What is the cost of getting a customer?

In the building Industry only 1 in 350 tradespeople can answer this question!

Very few have sat down to work out which bits of adverting make a profit and which don't and even fewer have asked the question "How can I reduce the cost of getting customers"?

The main reason for this? Because most builders say they do not advertise and rely only on word of mouth. It is not true, but lets say it is for a moment and look at the cost of getting a customer, even if you do not advertise.

Customer calls you because they have heard about you through the grapevine
You chat to customer on telephone for 15 minutes to take details.
Visit customer and spend time and fuel to measure up and ascertain needs
Work out quote
Send quote
Possible second visit or phone call with customer to explain quote further and answer questions

Assuming the tradesman is on £100.00 per day the time spent getting this customer, including time (3 hours) on site visits and paperwork, the cost of headed notepaper, business cards, insurance, fuel and postage, there is little change out of £50.00. So getting this customer has cost £50.00.

Great if you get the job. But what if you don't?

Quite simply, it means that the next customer you go to see has cost you £100.00. And so it goes on.

How many customers do you see before you get a job.....? The builders we have spoken to say they get one in every four jobs they price. It costs them £200 to get a customer.

Word of mouth can be an expensive form of advertising!!

How can you reduce the cost?

By having a website built and adverting in the most targeted places your customers will be able to see who you are and what you have done long before they even contact you for a quote.

They will be able to see your portfolio of photographs. They will be able to see your list of references and testimonials. They will see a professional website showing a professional image. They will be able to contact you for free by email and you may even be able to give them some idea of the price by referring them yo your on-site gallery for comparison against other job prices.

The hard work is done and you have already established a relationship.

In our experience, using DIY Doctor advertising, together with a professional website, the ratio of pricing to jobs secured is 2 jobs for every 3 priced.

You really do not have to be a genius to work out that the right advertising pays. Word of mouth is great, but word of mouse is better. Combine the two and you will never lose a job again.

Click here to go through to our advertising section and start the ball rolling.