5 ways to expand your geographic reach by using virtual sales

Have you ever wondered what a digital sales process and virtual selling could do for your contracting business? Is it the next step in growing your company, or will it decrease your close rates?

Paul Trautmann, owner of Timberland Exteriors, asked those exact same questions. 

Paul has been a part of the remodeling industry since 1993. His company serves thousands of homeowners from their four locations (Minneapolis and St. Paul, MN; Detroit Lakes, MN; and Western, WI). 

As a home improvement pro, Paul loved the traditional sales process of at-home meetings.

“I like meeting homeowners and enjoyed meeting them face-to-face. I wanted to do these presentations face-to-face because I thought my presence in the home helped my close rate.” 

Paul initially invested in One Click Contractor because of the easy estimation process. A year into using One Click Contractor, he finally gave virtual presentations a go and was immediately hooked.

“Once I started doing virtual presentations I realized this was the way to do it,” he said.

Here’s how switching to a virtual sales process with One Click Contractor helped transform his business: 

1. Boosted closing rate & increased profit 

Paul saw his close rates increase dramatically after he implemented virtual selling into his business process which led to a large profit increase.

2. High customer engagement

Prior to virtual presentations, typical sales appointments with homeowners lasted roughly 45 minutes and could leave a sales rep unsure of where the customer stood. Now, virtual appointments can last anywhere from 2-3 hours!  “People are more willing to chat when relaxed,” Paul said, as seen from his increased appointment length. Homeowners are more engaged when they can see the overall design and take an active role in the sales process so that they can help Paul and his team customize  the project based on their budget and needs.

3. Fewer canceled appointments

Taking your sales process online allows for greater flexibility in your schedule. This makes it easier to meet with busy homeowners anywhere at anytime. Paul and his company once helped a couple with one spouse was at home while the other was on a business trip in Ireland. The homeowners were still able to keep their appointment because Paul made it easy to meet when their schedules allowed. 

4. Expanded service area

Because Paul began using the virtual sales platform, including built-in video conferencing and screen share capabilities from One Click Contractor, he and his sales staff can sell from anywhere. Paul no longer has to factor in drive time and homeowners aren’t rushing to tidy up before the meeting begins. Virtual appointments enabled Paul to able to open up a fourth location with Timberland Exteriors, adding service opportunities to the Wisconsin area. 

5. Referrals based ONLY on the sales process 

Homeowners are revving about Paul’s new virtual sales process. Many love it so much they actually provide a referral to a friend or neighbor, even before Paul and his team have started the work on the customer’s homes. “This is the only way to sell,” Paul said, “I’ll never go back to doing it the old way.” 

If you want to learn more about Paul’s experience with virtual selling through One Click Contractor, and see how you can start deploying some of these strategies in your business, download the full case study on Timberland Exteriors.

Ready to go? 

Contact a member of our team to schedule a demo of the One Click Contractor platform to learn how you can make virtual selling work for your business.