Believe It Or Not You Are One Phone Call Away From Signing A Major Contractor
There are major contractors in your area that are literally waiting for you to call. They have been meaning to get in touch with your organization but have either been too busy or too hesitant to make contact. They may have already made the decision to join. Don’t believe it? Here’s why.
They need the benefits of being a union signatory contractor such as access to qualified workers to secure a specific project.
Follow these steps to get started:
- Identify contractors doing work in your area. You can do this by creating a simple data base and adding to it as you go along. Record information you gather about employers such as key individuals, license numbers, addresses, phone numbers, and specialty. As this list grows so will your knowledge of the industry. Pick the top 10 contractors you would like to partner with.
- Cold call these contractors with the sole purpose of starting a dialog. You are not trying to close the deal over the phone. You are simply trying to start a dialog and answer any questions they have.
- Have all of your talking points in front of you and be prepared to answer any questions. If you don’t have the answer the best thing is to admit it and offer to get back with the person at a later time. End the call by offering to schedule a meeting or send additional information.
- Send follow-up letters as a way to keep the lines of communication open. Direct mail experts have found it takes seven attempts before most respond. Some organizers send a thank you card with a brief note expressing gratitude for taking the time to speak with them. Don’t underestimate the effectiveness of such courtesy.
- Schedule a meeting to discuss opportunities with the union. It may take several calls before they agree to a meeting but you will never know until you try. Schedule the meeting in their office, at your training facility or over lunch. You want the person to feel at ease. Schedule the meeting in the morning as people seem more open than later in the day. Never meet with a contractor unless you have a contract prepared. Be ready to have them sign even at an initial meeting. This does happen more than you think.
- Take notes each time you call and use information gathered to tailor your message to their needs. Offer solutions to their problems and you will be rewarded with their attention.
- Organize your materials in a neat and tidy fashion.
You will have to rely on your gut to know if the person is ready to partner with your organization. The key is to answer all of their questions to their satisfaction and not sugarcoat anything because it will cause you problems in the future. Your reputation is on the line. Avoid the hard sell but at the same time don’t leave any meeting without asking if they are ready to sign.
It all starts with a single phone call. That next call could be the one that lands you a major shop.
Good Luck!
