One of the great things about blogging as a builder or remodeler is that it gives you a platform to present yourself as a trusted expert. Your blog can help you establish yourself as a knowledgeable professional who is sharing expertise and experience with people to help them have the best possible building or remodeling experience.
Just because you’re an expert, however, that doesn’t mean you haven’t run into some rough times in the building and remodeling business. And it’s a mistake to think that people will have a poorer impression of you if you share those. In fact, it’s those bad experiences that are often the most memorable for potential customers—and likely the most helpful.
Sharing the pitfalls and obstacles you’ve faced in building and remodeling is extremely helpful—if you share how to avoid them and overcome them. Talking about the tough issues you’ve faced can increase your credibility with potential clients. And that can serve you well down the road. After all, do you really want to set up an expectation that your future client won’t face any problems once the project gets started?
So how and what can you share about the troubles you’ve seen—without scaring clients away? When talking about problems, the “how” may be more important than the “what.” Stay positive. Be a calming influence. Be reassuring that even when problems arise, you’re there to walk them through those problems to a happy and satisfying conclusion. Part of what you bring to the equation is perspective. Remind them that brief construction delays and slight cost overruns generally aren’t fatal. And a little humor (especially self-deprecating humor) can go a long way.
What should you share? You can talk about things that were beyond your control, like weather-related delays or material shortages. You can talk about some of the battles you’ve had to fight regarding zoning or permits. You can talk about actual mistakes you’ve made—and how learning from them made you a better builder. And you can even talk (in general terms) about unreasonable clients you’ve had and how their attitudes ended up hurting—not just you, but themselves and their project.
If nobody knows the trouble you’ve seen, it’s not necessarily a good thing. Share it selectively and in a positive way, with a focus on how it can help your clients.
What’s the best “unsuccess” story you’ve got for your clients?