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As this issue of
Snow Business arrives in your mailbox, you’ve probably already
sold all the snow removal and ice management your company can
handle this winter, right? Wouldn’t that be nice? But if you’re
like most of us, you’re still trying to secure as much work as
possible before the flakes start flying. In a world where most
clients pretend it doesn’t snow—until a month or two before it
actually does—we still have time to improve upon our sales and
bidding strategies.
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What if
telling a prospect that their specs won’t get them the
type of service they need could actually boost your
image to that potential client? |
Let’s
focus specifically on bid specs—especially for those
sites we bid that come with specs written by someone who
is not a snow professional. Those of you in the business
for some time know exactly what I’m talking about.
You’ll find these sub-standard specs in contracts of all
sizes—from homeowner associations, to office buildings,
to major retail chains. It’s important to recognize that
even when dealing with a large client or prospective
client, the specs and terms provided need to be
realistic and doable before submitting your bid.
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What if?
We’ve all been there: We want the job so badly we wouldn’t dare
call the prospective clients and tell them that the specs
they’ve been using for years are wrong. Consider this example:
“The specs read that we are to plow when snow accumulation
reaches 2 inches and salt when slippery conditions exist. This
is a fairly standard bid specification, but what do I do when
there is 1.75 inches and it’s 11°? My experience and knowledge
tell me I should plow 1.75 inches of snow before I salt in 11°
weather. I’ll just ignore the 2-in. spec on those super-cold
nights and plow.
The client can’t
possibly refuse to pay for the push. Salt would have never
melted that much snow at that temperature. I’m just looking out
for the client and doing what’s right.”
The example shows
what a lot of us do every day when we sign our clients’
contracts and agree to their unrealistic bid specs. We too often
convince ourselves that common sense will prevail and that they
“must know” there are going to be exceptions. Don’t assume that
they know anything. Now is the time, during the bidding process,
to ask questions and amend the specs. Don’t be afraid to ask
“What if?” Don’t be afraid to be the professional and tell the
client that his or her specs are neither practical nor
realistic. In a perfect world, these clients would be signing
our contracts, but we all know that’s not always the case. Don’t
agree to something you can’t do.
Use your
knowledge as a sales tool
I try to put myself in a property manager’s shoes. I personally
would appreciate and assign value to dealing with a contractor
whose knowledge of the services he is selling far surpasses
mine—or that of his competition. That’s why I’m hiring him,
right? As a property manager, would I want a long-term
relationship with a contractor who’s destructively compliant, or
would I want to build a lasting relationship with someone whose
knowledge and professionalism can be captured and utilized at my
site? There are a lot of clients, including property managers,
who view snow removal and ice management as a commodity. A lot
of them think we’re all the same and that the only thing that
differentiates us is our price. What if actually challenging the
bid specs and demonstrating our knowledge could be utilized as a
sales tool? What if telling a prospect that their specs won’t
get them the type of service they need could actually boost your
image to that potential client? Be the professional. Be the
expert. Show the prospect or client that what we do while the
rest of the world is sleeping is not a commodity.
I am a certified
snow professional with more than 13 years of experience in this
industry, and I refuse to sign a contract—or even a
proposal—that does not reflect a professional snow removal and
ice management service. Professionalism and knowledge brings
more money to our industry. Next time you see a 2-in. trigger or
an unrealistic spec in a bid, pick up the phone. Educate the
property manager and set yourself apart from the so-called
competition.
Michael M.
Voories, CLP, CSP, is a team member of Troy Clogg Landscape
Associates in Wixom, MI. Contact him at
mike@troyclogg.com.
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