Sales are the heart of every business and contractor companies are no exception. However, making a living in the gig economy can be tricky thanks to the long and unexpected breaks between contracts, which have become synonymous with freelancing projects. They are every contractor’s worst fear.
It takes a lot of effort to find clients and run a lucrative career for yourself as a contractor. If you want to know how to find clients as a contractor, the below tips will help you get on your feet, land your next regular clients and make more money.
Connections are meaningful, particularly in the gigs industry. So, it makes sense to research recruiting firms and organizations that have the position you’re looking for.
Get to know the firms well, their mission, and the kind of contractors they are looking for. Then, reach out and try connecting with them. Tell them what you offer and why they should introduce you to potential clients.
Networking events are not only one of the right spots to find clients, but also great places to find “connectors.” These are individuals who might not need your services at the moment but can help by sending prospects your way.
Similarly, event boards can be found online, such as on Facebook.
The ideal recruitment agency knows where and how to find clients as a contractor before you will. They can help you better understand the industry and negotiate the terms of your contract. Also, the agents can inform you about little things you might ignore, like updating your CV.
If you’re an engineer in the construction industry, for example, go for agencies that specialize in the building sector. Sign up with a few agencies. As they continue helping you find the right client, you may want to favor the one that best understands your position and skills.
Being reachable means letting all communication channels to take leads and you respond to them. As an overall rule, don’t leave your mailbox filled with unread messages or ignore your social accounts.
Ensure that all your communication avenues are open. Always give out your contact details.
Your email, phone number, Twitter, and Facebook accounts should have somebody available and ready to guide prospective clients. A fast response time gives the impression that you can fix their problems quickly, giving you a leg up on your competition.
Good working relationships with suppliers, subcontractors, and other contractors are crucial, and sharing the details of each other’s products and services can benefit all. This helps to form alliances with reputable companies.
This might mean sharing details of other contractors. Let’s say you provide structural plans for remodeling homes, you could share contact information of reliable electrical engineers with homeowners. These contractors could also inform their clients about your services.
You may also want to consider teaming up with other businesses that are of similar size to your company. This joint venture could create one big company to take on mega projects. Better yet, working together often helps learn new techniques, deal with professionals, build a good reputation, and meet new clients.
Social media can help you in finding clients. LinkedIn is historically considered a social network where professionals meet other professionals. It’s easy to find building contractors, general contractors, and any other groups related to the construction industry.
Other social networks are also great avenues to locate professional interests that you can participate in. Just like real-life conversations, well-thought-out participation is key to attracting prospects.
Businesses and individuals like to be sure that they will be getting quality and honest work for their compensation. Also, experience can be the tool to take your business to such clients. Don’t shy away from asking current and former clients for honest testimonials that vouch for your skill.
Among general contractors, review sites, such as Yelp, are contributed to and viewed frequently for this reason. While you don’t have to necessarily use such sites, creating a page or a section on your social media pages and website to showcase testimonials of what you do generally increases credibility as a competent contractor.
To position yourself as a skilled contractor, you need to have a license and certification. For instance, if you’re a home improvement contractor, your credentials support your ability to remodel homes safely and legally.
You also want to get liability insurance, so your clients can be sure they’ll be compensated if you accidentally damage their home. Also, note that the certifications or licenses you carry or display around should be in line with your target projects.
Nowadays, if you want to reach prospects online, having a website for your business is not optional. Your site not only needs to be search engine friendly, but also one that offers the best user experience.
While there’s no need to complicate your design, you have to be about your message. Make sure your site explains who you are, what you can do to help clients, and how they can find you. Don’t just tell your site visitors to contact you─ instead, give them a good reason why they should.
Come up with the services you offer and use the right keywords. Analyze your competitor sites and learn what it takes to outrank them. Deeply analyze how their website is structured and the keywords they are ranking for.
Most importantly, you should consistently create and publish quality content.
To make a good living, you need to learn how to find clients as a contractor. This requires you to work hard to build the right connections and earn leads. The mentioned ways will help you get your foot in the door and find that next client.
If you’re an engineer looking for your next contract, check out our job listings today.
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