The epicenter of any great business is growth. Just because you’re a small business owner, doesn’t mean you should be limiting your reach. Here are five ways to start growing your construction company’s customer base, while making sure your small business roots can remain firmly intact.
1. Grow your bottom line by growing online.
We are living today within a digital world, and the importance of establishing an online presence for your business is only increasing. It is estimated that 73% of Americans go online daily, 21% of whom say they are online almost constantly. And when these Americans need a service, they aren’t visiting offices or pulling out phone books; they’re going online.
Consequently, if you haven’t already established an online presence for your construction company, you should start now. If you have established an online presence, you should make sure that the identity you’ve created does your company justice: Does your website give meaning to your business and communicate your values? Does it showcase your best products and services? Is it visually engaging? Is it interactive? Your online marketing campaign needs to be doing all of these things and more. Establishing your brand online is critical to staying competitive in a digital marketplace where similar products and services abound. Being effectively positioned online is your chance to connect with customers so that you can expand your reach.
2. Join forces. Partner with other businesses-even competitors.
It’s no secret that big businesses have deep pockets. But even the biggest corporations on the planet came to where they are today by partnering and forming alliances. Relationships bring contacts, connections, and support, and there’s no reason that small business shouldn’t also be forming alliances. By joining forces with small business coaches and like-minded construction companies-even competitors- it is possible to grow your brand while tapping into the power of community.
3. Lead generation from loyal customers.
There’s nothing more rewarding than stepping back and looking at a finished project, something tangible that’s come from hours of hard work, and seeing the smile on a customer’s face is like the cherry on top of a big fat, ice cream sundae. But don’t let the momentum stop here. Build on these foundations of hard work and happy outcomes to foster new relationships. Keep in touch with customers. This provides a chance to build trust and loyalty, and old customers can provide some of your best connections when looking for new lead generation.
4. Know your stuff and believe in it.
Part of building loyalty and rapport with customers is being knowledgeable. Customers don’t want a salesman trying to shove products down their throats. They want someone who genuinely believes in a product and who really understands it. Demonstrating competence provides an opportunity to build trust in your brand, which can then go a long way in terms of building a reliable and strong client base.
5. Walk a mile in their shoes.
The greatest leaders are those who know the importance of empathy when it comes to building a business. They’re the ones who know how to figure out exactly what makes their customers tick. At times, this means understanding and knowing exactly what a customer wants, even when the customer isn’t able to verbalize it for you.In order to do this, you’ve got to remember to step back before making any decisions and ask yourself “If I were a customer, how would I feel about this?” This question is essential for building strong relationships with customers. Also, knowing how to practice empathy (to understand another’s experiences, challenges, and thought processes) is what’s going to place your company a cut above the rest.
In short, you’ve got a lot resting on your shoulders as a small biz owner in today’s competitive marketplace, and establishing a firm presence for your construction company, both online and in the real world, can be an extremely difficult and stressful task, especially when you feel like you’re not generating the customer leads that your business needs to succeed.
As a result, in order to make things easier on yourself, start by dialing in on these sure-fire strategies. Start online and make sure you have a website that is visually appealing and aligns with your company’s mission. Join forces with like-minded partners. Foster customer relationships. Know your products and stand behind them. And never forget the importance of empathy, remembering to step back often and walk a mile or two in your customer’s shoes. If you can manage to do these five things, while maintaining your company’s vision, there’s no doubt that your construction business isn’t just going to survive. It’s going to thrive.
