Hey there. You're finally a flat-rate expert; you’re clean and neat when entering a client's home; you follow my marketing advice; you’ve learned how to hire and train employees; and you’ve probably joined the Service Roundtable or hired a business coach so you could learn how to leverage your time and money as if you was a “big” contractor.
It’s been almost a year since I began offering this knowledge that took me only 50+ years and a lot of money to learn. Well, have you done any of the above? Or, are you still sittin' around on your know-it-all asses waiting for success to happen, instead of making it happen?
Do you have a plan? Do you even know how to start one? Are you activating your plan in small, digestible bites? Are you taking any action? Do you have a coach; a mentor; an experienced person, or group of persons, to help guide you along the path to a glorious future!? If not, why not? If not now, when? You need to think about this question a lot!
On the other hoof, if you have taken steps to further your business and your life (the two are intertwined, in case you ain't noticed), then I have another tip for you to enjoy: Whole Home Inspections ... and maybe Maintenance Agreements.
To wrap your mind around this idea, stop for a moment and think of all the cars in America. Now, as you drive around today, notice how many busted-down cars you see. Very few, is my bet. Why is that? A zillion cars whizzin' around and we see only a very few broke down. The answer is fairly obvious. Would you drive your car till it just broke? Or do you take it in for regular service? "Duh," right? Well, homes ain't that much different than vehicles, and many's the time we take our vehicle in for a tune up and the mechanic finds something we wasn't even aware of that needed fixin' ... maybe something that could save our lives.
Well, same applies to homes, and if you don't offer Whole-Home Inspections for the systems you're supposedly an expert on, then you ain't an expert, you ain't giving your clients even half the service they deserve, and you're leaving tons — yep tons — of money on the table!
I've had techs walk into a home to fix a toilet, make a whole-home inspection, then not leave that home for a week because they simply offered — not sold, but offered(!) — the choice of certain improvements the client wasn't even aware were available for their added comfort, convenience or safety. (I've got a list if you're interested.)
Could this type of service help your business, or do you take a call, go repair the problem, get your money, then head out to the next fix, leaving your customer with a nice feeling but likely they'll forget who you were the next time they need service and call someone else. Plus, do you offer any kind of Service Agreement that completely ties a new client to your company forever? (More about Service Agreements next time, if I remember.)
If you do Whole-Home Inspections, plus offer Service Agreements, you will start to develop so much work you will be forced to hire help. And if you don't want to hire help you can cut your marketing and advertising dollars to an amazingly low amount because you won't need many new customers.
If you need any advice on this idea, or with any of the ideas I've given, then talk to me, or another professional trade's advocate like me, in person, and that first call will cost you nothing. Or are you afraid I'll try to sell you something? I promise I won't ... I hate sales. I want to attract, not promote. I want to help because it makes me feel useful.
If you have a plan, are priced right, have a killer referral program, give Whole-Home Inspections, and even minimally (note the minimally!) learn how to run a business instead of just a trade, then you will have a great life. If not, you will be miserable, and that I can guarantee.
Ed O'Connell is founder emeritus of O'Connell Plumbing Inc. He is a business coach for small subcontractors and a Service Round Table Coach. He can be reached at 415/453-2291, or at [email protected].