As part of my construction business coaching programs, I get to meet a lot of construction business owners. During our chats, I have noticed that they often fall into one of two categories. They either have a plan to scale their business but are finding it difficult because they are focusing on too many things at once, or they have no idea where to start. I understand that it can be overwhelming, and make you either want to stick your head in the sand and ignore it or alternatively try to do it all and end up not getting very far.

So how can you mastermind their business to achieve even higher sales and profits while growing in a sustainable way?

In order to do this successfully, you need to get laser-focused on what you need to work on. Take for example a professional archer that you might see at the Olympic games. In order to be successful at their sport, an archer needs to be laser-focused on their target. This is not always easy. They not only have to concentrate on what they are doing with their movements but also make sure they are not distracted by other things going on around them, like birds flying or noises happening in the area. We want to do the same thing in business, focus on one thing at a time, laser in on that specific thing and not get distracted by what may be going on around us.

So what can you focus on as a construction business owner? There are five things you can focus on when looking to mastermind your business, I like to call them the 5 pillars. These 5 pillars are at the foundation of my Trade Mastermind program, a consulting course designed to help you grow to between £1,000,000 and £5,000,000 of sales.

The 5 pillars are:

• – Plan
• – Attract
• – Convert
• – Deliver
• – Scale

In this article, we will look at each of these pillars one at a time and see why it can be useful to get support while growing your business.

Plan

It’s not surprising that the first of these five pillars is plan. In order to get anywhere, you need to have a clear roadmap of where you want to go. Do you have a plan for this year for your business? The next five years?

To start it can be helpful to ask yourself a few questions:

• Do you know what your turnover targets for this year are?
• What are your profit margins goals for the year?
• Have you written these down somewhere where you can see them or refer to them easily?

Having a clear goal in mind and knowing your destination will help you to put a plan in place to reach this goal. This can help you avoid roadblocks that may come up periodically because you will have taken the time to see where you are and what your resources are. Roadblocks are a natural part of any journey, so if you are included in your planning stage then you can be forewarned and forearmed. If a problem does come up you will be in a better position to reassess and push forward.

Attract

When you go through business growth you may find that you need to change the clients you aim for. It might be that when you started your business you looked on Checkatrader and places like that for your clients, but now you are a larger company you want to aim for architects and property developers. These kinds of larger contracts will help our business continue to grow. It is not always as easy as knowing the larger clients you want to gain for your business but you need to attract them.

In order to attract the right kind of clients, you need to do three things. You need to:

1. – Find your USP (Unique Selling Point) – What makes your business different to your competitors? Once you have identified this make sure that your whole team knows and communicates it in every area. If you need some help working out how you are unique compared to the other businesses in the area then look at this article here on our five tips to finding your USP.
2. – Build your brand – Looking at your marketing and how your values are communicated is vital to attracting the right kind of customer. Your brand is a vital part of your visual identity and is more than just your logo or any signage. Your website is often a good place to start and looking at some inspirational branding can help you. Also, ask yourself if your brand was a person what kind of person would they be? This can give you some language to start working from.
3. – Fill funnel – What do you need to be doing across your channels to make sure you are attracting your ideal customer? Thinking about and taking action to push people down your sales funnel is another key when attracting the right kind of clients. Are you using your social media channels to help your potential clients to get to you and trust you? You can schedule some posts around your team and recent projects you have worked on.

Convert

Being a trades mastermind does not just mean you can attract the right kind of customers, but that you can then convert them. Maybe this is where you struggle and could be the area you need to focus on.

Again this area can be broken down into three main points:

1. Profitable pricing – Is your pricing profitable? Does it leave you with enough to not only run your business but invest in its future? This is where having a good knowledge of your finances is helpful and makes sure you will not underprice and end up undercharging.
2. Nurture leads – In order to win jobs, it is not enough to just introduce your business and what you do. With any kind of investment, it can take a time to grow trust in a company and feel happy. So on our side, we need to nurture the leads we have, warm them up a bit and help them to get to know and like us as a company. Do you have a marketing system in place to help with this?
3. Pitch perfect – Once the potential client knows you and is ready to hear your pitch, do you have the relevant information ready in an appealing way? A good pitch is an art, and worth focusing on if you are finding you do not always win the jobs you go for.

Deliver

Once you work on the first few pillars you will find you have more success attracting clients and converting them. It feels great to have a full pipeline, and now the next step is we need to deliver! The only way to make sure you do this consistently is to have a strong structure in place, both on-site and also in the back end of your business.

• Are you leveraging other people’s time in the best way possible?
• What do your on-site operations look like? Make sure you have planned your timeline and stick to it, if projects go over time by just 10% it can be hugely expensive over the course of the year. Having a dedicated project manager on-site can ensure they run smoothly.
• What about your off-site systems? Have you got the backend sorted? The ordering? What about your numbers? Do you have a team member who handles the paperwork? What CRM system do you use? Asking these questions can help you access where you may need to tighten up and improve the backend of your business.

Scale

After we have nailed the first four, we can finally focus on the scale. This is what all business owners are aiming for, growing and scaling their business in a way that is sustainable and essentially moving away from the day-to-day running of the business to think about larger goals. A strong team is the key to this stage. You want to attract the best tradespeople and then be able to gain their loyalty to encourage them to stay with you. Having in place a strong team that you trust will give you some peace of mind. You need to be able to attract and retain the best staff, but this can be easier said than done. I have found that there are two keys to this, firstly you need to be able to attract the perfect candidate psychologically and secondly, you need to invest in their career so that they stick with you.

After looking at these pillars broken down into a bit more detail you might be thinking – Greg, this all sounds great but I just do not know where to start. I understand that it can be difficult to look at your business objectively and see where it is that you personally need to focus on to become a trade mastermind in your industry. That is why I have created the trade Mastermind program, to help you do a deeper dive and really develop your business strategy.

The course is designed to help high-growth construction companies with a current turnover of at least £250k per annum to grow between £1,000,000 – £5,000,000 of sales. It is ideal for all you hard-working company owners who have the resources to delegate tasks and want to work with me on strategy.

The course is delivered in 7 modules which are worked through over 12 months. During that time you will be looking much deeper at these strategies:

• – Realistic target setting based on data and current financials
• – How to find your ideal client
• – How to find and promote your USP and deliver unrivalled service
• – Effective branding, marketing and social media strategies
• – How to use analysis reporting to adapt and improve
• – Staying in control through fast growth
• – How to attract and keep exceptional employees
• – Using operating systems to run a well-oiled machine
• – Achieving a positive cash flow position so you never worry about bills
• – Understanding your financials to achieve exceptional profits

If you would like any more information or to see how this Mastermind course could help you and your business then book in a ten-minute call with me here today.

I have been through the highs and lows of running a construction business, and am here to share with you the strategies that have helped me to become a trades Mastermind.

If you would like a taster of what the Mastermind course can bring to you and your company check out these previous articles:

• How to get construction clients
• How to recruit for your construction business
• How to come off the tools

The post How to become a Trade Mastermind in your construction business appeared first on Develop Coaching Australia.

Did you know that 81% of people research online before making a buying decision? For your construction company, this means potential clients are actively searching for reviews before they even consider reaching out.

In fact, construction companies that actively ask for reviews receive 1.5 times more feedback than those that don’t, averaging 66 reviews per location compared to just 44. What’s more, these proactive businesses achieve an impressive 4.8-star average rating, whilst their passive counterparts settle for 4.6 stars.

That’s why having a solid strategy for getting reviews for construction company isn’t just nice to have, it’s essential for growth. Whether you’re struggling to collect customer reviews or looking to boost your positive ratings, this guide will show you exactly how to build a review collection system that works.

Ready to transform your construction company’s online reputation? Let’s dive into the proven methods that will help you consistently earn those coveted 5-star reviews.

Build Your Review Collection System

Setting up an effective review collection system starts with choosing the right tools and processes. A well-structured system will help your construction company gather reviews consistently and efficiently.

Choose Your Review Platforms

Selecting the right platforms primarily depends on where your potential clients look for construction company reviews. Your review collection system should integrate with multiple platforms to maximise visibility. When choosing platforms, consider these key factors:

• Mobile accessibility for quick client feedback
• Integration with your existing business software
• Automated review distribution capabilities
• Built-in customer relationship management features

Set Up Automated Reminders

Automated reminders notably increase review collection success rates. When properly implemented, these systems can boost positive customer reviews from 5% to 15%. Furthermore, automated reminder systems send timely notifications via email, SMS, or specialised apps.

To maximise effectiveness, schedule your review requests within a few days after project completion. Additionally, your automated system should include personalised messages referencing specific projects or services. This personal touch makes clients feel valued and increases the likelihood of receiving detailed feedback.

The system should consequently handle follow-up reminders automatically if clients don’t respond to initial requests. Your automated reminder system can also integrate with your payment process, making it easier to request reviews after transaction completion.

Remember to customise your reminder templates based on project type and client relationship. Construction projects often involve significant investment, therefore, showing appreciation for client feedback through personalised communication helps maintain professional relationships whilst encouraging honest reviews.

Make It Easy for Customers to Review

Simplicity drives action. Studies show that 70% of customers will leave a review for your construction company simply because you asked them to do so. Here’s how to make the review process effortless for your clients.

Create a Simple Review Link

After completing a construction project, send your clients a direct review link via email. Include this link on invoices and receipts to provide multiple opportunities for feedback. This approach removes barriers and makes the review process straightforward for busy clients.

Use QR Codes for Quick Access

QR codes offer a modern solution for collecting reviews. These versatile codes:

• Enable instant access to review platforms
• Can be printed on business cards and site signage
• Allow real-time project updates and feedback collection
• Facilitate secure sharing of review links

Mobile-Friendly Review Forms

Since many clients prefer using phones or tablets to leave reviews, your review forms must work flawlessly on mobile devices. Ensure your forms are:

Secure and customisable to match your construction company’s needs. The forms should collect data efficiently whilst maintaining accuracy. Store all review data in a protected database to maintain client trust and privacy.

Moreover, streamline the mobile review process by implementing clear, concise questions. This approach helps gather detailed feedback without overwhelming your clients. Similarly, ensure the forms load quickly and respond smoothly across all devices, as this significantly impacts completion rates.

Accordingly, test your review forms regularly to maintain optimal performance and user experience. This attention to detail shows professionalism and respect for your clients’ time, making them more likely to complete the review process.

Handle Different Types of Reviews

Reviews shape your construction company’s reputation. Whilst positive feedback builds trust, negative reviews test your professional response abilities. Managing both effectively determines your business success.

Respond to Positive Reviews

Responding to positive reviews increases customer loyalty and shows potential clients your commitment to service excellence. Indeed, businesses that respond to positive reviews see a 12% increase in brand loyalty.

To craft effective responses, personalise your message by mentioning specific aspects of the project. Undoubtedly, quick responses demonstrate attentiveness—aim to reply within 48 hours. Your response should:

• Thank the client specifically for their time and feedback
• Reference particular project details or interactions
• Invite them to consider your services for future projects
• Keep the tone professional yet warm

Address Negative Feedback Professionally

Although challenging, negative reviews present opportunities for growth and reputation enhancement. Construction companies that handle negative feedback professionally see a 70% chance of converting unhappy customers into returning clients.

Start by analysing the review thoroughly before responding. Take time to investigate internally what occurred, essentially gathering all facts about the situation. Then, craft a response that:

1. Acknowledges the client’s concerns without being defensive
2. Takes responsibility where appropriate
3. Outlines specific steps for resolution
4. Moves the conversation offline for detailed discussion

Remember to maintain professionalism even when faced with unreasonable criticism. Your response reflects your business values to future clients who will read these interactions. By addressing concerns promptly and professionally, you demonstrate your commitment to customer satisfaction and continuous improvement.

Track and Improve Your Review Strategy

Tracking reviews systematically leads to 15% higher customer satisfaction rates. A robust monitoring system helps your construction company maintain quality service whilst continuously improving customer experience.

Monitor Review Performance

Successful construction companies track specific metrics to gauge review performance. These key performance indicators help identify trends and anticipate challenges:

• Review response time and rate
• Overall star rating across platforms
• Customer satisfaction scores
• Review volume per project
• Sentiment analysis results

Centralised review management systems particularly help in gathering and analysing customer feedback efficiently. Subsequently, this data enables your construction company to spot patterns in both positive and negative feedback, helping identify strengths and areas needing improvement.

Adjust Your Approach Based on Results

Data-driven improvements primarily come from analysing customer feedback patterns. Hence, when reviewing your performance metrics, focus on:

Identifying recurring themes in customer comments to enhance service delivery. Regular monitoring helps detect potential issues before they affect your reputation. Whilst positive feedback highlights successful strategies, negative reviews provide valuable insights for service improvements.

Consider implementing a systematic approach to performance tracking. This method helps assess various aspects of your construction business, from project quality to customer communication. By consistently monitoring these metrics, your construction company can make informed decisions about service improvements and customer engagement strategies.

Remember to regularly update your review collection methods based on performance data. This flexibility ensures your construction company stays responsive to changing customer needs and maintains a strong online reputation.

Use this Strategy to get 5-Star Reviews for Construction Company

Reviews stand as powerful tools that shape your construction company’s future success. Building a robust review collection system, paired with making the process simple for customers, creates a steady stream of authentic feedback that builds trust with potential clients.

Your approach to handling both positive and negative reviews significantly impacts your business reputation. Quick, professional responses show potential clients your commitment to customer satisfaction, while thoughtful handling of criticism demonstrates your dedication to continuous improvement.

Success comes from consistent monitoring and adaptation of your review strategy. Regular analysis of review metrics helps identify areas of excellence and opportunities for growth, ensuring your construction business maintains its competitive edge.

Ready to take your construction company’s review strategy to the next level? Consider working with Develop Coaching to create a proven strategy that scales your construction business effectively. Remember, each positive review brings you closer to becoming the go-to choice in your market.

Above all, stay committed to collecting and responding to customer feedback. This dedication will help your construction business build a sterling online reputation that attracts new clients and maintains lasting relationships with existing ones.

The post The Simple Way to Get 5-Star Reviews for Construction Company appeared first on Develop Coaching Australia.

So the big question is how do you get good reviews? Because everyone looks at reviews on the internet don’t they. We’ve got big global companies now like Amazon and Trip advisor who are really encouraging their customers to look at a review before they purchase, and it’s become second nature to us now online. 

When your clients are looking to purchase big ticket items, for example a home extension, a rewire or a new boiler, be under no illusions they, are going to be scrutinising your reviews. They want to have absolute confidence in their construction company or builders to do a good job. Reviews are one way to lead a successful business and in this two part series I will be looking at four things:  

• 1.How to get good reviews 
• 2.What review platforms should you be using 
• 3.How to get your client to leave a review 
• 4.What steps to take after a bad review 

In this blog post we will be looking at parts one and two, starting with;

How to get good reviews 

Firstly you need to make sure that your clients have a place to leave a review. To leave a review you have to make sure that your review settings are turned on, so double check today that these settings are up and running. People who are most strongly motivated generally to leave a review are those who are leaving a bad one because of a bad experience. So how do you get your customers to leave a 5 star review?  

When you know your customer is really happy with the result why not give them a short questionnaire with some questions on how they found your service. For example: What did they most like about your service? What did you do well? Where could you improve? This last question is a critical one because at this point the customer will be able to tell you how they really feel and you can find out if it is a five star review or not. This would then give you the opportunity to smooth things over if needed. If they say for example that they are not happy with the finished product, maybe they were unhappy that there was a delay, you can explain the reasons why that might have been. If there were areas you failed to deliver as a company, then this is your chance to make it up to them, maybe you can offer them a discount or a free gift. You will find in many cases if you follow that process, the customer will be happy to uplift your review and potentially give you a five star one even if the job didn’t go as planned. Because then they know you have done everything in your power to solve the problem and that’s often just what people want.  

What platforms should you be getting a review on?

There are so many platforms it’s hard to know what will bring you the better business. Well if resources are tight and you carry out a business that is not naturally going to get lots of reviews every month, it may be best to start with one or two and then build it out. Now one of the best places to focus on reviews is Google as it’s the first port of call when someone searches your business, and any good reviews come up on your google ranking. Another great place to start is Facebook, I think the last time I checked it was about 2.8 billion users around the world and it’s probably much more than that now, it’s not a platform to be ignored. It’s easy to set up a Facebook business page and get your clients to leave reviews there. And then in construction there are many specialist sites out there, you have sites like Trustpilot, Trustatrader, Mybuilder, Federation Of Master Builders or Checkatrade. Don’t forget Yell, it still ranks highly on google and that is where your reviews will show generally on the first page.  

So in conclusion this year reviews are an important way to get business. It’s the best way to stand out above your competitors. Everyone looks at reviews so don’t ignore the power of them. In part two we will be looking at how you can ask your customers for reviews, and also what to do if you get a dreaded bad review.  

The post How to get good reviews? appeared first on Develop Coaching Australia.

I recently had the opportunity to have a chat with branding expert Sapna Pieroux about her work with entrepreneurs and companies, and really why branding is so important for us as company owners.  

One of the first things we do when we start a business is think about the name and logo, then just throw ourselves head-on into the business without actually thinking of the brand. First impressions do matter, but a brand is so much more than just a logo, it is about customer experience. Branding is where you can attract your target audience, and then it’s up to you as a master of your trade to sell the entire package. 

Image can be a real game-changer for your company. And Sapna really helped us to see that it is important for construction owners to think about their brand as there can be a lack of trust in the building trade. Your branding can put you across in a professional light or on the other hand a not-so-professional light. If something looks a bit cheap when it comes to the logo and it doesn’t look like you have any pride in your own business, that can come across as an impression of work ethic.  

If you have a limited budget 

If you have a limited budget make sure you are working on customer experience firstly, that your booking systems and website is working properly and you follow up on interest quickly and on time. In terms of branded experience, don’t waste your money on pens and mugs that won’t be used. If you are creating a beautiful interior you don’t want to stick your branded mug in the middle, unless it is also beautiful. Any gifts need to make you stand out in your industry. Offer something practical, maybe for example a tile care kit if you are in tiling, to help look after the work you do. This is a great way to WOW your client and go above expectations. You could give them something that they can enjoy in their new environment, like a bottle of champagne. You could cost it into the job, and it would help finish off the experience really well.  

Company name  

Family names are often used in construction, but if you are thinking of using your name try to just use your last name. This means that you can expand and scale-up, and sound bigger than you are. We scroll through 96 metres of social media a day on average, this is the size of Big Ben. With your customers scrolling that quickly you need to stop the scroll, and the name of your company will help you stand out in your industry. Take people on a journey and help people to see your values and quality. The power of a few words can be very profound.  

Website 

The look and feel of a website may influence a customer’s choice as it is often the first place customers look when weighing up their options. 

Some key tips Sapna gave us were:  

• Have a look at what colours you are using in your branding already and make sure that some of them match the details on the website.  
• Use lots of white space on your website, it is like the difference between travelling first class and economy. It makes you look much more professional, it is calming and can help customers to build trust in you.  
• Use images that are tonal, that are in your brand colours, this will help the website feel cohesive and put together 

• Have hero shots on the front page. Sell the dream and transformation. If you just have a lot of in-process shots this won’t attract customers as much as finished projects.  
• Shutterstock is a great resource. It is an image bank and if you don’t have all the right photography it’s ok to use them as inspirational shots to supplement the photos you do have. Show pictures with people in them. People want to see projects lived in and imagine themselves there, enjoying their space, and envisioning their lifestyle.  

Overhaul advice

If you have got to the point where you would like to overhaul your branding and image, it would be a good idea to ask a professional for help. But here are some things you can think about:  

• Look at five aspirational brands that you admire, and would like to be looked at in that way, not about how you look but how it makes you feel, the experience. Think outside the industry and look at other brands you admire. 

• Look at your company vision for the next 3-5 years. You need to build recognition and not outgrow your branding. What do you want to be known for? Why will people be queuing up? What Customer vision – who are they? Who the ideal clients are and what is the transformation in their lives and sell the dream think about how they will talk about it  
• Brand personality and brand voice. Brand personality comes across in colours and typeface. If your brand was a person what would they be like? How would they talk to the clients?  What is the vocabulary you use and what would you not use? Tone of voice? If you have this stuff documented it’s easier to have someone else help with this.  
• Look at other people in your space and what are they doing right and what could you improve on. You will see things come up and are trending, if you want to stand out don’t use what anyone else is doing, and be unique. 

While it can be difficult to know where to start, putting in the time and resources to improve your branding and image will help to make the best impression for you and your company. 

If you would like to hear me discuss more with Sapna on my podcast, check it out here in episode 8.

If you would like to discuss with me how your business can improve, please get in touch here

The post How to improve your image and branding? appeared first on Develop Coaching Australia.

You are running a business, providing for your family, giving your customers and employees the best of what you have got. But are you feeling like you are not performing at your best in any area of your life?  

As business owners, most of us can relate to that scenario. When you have a lot on your plate it can be tough to know where to start. So how can you perform at your best? What can you implement to make a difference to your life and business?  

I recently spoke to health expert Vinnie and got some tips from his Unstoppable Tradesmen program. An experienced fitness coach, he saw that there wasn’t much in the market targeted towards tradespeople and it was a gap that he wanted to fill, especially when he saw there was a need for not only physical but also mental health support. He gave me three main areas to look at to improve work performance and all-round wellbeing.  

Work performance 

What would be considered a lack of work performance is often put into two categories; energy levels and mental clarity. If they are both high then work performance is high, and equally, if they are low then performance will be low too.  

Energy 

When it comes to nutrition it is the amount of calories and type of food quality that will result in the energy you gain. When we are in a calorie deficit we would be burning fat, but we would also be in an energy deficit. So our food quality needs to have the highest amount of nutrients we can get, which you can find in whole foods and the least amount of processed food possible. The challenge can be that in trades we have the culture of eating junk food on site, especially if we are busy. Being prepared is how to combat this. The local cafe isn’t going to give you the options that will be the best for your energy. Preparing meals beforehand can really help, whatever you have for dinner can be the lunch the next day, and will be of a higher quality.  

Mental clarity  

The biggest enemy for mental clarity is stress. Stress is effectively our body trying to protect us from harm or death. But we now get stressed over our perception of situations. It is rarely the actual situation, but our perception of it is the stressor and we can often be a creator of our own stress. We can have a disconnect between perceived reality and actual reality. If we can step back and acknowledge that our perception of a situation may not be the reality that can really help with our mental clarity.  

Combat stress 

When it comes to stress Vinnie recommended two ways we can fight it. The first is a thought process. When we are stressed we can:  

1. Write down every stressful thing you can think of.  

1. Write down what the triggers are of this stress. For example, if you are stressed you are not getting enough work, the trigger could be an attachment to money.  

1. Write down if it is controllable or uncontrollable, accept the fact that life is unpredictable and uncertain. 

1. If it is controllable, write down action points to resolve the situation.  

1. Be grateful that stress is occurring. Think about how it will make you a stronger, better wiser person. 

The second thing people can do is practice meditation. It can be a divisive word but meditation essentially is the act of being present. We all have different things that can help us to do this, so find something that works for you with the options out there. That could be a walk in nature, or taking five minutes to focus on your breathing.  

When we are stressed we often have a fight or flight response happen in our body. Focusing on your breathing can be the quickest way for us to get out of fight or flight mode, and help your body to relax.  

Another way to do this is to tap into all five senses. Stop what you are doing and focus on your environment instead of your thoughts.

Notice:  

• Five things you can see
• Four things you can feel
• Three things you can hear
• Two things you can smell
• One thing you can taste

Daily Routines  

How can you fit it all in when you have a busy life juggling a business and also other commitments?  

One way to do this is by following what is known as a sandwich day routine. In my chat with Vinnie he explained it in this way: At the start of the day do something that serves you, in the middle you are serving others with your work, but at the end of the day serve yourself. If you start or finish your day by serving others you will feel unfulfilled and drained, which will then affect your performance during the day.  

But how can we do that?  

Here are five tips that Vinnie mentioned to improve our daily routine: 

In the morning be as prepared as possible. Prepare the lunch the night before, and try not to start your day on the phone. If the first thing you do is check your phone, you have allowed a hundred people to run through your room and you start off at a deficit.

You want to start your morning with a win.  

20-30 min workout to start the day, this is sustainable even when you are a busy business owner. It will help you get in the right frame of mind.   

When it comes to the backend of the day, for the last hour of your day try not to be working. This will give your mind a chance to unwind and you will sleep better.  Limit electronics before bed, try to do something that will help you wind down.   

If you have trouble shutting your mind down, write down everything that is on your mind and what you need to do tomorrow, and also what you are grateful for. Preplan on paper your next day, so you are not worrying about the future. 

It is not always easy, but by taking the time to see how you are doing in these key three areas, you can improve your work performance and also take advantage of the opportunities to grow and scale your business. To find more advice on improving and growing your business, check out the Develop Your Construction Business Podcast HERE.  

The post Top three ways to perform at your best appeared first on Develop Coaching Australia.

In the construction industry, we are not always concerned about the latest tricks when it comes to marketing and advertising, but this could be letting us down as business owners. I recently spoke to serial entrepreneur, and specialist in construction industry marketing, Michaela Wain. She has a lot of experience with digital marketing, especially for the construction industry, and spoke about the most important areas in digital marketing for your business. 

Michaela mentioned that the construction industry is far behind when it comes to digital marketing. If you look at some construction companies’ web presence, you will find unprofessional websites that are really underperforming. However, it is so important to get this right for your business. Your website is the foundation for all digital marketing, and so it’s vital to invest in it as it will give you a lot in return.  

What can you do to improve your digital presence?  

When it comes to digital presence we can break it down into three key areas:

• The copy, or writing that you have on your website 

The images and look that you have on your website 

Your social media presence and engagement  

By focusing on these three areas you can improve your reach online and attract more clients to your business.   

Copy on your website  

Humans are generally attracted to problem and solution scenarios, and that’s how everything should be written and structured on your website. A lot of businesses make the mistake of just talking about themselves on their website, but by using problem and solution language it will be much more appealing and inviting for your clients.  

Try not to make things too complicated. For ranking on search engines, you need 150 key words planted around the pages, but don’t make any of the pages too wordy. Most people nowadays won’t spend hours reading through information that could actually be better communicated with images or a few key paragraphs.  

One great thing to add to your homepage are client testimonials. They can be really powerful and could mean the difference between a client going with you or a competitor. Ask a client who was happy with your service to answer a few questions:  

• What was their problem? 
• What solution were they looking for?  
• Why did they choose you? 

• Would they recommend you? 

Consumers and customers naturally trust each other more than the service provider. Using the answers to these questions you can create a story that will help you to establish credibility and stand out on your homepage.   

The look of your website 

When people land on your site it needs to be visually appealing. The colours of the website need to be cohesive with the branding and the cleaner and clearer the content the better. Make sure you have your logo on your page, and it can also be useful to have a “Trusted by” section with a collection of businesses or clients you work with. This can be another way to add to your credibility, so show off the top businesses you have done work with.  

One way to get contact information and leads for potential clients is to offer them something of value for free. These could be tips and tricks from you the expert, for example Ten tips for kitchen design if that’s your trade. Calculators also perform really well on trades websites so talk to your website developer and see what they can implement on your site.   

You have to continue to work on your website to engage with your audience. Have frequent blog posts, and if this is not your cup of tea then there are plenty of copywriting experts who you could get to do this. Also remember when you set up a website, it will be 6-12 months to see any of your targets being met, so be patient.  

What about social media?  

Social media really does work, and whether you like it personally or not it will bring you incoming leads. While posting on social media can be frustrating for people, Hootsuite is a great platform that you can use to plan out your posts. All you need to do is schedule it and then it will do the hard work for you. When you have posted make sure you reply to people as soon as you can to increase engagement. You can also bring in your community and reach out to them on your social media platforms, you don’t have to wait for them to come to you. 

The social media channel you choose really depends on where you think you will find your customers. It can be a good idea to use a few different ones to speak to different demographics, plus when you have the content you can put it across the board with little effort. It’s important on all these platforms to engage when you are genuinely interested.  

Follow people on all platforms (Linked in, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and SnapChat) and after a couple of weeks liking posts and commenting, you can send a direct message and reach out to them.  

It may take a little bit of time to get these areas of marketing set up and working optimally for you, but it is well worth the time. We don’t want to stay in the past in the construction industry and digital marketing is becoming more and more of a necessity to scale up our businesses. To keep up to date with the latest strategies to help you grow your business make sure you join the Construction Trade Accelerator Facebook group.  

The post How to get ahead with digital marketing? appeared first on Develop Coaching Australia.

• What Does USP stand for? 
• What is a USP? 
• Why Do I Need a USP? 
•  How can I create the best USP for my business? 

What Does USP stand for? 

USP stands for Unique Selling Point.

What is a USP? And Why Do I Need one? 

 A USP is what makes you stand out from the crowd. Most service firms will claim that they offer a great product. What’s going to make you different to the others?  The reality is, if you have nothing unique to offer you will be competing solely on price – this is the worst position to be in.  

 It may work in other industries, like discounted retailers (Aldi, Lidl) who sell products cheap but in huge quantities, but it’s not an effective strategy in the construction industry.  

 Competing on price may get you through the early days of a start-up, when overheads are low, but as you start to expand you will require staff, offices, equipment, computers, etc. When overheads increase significantly you will find that your prices have to rise  just to stay afloat.  

 The problem is, your clients will not care about your overheads. When they are given a price for a service, if someone else is delivering the same product at a cheaper price then you can almost guarantee you’ve lost that sale. 

 It’s imperative that you stand out, but that’s easier said than done.  Construction is a crowded industry and unless you’re offering a unique, specialist product that the average Joe isn’t, standing out will be a challenge. 

 But you can still stand out, even if you do not have a unique product.

Let’s take Apple as an example. 

They can sell a mobile phone for upwards of £1,000 when their rival Nokia can only charge £350 for their most expensive phone, which has many similar features. 

Even though Apple’s product is triple the price, they will outsell Nokia time and time again and are hugely profitable.  

Why? It’s not that they have a unique product, as the Nokia phone is almost the same. Apple has developed a way to stand head and shoulders above the competition. They have managed to develop branding and a reputation that makes it cool to be seen with an Apple phone. They also offer an exceptional service in their stores, providing a unique experience that helps drive sales and inspire customer loyalty.  

 Your construction company is nothing like Apple, though, so why mention it? The point is, you don’t have to be selling completely unique products to stand out from the crowd, and just because you are in a crowded marketplace, you still need to avoid being reliant on competing on price only. 

You’ll notice that companies all around you struggle with USP, as they all seem to offer the same benefits.  Some of the generic USPs you can find in the service industry include:

• ‘Good quality and low prices’ 
• ‘Affordable quality since 1990’ 
• ‘Service with a smile’
• ‘Satisfaction guaranteed’ 
• ‘You’ve tried the rest, now try the best’ These are just taglines and certainly not unique, so don’t deserve to be called USPs. Phrases like this are commonplace in the market and are not going to differentiate you in any way, shape or form.

How can I find a USP for my construction company? 

One of the first things you need to focus on is your offer. What is the service or product you are offering to your clients, and, more importantly, why is it better than others? Are you able to articulate that? Can you pitch your product and explain why someone should use you in a confident and convincing way?

It is possible to stand out, but it involves having a clear understanding of your USP (unique selling proposition/point). It can sometimes take an outsider to help look objectively at a business. As a construction business coach that has built up years of experience in the industry, I can help you discover what makes you stand out as a construction company. Get in contact here to talk to me about how you can stand out from the crowd. Or if you are not ready to do that then read on to see how you can start to access what makes your business different.

It needs Exceptional Service to be good enough to differentiate you.  You need to be able to deliver on it.  You want to ensure it will make your clients choose you over the rest. If you want to see significant and sustained growth then exceptional service must become a core value within your business.  It must be the number one priority for you and your staff, and it needs to be constantly reaffirmed.  Without exceptional service, your company will be propped up by expensive marketing efforts, cheaper price points and new business only, which leaves you with low profitability. The easiest way to make a profit is to sell again to existing clients and those to whom you have been recommended, but the only way you’ll achieve this consistently is if you’re offering a great service.  

In order to offer a great service one of the first things needed is to understand who your client is, who you are selling to. What are their problems, fears and needs? You will attract the types of clients you focus on, so if you don’t like your current crop of clients, maybe it’s time to focus on selling to the ones you do want (provided you can deliver effectively to them).  

 Going forward, design your marketing strategy to attract only your ideal clients. Do the following as an exercise. First, start by writing down who your ideal client is. Be as detailed as you can. Create an avatar of that person. Ask questions like: 

• What’s their age?  

• Where do they live?  
• How much do they earn?  
• Are they single or married?  
• Do they have children?  
• What are their interests?  

• What magazines do they read?  
• What Facebook groups will they visit?  

Once you’ve worked out who that individual is, start thinking about how they think and feel: 

• What are their wants?  
• What are their needs?  
• What are their worries?  
• What problems do they have that need solving?  
• What are they frustrated with in your industry?  

Once you start building up this picture it can help you formulate what your USP needs to be to appeal to and reach this individual.  Try to be as specific as you can and don’t fall into the trap of trying to be all things to all people. You will have more success focusing on a specific or niche market.  

Next, think about what your company does or can do that might be different to your competitors.  

• What are your strengths and company values?  
• Are you faster than others?  
• Do you offer better quality?  
• Have you been established a long time? 

Let’s take an example below:

The AA (Automobile Association): ‘To our members, we’re the fourth emergency service.’ 

 This USP again talks to customers’ fears. For someone vulnerable, it would be a nightmare for their car to break down on the side of a motorway. The AA reassures them that they will come to save them like a knight in shining armour. 

Even after working through the above steps, it can take some time to settle on something that fits. For assistance, why not ask previous clients what they thought was great about you? What were they worried about before they purchased your product or service? It’s a great way of getting into the mind of your ideal client – just ask them directly. Once you find your USP it will be liberating and give you direction and clarity on how to move forward.  Now you need to let everyone know what your USP is. I will discuss this in future articles. 

Conclusion 

 The construction industry is tough at the moment, but you CAN not only survive it but thrive in it.

Watch my case study of how I created two £1million + construction businesses

The post How To Find Your USP appeared first on Develop Coaching Australia.

Have you ever heard the saying ‘you are only as good as your team’? It’s very true.

Your business will be judged on the service and quality that your team is providing. If you have had a stable company for years you might use the same tradesmen that you know work well.

However, when you are looking to expand, business owners find it difficult to find or keep decent tradesmen. This article will discuss how you can be successful at this.

One of the big barriers to growth is hiring the wrong staff. When you grow at a rapid pace and struggle to keep up with the workload, it can feel desperate to get anyone on board, even if they are not the right fit.

I’ve hired the wrong people many times throughout my business journey and, when I look back, it’s a huge regret. So much time and money are wasted training someone up if they were never the right person in the first place.

If you start having doubts about someone, your gut instinct is probably right – maybe it’s time for them to go. Your business isn’t a charity, and you cannot carry people. Although it can feel ruthless, if someone isn’t working out you will be doing yourself and them a favour to part ways and move on. It would be much easier, though, if you didn’t put yourself in that position in the first place. Who enjoys firing people? It’s an awful position to be in. How much better would it be to get the hire right in the first instance?

The challenge doesn’t stop there.

What about when you have found exactly the right person? They are fantastic, better than you could have hoped for – now you start to panic that they may leave you. They are a hugely valuable member of staff now, how would you cope if they left? 

No matter what safeguards you put in place, wrong hires  may slip through the net; you only know 100% if someone is the right fit once they start work and you can monitor them over a few months. Some have a gift for presenting themselves in an amazing way and breezing through an interview. It’s only further down the line, when the cracks start to appear, that you realise they are not the right fit.

I’ll show you how to deal with those situations. Let’s find out now how you can protect yourself and your business as you grow, and how to find loyal people.

The Cost of a Bad Hire

The first thing to understand is why it’s so important that the recruitment process is successful. You may think, ‘I’ll just sack them if they don’t work out and hire a replacement’. Well, yes, you could, but you don’t want to be carrying people if they’re not right for your business. Letting people come and go from the business can be extremely damaging. Why?

First, it can damage staff morale. People generally don’t like change. If a member of your staff has got used to working with someone closely, maybe even becoming good friends with them, and then, all of a sudden, they are out of the door, how do you think that will make them feel?

The staff member who stays won’t be thinking about what’s best for the business, they will be focusing on how it has affected them emotionally. They’ve just lost a good friend. This could make them resentful of the business, and you as its leader.

Additionally, if you have a high turnover of staff, this could make some within the company anxious. ‘Am I going to be next?’ they may ask. Staff worrying like this will damage morale and their performance will be affected.

What’s the answer? Should you try to retain poor staff as long as possible, in the hope that they might improve? No, certainly not.

If you know someone isn’t working out, you’ve addressed the issue with them and provided training and they still haven’t improved sufficiently, you need to take some advice from an HR consultant and let them go without delay.

Allowing someone who is underperforming to stay on can damage the morale of the existing staff. When they are working hard, beavering away at their jobs and the person working next to them is getting away with murder, this will be extremely frustrating for them.

Even though it’s you who is paying the wages, they will start to think, ‘Why am I putting in all this effort, when he/ she clearly isn’t?’ The attitude and work habits of a bad employee can gradually infect the entire staff.

Are you starting to see how damaging it can be when the wrong person is brought, and kept, on board? It’s not only damaging for morale, it’s extremely bad news for your profits.

You may think working out how much a bad hire costs a business is straightforward:

John was paid £2,500 per month and was kept on for three months = £7,500.

In fact, it works out to be much more than that.

You have a new employee – hooray! So far, it’s cost you over £3,000 to make the hire. Next comes the on boarding. You need to show your new employee the ropes, how your systems work, how you do things. There may be an element of training needed to get them up to scratch.

It can take anywhere between two and four weeks before a new employee is fully up to speed. That’s another £2,500 spent, without much productivity to show for it. One month in, and the new employee has cost you £5,500. They start getting on with the work in earnest and you expect great things, but it soon becomes evident that they are not cut out for the task.

Now it’s costing you in productivity. Only you will know how best to measure this for your business but it could be thousands each month. If you sack the hire in month three, they’ve already cost you £10,500, and that’s without factoring in the productivity losses.

I learned this the hard way in my own business when we were growing rapidly. Although I’ve now got a fantastic team around me, who I would re-hire in a heartbeat, I’ve previously had bad hires who have lost me contracts worth hundreds of thousands, stolen money from me, damaged company vehicles, among other things. I even had an employee who was absolutely amazing at interview but turned up on the first day drunk as a sack – and then was arrested by the police for attempting to drive home.

As you might have guessed, they were fired immediately. You can see that I’ve certainly experienced the pain of a bad hire. Getting it wrong can have a huge cost, far more than the employee’s wages.

The lesson: take your time and recruit carefully. Don’t take on a risky hire just to fill a seat when you are growing quickly and can’t keep up with the workload. Attract and retain the best.

How do you find great workers in the first place?

1. 1.Start with the people you know, have any of your friends used someone they can recommend? Perhaps they have worked with someone previously that might be suitable for the role.

2. Do you have any friends in the same industry? Call them up and let them know what you are looking for.

3. Do your current employees/subbies know anyone that would be suitable for the role

1. 4. Keep your eyes peeled, when you pass a worksite get chatting to the guys, if there work looks good see if they might be suitable for future projects.
2. 5. Go onto LinkedIn and search out people directly, look for former employees of organisations that normally have good staff that work for them or that produce high quality work.
3. 6. Think back to subbies that have worked for you in the past, don’t just presume people are busy if you parted way previously get in touch with them and also see if they know anyone.
4. 7. Look for highly rated tradesmen on sites like Trustatrader or local tradesmen with great reviews
5. 8. If none of the above works then consider a recruitment agency that is specialised in the industry.

How to keep great staff?

• Find out their long term goals and see if you can help them on the journey to achieve that.
• Make time for them, listen to their concerns
• Pay a healthy wage
• Offer performance related incentives or bonuses
• Promote within where possible
• Be nice! – The way you treat your staff will make all the difference (you can still be a tough boss and be nice at the same time)

The post How to Find and Keep Excellent Staff appeared first on Develop Coaching Australia.