Follow up Emails

Brendon, I think follow up emails are great.

When I'm chatting at the bid, I mention how much I use email and then I ask for there contact email if I can.
They usually happen to use email often, I can write like 5 people back in minutes......'
Especially on my hella smart phone.

I don't follow people bothering them, If I don't hear back by a week or a preset date, I'll knudge them with a "Hey, How's it going? email"
Sometimes people go out of town or whatever.
 
I've landed a few jobs from 'fence sitters' from doing follow ups. A couple have flat out told me they got a lower price and wanted me to do the work but wondered if I could go lower.

jp:D
 
We finally made the jump to digital today. I do the bids on my xoom, show them the bid and the price and tell them it will be emailed as soon as I get back to the office. 1 Old lady didn't have email, everyone else took it in stride including another old lady
 
I used to think I wanted one but less so now, I pack enough junk around in my truck
 
Good thread and lots of good info! I had quite a few jobs that I bid last year that your template would have done wonders. Follow up calls are awkward and to me seem kinda desperate on my end of things.

I think this would really help with jobs where the homeowner might have never had the work done at all. I had a few such jobs this past year and I'm sure an email format like yours could have resparked the work and maybe made it possible to do it in stages.

Websites are an untapped resource in treework IMO. People use the internet more and more to find services, the yellow pages is fading fast. All of the large landscaping companies around here have very fancy sites, yet only a few tree companies have sites at all.
 
Just a tip about follow up phone calls.. Mine go something like this......
Hello Mr/Mrs Smith... I just wanted to follow up our prior conversation about the work you were interested in as my schedule is filling up and I would like to offer you the opportunity to get on my bookings. When it gets busy like this Mr/Mrs Smith, my bookings can fill up for up to 3 months. Is there a convenient date you would prefer for the work to be performed?
Oh you went with someone else??
Thank you for letting me know, I had a few people wanting the slot I was holding for you until I talked to you first. If there is anything in the future I can do for you, please call me with advanced notice and let me know. Thank you for the opportunity to be considered for your project.

Most times I get.... "3 Months?, how soon can we get in your schedule?"
Well, Mr./Mrs. Jones... I was kind of holding a spot for you.... What day(s) would be convenient for you over the next couple weeks and if I have to, I could possibly even switch a day for you with a monthly maintenance client.

ALWAYS make yourself a desired in demand commodity and consider yourself nothing less. No matter how few bookings you might have, ALWAYS make it sound as if you are doing them a favour by "fitting them in" to your work schedule.

I also do my e mails the same way.

Just how I do what I do and it seems to work for me.
 
Sounds like your over inflating your true "bookings" and misleading them into believing you are busier than you really are. What do they say, when you say your booked out 3 months but Ive been holding a spot for you and we can get there in 2 or 3 weeks? As a buyer, I would think, what is so special about MY job?
I mean really...... who holds a 12 week backlog but, lets Mrs Smith know if she commits today, we'll be there in 2 weeks. Sounds fishy IMO.

Willing to bet Mrs Smith could decline today, then change her mind, call you back next week, and youd still get her in the schedule 2 weeks after that.

Not trying to be harsh, but does that seriously work? People buy that?
 
Nope, I usually am out 3 months. I usually leave a day a week open for weather and such JIC. I also have monthly accounts I can shift a little here and there (couple a week scheduled) and some with an open end scheduling. These people have a monthly budget I stick to so long as I make a date of work during the month, they often are flexible for me. I have set them up that way not only on my schedule, but by mentally preparing them that they can be bumped on the scheduled date if there is pressing tree work, emergency's, etc. Some are burn day dependent. They float in the schedule until a burn day opens for them.
My biggest selling of urgency is at the day of estimate. I open my calender up and the new client gets to see personally, what they have heard is true... I am often booked pretty damn solid. Often then they don't even care if it is 3 months out, just get them on the schedule. Of course I assure them there might be a day open up for them sooner if someone has to reschedule etc. No promises. Just assurance they we will try to get to them sooner..
Do I lose some? YUP. But since 99% of my bookings are existing or referred clients... most just desire to be a client like the Jones's.
I have spent years grooming my clients and my referral base to play my game.
And Mrs. Smith would have to have a more urgent job to commit today and get it done with in the week. Mrs. Jones is left with a promise that I will make some calls in the evening and see if one of my customers will reschedule to make room for her in the schedule. And since my customers are already groomed to do so, they often will. Chances are they got bumped up in the process in the past and feel they should return the favor.
Right now I have a back log of enough work that if someone dies, cancels, falls off earth, is kidnapped by aliens, has a bad day in the stock market, the dog ate it, or whatever, I can fill probably 1-2 months of work by making a few calls....
I guess what I am trying to explain is that you have to groom your clients and perspective clients into understanding and believing you are always busy because you are a good deal no matter the cost because you are a pro and do an awesome job. Smart money spends smartly. I don't want the bargain hunters. I want the guy that is willing to wait because it is the smart thing to do. I also show people that if they are up against the wall, we will be there for them. If an insurance company, or CDF is riding them and it has to be done with in 30 days.
If you can convince the people and yourself you are in that much of demand and a desired commodity, you will always have work. You will get the better customers. You will collect from the smart money.
I do not have the numbers like tree services in a city. I have a population of 10,000 in my county and area. That's population, that ain't the number of home and business owners.
In a city I can play the numbers. Out here I need to sell the numbers. My current client base runs about 2% of my area population. Keeps food on the table.
That is how it works for me.... The positive attitude is what I am stressing to folks here. You are selling yourself. No matter how lousy a sales person you think you are, if you believe you are awesome at what you do, that you and your company is worth their hard earned money, and that you are going to be successful because of this and your work and people ethic, you will sell more work. Just how it is.
I hope all this rambling makes sense.
OH! And if Mrs. Smith changes her mind and calls back hoping to get right in the schedule, she is out 3 months. ;) Take it or leave it.
 
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