People Skills vs. Painting Skills Which is More Important?
Monday, 5 December 2011
- By Andy Thompson
As painting business owners, our job goes way beyond applying paint. From the moment we decided to start our own business it became clear that we would have to wear many hats.
In fact, the act of applying paint (production) dropped down to number three on the list of importance, while marketing and estimating take priority. Needless to say we are no longer just painters, but instead "business owners who paint".
So many painters make the leap from employee to business owner without understanding everything that is involved with running a successful painting business. Unfortunately this is the main reason 98% of new painting businesses never make it through their
first year.
One of the first things to understand is that you are not in the “Painting Business” you are in the “People Business” and therefore you need to gain a firm understanding of what makes people tick.
The mental process a customer goes through in their mind when deciding which painter to choose goes way beyond your ability to cut a razor sharp edge or how nice the logo looks on your business cards.
Customers are always looking for three main things every time, a quality paint job done at an affordable price by someone they can trust and people skills are the most important part of this process.
Homeowners hire based on feeling. If they feel that you have their best interest in mind as you are selling your services to them they will be more likely to hire you. If they feel like you are just in it for the cash they will probably go another way.
The only thing your customers care about is “What’s in it for me?”
Case in point... Why did you subscribe to my newsletter? Because you wanted insider tips and tricks that will help you become a more successful painting business owner.
You gave me your trust because what I offer will help YOU become more profitable.
People give you their business based on what THEY will get out of it. That is what you should cater your marketing message to.
The painting business owner who learns to conduct business with that one simple question in mind will not only land more jobs, they will build a large list of satisfied customers who will become fiercely loyal and gladly refer your business to all their
friends and relatives.
The only question a customer wants answered is “What’s in it for me?” that is the only question you ever have to satisfy.
If your marketing message is centered around how great of a painter YOU are or how much experience YOU have or how lame and incompetent your competitors are, you are just shooting yourself in the foot and loosing tons of money.
If you want to land MOST of the jobs you bid on even if you are the highest estimate, go out of your way to to satisfy that one simple question for your customer.
REMEMBER - “What is in it for me?” Tell them, educate them and get them excited about the project.
In the end, it is the only thing that will make them feel completely comfortable with choosing you as their painter of choice.
So many painters make the leap from employee to business owner without an understanding of what is involved for a successful painting business.
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