Remodeling consultant Shawn McCadden encourages remodelers to place value on their time and expertise, and to offer their services only to those who recognize that value—and are willing to pay for it. In a recent blog, McCadden recommends the three ways to attract only quality leads:
1. Define your process and communicate it in a way that is easy for prospects to access and understand. Your website is a great place to do this because it ensures a consistent message to everyone who visits, and it eliminates prospects who are not a good fit for your company.
2. Charge for preconstruction services. "An estimate is just a guess," writes McCadden. "Any experienced contractor should be able to provide a best-guess estimated cost range for project types he or she has past experiences with." But you should charge a fee to prepare a binding quote. Many prospects will balk, so McCadden suggests ways to help them realize the help they will need and the value of your expertise.
3. Get a commitment to return to discuss your proposal. "If they won't commit to meeting with you to review your proposal, that's one less you have to do, freeing you up to concentrate on those prospects who respect you as a professional and value your process," McCadden says.
To read the complete blog, which includes links that drill down into related subject matter, go to shawnmccadden.com.