If you’ve set up a website for your company – and you should have – it’s pretty certain your business email address is on there. It’s one of the easiest ways for prospective customers to get in touch, after all – they’re already on your site, so all they have to do is click the link and write a few lines. Whether they want to ask some questions, get a quote or let you know they need an emergency job done they can communicate with you.
Where a lot of tradesmen go wrong is treating email as one way traffic. People use it to get in touch with you, but after that you do everything the way you’ve always done it. There’s certainly nothing wrong with phone calls and letters, but emails have a lot more potential and you should be exploiting that by sending emails to clients. It’s a rapid and economical way to keep in touch with existing and potential customers, and you can customise it to add a whole range of other benefits. So why might you want to email your clients? There are plenty of reasons.
- Keep up to date on job progress. Sometimes you’ll be seeing your clients every day as you work. That’s not always the case though. You might be renovating their holiday home for them, or fixing up their new house before they move in. They could have gone to stay in a hotel while you put a new roof on for them. If they aren’t around to see the progress you’re making, regular emails are a good way to keep them informed. Unlike a phone call you can attach photos so they can see exactly how things are looking.
- Photos are also a great way to advertise your skills. When you’ve finished a job get some pictures of it in all its glory and send them out to previous clients, current ones and anyone that’s expressed an interest in your services. Describing what you can do is great, but people are always more impressed by photos of a really good piece of work. They automatically start seeing how the same job would look in their own home, and that starts them down the road to hiring you.
- Of course any contact with prospective clients will keep you at the front of their minds, which is where you want to be. Regular updates about new services, special promotions and seasonal ideas are always a great idea. A friendly greeting at Christmas certainly isn’t going to hurt either. You don’t want to be firing off so many emails it becomes an annoyance, of course, but play it smart and it can really boost your business. Most people turn to Google when they need a tradesman, but if you’re already in their mind they won’t bother – they’ll just come to you. Sending out something interesting once a month will really pay off.
Email isn’t just a way for people to contact you after finding your website on Google. It’s a fantastic tool for building good relationships with customers, showcasing what your team can do and generally staying visible. Raise your profile with email – it’s not much effort and it really will pay off.
