Sometimes, it can be easy to over complicate things when you are trying to grow your plumbing business.
It’s easy to get lost in the world of looking for that ‘new’ magic trick or system that will suddenly transform your plumbing business and unlock the growth you’ve been working so hard for.
They do exist, I’ve seen them.
However, they don’t exist alone.
They don’t exist without having a solid foundation in the basics of your business.
One of the ways that I see so much money slipping through the fingers of plumbing businesses is with regards to the way they prioritise answering the phone.
If you’re just a one-man band plumbing company and happy that way, these tips probably won’t apply to you in the same way, but if you’re looking to grow your business, you’ll probably be interested to see how you compare.
Here are five ways to win more work from the existing phone calls you are getting.
1. Don’t answer your main company phone line whilst you’re driving or on a job
There’s a few points to cover here.
Getting a landline phone number and having it direct to your mobile is so easy these days. You’ll look like an established business, but with all the convenience of a mobile phone.
Whether you see it as a respect thing, a concentration thing or a poor organisation thing, either way, you won’t be able to give the full concentration the customer deserves.
Without getting all cliche on you, “you only get one chance to make a good first impression”.
If you’re mid-way through a job, it’ll be hard to not let the frustration come across to the customer that you are busy, and they are interrupting your work.
But this could be your next biggest customer.
They might spend £20k with you over the next 10 years and refer you to many of their friends and family along the way?
Don’t they deserve your full attention?
You might well be thinking “surely it’s better to answer my phone than not?”
Well, in simple terms, yes you are right, however in real terms, you need both.
You need to answer the phone and be able to fully concentrate.
You’ll need a full time phone answerer.
Whether it’s someone in your office, your spouse, or a hired call answering service, it’s really important.
Without it you won’t be able to achieve the other points I’m about to cover
2. Get back to your new leads within 5 minutes
I know, I know.
Nobody likes to hear this one. Which is probably why it’s so important.
People work so hard on reviews, branding, uniforms, training, but one of the best ways to make a great impression is to be the first one to reply.
Whenever I recommend the ‘5 minute follow-up’ I’m often greeted with a laundry list of reasons why this isn’t possible in their business.
If they were just half as creative at finding ways to make this work as they were at coming up with reasons “they can’t” they’d be off to the races for sure.
But this is just splendid news for you.
Most people see a new sales enquiry as a disruption to their daily business, not the sole purpose of their business.
The secret perspective change is to go from “Can I get back to leads in 5 minutes” to “HOW can I get back to leads in 5 minutes?”
Yes, you need someone to answer phone calls. But alone this isn’t enough.
You’ll need to closely track how quickly the enquiry was replied to.
If you measure this metric and review the findings, it’s only then that you’ll get people taking it seriously.
Reward, incentives, hire and fire based on how well the target is reached.
You’ll soon start seeing the benefits of what happens if you’re able to pull this off in your business.
3. Always take the contact details first
If you’re spending money each month on marketing, then you’ll no doubt appreciate that unnecessary wastage is hard to stomach.
If you’re spending £1500 per month on Google Ads. A potential customer rings you and asks you a few questions and then says, “I’ll get back to you”.
If you don’t have the contact details of that person, you’re left hoping that they don’t get distracted and actually get back to you.
By getting the contact information first, you can call, email or text them regarding their enquiry.
But more importantly, you can reach them at any point in the future when you have an offer you’d like to promote.
Again, ensure that your staff get into the habit of asking for contact information quickly, confidently and most importantly EVERY TIME.
The best way to ask for contact information is for you to get them a reason to do so.
This could be:
- Incase the call cuts off
- To get them added to the system
- So that we can send your introductory offer.
The specific reason isn’t actually as important as the fact that there is a reason.
4. Use a well rehearsed, pre-written script that is proven to work
Most plumbing businesses don’t have a proven script of what to say when the phone rings.
They might introduce themselves with a chirpy intro. “Hello ABC Plumber, Mary speaking, how may I help you?”
After this point, it’s just playing it by ear.
In fact, they often let the inexperienced prospect take the lead.
There are things you can say which will make more people say ‘yes’ to booking in.
But equally there are things that will repel them all together too.
Successful plumbing businesses don’t take chances when it comes to knowing what to say.
They…
- Write scripts based on what has worked well.
- Test different scripts to see how well they work.
- Learn and practice what to say, so it’s second nature, like an actor would with their script.
- Track success by monitoring bookings and making sure scripts are followed by regularly checking recordings of calls.
5. Always send a follow up email after your call
It can be easy to have a great conversation with the prospect and then just put the phone down and leave it there.
The problem is that the only record of what was agreed then starts to dwindle in each party’s memory.
If you’ve made a booking, or agreed to speak later, make sure you document this and email them or send a text, so that they have a record.
Again, having a prewritten (or even automated) follow up email can help to reassure their decision to make the booking in the first place.
There’s also a hidden reason to send them emails.
It sets up an expectation that you send emails.
The long-term benefit is simple. The more emails you send to your customers and prospects which make offers and ask them to buy, the more money you’ll make.
Are You Ready To Start Aiming Higher and Hitting Bigger?
If what you’ve read touched a nerve or sparked a fire in your belly, then there’s a good chance you’re a renegade at heart.
Our ever-growing movement of ‘renegade plumbers’ are throwing away the rule book and bringing in massive change in their business and lives right now as we speak.
They get paid more, work less and take steps towards their business dreams every single day.
If you want to learn more about how to grow your plumbing business in the next 12 months, register for your free 90-minute consultation today.
Are You Ready To Start Aiming Higher and Hitting Bigger?
If what you’ve read touched a nerve or sparked a fire in your belly, then there’s a good chance you’re a renegade at heart.
Our ever-growing movement of ‘renegade plumbers’ are throwing away the rule book and bringing in massive change in their business and lives right now as we speak.
They get paid more, work less and take steps towards their business dreams every single day.
If you want to learn more about how to grow your plumbing business in the next 12 months, register for your free 90-minute consultation today.
