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Five Ways to Stand Apart From Other Custom Builders |
Newer Employees More Likely to Suffer Fatal Injuries
How to Manage the Emotional Home Owner | How to Guarantee Your Company a Profit in 2008
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Prospective homebuyers need to understand what makes you better and different from other builders. When they ask, “Why should I build with you?” you and your staff need to be ready to provide the correct 10 second answer.
If you can’t answer quickly, or if your answer is, “We have a great reputation,” then you missed your opportunity to stand above the rest.
Successful builders are able to convey what differentiates them from their competition in all their initial customer contacts. This includes their marketing materials, phone calls and face-to-face meetings.
With all these contacts, you should be providing your prospective homebuyers with tangible evidence of why building with you will be better suited to meet their needs.
Following are five ways to differentiate your business:
1. Clearly communicate what kind of builder you are. Custom homebuilders should clearly specify whether they offer floor plan options, clients bring their own floor plans or the buyer and builder work on blueprints together. Prospects need to understand your selection process - whether it is simplified to options, customizable to the homebuyer wishes or a combination of recommended options and custom features. Also, prospects need to know if they will be primarily dealing with you, the owner or specialized staff members.
2. Build unique homes. Prospects want a builder who builds the home they envision. If someone wants a rustic or log home, then they will pick a builder who specializes in that style of home. Ensure that your prospects know your specialty, whether it is cottage, stone modern or any other type.
3. Provide evidence of an enjoyable homebuyer experience. Claiming a great experience is not enough. You need to provide real proof. Offer literature or documentation that clearly explains homebuyer involvement and your construction process. Clearly show homebuyers how they will be making selections — whether it is with a designer, at a design center or online.
4. Provide proof of being on time and within budget. Being on time and within budget is extremely important to your homebuyers. The first step to assuring them that this is how you will build their home is to create a process of communicating this information to them at pre-defined times throughout the building process. The second step is to outline how you will keep them informed. For example, providing schedule and budget information every Monday via e-mail or online will set you above others your prospect may consider.
5. Provide additional, value-added resources. Beyond just building a home, there are services you can provide that help your homebuyers. For example, include a Realtor listing of their prior home, purchase their prior home if it isn't sold within six months or supply a relocation package. Assisting homebuyers with financing is another great service that can be as simple as working closely with a mortgage professional, or more detailed like providing in-house financing plans.
Being like everybody else is crowded. Set yourself apart to succeed.
www.NAHB.com
October 29, 2007
Nearly half of the workplace fatalities in residential construction that occurred in the last four years happened to workers who had been with their employer less than a year, according to “Residential Construction Industry Fatalities 2003-2006,” a recently completed NAHB safety study.
An additional 25% of the fatalities involved workers who had been with their companies between one and five years.
“The fact that two-thirds of residential construction workplace fatalities happen to workers with less than five years with their current employer shows how critical it is for companies to spend the time to provide comprehensive safety training to their new employees,” said Buck Roberts, president of A.B. Roberts Construction Company in Anderson, S.C. and chairman of NAHB’s Construction Safety and Health Committee.
Falls, which accounted for 45% of the industry’s reported deaths, were the most common cause of home building fatalities, according to the study. Workers most often fell from roofs, ladders and scaffolding.
The fatally injured workers were most often installing, building or assembling items such as siding, roofing, decking, walls, windows and scaffolding at the time of the fall, the study found.
In addition, more than half of the fall-related fatalities were workers who were 45 or older.
“Even if your new employees come to you having worked many years in residential construction, they may not be familiar with safety practices on your site,” said Roberts. “Thorough and job-specific safety training is essential regardless of the employee’s age or experience level.”
The study evaluated the 1,385 work-related deaths that were reported in residential construction from 2003 to 2006. Data was collected from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries as well as employment estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey and the BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages.
www.NAHB.com
March 11, 2008
Challenging customers come in many shapes and sizes and remodelers must be able to identify them early in the process and have the coping skills to handle any sticky situations that may arise, according to Beverly Koehn, GMB, CGA, CAPS. She has developed business strategies for remodelers, including customer relations, for managing interactions with emotional homeowners.
Koehn tells remodelers to carefully consider whether they will be well matched to the needs and demands of the customer. As in any professional relationship, she says, it's important to work well together and get the best job done.
The initial assessment and the success of the relationship requires being able to hear and understand what the client is saying.
"Smart remodelers ask essential questions and listen carefully before proceeding," says Koehn. They work on developing the relationship from day one by asking the right questions and being sure they understand what the customer is saying.
Where Potential Conflict Lurks
Certain stages of the remodeling process are more delicate and susceptible to sparking conflict:
Developing the purchase agreement
Working with policies or procedures
Maintaining quality standards
Interacting with neighbors or community members
Conflicting personalities
Sometimes many issues arise at the same time, making it all the more important to maintain a cool and professional attitude, Koehn says.
When customers contact a remodeler with a complaint or are angry, remodelers need to communicate expertly to repair the relationship.
Koehn provides this advice on handling customer dissatisfaction:
If the customer is angry, acknowledge their anger and stay calm. Try not to take it personally and allow the customer to cool down before attempting to solve the problem.
When probing into the problem, be empathetic and take time to consider how to respond.
Listen carefully to what the customer is saying without interrupting.
Mirror back to the customer what they said to ensure the complaint is clearly understood.
No matter what, apologize to the customer, even if innocent of the accusations.
Ask the customer what can be done to make them happy.
Mirror back the customer request to ensure it is clearly understood.
If possible, deliver the request as described by the customer.
If not possible, suggest other solutions and be sure to take action and follow through on any commitments.
www.NAHB.com
January 28, 2008
Construction businesses don't have to lose money just because housing starts are at their lowest level in most of our memories. But taking a "business as usual" attitude or thinking to yourself that "this housing recession will be over before you know it," is just about a guarantee that owners and managers will be looking at a lot of red ink at the end of 2008.
Action Steps:
Make a list of employees on your payroll and force yourself to make a decision on each of them.
If you have excessive equipment that you don't need right now, either park your trucks and forklifts or sell them.
If you have marginal employees whom you question their long term value, now is an ideal time to give them an opportunity to find another job that they are more suited for.
Freeze everyone's pay. Your first obligation is to keep your business viable. It's no fun to forgo a raise, but no one is going to starve to death if they don't receive a raise this year.
Let attrition help you reduce payroll. There are several departments in every company that experience high turnover, so don't replace employees unless you absolutely have to.
Watch your accounts receivable like a hawk. Take action when it is prudent to do so.
Go through all systems and procedures with a fine tooth comb; make sure that you've eliminated all profit leaks.
Bill Lee
BillLeeOnline.com
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Spahn & Rose Lumber Co. |
Phone: (563) 582-3606 |