You only get one shot at a first impression - Here's how to make it count

So you’re confident that you provide great electrical service.

You work hard, you’re fast, and you care about your customer’s satisfaction. You’re experienced, professional, and can solve problems on the fly. Your accreditation is on-point. Materials, tools, as good as they come. You offer warranties, safety, the works.

That’s awesome. You should be proud of that.

But your clients shouldn’t have to wait until after the job is done to get an insight into how good your service is.

Customers will make a decision on whether to work with you, or shop around for other options, during your initial contact with them - so that’s when you’ve got to establish your value.

We spend a lot of time thinking about how to get our name out there and drive people to our businesses through different channels, but not nearly enough time focusing on how to convert prospects once their eyes are on our product.

That’s why the “package” of your product, which is your electrical business, needs to dazzle. Because if you can’t give your clients a really clear and strong idea of what’s inside the package, you risk losing their business.

What’s going to make you stand out from the other options on the shelf? A bright box? Bold, catchy words?

If your clients are making their decision based on a range of blank and boring boxes, they’re just going to go with the cheapest one – and that’s not in their best interests.

As we like to point out at the Academy, you don’t need to be the cheapest tradie on the market to run a successful business, but you do need to provide a great service, and you should learn how to justify what you charge in your initial contact – that’s usually your quote letter.

As a tradie, you’ve got a small window of opportunity to showcase what you’ve got to offer - but there’s an art to it doing it right, which is what we’re going to talk about in this article; fine-tune your quote letter, jazz up your “shop front” or website, and make yourself an attractive option from the outset.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking you should let your work speak for itself – you won’t even get that opportunity if you can’t convert your quotes in the first place.

So what are the basics of putting together a good quote?

Make it professional. Include a cover letter. Do whatever you need to do to get the formatting right, and make sure you haven’t overlooked basic errors with spelling and grammar.

You’ll need to make sure what you include is actually relevant to the average Joe – for example, your clients don’t need to know every single material you use, but they do want to know that you’re using high-quality, locally sourced materials.

Don’t bog your prospects down with details they don’t need to hear. Your letter should be clear, concise, and to the point.

Avoid big words, fluffy phrases, technical jargon, and anything that might confuse your client.

Often, dot points are an effective way of communicating your strengths so that each key point stands apart and is allowed to sink in on its own.

Is a good quote letter really a one-size fits all thing?

No, you want to be as targeted and personal as you can.

The first thing you need to figure out is how YOUR service is unique.

Ask yourself; what shortcuts are your competitors taking and how can you position your service as superior to theirs?

Do you offer fast quotes, fast service, or are you just more reliable? Do you have better accreditation? Do you offer a longer warranty? Use better materials?

Once you’ve got an idea of your strengths, you need to tailor your message to your target market.

For example, are you looking to do residential or commercial work? Will you be servicing families, or business managers?

These types of considerations will inform decisions like whether you want to put staff profiles on your website, and what type of design and language you should use – our Academy programs go into depth on how to make these decisions depending on the finer points of your operation.  

 So what do I need to include in my quote letter?

Below is a list of things that actually matter to your clients. 

Make sure you’re straightforward in how you communicate them – and only if they’re true and relevant to your business.

 *Safety measures

 *Professional accreditation and the right registrations

 *Speed and quality of service and/or work

 *Length of warranty – lifetime warranty is always powerful, if you can offer it.

 *Material quality and origin

 *Awards and achievements

 *Experience and track-record

 *Partnerships which add value to your service

Remember, you need to work out what makes YOU stand out from the pack. 

 What are the other ways I can differentiate myself?

Apply for awards, for example those offered through Masters Electricians – these look great on your quote letter, and your website.

Google Reviews is another great way to boost your reputation and differentiate your service from the competition.

Commercial and strategic partnerships can be awesome for adding value to your service, too – for example, if you’re partnered with a chain like Beacon Lighting, you can offer your client a discount on lighting products. Perks like this should get a mention in your quote.

You might be the only sparky in town offering a discount on another service, like plumbing or building, because of a connection you’ve made – always be building your network and think about how you can integrate it into your service, and then your quote.

At the academy, we’ve helped thousands of electricians master the art of the quote letter and increase their conversions ten-fold, even as they’re bumping up their prices.

If you want to learn more, book in for a chat with the ESA team or sign up with the Academy on a FREE 7-DAY TRIAL.

Otherwise, check out the website or Facebook group to check out some more content. We’ve got videos and articles designed to help electricians of all experience levels.

Don’t waste any more time - get your quote letter on point today.