We Learned that Success is in the Details
How can we possibly learn what we don’t know unless we ask? With a focus on continual improvement, our company just completed a 360-degree evaluation of our brand and culture. I believe the insightful feedback we discovered can potentially improve client relations and sales for other glazing companies as well.
When we started this exploration, we wanted to learn: our clients’ perceptions of our company, if the message we promote about our brand rang “true” among our clients, and ultimately, what we can improve. We discovered these and so much more. I’d like to share here some of our lessons learned.
Listen to Client Needs
To increase sales, it’s critical to find ways to show your clients and prospective customers that you understand their needs and are eager to work with them over long periods of time. The truth we discovered is that we build successful projects—and relationships—by listening and by proactively anticipating our customers’ needs.
Together, our partners and field teams work to “remember the little things.” We anticipate and point out items that may include anything missing, from bid documents and specs, to materials needed, to coordinating with other trades working in the area at the same time. These small acts help build powerful and long-standing relationships—and can be the secret to creating countless future opportunities.
Remembering is Caring
Remember the details of the deal. We learned that our customers hate repeating information as much as they hate mistakes.
One of the fastest ways to show a client how much their business means to you is by remembering the fine details of every interaction. We see this with estimators who are diligent at keeping track of past project details. By showing that they remember the details of similar projects completed, or can identify how a past project could have been improved, they indicate that both this project and our client are important to our company.
Check-ins are Key
Clients appreciate timely, ongoing communication and transparency. Check in often with them, even if it’s a quick text or email. Any milestone, no matter how small, is an important time to reach out for a pulse check. Everyone on our team checks in with our customers during those project phases that clients have confirmed matter the most. This could be at the outset of the job, weekly updates and most importantly, whenever any problems can be anticipated.
Build Relationships
We strive to build strong relationships with our clients. We are grateful for the tremendous opportunity to strengthen this bond by working closely with them in the pre-construction phase and assisting with the planning and design of the project. We bring in our pre-construction team and collaborate to develop a successful plan that achieves our clients’ project goals. At this early phase, our clients often will not have awarded the job yet, or fully defined the project scope—but we do it because we can and are happy to be part of the solution.
When I hear our team members on the phone with a client they’ve known for years, I hear someone catching up with a friend. They spend time talking about work but often get to know each other on a personal level. We learned that our clients are grateful for our attitude of becoming partners with them on projects. I encourage you to gather and listen to feedback, but most importantly, put together your action plan and execute it. Together, we will make not only our own companies successful, but will build a stronger glazing industry!
This article originally appeared in USGlass magazine, volume 57, issue 7, July 2022