I had to call a locksmith in this week for reasons that were all my own stupid doing.
Not having had to deal with a locksmith before I did what everyone does, I Googled it and called the number at the top of the list to ask for a quote. To say that quote was somewhat higher than I had expected is an understatement (I was willing to pay for my stupidity … but not that much) so I tried one of the trades’ sites I’d seen advertised.
By Monday morning I had 6 responses. I scanned them and made my decision. At first my selection criteria were subliminal. However, when I thought back I realised I’d probably used a number of the tips we give clients when we’re discussing how to increase tender/pitch conversion rates namely:
1. Put some effort in
People can see a half-arsed cut and paste job a mile away and that type of lazy approach will never endear you to the reader. In this case the locksmith had topped and tailed his response like a letter and tailored it by using some of the words I’d put in my request. All the others were basically one liners that said “it’ll be £x”.
2. Make it easy to read
He had also split up the key sentences so his quote was really easy to follow. And because it looked that little bit longer, it again showed he’d made an effort and actually wanted the work.
3. Support your price
Whereas the other 5 quotes just gave me a single price, the chap I chose split out call out, labour and parts. He then confirmed that was a fixed price while the others said it may be more once they’d seen the job and/or decided other parts were needed.
4. Add value
He then added in that he’d give me 3 free keys and give the mechanism the once over in case there was anything else he could do to make the lock more secure.
I’ll also stress he was the second most expensive but because of the added value, the breakdown of the fee and the cost certainty, he got the call.
5. Include a clear call-to-action
At the foot of his message he gave me his first name and told me to ring him on either his landline or mobile (providing both numbers). Never assume those asking for a quote/pitch/tender has your details to hand. Always spell out how to contact you and make it as easy as possible – simple as it sounds, this one step alone will increase your conversion rate!
6. Maintain a high online rating
The last thing I looked at was his rating. As it was 5 stars, that was my mind made up and I rang him.
Admittedly, this is not a major consideration for larger firms with commercially focused practices but it is essential for any firms looking to generate more enquiries online while we’re operating under the current restrictions. Having a high Trust Pilot rating could be the difference between you getting the email or call you want and not getting it so make sure your fee earners know they have to ask for that rating (and how to do it).
While all of these factors won my locksmith the job, I’m also happy to report everything went like a dream afterwards too. He was very professional on the phone and personable when he arrived. He also realigned the door and tightened up the cylinder – whatever that is – for free before finishing the job within 3 hours of my call. And that means I’m now more than happy to recommend him should anyone ask.
If you’d like to discuss how you can increase your pitch/tender conversion rate, please email us at info@tenandahalf.co.cuk and we can arrange a time to talk.