Attracting referrals is one of the most effective methods of lead generation in the construction business, but referrals don’t come by magic. If you expect to bring in a steady stream of construction leads, you have to take some action to get the ball rolling.
Make It Easy
Even if your clients think you did an outstanding job, it might never occur to them to refer business to you. To encourage them to take the extra step of making a referral, give them a simple, straightforward way to do it.
You can start just by asking your clients if they know any homeowners or developers who might need your services. In addition, provide a form that lets clients list the names and contact information of anyone who might want to work with you. Ask your client’s permission to distribute letters describing the work you did for them, along with a photo of the client beside your yard sign. To really kick your referral system up a notch, consider offering referral fees to reward your clients’ efforts.
Build Personal Relationships
Good work isn’t always enough to attract a referral. Ultimately, we refer our friends and acquaintances to service providers we like as people, not to faceless companies. That means a big part of lead generation in the construction business lies in personal connections.
To build the kind of personal rapport and affinity that pulls in construction leads, choose one person to work closely with the client throughout the job. This person becomes the human face of the company and is the one clients will refer work to.
Be Exceptional
Doing an adequate job probably won’t get you many complaints, but it won’t win you much praise, either. If you expect clients to remember you, much less send business your way, you’ll need to outperform your competition in some way. There are dozens of ways you could do this, including completing work faster, using higher-quality materials, or offering a wider selection of eco-friendly options.
For more pro tips on lead generation in the construction business, contact Construction Monitor today.
Asking clients for referrals does require a bit of courage at first, but it’s worth the effort, and it becomes much easier over time.
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