Turn Quotes To Sales Using Brand In Your Trade And Construction Marketing.
Here’s the thing.
If you only send over the quote the client is only going focus on the numbers.
How much it’s going to cost them.
Not the value.
Even if you were (are) the best person in the world at that job.
And why wouldn’t they?
Because that’s the only information you’ve given them.
You haven’t shared with them your experience.
That will give them confidence they’re in safe hands.
Your process.
Showing you have this down to a ‘T’ and rarely miss a deadline.
Or eliminate any other worries and stresses they have before choosing the right Trade for the job.
Because believe it or not, there are more worries than just money.
Focusing on numbers only could lose you the job.
Not showing your value could mean your competitor wins.
So how do you help nudge your potential clients in the right direction?
You use your brand and marketing of course.
Here's a list of easy ways to do it…
1. Send images of similar jobs you’ve completed in your Trade and Construction business.
You’ve probably heard of the saying ‘the proof is in the pudding.’
Right?
Well provided you take (good) pictures at the end of each job, then this one is a quick and easy sweetener when quoting.
We want to know that we are hiring the experts.
That what you will be leaving us with - whatever your service – solves our problem, has great workmanship and that we are going to be over the moon with it.
So how do you prove yourself as the expert?
By seeing previous examples of your work.
And then let us judge for ourselves.
Now.
The whole reason you may well have an enquiry come through in the first place is because someone has seen some of your photos on social media.
Perhaps you are a Hard Landscaping company and we’ve see how you’ve transformed patios and decking areas for your clients.
And your work looks great.
Or perhaps a friend has recommended your company as they have seen you online.
However.
When it comes to the quotation process, don’t’ assume the client has seen any reference of the work you are quoting for.
I.e. In this situation they are looking for a company to help with their driveway.
Not decking or patios.
Be sure to send specific photos of similar jobs you have completed to that client when quoting.
So they can see for themselves the transformation you have already made for someone else and can begin to visualise what you can do for them.
✅ Start taking snaps at the beginning, middle and end of each job so you start building up a bank of your own original photo content.
✅ Save the images in folder on your phone or computer i.e. If you are a hard landscaper you’d have separate folders for your Driveways – Brick, Gravel, Concrete, Asphalt etc.
✅ Be sure to send images of past jobs completed that match the quote.
If the client is getting quotes from several Trade and Construction companies, who showcase lots of work of the exact service they are after, and you don’t, well the client may just not feel that confident that you are the experts for them.
And if you don’t have any images yet of the exact service you are quoting for?
1. Start collecting.
If the job type is hot stuff for you and you know is something you want to start doing more of in your business, you might want to add an incentive or special offer for the first client who does this work with you in exchange for permission to take of photos, videos and testimonials.
2. In the meantime, send over a few snaps of as similar work as possible so the client can get a feel for your quality overall, at the very least.
2. Direct clients to a Social Media post you have of a similar job on your Trade and Construction page.
This is even easier than the first tip.
Be conscious of what and how you post on Social Media to help aid the quotation process.
It's great if you have a single snap of a job on your LinkedIn or Facebook page.
But start thinking about ‘Case Study’ Posts as I like to call them.
If you don’t yet have a website up and running this is a brilliant free and easy idea.
💡 Post a collection of photos, videos and testimonials of a specific T&C job in one post on your Social Media page so we can see the before, during, after and what the client had to say about your work.
Then you just need to hit the SHARE button under the post.
And share the link in your quotation email.
This will take your client to the post where they can see snap shots of the work, videos (proof in the pudding) and maybe even a testimonial Live with your client telling everyone how great the results are (if the client agrees).
⭐️ PRO TIP: Get extra brownie points if the client you did the work for goes into the post and leaves a positive comment about their experience with you for all to see.
You’re more likely to achieve this if you have tagged them in the post.
Which sparks a secondary idea.
I’d still copy the post link and put in your official email quotation.
But you could also tag the client you are quoting for in that post.
They will then be inclined to leave a positive comment of their own when they’ve seen the post.
Could be a nice way to help bring some extra engagement to the post too. 👌🏽
3. Link to a page on your Trade and Construction website to market that specific service.
This is why I always talk about having separate pages on your website for your separate services.
If you want to know all the details as to why separate service pages on your website is a big deal for your Trade and Construction marketing, then take a read here.
In the meantime.
This is another massive positive.
When you are sending over a quote to a client, include the link to that page on your website for that specific service.
Here’s why.
✅ You are likely to have lots of photos of that kind of job (e.g., driveways) to prove yourself as the expert.
✅ With a variety of photos of that service you offer, they may well spot a style, colour, material that they like the look of much better than their initial choice – which could result in a higher ticket service.
✅ All the text on there will be specific to that service only (not your entire business) meaning you are likely to have gone into much more detail and they should be able to find out pretty much everything they need to know, moving them much more quickly along the buying process…
✅ …Which could also mean more prompt conversations and communication with you, saving you a whole lot of time.
✅ As it’s a page about one service, how will it look to find written and video testimonials from other happy clients there? Perhaps even more than one.
✅ They’ve checked out your website. This is great news for Google and your rankings.
✅ The fact they are on your website already may mean they take a little snoop around and find that you offer other services they are also in the market for. Easy up-sell.
If you haven’t’ set up separate service pages on your website in the first place, then this idea doesn’t work.
You’re sending your clients on w wild goose chase to try find bits of information in a sea of stuff they really don’t need.
But done right, all in all, using your website heavily in your quotation process is a win/win.
Next.
4. Show a Video testimonial of a happy client in your Trade and Construction marketing.
There is nothing better for your T&C brand and marketing.
Than a happy client willing to go on camera to sing your praises.
It really does tick every box. ✅
If you have gone to all that effort of capturing a client telling the world exactly why you and your business are awesome, then you should be using this video at every given opportunity.
The quotation process is one.
❌ Don’t leave the testimonial video hidden away in a hard to find, dark corner on your website.
❌ Don’t post the testimonial video once on your social media page and let it fall into social oblivion.
Get your video under the nose of as many folk as possible.
In an ideal world, you will have a testimonial video for each of the services you are promoting in your T&C business.
That’s the aim.
And they do not all have to be big video productions if you are a smaller trade or don’t have the budget yet.
Collecting selfie videos from clients or getting permission to film the client on your own phone is a great start.
So there is no excuse.
But videos can be tricky to email over if the file is large.
So we have to be savvy.
When it comes to promoting the video during quotation, there are a few ways you can do this:
✅ Post the video to social media and share the link. (For time saving epicness, you might want to copy the link and store it on your phone or computer to make it quicker and easier for you in the future rather than trying to find the post again).
✅ Tag the new client in the video comments as well. They may well even interact with the post. (Don’t rely on just tagging as they may miss it in their notifications, so always include in your email too).
✅ Put the testimonial video on your website homepage. Pretty high up. So, it’s one of the first thing visitors will see. You can then direct clients there.
✅ You might create a page on your website full of client testimonial videos alone. Send that link in your email and clients can see a whole host of folk singing your praises.
✅ If for whatever reason you aren’t on any social media channels or have a website, you might like to consider setting up a YouTube channel for now where you can house these videos and then you can send clients to your YouTube page.
5. Direct enquiries to a blog you have on the subject on your Trade and Construction website.
So this idea is similar to directing clients to your specific service page on your website.
But this goes one deeper.
Perhaps you direct them to your service page in your quotation email anyway.
So they can see an array of work you’ve completed for that service.
Let’s say all the different driveways in your Hard Landscaping company..
But you know they are really interested in a gravel driveway.
Perhaps you have a blog on exactly that.
A ’Case Study’ blog.
Where you documented the entire process, in great detail, for a client you helped with their gravel driveway.
Now a blog is bit more like a diary.
Bit rough round the edges.
So perhaps there are lots of before and during photos here.
Or videos captured on your phone.
Showing the process in all its nitty gritty detail.
usually, this kind of stuff wouldn’t feature front and centre on your website.
Because it’s not polished.
And your website is your shop front.
But on a blog, it’s the perfect place to show everything behind the scenes.
In great detail.
Only focusing on one specific job even.
This is a brilliant additional link to send along with your quotation.
Your client gets to drill down and see your business and the service you are offering at microscopic level.
Tell me how many other Trade and Construction businesses you know that give up so much information just while quoting?
Exactly.
👌🏽 BONUS? You are also driving more folk to your website.
Google is going to love you.
6. Share prestigious Trade and Construction accreditations you have in your business.
You’ve worked hard to become Chas accredited.
Or Gas Safe.
Or a member of Dulux Select.
So be sure to use this information within the quotation process.
To instil confidence in your potential clients that you take your business seriously.
And that they are in the best hands.
However you send over your quotation – PDF, Word Doc etc – be sure these bad boys are featuring on the documentation.
🍪 EXTRA BROWNIE POINTS.
Go one better with a short explanation of what it is and how it was achieved for your client base who may not understand what it means or how difficult it may be been to achieve.
E.g. Our Tree Surgeon client is ARB approved.
And fewer than 2% of all Tree Surgeons are currently approved.
So how might that stand out as an epic bit of marketing during quotation?
7. Introduce potential clients to your Trade and Construction team.
Here’s where you really get ahead.
And do something not enough T&C companies are.
Introduce your team at the quotation stage.
How?
You could put together a PDF document with names and headshots introducing everyone.
Why?
✅ Because though we may meet you on site to give us a quote, we are often aware that it may not be you or just you who will be in our home or business.
✅ By showcasing how long certain team members have been with you helps create a sense of establishment for your company. E.g., 3 years, 12 years etc.
✅ When introducing everyone, you may also highlight their qualifications in the individual, which instils confidence in us that the full team are fully qualified.
✅ You may even highlight what they do in their spare time (great for domestic Trades in people’s homes) so we find connection and conversation starters that makes us feel less anxious with strangers in our homes.
✅ We see faces. Before they arrive on site. We know we can hold your team accountable.
✅ You’re giving us information nobody else has. An introduction to the team we will be bumping shoulders with, and we haven’t even agreed the job yet. Talk about organisation.
It’s in the subtle detail here.
We feel like we’re getting to know you.
You are fast-tracking your relationship with us compared to the other Trade and Construction companies who are also going in to quote.
We’re building subconscious relationships already, getting to know, like and trust you, without even realising it.
Clever that.
8. Package up all this good stuff in an accompanying PDF with your Trade and Construction quotes.
So, you’ve real all the ideas.
Which, standing alone, could each have an impact on converting your quotes to paying customers.
But if you really want to be savvy.
Save loads of time.
And get ahead.
Then why not package all this good stuff up in advance in one epic quotation document?
Give it a front cover.
Personalise it to the customer you are sending it to.
Include a page about the accreditations you’ve achieved.
Introduce your team with names and headshots.
Create a separate quotation PDF for each Trade and Construction service you provide and fill it with specific photos, text and video links for those jobs only.
Include photos and written testimonials from clients of whom you’ve completed those specific services for.
Include links (make them hyperlinks clients can click on if you’re really savvy) taking them to the page on your website for full information.
Don’t just set over a list of costs when you are quoting.
Because that’s all the customer is going to be focusing on.
Prove your value, experience, quality of workmanship and build trust at this stage to help you nail the job.
Then lay out your costs.
Marketing is asking someone to marry you.
Branding is why they say yes. ❤️
Cheesy, but fitting.
⬇️ 8 Easy Ways To Turn Quotes To Sales In Your Trade And Construction Marketing Rundown:
1. Send images of a similar job you’ve completed.
2. Direct them to a Social Media post you have on a similar job.
3. Link to a page on your website for that specific service.
4. Show them a video testimonial from a happy client.
5. Direct enquiring clients to a blog you have on the subject.
6. Share prestigious accreditations you have.
7. Introduce them to the team.
8. Package this all up together for a service specific PDF that accompanies your quote.
Need a little more help nailing your Brand your Trades and Construction marketing?
Course you do.
First. Let’s work out where you are with all things Marketing.
Got 3 minutes?
Take our Trades Quiz to discover how you score with all things ‘Off The Tools’.
We have heaps of tips, tricks, and hacks for your Trade and Construction business in our cheat sheets, videos and ideas waiting for you on the other side… i.e., your results page.
So, you can improve your score. And NAIL your Trade and Construction business.
Nice.