Sales screening and competition
How often have you been tempted to say this?
I hear those words a lot, mostly when it comes to competition. In fact I’m often told that it’s impossible to compete. The question is compete with who? Before looking at who your competition is, let’s look at who your potential client is and who your client is not.
As a professional, you want to work with clients who also want to work with professionals. That means you do not want to take on a client who is willing to hire uninsured, unlicensed contractors. You don’t want the client who cares more about the price than having the project done correctly. Prior to considering taking on a particular client, you must establish your criteria for your clients and then create your screening procedures.
I recommend you list those client qualities that are important to you. In addition, also list the types of projects you want to do. Once you have identified these key elements for your future projects, you will be in a position to establish pre-screening procedures. Yes, I realize this is difficult for a number of reasons. If work is slow, you don’t want to eliminate anyone, and there is always that sense of hopeful thinking. Unfortunately, all this hopeful thinking does not lead to sold jobs, but instead it leads to failed closes and frustration.
Assuming you have a pre-screened prospect you are now ready to prepare for your new client. Keep in mind however, that just because the prospect has been pre-screened does not mean that they will make the correct choice and choose you for their next project. After all, they may have called 2 or 3 qualified contractors.