs more but it's a greater chance you'll be remembered. List more service qualities, list testimonials, or list your company's mission statement.

4. Consider a Folding Card: You can have business cards made up that will fold open giving you an instant brochure. You'll be able to provide more information that will hit home all the advantages your business provides.

5. Be Imaginative: Consider fun colors and interesting shapes. It doesn't have to be a black and white card. Colors might help you stand out when the potential client is digging through her purse, looking for your card. Also, think about having your business card be cut into the shape of a hammer, a drill, a screwdriver - just don't make them too large.

6. Easy to Read, Easy to See: Your contact information should not be small or be hidden. It should stand out and be easy to find. Include everything you can: phone, email, website, cell phone, address.

7. Branding: Make sure your business card has the same logo, colors, design, and font that you use on your website, on your magnetic signs on your trucks, and on signs outside your business. A consistent look and feel will keep your images branded and memorable.

8. Keep It Handy: While it's not a tip to help you make a business card -- it's important. Always have cards out, ready to go, if anyone asks. It lets them know you're professional and organized. And it's much better than writing out your company name on a cocktail napkin...


Be sure to Bookmark our Contractor Update page and return to it often for new new posts, new information, and additional ways to help expand your business and make you more profitable. Don't forget to Register with ConstructionDeal.com - for free - to review local job leads in your specialty.

It's sometimes necessary to drag you service professionals, kicking and screaming, into the 21st century. Keeping up with technology is never easy. But saving money, no matter how well your business is doing, is always important. And I've a new technology suggestion that could really save your service company a lot of cash.

GPS (Global Positioning Satellite) services have descended down into the range of affordability for small businesses. If you're operating two or more vehicles, a GPS service can help you to make sure your customers are being served efficiently, can let you know where your assets are located, and can even let you know when vehicles are due for maintenance.

I've found a company you might want to consider, called Universal Tracking Solutions out of Gilbert, Arizona. They are nationwide and could help your construction, remodeling, or repair business increase the bottom line (as well as enhance safety and productivity.)

Here's how it works:

They install a device on your vehicle that will let you track it on your computer in your office. You can choose how you want the device to be configured, choosing from features like location tracking, run hours, maintenance notifications, geo boundaries, start/stop reports, speed alerts, theft recovery, and more.

How it can benefit your company:

Being able to monitor your fleet can save you money. You can cut down on overtime (by as much as 10%), make sure clients are happy that your teams are showing up on time, and cut fuel costs from 7 to 10% by make sure the right routes are followed and no personal stops are made. All this can allow you to expand your service radius to bring in more job leads.

There are several GPS providers out there but what I liked about Universal Tracking Solutions is that they are not just resellers of a product. They contract the manufacture of their own product, own the licensing and software, and it can be customized based on your application needs and do their own SIM provisioning. All these things allow them to provide you the best pricing available.

Check them out on their website (link above) or give them a call at (877) 279-8877.

Many times, we hear certain phrases over and over and when we're pitching to a potential client, we tend to repeat the same cliches over and over.

You may not even hear yourself doing it, but the client could be turned off and tune out your presentation. When it sounds like "sales-speak", you can lose the trust that your reputation as a service provider has earned.

Here are some phrases to avoid when bidding on your next project:

1- "What would you say if I told you..." or "How would you feel if I could get you..." - these types of sentences just scream salesman. Talk to them about what you know - avoid the gimmicks. They'll listen.

2 - "What would it take to get you to sign today?" I can just picture an eager salesman, sitting on the front edge of the chair, pen in hand, with his tongue slowly dropping from his mouth. I have written about this before, but my favorite close has always been, "Do you have any other questions or concerns that would keep us from getting started?"

3 - "This offer is for a limited time only." People hate pressure tactics. If you can make the offer at any point in time then you should be able to make it again two weeks from now. Sure material prices could go up but you don't know they will. You're reasonably sure of it, but you don't know.

4 - "...But wait! There's more!" I laugh. No, there is not. It's all part of the same package and you've just split it up. People always hear this on the info-mercials - "Act now and we'll throw in an extra set of steak knives!" It can cheapen the value of your products and services you provide.

5 - "I won't be undersold!" or "We're the lowest price in town! Guaranteed." Problem is, you can't really guarantee it because it probably means that you do the job differently than the next contractor. Or you use less expensive materials.

6 - Consider these platitudes: "We go the extra mile", "We treat you like family", "We're professionals." My answer to every single one of these would be, "I would hope so." You're not telling me anything I haven't heard before. Make sure you differentiate.

7 - "I'm your friend. You can trust me." Really? You've been talking about a kitchen remodel for 30 minutes and you both like to bowl. Bosom buddies you ain't.

8 - "Here's what you need..." It basically means I've listened to what you've said and I'll ignore it for what I know to be much better for you.

9 - Using "always" or "never" in your conversation. It can't possibly be true for every circumstance and a generalization like can come back to bite you where it hurts. "We're always on time!" Ha! That's just plain comedy. Promise what you can deliver on. "We'll do everything we can to be on time" will go a lot longer for your company.

Be an expert. Listen to potential clients. Really listen. Pitch yourself, your skills, and your past experience. That's all you need.

Fill in the blanks: Cliches do more harm than _____, because they just go in one ear and out the _____.

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Labels: Contractor Advice, Small Business Advice, Small Business Marketing