How To Make Your Estimate Stand Out

No matter what type of contracting work you do, the estimates you provide your customers are one of the most important parts of the entire contractor process. Although it varies per project, a potential customer may be looking at several estimates from different contractors and will have to make a decision based on a few different factors such as money, timeframe of completion, and research of companies. So, what can be done to make sure your estimate is the one selected? There are quite a few things you can do in order to stand out.

• Have a professionally typed estimate - Provide your customer with a nicely formatted and typed out estimate that provides as much detail as possible about the job including how the process will work, deposit percentage, total cost for the project, and additional details your customer may have questions on. The idea is to have all the information presented to your customer at once so it's easier to read and identify and they don't feel overwhelmed or are left with more questions than answers.

• Provide examples of your work - Have a portfolio or some examples of your work ready to show the customer what they expect finished results to look like. If they can verify the quality of your work, you have a much better chance being selected. Don't just tell customers you're the best - show them!

• Follow up on your estimates - Sometimes a customer needs some time to discuss the proposals with their spouse/family. It's always best to follow up a few days after the estimate has been sent in order to answer any questions the customer may have, and to show your company is on top of communication.

The most important thing to remember is that your customer is ultimately the one to decide whether or not you get their business, so do everything you can to produce a positive and high-quality experience for them.