Blog Summary: Discover five practical strategies to build trust, enhance communication, and strengthen relationships in the construction industry.
In the construction industry, maintaining a strong network can spell the difference between success and failure… but why are relationships important in construction?
Regardless of your trade or job title, building and maintaining relationships can help you avoid the desperate struggle for new project opportunities in favor of a consistent flow of repeat business provided by your connections.
So what strategies can be implemented to build stronger business relationships in the construction industry? We’re glad you asked. Here are a few ways that using Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tools like those found in PlanHub can help.
Get Personal
CRM tools like PlanHub easily provide you with a digital record of a contact’s past projects, previous interactions, and communication preferences. Businesses like yours can use this information to familiarize themselves with their contacts to make interactions feel more personal and helpful. Whether remembering a general contractor’s nickname, referencing their recent project-based needs, or wishing them a happy birthday, personalization goes a long way in transforming contacts into long-term connections.
Fulfill Your Network’s Need for Speed
Providing your connections with requested information promptly requires a well-organized, well-maintained system that allows you to pinpoint that data quickly. For instance, PlanHub’s CRM tools are fully integrated with other areas of the platform, giving you easy access to everything from bid statuses to project management updates, all in one place. This ensures that you can act and respond to messages and inquiries without missing a beat – or a message.
PlanHub’s all-in-one platform allows you to easily access measurements and costs from takeoffs, provide an update on active ITBs, or pass along feedback about a recent bid. Quick, efficient responses are always a great way to earn brownie points with your connections, so speedy access to requested information and updates is an absolute must.
Communicate in One Place
Today’s construction professionals communicate in plenty of different ways—email, texts, phone, live chat, and more. PlansHub is the perfect example of a platform that helps you consolidate all your communication into a single integrated platform, ensuring you never lose track of your conversations. If you want consistent and seamless communication across different touchpoints (and why wouldn’t you?), relying on CRM tools is a great way to streamline your messages, eliminate confusion, and ensure that your connections are always happy to hear from you.
Organize Your Network
CRM tools allow you to organize your contacts into smaller, more targeted groups based on their expertise, location, or anything else you want. This segmentation makes it fast and easy to dive into your network and narrow down the connections you want to reach out to.
Friendly Follow-Up
A strong relationship in construction doesn’t need to end when a project is completed. CRM tools make it easy for you to touch base with anyone you worked with in the past to get feedback, say thanks, or discuss the possibility of working together again. Keeping the conversation alive (and showing that you haven’t forgotten about them in the process) is a great way to ensure they don’t forget about you, especially when it’s time to start assembling a team for the next big job.
The Bottom Line
In the competitive world of construction, building long-lasting relationships is essential for your success. By utilizing CRM tools, you can streamline communication, provide personalized service, improve project management, foster collaboration, and gain valuable insights to continuously improve your relationship with contractors, suppliers, and partners.
Ultimately, an integrated management tool like PlanHub not only helps to manage your projects more efficiently but also builds the trust and rapport that are vital for long-term success in the construction industry.
If you are looking for an all-in-one preconstruction software that offers CRM features, bid/project management tools and more in one budget-friendly package, PlanHub offers all of the features you need to manage your relationships and contacts with ease. Check it out today and learn how we can help you network, bid and grow!
