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Blue red and dark blue waves on a black background 1200x633

3 Ways Top Contractors Lose Clients – And How Mobile Can Help

Last week we listed the 5 Signs Your Workflow Needs Mobile. We covered the major setbacks that come with subpar tech, but the challenges don’t end there. Even with a mobile strategy, you may still be in serious need of a digital transformation.

Your “post-transformation” competitors have already taken their mobile strategies a step further. Their to-do list probably looked like this:

  • Adopt mobile tech that unifies collaboration, reporting and automation tools into a single platform.

  • Make sure that project managers are equipped with everything they need to act as a trusted ally to potential clients.

  • As a mobile-empowered company, win-over the competition’s clients

To help you beat them at their own game, we’ve laid out 3 ways top contractors lose clients.

1. Bad project launch

As the famous adage says, begin as you mean to go on. Put simply: how you start a project matters. The beginning of the project is a critical time for earning a client’s trust. If they start off feeling neglected, they’ll begin to doubt the quality of your firm’s work.

But, if you establish strong and consistent communication at the outset, clients will develop confidence in your ability to execute their vision. You’ll build loyalty and trust by setting up processes for collaboration and by setting a precedence of availability.

How can mobile help? Today’s clients expect fast answers, and with multiple projects on the go, it’s hard to keep up with demand. Mobile apps let you maintain open lines of communication from anywhere you are. Remember: quick response = great customer service.

2. Lack of transparency

Communication isn’t just important at the beginning of a project, it’s essential throughout the entire journey. Stakeholders expect regular updates and they want access to important documents like blueprints, financial plans and digital records. If they’re not receiving vital data in real-time, they’re bound to start shopping around.

How can mobile help? Mobile apps allow you to easily populate reports with forecast data and project analytics and send them to clients with minimal effort. In addition, onsite workers, team leaders and project managers can upload data into a shared database for clients to access whenever they want. All in all, mobile reporting makes keeping clients in the loop a whole lot easier.

3. Failure to make new client connections

Many contractors lose clients before they’ve ever had a chance to pitch. Construction is competitive and to win new business, project managers must prioritize relationship building with new leads. Unfortunately, shopping for prospects is time consuming and pulls project managers away from daily operations. It’s for this reason that many consider themselves too busy to make new connections.

How can mobile help? Construction mobile apps make it easier to monitor and direct operations when you’re offsite. Onsite managers will be able to connect with project managers for approval or decision-making, meaning that the work doesn’t get delayed just because they’re in a meeting.

Considering a mobile upgrade? Check out 7 Tips for Developing a Mobile Strategy.