(FREE APPOINTMENT FOLLOW-UP TRACKER SPREADSHEET!)

Had an interested lead call in looking for service, but didn’t get the appointment set? Consider these approaches when making your call-back attempt to recapture that missed opportunity.

Securing an appointment from a prospect on a first attempt can be difficult and requires a certain skill set to do it at a high success rate. Although it is possible to set a high percentage of your prospect calls (especially with Call Coaching – just take a look at how this HVAC & Plumbing business increased their conversion rate) and you can certainly work internally to boost your appointment-setting techniques, there will inevitably be times where an interested caller slips away.

So what can you do?

Well, call them back and try to recapture their business, of course! It’s always worth a second try. (And with CallSource’s DealSaver program, you can be almost-instantly alerted when a prospect doesn’t set an appointment).

Outbound-calling, especially when calling someone who has already spoken to your business recently, requires a different approach than inbound calls do. Although some of these approaches should be used for inbound calls as well, here are tips when making outbound calls to recapture a missed opportunity.

You need to have a firm strategy in place before making the call. Know what you can are willing to say or give to set the appointment.

First, make sure to listen to the original call; identify the point where the caller did not make the appointment to understand what their objection is. This will dictate how your approach when calling him/her back. Choose from some of the approaches below to successfully gain the commitment.

Authority

Introduce yourself as a manager or some type of authority. This provides a feeling to the caller that they’ve been elevated to the next level.

Empathy

Create a same-team mentality. For example, if a caller did not book due to wanting an estimate price over the phone, you can say, “I understand you want a ballpark price over the phone; I’d want the same for my own home.” This demonstrates you understand the initial request and you can relate personally to the caller’s need while also putting them at ease.

Reassurance

Let them know up front you’re calling back because you’re confident you can provide them a solution. Communicate that this is the reason for the callback.

Reciprocity

This tactic may not need to be used at all – save this for when you have exhausted other resources or feel that the customer is upset, or will not commit without some tradeoff. This shows you’re willing to give something up to gain their business.

• Reduced trip charge, % off service, an extension of an expired coupon, etc.
• Consider increasing your flat-rate fee to create wiggle room

Likability

The main objective is building trust. You do this by helping the customer (driving them to the benefits of your business). This means seeking the interests of the customer over your own.

• People say yes to those they like and relate to (trust garnered from a feeling that you have their best interest in mind).
• Effective for overcoming price-shoppers when combined with the Professional Expert approach (see below).

Scarcity

Limited availability communicates that customers find your product valuable. Placing a deadline on an opportunity adds urgency which increases appeal.

• Time: “The schedule has just opened up” (can only be used if trust has been built first).
• Money: “After reviewing this month’s budget, I’m able to offer <product/service at reduced rate> through Saturday.”

Social Proof

As a means of survival, we look for shortcuts (social cues and patterns) to tell us what’s best.

• Share number of overall client-base, percentage of repeat/referral business, percentage of your local market share, or direct them to testimonials on your website or reviews online.
• Always: Follow a shared fact with the reason behind it.

Professional Expert

When a doctor writes a prescription for a diagnoses he or she doesn’t consult with the patient; he/she is confident in the knowledge and experience.

• Ask the caller technical questions, so they experience there’s more to their inquiry than they realize. However, you don’t want to alienate the customer; ask questions and share your knowledge, so they understand the breadth of your knowledge.
• To do this, the team member making the callback must have done his/her homework.

Going the distance

If you are not at capacity, what are you willing to do to get your tech to the door?

• Roll up your trip charge into the overall price (if normally separate fees)?
• Reduce or waive a diagnostic fee/trip charge all together?
• Offer a discount on your product or service? If so, to what degree? Communicate these to your callback team.

Now, are you ready to recapture that lost business? It is not lost until you’ve made every attempt – and I am confident that you can recapture those lost calls! Want to be able to track your efforts? Download our free appointment follow-up worksheet and track your success!

Source

https://www.callsource.com/blog/strategic-approaches-for-calling-back-missed-opportunities-for-home-improvement-businesses/

Bay Area Home Improvement is a new column on Claycord.com.

This week on Bay Area Home Improvement, we’re talking about Laminate with Kyle McClay, owner of American Kitchen Company in Concord.

Visit  to see more.

You can always review this and other videos on the Home Improvement Tab shown above.

Bay Area Home improvement is a new weekly column on Claycord providing you tips to help guide you along with your home projects. Kyle McClay, owner of American Kitchen Company in Concord, you may have seen on KRON4, will provide you with weekly tips on various subjects, complete with a short video. We will archive this and each edition on the Home Improvement tab above for anytime you wish to reference them.

You are welcome to leave your comments or ask questions for advice below.

Laminates are a multi-layer synthetic flooring product fused together with a lamination process to simulate wood. 

This sample here was designed to look like a European finished hardwood.

Laminates use a rating system to determine durability and recommended uses. The common term used to denote the durability level of laminate flooring is the Abrasion Criteria or “AC” rating. The AC rating represents a laminate’s resistance to abrasion, impact, stains and cigarette burns. An AC4 rating for example means it is 100% scratch resistant, water resistant, and durable enough to use for both residential and commercial buildings.

Laminate flooring is one of the hot trends in 2018. Everybody knows that wood floors was the norm, opulent homes always had beautiful wood flooring.  But with modern homes being built on concrete slab foundations, wood floors aren’t as compatible because of the moisture. So, they invented engineered wood. Today, they have mastered the laminate and they can print almost any design on it.

You get all the benefits of an engineered wood, you get the scratch resistance, it comes with a warranty, and it is cost significantly to meet your budget. The huge savings with laminate makes it a very popular option here in the Bay Area.

Leave your comments below.  We’d love to hear from you.

Source

http://claycord.com/2018/03/15/column-bay-area-home-improvement-with-kyle-mcclay-laminate/

Source

http://roommatesdecor.com/blog/rv-bathroom-renovation-with-peel-and-stick-tiles/

People renovate their houses for different reasons, one of the most common reasons being to increase the total value of the house. The most recommended renovation for your house is the bathroom renovation. Your bathroom renovation is not only a good way to hike your house’s worth, but also an effective way of increasing the space and hence the efficiency of the bathroom. You will need a couple of things for a successful bathroom renovation, as explained in this article. These necessities not only include the choice of bathtub designs or tile patterns, but also unexpected expenses and other unpleasant requirements that you have to think about.

1.    Budget

The budget should be your first priority. The first thing you need to recognize is that the more work you need on your bathroom renovation, the more you will spend. The larger the bathroom you intend to build, the more the budget increases. The best way to go about this is to set a limit on the amount of money you intend to spend on your bathroom renovation. The discussion with the contractor will then determine the amount of work and number of items you will be able to purchase for the resonation.

2.    Time requirements

You need a lot of time for the renovation. This time includes the time you need for planning the renovation as well as the amount of time you need for the entire remodeling process. You need to ensure that you plan all the required time to the completion of the renovation. Ensure that each process discussed with the contractor gets enough time.

3.    Unexpected needs.

It is possible for your project to have extra requirements that are foreseen by neither you nor the contractor. Systems such as plumbing systems or electricity systems might have faults that you did not know about. A complete bathroom renovation should include a complete replacement or repair of such systems to ensure that the functionality of the bathroom is at its peak. You should also ensure that you have extra time and money to deal with such issues when preparing the work schedule and the budget.

4.    Contractor

Although it is possible to perform the complete renovation without the help of a contractor, it is important that you consider hiring a professional one, especially when you have limited skills in the project. A contractor will help you decide the appropriate and precise measurements of the renovation and advice you on various factors such as the requirement for any replacement or repair of certain parts of the bathroom such as the plumbing, electricity and the best position placement for certain elements of the bathroom including cabinets.

5.    Measurements

Measuring the current bathroom is important. Even more important, is the measurement of the new bathroom. You need to how you will gain the additional space for the bathroom. You should understand that these measurements might affect additional aspects of the bathroom including the plumbing and electricity systems. It is also important to realize that the items you need to purchase for installation in the bathroom will also depend on the measurements. Your precision when making measurements and calculations will determine the success rate you have in the renovation.

6.    Style and preferences

Why do you want to renovate? What do you intend to replace? What improvements do you have planned? All these surround your preferences and the type of changes you intend to make. You should research on the available designs for certain elements of the bathroom including the tiles, wall paint, sinks, toilets and any storage, for instance cabinets. You should research on the best designs, alignment, and placement of different components and make efforts to choose a combination that complements each other.

7.    Walls and floors

Your walls and floors should have a certain waterproof element considering that it is a bathroom. You should choose different styles and designs for the color and the patterns of tiles on the bathroom floor. Ensure that they match you preferences and bring out the best of your bathroom.

8.    Lighting

The amount of light for your bathroom, whether night or day, is important. Without adequate lighting in the bathroom, you increase the chances of a fatal accident happening to the users of the bathroom. Adequate light per square area should be enough. Ensure that you make use of natural light during the day and that you have great artificial light for the dark times of the day.

Your bathroom’s efficiency depends on a number of aspects that include the arrangement and design of the different components of the bathroom, the lighting, as well as the space. The renovation project would greatly improve the functionality of the bathroom. However, when you do it wrong, you will face a loss as the bathroom will still have problems, which you should have eradicated during the planning phase.

Source

http://t2conline.com/things-that-you-need-for-a-bathroom-renovation/

Bay Area Home Improvement is a new column on Claycord.com.

This week on Bay Area Home Improvement, we’re talking Quartz with Kyle McClay, owner of American Kitchen Company in Concord.

Visit  to see more.

You can always review this and other videos on the Home Improvement Tab shown above.

Bay Area Home improvement is a new weekly column on Claycord providing you tips to help guide you along with your home projects. Kyle McClay, owner of American Kitchen Company in Concord, you may have seen on KRON4, will provide you with weekly tips on various subjects, complete with a short video. We will archive this and each edition on the Home Improvement tab above for anytime you wish to reference them.

You are welcome to leave your comments or ask questions for advice below.

Quartz is made from the hardest minerals on Earth and is arguably one of the most durable options for the kitchen.

Here’s why.

It is not mined like granite, it is grounded up in a factory and mixed with a polymer resin. It is around 94% grounded quartz.

The resin used to bind it makes it scratch and stain resistant. The resin also makes it non-porous. Therefore, mold, mildew, and any micro-bacteria cannot penetrate the material. This makes it very easy to clean with just a little bit of mild soap and water and a soft cloth.

In addition to being really strong, easy to clean, and micro-bacteria resistant, the main reason to want quartz, it’s beautiful.

Quartz is very designer friendly because it can do uninterrupted runs. When you put two pieces of quartz together, we simply match up the veins and it will look seamless.

Please leave your comments below, we’d love to hear from you.

Visit  to see more.

Source

http://claycord.com/2018/03/08/column-bay-area-home-improvement-with-kyle-mcclay-quartz/