Struggling to get ahead with your contractor business? Perhaps you’re feeling like the “little guy”; the “rookie”; the “underdog.”
Well, squash that devil sitting on your shoulder and face the facts: there’s ample opportunity for you to rise above the competition as an up-and-comer. You see, there are veteran contractors out there who are damn good at what they do. But here’s the thing: you have something they don’t. In fact, several things they don’t: you have flexibility, youth, and a whole lot more that’s going to help you squash more than that devil. It’ll help you squash the status quo that’s holding veteran contractors back from growth — and from capitalizing on an ever-increasing demand and a lingering shortage in supply.
Don’t underestimate yourself. Here’s where veterans find themselves stuck, and where you so-called “newbies” can take the edge:
Status Quo #1: Experienced contractors aren’t as agile.
Call it agility, call it flexibility, call it whatever you like. Those that have been in the industry so long that they’re rolodex can’t handle another contact are just plain slow to adapt. They can’t handle the increasing supply because they’re not positioned to make the changes that need to be made in order to not only respond, but be proactive in going after it. Their age-old ways have got them caught in an endless loop where customers are being blown off, made to wait, and ignored after the quote’s been given because they simply can’t handle it.
What you have: you have a business that has yet to be completely molded. You have a staff still making their way, and adapting to make it work. You have a different thought on hiring — one that involves hiring the right people, then training them up. You have shared goals and a nimbleness that will allow you to flex those newbie muscles and put the customer above all else.
Status Quo #2: Veteran contractors aren’t early adopters of technology.
In case you missed it: the Internet isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Yet some veteran contractors have yet to bite the bullet and invest in that upgraded website, take time to learn how to market online, or adopt the mobile technology that could make their sales team’s life loads easier — and improve the customer experience at the same time.
What you have: an open mind and a willingness to try that which will improve your business: namely, the Internet, online marketing, and mobile tech. You embrace new tools and are willing to go where the customers are, whether that means learning a social network or grabbing your tablet and journeying to a field in the middle of nowhere to provide a quote. If there’s anything that can help you streamline your business, improve your productivity, and champion the increasing demand, it’s the technology that your veteran compatriotes shun.
Status Quo #3: Long-time contractors don’t like change.
The older we get, the more adverse we become to change. Unfortunately, the same tends to ring true in business. Kodak didn’t declare bankruptcy because they embraced change — the veteran film company declared bankruptcy because they put their blinders on and pretended it wasn’t happening. This fear of change and the ignorance that results means veteran contractors continue cruising at the same pace they always have — and these days, it’s just not enough to keep up.
What you have: an understanding that change is inevitable, but growth is optional. While you might not love constant reiteration, you know it’s imperative to staying alive in a competitive, demand-ridden industry. You’re not focused on the billboard; you’ve jumped whole hog into online marketing. You don’t expect your sales team to pull more hours out of their pocket; you equip them with what they need to get the job done faster. You don’t react to change; you welcome it wholeheartedly and proactively move toward it.
Status Quo #4: Seasoned contractors don’t appreciate — or leverage — the customer experience.
Before there was this so-called “Experience Economy,” businesses were simply focused on getting the job done to a certain point of satisfaction. When it became anything more than that — over-delivering at every touchpoint; adding an element of pleasant surprise; designing the service around the experience a customer has with it — well, seasoned contractors said “yeah, right” and kept on doing what they were doing. And it worked — because they were the only game in town.
What you have: an appreciation that the customer experience is what: a.) makes the customer happy, b.) encourages the customer to come back, and c.) inspires the customer to tell all their friends. You know that referrals, retention, and reviews combined create the golden ticket to a consistently flowing pipeline of people you want to work with. So you make good on every customer touch point — even creating ones that didn’t necessarily need to exist. (Birthday card — why not?)
Squash the status quos and make a name for yourself
Work is good in the construction industry. So good that some contractors take a certain air of confidence — blowing off potential customers, risking their reputation, and getting stuck in the status quo that just isn’t sustainable. This doesn’t go for all contractors — don’t get us wrong. There are fantastic contractors out there growing their business, improving productivity to overcome the labor shortage, and still managing to keep customers happy.
New to the business or a seasoned veteran, there is a whole lot of opportunity in the industry when demand is outstripping supply as it has. And if history serves us right, it’s the “new guys” who have the upper hand — the agility, the love of tech, an embracement of change, and an appreciation of the customer experience — that some seasoned contractors just can’t be bothered squashing the status quo to get to. Now’s your time — get out there and #nailit. (See what we did there?)
Be sure to download our “Contractor’s Guide to Epic Failure – Tips and Techniques to Ensure Headaches, Heartburn and Having to Close up Shop” (and learn how to avoid all of it).
