It’s long been said that ‘good work speaks for itself’. Of course, that’s not to reduce the merit of self-promotion or having the gift of the gab; there’s nothing wrong with using your charisma to bag the jobs you feel you can absolutely nail. On the other hand though, you can be an excellent worker without having the public speaking skills but you can’t be the other way around. Otherwise the phrase ‘all bark and no bite’ springs to mind.
Let’s talk briefly about word of mouth. It’s a powerful concept, in both the positive and negative spins; word of mouth can literally make or break your career. Back in the good old days if you became known for first-rate work in your local area, news of your excellent craftsmanship would travel through the townsfolk like wildfire. Now things are a little more competitive and a good tradesman needs to travel a little farther and a little wider to maintain a good level of clientele. People may sat word of mouth is a dying medium, but that may not necessarily be true; it could still be floating among us, just wearing a different face.
The revolution of the Internet, social media and the ability to research anything under the sun has pushed companies to dive in and utilise the new medium to their advantage. It’s the same with the customer voice; punters have taken to the virtual world to express their admiration or contempt of the contractor they have just recently employed, and now, these words of praise and damnation spread far further far quicker than ever before! Word of mouth is now more relevant than ever.
As a tradesman, putting the care and professionalism into every job you do is paramount because the client you do the job for has one of the most powerful weapons of slander known to man, and they really know it. A consumer having the power to ‘review’ you work shouldn’t be a shotgun in your back though; see it as more of a chance to spread the word of your excellent talents. It’s essentially free advertising! Now it’s common practice for a trader to finish the job, hand out a business card with a big smile and politely ask their customer to leave a review on whichever website they found them.
If you want to boost your potential client base and show you’re the kind of person to be trusted to do a quality job, get the good word of mouth flowing. Show you’ve got all the necessary qualifications by getting CSCS certified. That’s where Construction Helpline can help; they’re dedicated to helping you find the qualification relevant to your trade, then they’ll get you booked in for a test and have your ID card sent straight to your front door. Once you’re up and running you’ll be able to give your customers that extra piece of mind that you’re one of the best. Give Construction Helpline a call, they’re always here to help.