Landscape, Pool, & Design/Build Pros: Online Scheduling Apps are a Game-Changer.
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Corey Halstead
Owner, HALSTEAD.
“You gotta make it a priority to make your priorities a priority.”
― Richie Norton
There are so many moving parts, complex processes, and quite frankly, bits of natural chaos, in the design/build industry. It’s one of the reasons pros in the space love the business so much in the first place—it’s dynamic, creative, and exciting. As a result, I’ve found that the best owners and leaders are always on the hunt for tweaks or hacks that will make things more efficient. Just a little … smoother. One of those process improvements we’ve been helping more companies with recently is a little gem called online consultation booking.
These apps are certainly not new—many have been around for over 10 years. In large part, service providers such as accountants, marketers, real estate agents, and the like jumped onboard in the early days. But they are catching a bit of fire in the design/build industry as of late—and when done correctly end-to-end, the functionality can be make a huge impact on efficiency and client satisfaction.
We implemented online appointment scheduling at HALSTEAD quite a few years ago. At first, coming from a construction background myself, I said, “No way—our remodeling clients are not going to schedule appointments with us via this system.” And while there are a few that don’t, and likely never will, most have gone along with it. The scheduling software made things easier for us and opened up opportunities. Integrated seamlessly on our website, the app syncs with all the main online calendars, sends appointment reminders to both the client and us, allows for sales journey control, and more. We were able to see just how much time we wasted going back and forth trying to handle managing appointments manually before. And how many opportunities were never realized because we just aren’t able to sync up for a call and it fizzled out.
As time passed, more of our clients and prospective clients started asking us about the system we used—the one they had just used to easily book their own phone meeting with us, based on their schedule. The feedback was solid—everyone really loved the fact that it was quick and easy and that meetings could be booked even during off-hours without emails and phone calls to make it happen.
It was, I realized, one of those useful hacks that great business owners are always on the hunt for as they look for ways to save time. But it wasn't just a little hack—online scheduling could be a huge game-changer. So we slowly started touting the benefits to our existing clients by simply explaining how we personally use the app at HALSTEAD. Additionally, we started to paint a picture for design/build leadership—showing that countless hours each month no longer had to be wasted going back and forth with clients. We shared how an incredible customer experience is possible with this automated start to the sales journey. Now, with countless successful implementations, it’s a proven part of our sales and marketing systems for contractors.
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The Situation:
Every design/build needs to maximize revenue and productivity in order to thrive and grow. Competition is steep and only getting steeper, and client expectations require staying ahead of technology for those firms looking to overdeliver. For many markets across the US, the average client is growing younger, more particular about their decisions, and increasingly busy in their everyday lives. Luxury businesses attempting to meet the demands of their most desirable clients can hit a roadblock just trying to get on their calendar. These days, just getting a meeting or phone assessment scheduled can take up a huge chunk of time that none of us have. We need to meet clients where they are online, on their smartphones at 7 p.m. on the train back home from work—whenever they want to book an appointment for their kitchen remodel. As anyone who has ever signed up for anything online can tell you, sending an email request through a website can feel like watching paint dry. If prospects are turned off by an old-school online form or don’t feel like a business responds quickly enough and move onto some other firm, you’ve lost your chance. Don’t give them a reason to leave—give them a reason to appreciate that you appreciate their time.
Automate the process. It’s better for you and the client. The remodeling space overall, let’s face it, has been slow to react and adjust to the changing times of our increasingly digital world. That said, for those looking to pull ahead from the pack by demonstrating how they put the client first right from the very first appointment booking, there’s no better time than now to jump on this.
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The Solution:
Why Your clients Will Love It.
Availability options: In our daily lives, we all generally have an idea of when we want to book an appointment, and the limitations of our availability can be pretty tight. When clients call a company, if they even get through to an actual human being, it can take multiple rounds of nailing down an option that works for both parties. By then, one is tired, the other is annoyed. And the entire debacle could have been avoided if the client could have made a selection from a live list of openings online.
On-the-go access: With online appointment scheduling, there’s no need to pick up the phone at all. Modern clients despise having to call to make appointments with a very particular passion. Often, their work schedules overlap with the company’s business hours, or they simply dislike having to play the game of tag.
Easy-to-edit: If the client needs to move or cancel their appointment, they don’t have to go through a complicated process to do so. Online appointments can be adjusted with just a few clicks.
Why You Will Love It.
No double-booking: An online solution to your consultation scheduling will create a plain-and-simple, black-and-white timetable of What, When, & Who. No more worrying about forgetting to write down an appointment or updating calendars.
No confirmation calls: Checking in with clients and prospects to make sure that they remember the meeting should be a thing of the past. You can set up event reminders ahead of time along with new appointment alerts for other team members.
Customer database: Online scheduling software collects your clients’ and potential clients’ contact information by default of its function. That means that you are also capturing leads that can be nurtured if not closed. All your sales leads are stored in one place, and our solutions integrate with QuickBooks, popular CRMs, and email software.
Tailored intake process: Vet potential clients by asking them a series of questions about their project. In doing so, you store critical prospect info, prequalify their level of commitment to doing the project, and deploy the lead in near real time to the correct sales point of contact.
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Online Scheduling Integrates Sales and Marketing
What’s really great about online scheduling integration is its extreme flexibility. It’ll adjust to the needs of any design/build firm—one of our biggest concerns at HALSTEAD, of course. Another of our concerns is the potential power the app offers to create a more personalized sales experience, nurtured with content. This plays out nicely—for instance when we set up the system for the owner of a premium landscape design/build. Let’s call the owner Greg. He came to us with a really well-planned, nearly rigid, schedule. In fact, he already structured his time beautifully—better than most we’ve seen. For example, he only took new sales consultations two days a week, for a period of three hours each day, and then also all day on Saturdays. He also alternated those sales time slots every other week, working around commitments in his personal life. All of this posed no problem for the set-up.
Aside from meeting the very particular scheduling demands, we also set up the app so that he had the option of multiple appointment types for the sales pipeline, meaning that the first appointment a potential client made was an initial phone consultation that was automatically 15 minutes. The next appointment the prospective client booked, once vetted and prequalified during the first phone chat, of course, was an hour-long in-person meeting. This process progressed through the relevant appointment demands.
Greg’s new scheduling system was also able to distinguish that his sales call availability differed greatly from that of his in-person consultation availability, and then even for the availability for his third type of appointment—a design presentation. The system handled all this complexity seamlessly, and potential clients were suddenly given the flexibility and convenience of booking their own appointments in the blink of an eye.
So think about all this from the perspective of controlling the sales process, and how it fully integrates into the marketing plan. At each appointment booking stage, the client’s experience can be tailored—from the first phone consultation generated directly from a paid social ad to the second meeting, which they book via a dedicated website landing page that shows what they need to prepare for their appointment. Oh, yes, and keeping them excited and engaged throughout the whole sales process.
It’s truly amazing to me how few contractors are taking advantage of this software. Today, it’s one element of many that should make up a concierge experience for clients who spend tens and hundreds of thousands of dollars on a luxury remodeling project.
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So What Exactly Can It Do?
Here’s the thing. You want reliable, consistent scheduling without the burden of phone tag, missed appointments, and hours of wasted time chasing phone calls and schedules. And along with that, a consistent and simple option for processing consultation fee payments (if you charge for in-person consults) would also be amazing. Our solutions offer both of those features, plus a bunch of cool additional options that give you back your time, reduce frustration, and impress clients.
Setting schedule limits: The great thing about this feature is that your clients will have access to your work hours, but under your preset limits, meaning your hours of availability are clear. This makes it convenient for you to schedule business around other aspects of your life. Do you need every other Thursday from 3-5 blocked for tae kwon do practice with your kid? You got it. That time is simply eliminated from the calendar your prospects see so that your work life and personal life don’t have to compete for your attention.
Scheduling gaps: The system enables you to have a bit of a poker face when it comes to your availability. Perhaps things are a tad slow right now; you don’t necessarily want clients to see a wide-open schedule. Nor do you want people to make assumptions about why you are available or not available at any given time. Sometimes we just want to play our cards a little close. You can also choose to show only some available blocks of time, and even lets you offer blocks next to existing appointments so that you can free up larger chunks of time rather than having large spans between appointments, if you prefer it.
Automated text reminders: Missed appointments are a waste of time for everyone. Reminder calls are great if you have the time and resources to devote to it, but it’ll likely go to voicemail, anyway. (Screen calls, anyone? Yeah, most people do!) Automated texts offer clients a quick reminder with the option to reschedule if needed, which saves both of you time.
Bill-pay option for consultation fees: There are few systems that offer both scheduling and bill-pay options in a comprehensive package. The convenience of online bill-pay on the same site as scheduling creates a simplified booking process for those who charge for consultations. The streamlined set up keeps busy contractors focused more on business than the behind-the-scenes work of scheduling new sales meetings.
Saved time on meeting prep: When integrated properly with your website and digital marketing systems, online booking makes it possible to direct the sales process—providing potential clients with all the information they will need in advance of your appointment.
Professional online presentation: One of the secondary benefits of online booking is the professional image it projects on your business. The app integrates with many of your favorite online tools, creating a seamless presentation for ease of use. The client’s experience is fully brand-able, creating a consistent view of your company across all touch-points in the sales process.
Mobile app: The app goes with you, wherever you need it to go. Access to the mobile app removes the limitation of being tethered to the office. Communicate with clients and access the many resources offered, whether you are at the job site, the office, home or anywhere else.
With the foundation of online scheduling in place, the path to customized, content-driven sales approach is possible. Drive leads from integrated paid social campaigns or Google Ads efforts directly to consultation booking pages instead of website forms. Control the prospect’s experience with dedicated landing pages filled with content that’s relevant to their step in the journey. Connect it all to analytics and lead tracking so you know how everything is performing. Did you have a good lead drop-off after an initial phone consultation? No problem. Retarget them on social to drive them specifically to the landing page next in the sales process, with content to convince them to book the next consultation—which they can do right on the same page. Online scheduling apps are just the beginning to a fully integrated sales and marketing effort—one that improves sales process efficiencies, increases close rates, and sets you apart from the growing competition in the design/build industry.
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