As a tradesperson, you need certain tools to get your tasks done. As a contractor, you need a sound business game plan and a professional team to help you get where you want to go. In a one-person operation, one person must accomplish many tasks with different abilities needed to succeed.

One of those needed abilities is salesmanship. The following is a list of sales abilities needed for the team to be successful. This list is not set up in order of importance, and every one of these salesmanship abilities is needed.

Salesmanship Ability No. 1 involves having the proper knowledge of the services you offer to the public. If you are not thoroughly knowledgeable regarding the services you want to offer the public, you will have difficulty delivering excellence. 

It is important to understand that all consumers want excellence from the contractors they hire. Performance excellence is how to grow your business with a loyal clientele who repeatedly avail themselves of your services.

Before you can quote properly profitable prices that enable you to bring in more money than the tasks cost you to perform, you must have Salesmanship Ability No. 2: know your true cost of operation to know how much you will proportionately spend to complete any task. 

Salesmanship Ability No. 3 is smiling and being pleasant to win the sale. After all, no one likes to do business with grumpy people.

Speaking of grumpiness, I’m sure you have encountered your share of grumpy consumers, especially those who would rather spend their hard-earned dollars on something more enjoyable than fixing a problem in their homes or businesses. That’s when your pleasant smile and caring manner help people come to trust you. And trust is always needed to close the deal.

When you encounter those types of people, you need Salesmanship Ability No. 4 — tolerance. Like a doctor, you must develop a sound, sincere “bedside manner” since you are attempting to separate those consumers from their hard-earned dollars to address what they want you to do for them. Along with your smile and pleasantness, tolerance helps you focus on your goal to close the deal.

I know how difficult it is to maintain your tolerance level when consumers make nasty, foolish and ignorant remarks about your business protocols. However, if you want to close the deal, tolerant you must be.

Salesmanship Ability No. 5 is to properly assess the situation pertaining to the consumer’s wants and needs while giving the consumer all obvious options and prices before commencing any service. 

Unlike time and material pricing, which gives the consumer prices and sticker shock after the job is done, prices quoted before the commencement of work demonstrate that you are confident in your ability to perform the task(s) at hand. 

You eliminate any legitimate problems and arguments about prices after the task is completed as long as you perform the task in an excellent manner and according to your obligations set forth and agreed to before the task was started.

Giving consumers options allows them to make informed, cost-effective decisions regarding the work they want you to do.

Salesmanship Ability No. 6 is maintaining a good reputation and standing behind your workmanship after the job is done. After all, callbacks are a problem that all contractors, even the best, encounter.

Callbacks can be caused by pilot error — when the person performing the task falls short in the delivery of excellence. This type of callback can be lowered by constantly explaining to your employees the importance of delivering excellence to the consumer. 

To put the issue into perspective, I used to tell my employees to perform any task as if they were performing said task for their own mothers. 

Next, there are callbacks that are the result of a manufacturer’s material defect. This type of callback is rectified by only using top-quality materials. And while even top-quality materials can have defects, the potential is greatly lowered. 

The next type of callback is the consumer’s misperception of the situation regarding what you have performed for them. Putting aside the consumer’s inability to understand, this type of callback is often the result of the technician not fully explaining how everything works and what to expect when repairing or installing work originally done by your business. 

In that instance, pilot error is, in part, to blame. It’s the reason you must constantly emphasize to your staff the necessity of delivering excellence. A solid reputation for excellence can help you grow your business, while a bad reputation causes consumers to avoid doing business with you.

Salesmanship Ability No. 7 involves perception. When your technicians are neat and clean in appearance and show up in vehicles that are in good shape and clean, consumers perceive that they will perform the job in the same manner. They also perceive that your business will take care of their homes and businesses in the same way your people take care of their vehicles and themselves. 

 With Salesmanship Ability No. 8, you must be clear when delivering information to consumers so they understand the options you are offering and allow them to make wise, cost-effective decisions. This can lower the number of callbacks you might face.

Salesmanship Ability No. 9 ensures that any questions and concerns consumers may have about the work to be done are addressed. They want to know that your business can handle their requests in an excellent manner; it gives them peace of mind that your business stands behind its workmanship.

When you deliver excellence to consumers, your callback ratio will be low; that means less cost to you. With a low callback level, you can afford to offer consumers longer warranties than your competitors because your workmanship lasts longer. That gives you a leg up over your competition. In turn, you would give yourself the opportunity to close more deals by offering longer warranties.

Salesmanship Ability No. 10 reassures consumers that your business is the business they want to work with. Abiding by the previous nine salesmanship abilities and delivering excellence will give consumers the confidence to choose your company. 

I sincerely hope this information helps you. Always remember, “The enlightenment of knowledge outshines the darkness of ignorance since knowledge is the light that shows you the path to success, and having the wisdom to realize you need help can give you the courage to seek help so you can see that light.” l

Richard P. DiToma has been involved in the PHC industry since 1970. His Contractor Profit Advantage podcasts, Solutionars and programs show contractors how to improve their business results. DiToma has authored books on contracting business management as well as customized contractor price guides. Contact him at 845-639-5050, richardditoma@verizon.net.