The COVID-19 pandemic has forced all of us to adapt and change our businesses in various ways. One thing that has become especially popular is virtual meetings, and for wood floor contractors, this means virtual consultations with potential clients.
While there’s no replacement for an in-person walkthrough of a jobsite, you can save yourself time and money, book more clients, and be more efficient overall by using virtual consultations as long as you keep these five tips in mind.
#1: Let people know that you offer virtual consultations.
Do your potential clients know that you offer virtual walkthroughs and consultations? If not, now is the time to add this information to your website and social media profiles. One bonus of offering virtual consultations is that since it requires much less time and effort on the part of both participants than a face-to-face meeting, people who might have been hesitant beforehand may be more likely to book a consult with you, possibly winning you more business in the long run.
#2: Use your virtual consultations to establish trust.
The simple fact that you offer virtual meetings already establishes a sense of trust by reassuring clients that you would take care to keep them safe. Discussions about workplace safety should include COVID-related precautions. You can also use your time on the video call to address any concerns the client may have about the process.
#3: Troubleshoot virtually.
Client callbacks are no fun no matter the matter of communication, but you can use a video call to see the issue and troubleshoot virtually, gathering information and making a list of required supplies and equipment before setting a date to head there in person. This can increase your efficiency and ensure that you’re not completely blindsided when you walk into a jobsite to fix something that you thought was a minor issue which turns out to be much more complicated.
#4: Have an agenda going in.
It’s always a good idea to have a set agenda for a virtual meeting before starting. You can even share this agenda with the client ahead of time so they know what to expect. This keeps everyone on track and ensures that you hit all of the checkboxes you have for yourself, rather than going through an entire call and then realizing later on while preparing an estimate, for example, that you forgot to ask them some essential questions. Sharing an agenda also establishes a sense of preparedness that the client will likely appreciate.
It’s a good idea to have a checklist or template of questions prepared ahead of time for each project type. Over time, as you complete more virtual meetings, you’ll be able to tweak and adjust this template to perfection.
#5: Set yourself up for success.
First impressions are everything, even over video. Make sure the background of your call looks clean and uncluttered and that your WiFi connection is strong. If you have no choice but to make a video call from a jobsite, move to a quiet area to prevent background noise from affecting the quality of your call. If you’d really like to take your video consultations to the next level, have some wood floor samples nearby to show the client during your call while discussing their options.
With these tips in mind, you’ll be well on your way to booking more jobs and setting yourself up for success with your next virtual consultation!
