Of course putting together a solid proposal with meaningful numbers is key to success in construction, but so too is relatability. How well do your current and potential clients know you? How well do you know them? Industry colleagues remind us that relatability is not about grand gestures, it’s about consistently taking the time to be real, pay attention, and build trust. Read on for real time advice to strengthen your relatability.
Trust Is The Tiebreaker
When a client receives plenty of reasonable proposals from reputable, qualified firms, how do they ultimately make a decision? As Jennifer Kinsey, general manager in the Nashville office of Atlanta-based contractor Reeves Young, observes, breaking the tie often comes down to carefully cultivated trust:
The early stages of a construction project can feel very transactional. Timelines are tighter, introductions are digital and decisions are often made before you even meet the client. But even in that environment, relationships still have weight. When qualifications are equal, clients lean on their instincts. They ask, “Do I trust you to deliver? Will you show up when things get hard?” I’ve seen trust, not pedigree, tip the scales time and again. That trust is built over time, often long after a project ends. I make a habit of checking in with former clients whether we’re working together or not. Sending a note, attending a community event or congratulating them on a milestone all make a difference. These moments aren’t on a project schedule, but they’re the reason my phone rings when the next opportunity comes up.
In Kinsey’s experience, building trusting relationships does not rely on grand gestures, but rather on consistently showing “you’re paying attention, that you care and that you mean what you say.” Some of her specific pointers for building the kind of strong relationships that result in winning more work include:
- For me, sending a proposal isn’t the end of the day. It’s the start of a conversation. I’ve walked proposals into potential clients myself, visited prospective sites before putting pen to paper….These details spark conversations and help clients feel seen.
- After projects wrap, I keep in touch without an agenda. I don’t do it because I’m “supposed to.” I do it because I care. And people can tell the difference. If you’re leading a firm, ask yourself: when was the last time someone on your team connected with a client without an ask attached? It’s easy to forget how powerful that can be.
- Be reliable: People trust people who follow through.
- Be human: Small acts of kindness go further than you think.
- Be present: You never know who’s watching and remembering how you show up
Good To Consider: Uniquely Human Approaches
Though no amount of friendliness will ultimately make up for a lack of construction know-how (and results), Missy Scherber, president of Minnesota-based demolition, excavation and waste management company, T. Scherber, aptly reminds us that strong people skills will continue to be in high demand: “Get to know what the customers care about outside of work and foster honesty not tactics…..Entire industries will be automated in 10 years. Human skills will not….AI can’t replace that.” One specific idea
Scherber suggests for a more relationship forward approach to business is:
Bringing the community (your prospects, customers and their buying collective) into an authentic relationship with you and your business…..Skip the gold shovels and ribbon cuttings at groundbreakings or new openings. Invite kids instead. “When we are your excavator, we bring in this groundbreaking ground breaking. Social media loves it. The news comes out because we’re involving kids. We did it once and got 3 calls the next day about new work.
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