Why is it important to quote quickly?
The Nationwide Homeowner Survey (Collaborating with TrustMark) [1] found that: 83% of homeowners were unhappy with the time it takes to receive a quotation.
Therefore, it’s a no brainer that quoting your job quickly and more efficiently improves your chances of winning the work, and forms part of the ‘follow-up etiquette’ we discussed in our previous article (How to close 90% of your leads).
So, how do you speed up your quotation process?
1 Know your hourly rate
If you haven’t already… Quote quicker by working out your hourly rate i.e. the price you charge for your time (labour charge per hour).
Then, accurately calculate how long the work will take you to complete, and multiply this figure by your hourly rate.
Next, consider the mark-up of the materials you’re sourcing, ordering and collecting, factoring in the time and expenses taken to do so. Don’t leave yourself short!
Having a proper pricing strategy in place improves efficiency and speeds up your pricing process.
2 Build a quotation template
Have a pre-designed professional template handy which can be used for every quote, saving you a lot of time and effort drafting one from scratch every time.
Having a template in the form of a Word document is much more professional than a handwritten document and is a quicker way of constructing a quote.
Make sure you include your logo, contact information, job breakdown and prices, a payment schedule, terms and conditions, your accreditation’s, and of course, a very juicy spiel of why they should choose you for their work.
How about investing in a Quotation Software? There are a number of companies which for a small monthly fee provide a system which sends out quotes quickly and professionally.
3 Create a price list
Create a list of services for your company, including regularly used items and materials with descriptions and pricing, ready to reuse for future quotes. Then, simply add these to your quote to save you writing them out each time. It may prove difficult to think of everything initially, so just add to your price list as you go along. Be sure to check your prices regularly to make sure you remain competitive.
4 Use a drone to get a birds eye view
For those tech savvy, forward thinking roofers…
How about investing in a drone? Yes, you heard me right! Drones, AKA small unmanned aerial vehicles, are now readily available, and their use in the industry is rising significantly [2]. In addition to being backed by the National Federation of Roofing Contractors (NFRC) [3], as long as the technology is used safely and legally, drones can be used to capture birds-eye view photos and videos of the roof you are inspecting – at crystal clear resolutions. The footage can be captured in minutes without the need for a ladder, and provides rich data which can be relayed back so you can quote more quickly and efficiently. The footage can also be viewed by more than one roofer, allowing for a range of professional opinion, and more accurate quoting. Although the initial outlay is -of course- expensive, the time and cost saved in man hours soon mounts up and the drone doesn’t take long to prove its sweet worth. Not to mention it’s a lot safer than getting up on the roof, and serves as a handy tool for showing the customer the job at hand too – pretty cool huh.
Check out more info on Drones here [4].
Please note: You need to apply for permission from the CAA before you can fly a drone for commercial purposes. Familiarise yourself with the current rules and regulations for flying commercial drones here [5].
5 Archive quotes from previously won work
Be sure to keep an organised archive of all quoted jobs past and present. This will serve as a handy tool when pricing up similar new work by re-using relevant information wherever possible to save you time. Having previous quotations to compare to is also a good way of checking you haven’t missed anything out when quoting for a new prospect. It also serves as an internal audit; use archived quotes where jobs haven’t been accepted to improve, what worked and what didn’t? Use it to help you price more strategically in the future.
6 Email your quotation, and check it’s arrived safely
Emails are the perfect method for instantly delivering a quote to a prospect. It also saves you the time and hassle associated with posting or delivering a quote. After emailing, text your prospect and let them know the quotation has been sent over, and to alert you if it has not been received. Statistics show that people are more likely to open a text message over an email, with open rates of 82% as opposed to 30% respectively [6]. Plus, they will appreciate the courtesy of the message, and you can rest assured it has arrived safely. For example:
Hello [CustomerName], I’ve emailed over the proposal. Please let us know if you haven’t received it. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Have a lovely day and we hope to work with you soon! Thank you, [YourName], [CompanyName].
Alternatively, give them a call, it serves the same purpose as a message and is more personal. If you can’t GET through, then send a text message to make sure you win that WORK! Eaaaasy! Don’t forget to check your emails on a regular basis for any questions or replies, it’s important not to miss any correspondence from your prospects. And of course, once the quote has been sent, don’t forget to carry out the ‘Quotation Follow-up Etiquette’ discussed in our previous article. It’s all coming together quite nicely isn’t it!
Final thoughts
Completing a quote as soon as possible while the information is still fresh in the ol’ noggin’ means you’re less likely to forget anything. As well as this, keeping on top of your quotes keeps your paperwork pile to a minimum, the sooner its done the better, so you can get back to the more important tasks at hand… or that chilled evening you’ve been dreaming of – whatever works for you. Not only does quicker quoting give you a competitive edge, impress your prospects, demonstrate professionalism and instil trust. Getting a quote out quickly takes the weight off your shoulders.
These tips work for all small businesses, so following these steps will improve your efficiency, and leave you with more free time. The quicker you quote, the more time you have to do what you love, whether that’s more work! Or most likely, having an evening free from the paperwork!
Now, what are you waiting for?! Use these top tips from Zapo today!
