There are a variety of ways to get clients as a contractor. Some methods may work better than others depending on the type of contracting business you have, your industry, your location, and a number of other factors. The most important thing is to identify the strategies that will work best for you and then to put in the time and effort required to make them successful.

Thankfully, there are a variety of ways that you can go about getting clients. Here  are 13 ultimate strategies to get clients as a contractor:

 1. Visit Potential Clients

Construction is a people-based business. It's all about who you know and how well you know them. The most effective method of obtaining leads is to go out and talk with consumers. That's why it's first on the list.

A good goal is to contact 5-10 potential clients each week. Getting out there and introducing yourself, as well as giving a short sales pitch to contractors in your region, may be beneficial to your company.

Creating a list of prospects to work with may be quite difficult, but it can be done if you do it on a regular basis.

 2. Title Page Method

In the cover sheet, you'll see a list of people similar to this. Then call the architect or owner and discover who else is bidding on the project. This not only gives you a possible architect or owner who may give you more business, but it also provides a list of General Contractors for you to submit your bid to.

Then, call each GC and see if you can offer them your bid as well as get on their bidding list. So, rather than relying on just one GC, you may now have three or more that have accepted your offer and increase your chances of winning the project by hundreds of percent.

This is a very easy approach to start doing right away; it takes much less time than simply placing an ad online. It's ideal for contractors who are starting out in business or anyone who needs a quick and dependable method to gain additional work.

 3. Hire an Estimating Company

To attract more clients, you need to sell to a greater number of people, and you can never do that while working in the business as much as the all-in-one bookkeeper, project manager, salesperson, etc. As a result, I propose hiring an estimating firm to handle your estimating so that you may devote more time to activities that make you more money.

The lowest priced bidder is only one of the many myths about how to get more business. The majority of people believe that the winning bid is determined by who offers the cheapest price, but this isn't really true. The customer has only the price factor to consider when making a selection, which is only true for government work, so they'll choose the most inexpensive alternative every time.

If you set yourself up to be the most trustworthy and essential contractor in the mix, you'll be unstoppable. The subsequent four techniques are designed to boost your perceived value as a contractor, so don't miss them.

4. Audition Method

Actors must audition in order to see whether the casting director thinks they have what it takes to star in a film. I discovered that construction bidding may be surprisingly similar. To stand out and obtain the task, you must wow the GC or owner with the best sales pitch and estimate.

But how can you even get the opportunity to audition? Most clients don't take new bidders they've never met seriously, so this may be a stumbling block. To stand out, offer longer bids or items that are unusual. In order to entice potential customers to call you up and ask about your prices including unusual things is an excellent and simple method to increase your number of phone calls from prospects.

This allows you to get your foot in the door and clear the way for an outstanding audition.

 5. Interview Method

Now we're at the audition, and you need to demonstrate that you're the real deal. They'll have to call you to verify the scope after your first bid, and then you can provide input and value engineering on the project. You may establish yourself as an authority once they call you and begin developing your reputation with them.

Remember, the goal is to offer value in person with the prospect, so reply that you'll get them from a supplier and return to them if they ask for more information over the phone. After that, come see them with the paperwork and give your best sales pitch.

 6. Exposure Method

Getting in front of a possible customer repeatedly until they recognize you and begin to like you is the exposure approach.

This is all based on actual psychology; I'm not making anything up. They will become more familiar with you and are more inclined to do business with you if you contact, email, visit, and do it regularly (but not annoyingly).

 7. Always Demonstrate Expertise

Other than their labor, most contractors do not add value to the work. To gain more clients as a contractor, you must stand out and demonstrate that you are an expert in your field. You accomplish this by assisting the general contractor or other trades in coordinating the project.

If you're just there to do your job like the rest, you become just another guy they hired on contract. However, if you go above and beyond to solve problems on the job site that have nothing to do with you, your clients will see you as an expert and be more inclined to hire a trustworthy firm for future work.

8. Commercial Lead Generation Services

I've spoken with a lot of clients about how to scale their business effectively, and I frequently suggest that they use lead generating services like Bluebook or iSqft if they aren't already. These sites will provide you with a consistent supply of opportunities to bid on, allowing you to get started finding tasks for your business sooner rather than later.

This is the best option for generating new prospects and submitting bids on projects in the commercial sector. It's excellent for increasing your client base and it's also quite inexpensive; most of these commercial lead generation services cost between $75 and $150 per month.

 9. Residential Lead Generation Services

This is the same idea as a business lead creation service, except it's for homeowners.  Homeowners are always searching for contractors to do work on their homes, so if you can get in front of them with your marketing message, you're almost guaranteed to increase your business.

There are a few different ways to market to homeowners, but the easiest is to use a lead generation service like Porch, HomeAdvisor, or Angie's List. These services will provide you with a consistent supply of leads that you can contact and turn into paying customers.

Once you've obtained the leads and begun bidding jobs, it's up to you to follow up and really establish a reputation as the project's authority. Follow the ideas above, study our other articles in depth, and implement them completely, and you'll succeed.

 10. Add the Government as a Client

Why not include the US government as a client? Simply register at these sites to become a government contractor, and you'll be eligible for bid invites.

• Gov – https://www.usa.gov/become-government-contractor
• GSA – https://vsc.gsa.gov/RA/toolBox.cfm
• BidNet – https://www.bidnet.com
• Fed Biz Opps – https://www.fbo.gov

Keep in mind that when it comes to these projects, the bids are chosen based on price, so don't be concerned about establishing your perceived worth. nGo for the cheapest one if you want to win, but don't worry because change orders can help you make up for it on the job.

 11. Ask for Referrals

It is important to let clients know how effective you are at delivering on promises, and asking for referrals or feedback after a project has been completed will go a long way. While your team is working very quickly and everything on the project appears to be going well, a simple “Do you have any projects we could work on?” may get you some new business.

Even though you might believe that concentrating on efficiency to impress your clients is obvious, it's important to remember that if you're going for a referral, you must be deserving.

 12. Ask Subcontractors Who They’re Working For

If you've worked on projects together, why not give some of your subs a call to see if they can connect you with active GCs?

This is a technique I've seen construction firms employ with success. It's a very basic approach that might broaden your client base considerably.

13. Get to Know Your Local Realtors

If you're in the business of flipping properties, then it's important to get to know your local realtors. These are the people who are selling the houses that you're going to be fixing up and flipping, so it only makes sense to develop a relationship with them.

You can do this by simply attending local events that they're hosting, or even by joining their organization. Once you've established a rapport, you can start asking for leads on properties that might be coming up for sale soon.

Conclusion

Building a reputation as a trustworthy estimator and project manager may help you obtain more clients. However, keep in mind that the most money is made during project estimation and management.

That's where we come in. We can provide you with comprehensive, thorough estimating and consulting so that you have everything you need to succeed in your construction business.

Good luck with your lead generation. Please leave a remark below if these methods assisted you in scaling up your construction firm since that is our objective.