|
Home
|
 |
|
FAQ
|
|
|
About
Us
|
|
|
Contact
Us
|
|
|
Ever
Wonder What it Takes to Start a Painting Business,
Be Your Own
Boss & Earn $60,000 to $100,000 a Year…?
It’s a
Whole Lot Easier than You Think!
For a Very Limited time You can get a FREE copy of
my special report:
(A $97 Value)
The 7 BIGGEST Mistakes Painting Contractors Make, and How to Fix Them
Important:
I will never share
your contact information with anyone period AND you can unsubscribe
anytime!
Other
Links:
Painting
BusinessTips Blog
Painting Business
Articles
|
|
Small Business
Etiquette:
The Top 3 Rules for the Professional Painting
Business Owner.
By: Andy Thompson
Rule
#1: Never
speak negatively about your competition (or anyone else for that
matter).
As a painting business owner you are in the
“people business” so be professional and keep the
conversation on “what benefits the
customer”. Your
business will flourish as your dynamic people skills
grow…
One of the best books for developing great people skills is
“How
to Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale
Carnegie.
Nothing will hurt your reputation faster than putting down another
person in front of a potential customer. No one likes to hear
someone slander and defame someone else’s good will.
As they say, if you don’t have something good to say about
someone it is best to say nothing at all.
It is important to always keep the conversation
positive…
It is Ok to sympathize with a customer who is venting about a bad
experience they may have had with another painter but it is never Ok to
jump on the band wagon and ad in your two cents.
Your job is to solve the customer’s problems and to educate
them
as to how you are better and different than other painters.
Your
time is better spent getting them excited about the painting project
and why they should choose you to do the work.
Rule #2:
Never speculate or guess if you don’t know the
answer to a customer’s question.
Customers are smart and many of them have done their homework long
before they schedule you to give an estimate. Many times
homeowners will have concerns about something specific.
For example: What kind of paint should be used on metal? Or what is the
best paint to use in the kitchen and bath?
Even if you know the answers to these questions it is still an
opportunity to go above and beyond. Consider handing a
brochure
from the paint manufacture to the customer.
Not only did you answer their question correctly you backed it up with
information directly form the source… That is professional!
If a customer throws you a curve and asks a question that you do not
know the answer to, here are five little words that will build instant
trust and credibility with them.
“Let me do some research” The last thing you want
to do is
give bad advice or misinformation. All you have to do is say
“That is a good question, let me do some research and get
back to
you.”
Get back to the customer and tell them what you found. That
conversation would go something like this…
Hi “Customer” I did a bit of research on (state the
concern) and spoke to John Doe at Professional Paint Store and he
said…
What you just did here will go a long way, you went above and beyond to
get the correct information for the customer and they love
that.
Never try to B.S. a customer.
Rule #3:
Never do business without a signed contract.
Professional painting
business owners use a detailed contract for every
job! A signed contract protects both parties
equally. It
clearly defines the job and work to be preformed so everyone involved
knows what to expect from each other.
To expect a customer to hand over a deposit without a written contract
is foolish. A contract puts the homeowner at ease and gives
them
peace of mind knowing that the painter will come back and do the
job. It puts the painting business owner at ease knowing once
the
job is complete they will be paid in full as agreed.
If you take an up front deposit without a signed contract you are
putting yourself and the homeowner at risk… Nothing causes
more
anxiety and stress for a customer than handing over their hard earned
money without something in writing!
Imagine taking a $500.00 deposit before you start the job and you get
hurt or a scheduling conflict pushes the job back a few
weeks.
Imagine what the customer is feeling…
“The painter
has $500.00 dollars of my money and I have nothing in writing, now they
postponed the paint job, will I ever see that money
again”?
It is poor business practice to ask for money up front without a
contract.
A contract is a mutual agreement between two parties. It
spells
out the expectations of everyone involved. It creates a sense
of
security and certainty and is essential for tax records.
|
