The Contractor’s Quick Guide To A Rehash Program That Gets Results

Use Sales Lead Management Software To Capture SalesYou Did Not Get The First Time

If you’re like most home improvement contractors, you’d love to have a robust and effective rehash program. Truthfully, who doesn’t want to recover some of their unsold prospects?

(Answer: No one.)

But, like most contractors, there’s a reason you’re on the fence about actually implementing a rehash program.

After all… you’ve already used precious time and money on those prospects who didn’t sign. And let’s face it—some prospects are never going to close, no matter how good your follow-up process is.

Yet there are plenty of unsold prospects who CAN be closed with just a little more effort. The problem comes in the uncertainty. You don’t know which ones will or won’t close without some consistent follow-up. And time and money spent on “unclosable” prospects is time and money NOT spent on closing new prospects and generating new leads.

So that’s the dilemma. You are leaving money on the table without a rehash program in place and creating an effective, sustainable rehash program takes precious time and money.

Believe it or not, there is a solution. One that gives a contractor the benefits that come from consistent follow-up, but without all the tedious tasks and costs typically associated with a rehash program.

Before diving into the specifics, we need to take a small detour and explain the big reason rehash programs often fail. Understanding that will help you better understand the solution.

The 2 BIG Reasons Contractor Rehash Programs Fail

Home improvement contractors that do attempt a rehash program typically fall into two categories. If you’ve tried a rehash program in the past, see if either of these sound familiar…

#1: Half-Baked, Haphazard Rehash Attempts

One category could be called the slapdash approach. This is where sales consultants are encouraged to remember to follow up with a phone call to prospects that did not close. And the office manager is asked to be sure to send an email the next day after a failed appointment. Plus, any number of other cobbled-together strategies.

This often leads to a lot of “notes to self” stuck to various desks or manually adding reminders into calendars. They all require relying partially or totally on human memory and manual tasks. This kind of rehash is not really a system at all; just a vague commitment to “be sure to follow up” on those appointments that did not end in a sale.

#2: Generic CRM Doesn’t Cut It

The other typical rehash program is one step up from that. More organized plans are made for how follow-up will be done. Prospects are loaded manually into an Excel spreadsheet or similar software, with dates to follow up. Someone is assigned to keep up with it.

Or sometimes, a generic sales lead management software (also called Customer Relationship Management or CRM) is used for tracking follow-up. But there are problems here, too, because either the CRM does not have robust automated tools, or the tools they do have are so complicated to set up and use that you need two Tylenol just thinking about it.

To summarize all this, the two big reasons rehash programs fail are:

• They rely too much on human memory and manual action, or
• They are reliant on a CRM that is not meant for contractors.

But these problems can also point us to the solution…if we’re paying attention.

What’s needed is a proper sales follow-up system. One that’s simple to use and utilizes effective automation tools and software made specifically for contractors.

Creating A Simple And Effective ContractorRehash Program… In One Afternoon

This might sound surprising, but you really can set up a solid rehash program, from beginning to end, in one afternoon. One that works effectively right out of the gate, yet can easily be fine-tuned and optimized over time.

All you need are the following:

1. CRM software that…

a. Makes setting up automated emails and text messages incredibly easy for each stage of your lead process

b. Can generate reminders to your team on exactly when to follow up with direct calls.

2. One or two hours to think through message frequency, what you want the messages to say, and what channels you want to use to deliver those messages.

So, to get started, let’s go in reverse order and start with #2 first. Here are some of the determination you should consider and decide on:

• Will I send a follow-up message to prospects who didn’t close using email, text messages, or both?
• What will be the frequency of those messages, and for how long will I continue to send them?
• What will those messages say?
• Do I want to set reminders for sales consultants or other team members to follow up with phone calls, and when and how often do I want that to occur?

The number one thing when doing this is to not overthink your answers! It is better to just get started; you can always fine-tune all aspects of these messages as you go along. Remember, done is better than perfect!

Sending something is better than not sending anything at all. And as long as your message is typo-free and makes sense, that’s enough to get rolling. You can always consider refining that message in the future for even better results.

Now, let’s go back to #1. If you have the right sales lead management software (one built for contractors and one that has the best features), then you can typically set up the automated communication in 30 minutes or less.

Of course, if you offer multiple services and products, or have other things that may require further customization, that could add to the set-up time. But the basic point stays the same: with the right CRM software, setting up an effective and automated rehash program is a matter of hours, not days or weeks.

What To Look For In CRM Contractor Software

There is a lot of CRM software out there–some generic and high-quality. But, many times, these offerings are not specifically designed for home contractors, so it’s best to avoid them.

And, even with CRMs built specifically for home services businesses, not all of them are created equal.

Demand that your sales lead management software has all these features:

• Fail-Safe Lead Tracking
• Worry-Proof Follow-Up
• Streamlined Scheduling
• Customized Estimates
• Precision Reporting
• Production Management

And, of course, insist that it makes implementing an automated rehash system ridiculously easy.

You’ll also want to make sure the CRM you choose has the kind of support behind it that can actually help you when you need it.

Not the kind of support that is, “Press 6, now press 3, then press 9, and then talk to someone who sounds a million miles away and sounds like they are reading a script.” Find a company that is actually dedicated to helping you, human to human.

Taking The Next Step

Builder Prime’s CRM software is built specifically for contractors and has the best support in the industry.

We are not just CRM providers; we are business partners to our clients. If you would like proof, we’d be honored for you to reach out to us and set up a demo. As part of the demo, we can show you how easy it is to set up a simple and effective rehash program using this all-in-one software for contractors.

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