Focusing your sales
So, you’ve got the foundations in place. You and your team are committed to the long-term growth of the business.
You’re ready to tap into the mine of information in the planning system and start hunting down work. There’s just one problem: there are over 340 local planning authorities around the country. It’s time for a system. And it’s time to focus.
First of all, every construction sales professional needs a source of sales leads to work from. There are four main providers, the best known being Glenigan and Barbour ABI. We’ll come to them and their competitors shortly, to help you decide which service is best for you.
Whichever provider you choose, you’ll be able to specify what you want to see using a broad range of filters. They will allow you to narrow down the vast tide of information coming out of the planning system into a manageable stream of top quality opportunities. They could include:
- Location – work that is closer to you and your team, or in a region you want to expand into.
- Price – jobs in the right price bracket for your firm, where the margins are good and where you have demonstrable experience.
- Expertise – projects that are in your wheelhouse or where you have particular skills.
- Sector – residential or commercial, education, healthcare, retail – whatever your preferred sub-section of construction, you can find leads to suit your needs.
- Specialty – perhaps you have a niche interest, such as the luxury market, heritage refurbishments, or sustainable construction. Look for jobs that fit these interests.
- Satisfaction – don’t forget your own personal preferences. Which jobs are the most rewarding?
Look for work that you know you’ll enjoy.
Use search criteria like these to exclude the jobs that aren’t going to be of interest. Once you’ve got a source of incoming tender enquiries, it’s time to start turning them into tenders and then into contracts.