Updated:
28.2.2025
When reflecting on your sales approach, it’s good to consider how you come across to homeowners. Being helpful, professional and genuine are highly valued traits.
Tweaking just a few things can help you build a homeowner’s confidence (and your own), which gives them the boost they need to hire you for the job.
We’ve collated a few of the qualities homeowners often mention when they review tradies and we’ve also included some homeowner perspectives from jobs completed through Builderscrack. Read on to see how you can use these insights for your next site visit and win that job.
Transparency sets you apart from the competition.
#1: Listen and be transparent with the details
Homeowners appreciate transparency. From their point of view, it can be daunting to hire a tradie, so they want to feel informed and confident that they understand what they’re getting.
By taking time to really listen to what your potential client is saying, you can show them that their job is important to you. It includes covering what they want to achieve, what constraints and stresses they might have and the budget and timeframes they’re working to. Try to:
- Ask them open questions about what they want to achieve & by when
- Talk with them about the steps you’d take to achieve it when doing the job
- Take the opportunity early on to highlight any barriers you might anticipate, based on your expertise, and suggest ways to manage them if they do occur
- Reflect a breakdown in your quote (labour, material, travel etc) if possible.
From a homeowner’s perspective: Cara
Cara posted a Decking Restoration & Repair job in Auckland. For Cara, communication was key.
“I needed someone I could talk to openly, especially if issues came up during the project,” Cara says.
The tradie gave her various options about how to raise or lower the deck, and she was so happy with the experience during the build, she decided to book another job to install a pergola to complete the look.
Read more about Cara’s experience & hear from other homeowners about what made them choose their tradie from Builderscrack.
Above: Images from Cara’s decking project in Auckland. | Photos: Supplied.
#2: Share your creativity
Homeowners might come to you with a vision for what they want to achieve — and your experience can enhance this. This is especially helpful for bigger jobs such as a kitchen and bathroom renovations, additions, landscaping and design.
It’s one of the best ways you can differentiate yourself from others who may be viewing the job — and it offers an alternative way to compete that isn’t based on price.
Lean on your creative problem solving skills to build on their vision while balancing realistic expectations, and don’t be afraid to suggest alternatives in terms of scope or materials to accommodate.
Don’t be afraid to follow up with homeowners more than once if you need answers from them.
3: Follow through – doing what you say you will
Wearing all of the hats as a sole trader or small business owner is tough. Sometimes follow up calls, quotes and even invoices can slip through the cracks — it happens.
We also understand it goes both ways — homeowners can forget to feedback on pricing or let you know what they’ve decided for the project.
Here’s a few tips for setting realistic expectations:
- When you start engaging with the homeowner, let them know what your process is around communication, and the best time they can contact you.
- Set aside time for catching up on your messaging and paperwork. This includes nurturing those new leads which will help you to build relationships and increase your chances of winning the job.
- If you commit to something — like a site visit or completion date — stick to the timeframes you’ve provided and if you can’t meet these timeframes, let the homeowner know why and what the new dates are as soon as possible.
Small things can boost their perception of you.
#4: Be personable
How you communicate with homeowners is important, whether over the phone, written or in person. If homeowners feel you come across as polite and professional they’re more likely to trust you.
Small things like giving your name or business name when you pick up or make a call to a homeowner can boost their perception of you.
The goal, when you’re pitching for work, is to leave a homeowner feeling they can trust you and that you’ll complete their job to a high standard. They’ll be far more likely to hire you for the job and recommend you to their friends and family.
To recap
Reflecting on your current sales approach and tweaking a few things can help you build trust, win more jobs and get repeat or referral work.
