Sep 2014
Paperwork can be a tedious and time consuming job and on many occasions tradesmen get people asking what they can do and for how much but don’t win the job. This is can be to do with the pace of the reply to the quote. Other tradesmen will have it down to a T and get the quote back within hours. We have previously spoken about customers finding the best trade quote so now we are giving tradesman some tips on how to do the best quotes they can, continue reading for all the information you may need…
Many people doing home renovations get frustrated by the time they have to wait to get their quotes back. Like with most things, people do not want to be waiting around and want an answer as soon as possible so they can make a decision. Furthermore 83% of people complained about a difference between the quote and the invoice and 85% have experienced the tradesman never turning up to the job. You never want to do this because it could potentially damage your reputation and stop you getting any work all together.
The slower your quote takes, the more likely another tradesman has to get their quote to the customer. The point of a quote is to compare it to competition and see the best prices for the job therefore the more professional yet simple the quote, the more likely you are to win the job. Use this to your advantage and beat the competition before they get ahead of you.
Another advantage of getting the quote out quicker is that it will take work off your plate. The quicker it is done the better and you can get on with any other work. You also don’t want a mound of paperwork to get through. You may have things to do at the time but if you don’t complete the quotes you may not have any for the future!
What slows down your quoting system?
• Waiting for someone to complete the quote – You may hire someone to complete all your paperwork so ensure that they are on top of the quotes and get them back to the customer as soon as possible.
• Waiting for prices of material or labour – Sometimes there may be a certain job within the quote that you cannot complete by yourself so you will need to get quotes off a specialist labourer. It might be an idea to build a relationship with the person and make sure they will get quotes out quickly.
• Time – Having the time and energy to get quotes completed is one of the biggest problems. After a long day at work most tradesmen will be too tired and want to switch off.
Here are five steps to make your quoting system more efficient:
1. Price – Know exactly how much money you charge for your time by calculating an hourly rate. You will then need to work out the hours you will work, the cost of the materials and any extra costs.
2. Template – Build a template for your quotes so that when you come to doing a quote you can just add the different jobs and prices rather than having to start from scratch every time. Add your logo, terms and conditions, contact details and any more information the customer may need.
3. Email – These days almost everyone is using email and this will cut down time for postage of the quote. You can write up the quote and send it within hours rather than waiting days for the customer to receive the quote. After you send the email you must follow up with the customer to make sure they received it. Furthermore you should be checking your emails on a regular basis in case of any incoming business from new customers.
4. ASAP – Complete the quote as soon as you receive the details because then all the information is fresh in your mind and you won’t forget anything. Customers will also be happy with the service and more likely to spend money with you. Doing this will also keep your paperwork to a minimum and the sooner it’s done the better.
5. Previous Work – Previous work you have won can give you an idea of how to win future jobs. Save all the completed quotes and see what works and what doesn’t and you can also use them for new quotes.
