{"id":6470,"date":"2019-07-22T17:05:27","date_gmt":"2019-07-22T05:05:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nextleveltradie.co.nz\/?p=6470"},"modified":"2020-11-11T08:42:25","modified_gmt":"2020-11-10T19:42:25","slug":"protect-your-reputation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nextleveltradie.co.nz\/protect-your-reputation\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Ways To Protect Your Reputation As You Grow"},"content":{"rendered":"

5 WAYS TO PROTECT YOUR REPUTATION AS YOU GROW<\/strong><\/h3>\n

You\u2019ve built up a good reputation. You don\u2019t want to lose it.<\/p>\n

But to achieve good strong profits for the long haul, you need to grow. Win bigger and better projects. Be able to command higher prices.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, as you grow, it can be hard to keep control. If staff are messing up jobs, fixing mistakes can be costly. When work is not done to your standards, it gets really stressful, clients get let down, and it\u2019s your reputation on the line.<\/p>\n

This is why many business owners get stuck at their current level of income. Or try it for awhile – then scale back, deciding it\u2019s not worth it.<\/p>\n

Thing is, running a local business comes down to relationships. Reputation is everything.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s how to protect it:<\/p>\n

1. Keep the main thing, the main thing<\/strong><\/h4>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Consistently delivering a quality outcome for your clients is essential. That\u2019s number one. And the best insurance policy for your reputation.<\/p>\n

If you build a great experience, customers will tell each other about that.<\/p>\n

As you grow, you\u2019re going to have increased costs. To cover this, you need to charge more. You can only charge more if you give the value. Meaning you have to hold yourself to a higher standard of service. <\/p>\n

Don\u2019t be the same. Be better. Let your team know that customer service is everyone\u2019s job.  Have standards of behaviour: punctuality, respecting property, leaving things tidy, polite language, helpful accommodating attitude to customers and other trades onsite.<\/p>\n

Keep lines of communication open. Keep customers informed. Use a client portal. Give multiple contact numbers and emails for all team members up the chain, including yours. Sort problems early.<\/p>\n

Check in with clients at end of the job. Show them what you\u2019ve achieved. Wow them with a thank you gift at handover.<\/p>\n

Also important to manage customer expectations. Make sure they\u2019re realistic and everyone\u2019s on the same page. Explain your process. Educate them around what they\u2019re trying to achieve.<\/p>\n

Be honest and transparent. When everything\u2019s out on the table, there are no surprises.<\/p>\n

Make sure variations are agreed on and clearly documented. So there are no arguments over the bill later.<\/p>\n

2. Deliver exactly what you say you will <\/strong><\/h4>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Quality is the best business plan. But you (and your high standards) can\u2019t be everywhere. So it\u2019s vital to start documenting systems, checklists, policies and procedures ASAP.<\/p>\n

Everything should go through the system, not through you. Get everything out of your head. So there is a benchmark for whether work is up to scratch or not.<\/p>\n

Robust systems allow you to keep your team organised, projects on schedule, get all resources onsite, ensure everything is done right, and minimise mistakes – while juggling multiple jobs.<\/p>\n

Systems will set you free – and keep staff accountable to the same level of care and commitment you have (or close to it).<\/p>\n

Remember your team is working within the infrastructure you\u2019ve created. 94% of problems are actually a result of the system, not the people.<\/a><\/p>\n

Reputation comes from consistency. Consistency makes you reliable and easy to deal with.<\/p>\n

Just make sure you:<\/p>\n

3. Don\u2019t cut all the ropes<\/strong><\/h4>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Your employees are out there, representing your name every day.<\/p>\n

You want them buying into your vision, your standards – and taking responsibility for their part. You also want to create an environment where they perform at their best.<\/p>\n

Set them up for success. Make sure they know exactly what\u2019s expected. Set targets so they stay motivated, on track, and always know whether they\u2019re winning. Install a reward system.<\/p>\n

Invest in the best tools and equipment to get the job done to the highest possible standard (and boost productivity).<\/p>\n

If you look after your staff, they\u2019ll look after your customers. Provide interesting projects; Recognition for a job well done; Let them in on things that are going on in the company; Ongoing training; Emphasis on safety.<\/p>\n

Put the necessary checks in place so you\u2019re keeping tabs. Check in with your team at regular intervals. Especially at critical points in larger jobs. Then you\u2019ll be able to intervene early if the job is going south.<\/p>\n

Hold team meetings to ensure everyone\u2019s heading the same way; Touch base often in 1 on 1s. This should ensure you\u2019re well informed of any issues – not blindsided by a call from an irate customer – or disgruntled employee ranting on Facebook about his boss that doesn\u2019t give a shit.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t be afraid to move on a staff member with a bad attitude. Sooner rather than later.<\/p>\n

Staff theft is also not uncommon. Your name can get dragged through the mud if the media gets hold of the story. Best chance of preventing this is background checks when hiring, and keeping careful track of tools\/materials so you know if stuff goes missing.<\/p>\n

4. Stack the odds in your favour<\/strong><\/h4>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

93% of customers are influenced by online reviews.<\/a><\/p>\n

So build and manage your online reputation on purpose.<\/p>\n

Maintain an active online presence (website and Facebook page at least). Showcase your expertise, talk about what sets you apart, your quality guarantee, awards, trades association membership, before and after photos of your work, and share success stories.<\/p>\n

Make it easy for customers to leave a review.<\/p>\n

Why not incentivise your team for positive reviews? Reward them anytime their efforts get your company a 5-star review!<\/p>\n

Monitor for new reviews and mentions using Google Alerts.<\/p>\n

Respond quickly to all comments on the same platform. Always be professional, helpful, polite. If you\u2019re in the wrong, own it, fix it, put things right. This is an opportunity to turn this client into a raving fan. If they\u2019re being unreasonable, a solid humble reply explaining the situation should make this clear to all.<\/p>\n

Future clients will read your replies (especially to complaints) and formulate an opinion on what you\u2019re like to work with. They\u2019re looking to see any hint they\u2019ll be ripped off, of shoddy work, that you\u2019ll be hard to deal with, dis-honesty, lax communication, if you leave a mess and don\u2019t care, whether you\u2019ll fix things if there\u2019s unforeseen problems.<\/p>\n

5. The faster you go, the bigger the mess<\/strong><\/h4>\n

<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t try to grow too big too fast.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t try to run too many projects at once.<\/p>\n

82% of businesses fail because of strangled cashflow.<\/a><\/p>\n

This gets you into trouble hurting your reputation as things quickly spiral out of control.<\/p>\n

Suddenly you\u2019ve run out of cash for suppliers, you\u2019re on stop credit, you\u2019ve got no money for wages, and customers are furious you can\u2019t finish the build.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve seen this play out too many times. It comes from not having the strong foundation and infrastructure needed to support your growth.<\/p>\n

Remember what\u2019s happening in your business now is the result of what you put in 12 months ago.<\/p>\n

Are you thinking strategically, playing the long game, pacing yourself, with a good business model and solid gameplan?<\/p>\n

You\u2019ve gotta watch your numbers like a hawk. Make sure you have margin in the jobs. (No point \u201cgrowing\u201d if there\u2019s no extra profit.)  Know which jobs you want \u2013 say no to the ones you don\u2019t. Play to your strengths. As a specialist you\u2019ll be able to build your reputation quicker.<\/p>\n

Want to set yourself up for success as you grow? Get my free “Next Level Your Profit” Guide here<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n\t\n\t\t

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5 WAYS TO PROTECT YOUR REPUTATION AS YOU GROW You\u2019ve built up a good reputation. You don\u2019t want to lose it. But to achieve good strong profits for the long haul, you need to grow. Win bigger and better projects. Be able to command higher prices. Unfortunately, as you grow, it can be hard to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6520,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[5,8,9],"tags":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nextleveltradie.co.nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6470"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nextleveltradie.co.nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nextleveltradie.co.nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nextleveltradie.co.nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nextleveltradie.co.nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6470"}],"version-history":[{"count":34,"href":"https:\/\/nextleveltradie.co.nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6470\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8295,"href":"https:\/\/nextleveltradie.co.nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6470\/revisions\/8295"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nextleveltradie.co.nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6520"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nextleveltradie.co.nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6470"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nextleveltradie.co.nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6470"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nextleveltradie.co.nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6470"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}