A roof is one of the most essential elements that keep a home or undercover space safe and secure. When something goes wrong with a roof, people tend to get quite understandably anxious beneath it. It is no surprise then that homeowners and commercial property owners want to seek the most professional and experienced roofers to repair or install their roofs to ensure protection and comfort. [1]
Typically, prospects needing a roofing contractor will contact several roofing specialists for estimates for a job before assessing who is most suitable. To stand out and increase the chances of customers choosing to work with you, you need to ensure that your estimating and quotation process is the best.
To help you with this process, here are five crucial ways of writing better quotes and winning more jobs.
1. Automate your quoting process
Adopting smart modern technology is a mandatory step to writing better quotes and faster than you can if you are doing it manually. Quoting tools like Jobber have been developed specifically to make administrative tasks such as this easier and more accurate. Essentially, software like this simplifies the quoting workflow while also paving the way for prompt invoicing and payments. [2]
Present-day customers have ever increasing demands and expectations from their service providers. Fast response times are key and being able to share quotes quickly is one sure-fire way of pleasing them and winning their business as a result.
2. Make use of quoting templates
Adopt the use of customizable roofing contractor estimate templates. Prospects will want to see that you can be transparent with your costs and pricing. Be sure to include an itemized breakdown of all the items required for the project, including material costs and labor charges. By using a best practice template as suggested above, you only have to edit the fields to suit the current project as everything else will be pre-populated. Additionally, an estimate template enables you to:
- Track prices, rates, expenses, and accounts payable
- Reduce repetitive data entry time and make you more efficient with your admin tasks
- Look more professional
- Reduce the likelihood of human errors
- Maintain highly organized internal systems
3. Include a date of issue and expiry date
The date of issue is the date when you send your quote to a client. The expiry date is the time your customers have to accept your quote by in order for it to remain valid. Providing such details makes your clients know that they only have a limited time that this offer is available for which is helpful in urging them to make a decision.
Furthermore, it safeguards your business from incurring losses due to external changes in factors such as the cost and availability of materials and labor. If you leave a quote open-ended and the client accepts it after several months/years, the prices you specified may have changed considerably, and you may not be able to make a profit.
4. Focus on your ideal clients’ preferences
Meeting the needs of your ideal customers is an excellent way to convince them to do business with you. You already know their likes, interests, and values. Therefore, you can tailor your quotation based on this. By working in this way and being able to offer a more personalized service to people in a way that resonates with them, will increase your chances of securing jobs. [3]
5. Outline your terms and conditions
Most companies may ignore this part as they think customers won’t read it. However, the terms and conditions are vital. Here, you’ll explain the type of payments you accept, whether you need a deposit before starting work, and when you expect them to make their payments.
Additionally, you may indicate if there are extra costs they may have to incur. For example, if the roof angle is too steep, you may request extra money because you’ll have to take extra precautions to avoid accidents. Just make sure that your terms and conditions are straightforward so that clients may read and understand them before approving the quote.
Conclusion
With the increase in competition in the roofing industry, you may want to stand out and boost the acceptance rate of your business by writing better quotes. Normally, customers compare several quotes before hiring the best roofers. Thus, you must take your time to craft a winning quote. The five tips above should get you started in elevating your quoting expertise. Ultimately, you’ll win more jobs, attract more customers, grow your business, and make more profit.
References
1. “Roof Is Very Important Part of House — Keep It Safe”, Source: https://medium.com/@anwar.webtrainings/roof-is-a-very-important-part-of-your-house-f2c0c31fc035
2. “Five Benefits And Three Challenges Technology Can Bring To Global Companies”, Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinessdevelopmentcouncil/2019/06/07/five-benefits-and-three-challenges-technology-can-bring-to-global-companies/?sh=6c2929446f64
3. “The Importance Of Identifying Your Ideal Customers And How To Do It”, Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2020/02/12/the-importance-of-identifying-your-ideal-customers-and-how-to-do-it/?sh=784c77411d09