Ecmweb 7874 Bill Murdy Pr 8
Ecmweb 7874 Bill Murdy Pr 8
Ecmweb 7874 Bill Murdy Pr 8
Ecmweb 7874 Bill Murdy Pr 8
Ecmweb 7874 Bill Murdy Pr 8

Marketing Your Electrical Service Business Strengths

Nov. 16, 2015
To be good at anything, you need to dedicate yourself to an idea and follow through.  
Bill Murdy

Shakespeare said, ‘To thine own self be true.’” More recently Pete Townsend said, “Who are you?” To be good at anything, you need to dedicate yourself to an idea and follow through.

Are you being true to yourself and your company? Have you committed the resources and, perhaps most importantly, the mind-set to be successful at residential electrical service? Is it the niche that you want to excel at, or do you continue to dabble in all aspects of the very varied electrical industry?

New construction can offer steady work, predictable hours, and reduced after-hours commitments of having to touch base with clients. It can also have its own share of headaches in low-bid pricing, general contractor scheduling, and collection problems. Commercial wiring also offers its own set of pros and cons. So does smart-house wiring with programming issues and constant updating on new technologies. Therefore, you have to know yourself and what you enjoy or desire your company to be in the electrical field so you can define who you are to your customer.

Is it possible for a new electrical construction company to offer residential service? Of course it is! Is it good practice to send out an electrician after six hours pulling wires on a job site to take care of Mrs. Jones’ flickering kitchen light? I don’t think so. This electrician is tired, wearing soiled clothes from a hard day working on the job, and probably not in the best mind-set to offer Mrs. Jones an above-average service experience. Will he be looking for anything other than doing the minimum and getting home in time for dinner? Will he take the time to ask Mrs. Jones if she’s been having any other electrical issues or if she has had her smoke or carbon monoxide detectors checked lately? Probably not.

Related

If you do electrical construction and are considering offering residential electrical services, be committed to the idea of residential service. I would recommend creating a different division in your company with the sole focus of offering top-notch residential service. Hire employees specifically for the characteristics that will enable them to excel when dealing with a residential customer and train them so they possess good customer service skills. Always be on the lookout for that next great technician. Communication skills are the key to success in the service business and are not easily taught.

From start to finish, your company, or service division, needs to let your customers know that your goal is to take care of their needs and make them a lifelong customer. Your message needs to be clear to your customers. From the way you answer your phones, to how you set up your marketing, and even to how you wrap your trucks, always make sure your service message comes through loud and clear. In this day of multi-colored truck wraps, it can be easy to get carried away and confuse your message by putting too much on your service vehicles. If you can’t read the company name and the primary service within a few seconds at a stop light, you might want to simplify things a bit because your audience will have an even harder time deciphering your true message.

For success in any business — especially electrical residential service — stand out by creating a clear vision, take the time to train your employees, and let your customers know that they are your priority. Your perseverance will be rewarded in a growing business of lifetime customers.   

Murdy grew up in the electrical industry and holds a degree in electrical engineering. He has been in the residential electrical service industry for 30 years and has been a business owner for more than 25 years. He independently owns and operates the Mister Sparky electric franchise serving western Long Island, N.Y. He can be reached at [email protected].

About the Author

Bill Murdy | Owner

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