5 Secrets to Get More Construction Jobs (In 2023)

 

Secret #1: How to Get More Leads Today

This day and age, more and more contractors are taking advantage of technology to grow their business. Before we get into how technology can be used to generate leads, we should discuss the problems with the old-school way of generating leads: word-of-mouth

The Problem with Getting Leads the Old-School Way

Getting leads by word of mouth has its pros and cons:

In one way, referrals can be some of the best kind of leads because of how high their conversion rates are. Basically, client connections can direct you to even more clients who you already have a good reputation with, which increases your chances of winning the job.

The thing is, word of mouth can only take you so far because you can’t control it.

Who’s to say that your clients will give you a referral or that their friends will even consider it? Word of mouth may lead to a higher closing rate, but the actual number of leads that come from it are unpredictable. This isn’t a good solution if you want to scale up your business.

How to get Leads in 2023

Nowadays, the most effective way to get leads is through sites called lead generation platforms.

These sites connect owners and architects to general contractors, as well as connect general contractors with subcontractors. Some popular examples are the Blue Book, Dodge Construction Network, Home Advisor, and Houzz. Even your Google Ads can function as a lead generation platform.

These platforms will essentially give you an unlimited supply of leads every week as they show you bids happening in your area. Just the other day, I went on my Blue Book account for a presentation and found 70 jobs happening in my location, just for that week. Then the next week a new batch is updated, then another one the next week… you get the idea.

With such a large selection available through these sites, contractors can be picky when it comes to which jobs they do, which pays off in the long run through more comfortable jobs, better client relationships and higher profit margins.

Secret #2: Provide Budgets for Architects

There is a secret weapon that most contractors aren’t using…

Many contractors miss out on getting involved early on in projects through giving budget pricing to architects in the design phase, and I find it hard to see why.

Not only does offering progress pricing to architects as they are designing projects build your relationship with them and make you the top candidate for the job, but it also can even be quite a simple process if you just outsource your estimating.

And look, I get it; it’s hard to convince contractors to make an estimate on projects that are still a year away from development, but that’s exactly why I recommend to YOU to go the extra mile and actually visit architects and offer budget pricing.

There are a few reasons why you want to get on an architect’s good side:

1. You get a foot in the door for whatever project you are helping on
2. Architects give the best referrals (lots of high-quality leads)
3. Their inexperience with construction, makes you a go-to expert (and contractor)

Essentially, by going the extra mile and helping architects with budgeting their projects in the design process, you gain an influence with the architect that basically guarantees you the job.

Even if your price is higher than your competitors, a good relationship is priceless. Become an architect’s best friend and reap the long-term rewards.

Secret #3: If You’re a Sub, Start Making Friends

The value of being a preferred subcontractor cannot be stressed enough and this benefit only increases with the more general contractors you’re connected to. For subs, you don’t just want one best friend, you want as many as possible.

When I worked at Caroni (the subcontractor I’m always talking about in my videos) this secret is what exploded our business.

Once we put in the work of doing the unwanted jobs (demos, union jobs, etc.) it gave us an outlet to get to know these general contractors and the senior management. Over the next few months and years, we would gain the trust of these general contractors and they would consistently entrust us with their most important jobs.

One contractor even called me one time saying “Daniel, you’re the high bidder, is there anything we can do?” I only had to drop our price a bit and it was enough for him, we got the job. In this scenario, the relationship building paid off.

Even though we started off with doing small jobs, this kind of dedication to multiple general contractors is what eventually took Caroni from less than a million dollars a year to 7 million dollars a year in less than two years.

The moral of the story? If you’re a subcontractor, you have to start getting on the good side of as many general contractors as you can.

Secret #4: Get Jobs Before there’s an Architect

Imagine if you can walk out the door with a project before there’s an architect or even a plan, is that even possible?

It definitely is possible, but maybe not in the way you expect…

Realtors are some of the most undervalued professionals in the industry and many contractors miss out on using them as a source for leads.

The thing is, realtors are the first point of contact the owner has in the project process, so naturally, realtors can help you get your foot in the door of projects before any other competitor.

Nowadays, renovation is an expectation in most commercial and even residential real estate dealings. Contractors can take advantage of this by reaching out to realtors and offering to manage renovation projects from the get-go.

As the general contractor, you can even subcontract an architect if you need to and still not be under any management for the entirety of the project. As a subcontractor, you can still capitalize on this lead by taking the project to a familiar general contractor, who can manage the project for you.

In terms of estimating these jobs, you can check out our article on the basics of construction estimating.

Secret #5: Go After the Perfect Client

As you saw in Secrets #2 and #3, a key to growing your construction business is dedicating yourself to clients that will keep depending on you.

In this case, property managers are your best friends.

Although they’re often overlooked by many contractors as unimportant, property managers can be significant when it comes to the fact that they often function as owner’s reps. This means that they are the ones overseeing renovations and other maintenance projects, making them steady sources of work every month.

And especially when you consider the fact that property managers tend to represent dozens of properties, these are the kind of clients that can keep small jobs coming through the front door, making them valuable for consistent returns.