Tip #3
Building Trust is Crucial

In part 1 of our top tips on making the most of your window cleaning quotes, we discussed ways to reduce time and money spent on quotes and in part 2 you learned the importance of providing accurate quotes.

In this section, we dive into the topic of trust and how crucial it is to turn quotes into paid jobs (and ultimately running a successful business). We will discuss ways to make the most of your bids by creating more compelling quotes that will greatly improve your chances of earning the business.

Have you ever calculated what percentage of your customer quotes convert into paid work?

This percentage is an important factor to the success of your business. If you could increase this percentage:

• You would not need to visit as many customers to earn the same income
• Or, you could increase your revenue-generating hours of work and increase your income
• It would help you optimize your marketing budget. You spend money getting people to find you, but if your quotes aren't being accepted, that money is being wasted.

Below we'll discuss a few important factors to building trust in your quotes and therefore improving your chances of landing the job.

Responsiveness

When a customer makes contact, they are more than likely looking to have the work done sooner rather than later. Most customers are also likely to have called 2 or 3 companies so that they can compare quotes.

If it takes you several days to get to a quote, the customer may get the impression you're not on top of things. This perception may be far from the truth, but they will be less likely to trust you with the job. They may also have already agreed to have the work done by a competitor before you're even available to quote on the job.

By providing a quick response time for quotes, customers perceive that you are diligent and that you value their business, which builds trust.

What if you could provide quotes:

• Between jobs, right on your phone in a couple of minutes?
• Anytime and anywhere, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year?

Accreditation

People are used to seeing some sort of accreditation for the professionals they hire. You likely would not want to visit a doctor who did not graduate from medical school. Nor would you trust a plumber or electrician who is not certified by the state.

Though the window cleaning industry is not as regulated, it's still very beneficial to show prospects you are a legitimate business and have the proper accreditation. We recommend you include the following along with your quotes:

• License/Certifications you've earned (shows competence)
• Proof of insurance (this will put the customer's mind at ease that everything will be ok in the event that something should go wrong)
• W9 (important for commercial jobs)
• A customer "bill of rights" if you have one. This will convey that you value and respect your customers and that you will act ethically
• Any other documentation that shows you are a legitimate business with professional equipment and competent, well-trained staff
• Customers may not read all the details of these documents, but being aware of their inclusion is enough to build trust and put you ahead of your competition.

Social Proof

People rely on others to evaluate the trustworthiness of individuals and businesses. Your quote should include

• Testimonials
• If your ratings on sites such as Yelp and Google are high, mention them and link to those sites
• Pictures of your work (especially before-and-after photos). This will help customers confirm your competence and consider additional services as they begin to visualize how their home will look after you're done.
• By attaching these additional items to your quote, the customer's perception of your company increases dramatically and along with it your chances of edging out competitors who do not include them.

Now that we've covered building trust with your customers, the next section will dive into making the most of each trip.