Your product and service are not gadgets and hardware. It’s not a collection of tools, and it is most certainly not the cheapest price. Yet many of you reading this may be thinking that “product and service” are all about knowledge and skill of the trade. That extremely common thought can be your downfall. Here’s why.

Most contractors fail miserably in their efforts. It’s due to a ridiculous belief that if they’re good, they’ll be successful. This is absolutely and unquestionably not true.

Don’t believe me? Try this sometime:  In a room full of contractors, ask, “All who think you’re really good contractors, please raise your hand.” The only ones with their hands not raised won’t have heard the question.

Now ask, “How many of you are really successful?” All but a single-digit percentage will drop instantly.

The vast majority are likely struggling to make payroll, too strapped for cash to grow or eking out a living on absurdly low margins. And these are, of course, in that group who consider themselves “good contractors.” 

So what makes the difference between the few successful ones and the ones that struggle? Simple:  sales and cash flow.

Simple solutions

I believe in simple assessments. In fact, most of us probably make problems too complicated for a workable solution. That kind of thinking can cause you to be overwhelmed by the sheer complexity. And that results in putting it off or doing nothing — neither of which brings a solution.

Your business won’t die from having an outdated accounting program, or having under-stocked trucks, or paying too much for a length of pipe. Your business will die from lack of sales and cash flow.

Much of your success in sales will come from your own belief in what’s right. That comes from confidence in your product, company and service. It doesn’t matter how basic this sounds. It’s at the core of your ability to sell.

You must market and sell with conviction, passion and excitement — all qualities that set you apart from your dead-head competition. If what you do is basically the same as your competition, how do you expect to outsell them? 

By offering a superior and immediately recognizable advantage your competition doesn’t offer, you turn prospects into customers. And that means sales, which in turn means cash flow.

Don’t let your salespeople ever underestimate the importance of their jobs. HVAC sales staff keep homeowners comfortable all year and save lives from deadly carbon monoxide.

Make sure your salespeople see their jobs as important. It will make them transfer this importance to customers, who see them as offering a solution — the sale — that satisfies their problem.

In so doing, you’re rendering your highest goal. It’s not the money; it’s the service.

Adams Hudson is President of Hudson, Ink (www.hudsonink.com), a contractor marketing firm. Snips readers can get the free report, “5 Things That Drive Your Customers Crazy” and a subscription to the Sales & Marketing Insider by emailing freeSNIPSstuff@hudsonink.com or by calling 1-800-489-9099. Remember to follow Hudson, Ink on Facebook, www.facebook.com/HudsonInk, and LinkedIn, www.linkedin.com/company/hudson-ink, for more marketing tips.