Offering a Free Quote Doesn't Make You Special
I was thinking about value propositions for contractors and home service professionals and kept coming back to ‘free quotes’. We know what a quote is, a quote is where a contractor walks your home, meets with you and gives you the run down on what they are going to charge for the job. One thing I notice as a marketer when I meet with contractors and home services clients is that when I ask them ‘what’s your value proposition?’ or ‘what makes you stand out from your competitors?’ I often get the answer ‘um….’ yes there’s a pause before answering ‘we offer free quotes.?’ and oftentimes they are confused by that answer because they don't really believe that offering free quotes is that special anymore.
They would be right in feeling this way. A free quote isn’t special. A free quote is your sales pitch and that’s ok, every business needs a sales pitch. The good news is that every business, including the ones who hesitantly told me that offering free quotes was their value proposition or their ‘wow factor’ ACTUALLY has something special to offer. You just need to think a bit more about what makes you special. Guess what, it’s not that hard.
The truth is, if you’ve been in business for a while and you’ve been reasonably successful, and you’ve gotten this far without digital marketing, then you are doing something very right for your customers that makes them remember you, refer you and continue to book you. I guarantee if you asked your customers that love you why they love you they wouldn’t say ‘because you offer me free quotes.’
In fact, when it comes to free quotes, I can’t think of the last time I paid a contractor for a quote. At this point they are all free! I would be pissed if I paid for a quote. When something becomes industry standard, it ceases to be special. Here’s where this gets a little weird. If you offer free quotes, it’s not bad to put that on your website. It’s better to say you offer it, than not say you offer it, you just don’t want to create featured content hyping up your sales pitch. It’s fine to label a web form or a button or even a navigation title ‘Get a Free Quote’. I wouldn’t create social media posts or add content in your ‘about’ section about how offering free quotes makes your business and your services unique.
If you're feeling a little deflated because I gave you my tough opinion, that's ok, I’ve got a solution. Here’s some real value propositions that you can highlight that are far more effective than free quotes.
-Warranties - when it comes to people’s homes they want assurances that things are going to work, that things are going to last. That’s where a warranty really provides peace of mind to a home owner. They know that if something doesn’t work or last, you’ll make it right. That’s keeping your word and committing to quality which is something that doesn’t happen as much as it should these days.
-Trade Associations and Certifications - This builds trust and shows that you’re an expert in your industry. For home owners, knowing that you are a true professional and steward of your industry is a massive value add. Too many people get into home services without knowledge or training in the trade. Highlighting trade associations elevates you from amateur to elite status.
-Using High Quality Products - Another great offer to share with your customers showing your commitment to quality. People want to know that you are treating their homes with the utmost respect it deserves. Showcasing this further builds trust and shows your expertise in your craft.
-Strong Vendor Partnerships - One of the things I learned from working with Sherwin Williams is they invest a lot of money in resources for contractors. One of the things they did well was they allowed painters to make branded product brochures that they could give to homeowners that discussed the different grades of paint and also listed which paints, colors and sheens were used in each room. Those types of things were popular with my painters because it showcased a high degree of professionalism with their customers especially as Sherwin Williams is an industry leader and a name that homeowners trust.
-Have an Awesome Crew? - If it isn’t obvious by now, home owners want people they can trust working on their homes! Having a long tenured, professional crew is a major flex on the rest of the contracting industry. A lot of companies subcontract their labor which is fine, but that doesn’t always leave a homeowner feeling super confident because there might be quality differences between crews unless the company has a solid foreman or project manager. Consistency is king, just like you wouldn’t want a different doctor for every visit.
-Offering Emergency Services/Flexible Hours - This one speaks for itself, if you are able to get people out of a bind and be their hero, you are a legend who will get referrals and repeat business. Think HVAC, Plumbers, Electricians, Roofers, heck pretty much every home service business that is able to respond quickly to a home owner and make their home your number one priority. Of all of these solutions, this is probably the best one.
Summary
Home service businesses are competitive which means you have to offer something better than ‘Free Quotes’. Unfortunately free quotes are the norm now so they just don’t carry the same weight. The good news is, you are already doing something that is far more special than a free quote. Hopefully I’ve spurred some ideas that will get you thinking about what truly makes your business special. If you’ve been crushing it for years, you are doing something for your customers that is far more special than the ‘free quote’ you gave them.
Fun fact, when I started my business I preached ‘free website audit’ ‘free consultation’. Who the hell would pay to have someone look at their website and talk to them on Google Meets? I’ve mistaken free quotes as a value add too!
