The biggest Fears customers face in the construction Industry

One of the goals of creating an effective marketing system is to help customers become clear and confident in their purchasing decision.

The construction industry is a technical field. When a customer wants to build or buy a house or a building, or when a customer is wants to buy a fire detection system or a truck or a cold room, they need to understand the technicalities of the product as well as the benefits. If the marketing and sales process is not well defined, there is a high chance that the customer might be afraid and confused.

These are the fears that most customers go through in the construction industry :

• Fear of Missing Something — The customer thinks they may be missing something. That is the reason why customers in the building industry like “shopping” around. In the example of a customer wanting to build a house, they may be prompted to visit several architects instead of confidently working with one architect.
• Fear of overpaying — the customer thinks your prices are exaggerated and they believe there’s a better deal somewhere else. In my experience working in the construction industry, this is the reason why most customers would want to build a house versus buying a house.
• Fear of professionalism — the customer thinks you are not professional enough or experienced enough. They fear that if they buy from your brand, something will probably go wrong.

With these fears, customers get confused and therefore they don’t buy.

The goal of marketing should be help the customer become clear and confident with your product/service and your brand.

What are some of the solutions a company can incorporate to eliminate such fears?

• Delight your customers — when customers reach out to you physically or through email or through a call or through social media, learn how to host them and feel comfortable. This can include greeting the customer, offering them coffee, acknowledging them for reaching out etc. The customer experience should be designed such that the customer feels welcomed.
• Interview customers — learn to ask the foundational questions, especially for first time customers. Learn what their problems are and their goals. Most companies immediately jump into giving presentations and taking over the conversation. For example, if a company is in the business of offering plumbing services and solutions, they might ask questions like “have you ever dealt with other plumbing companies? If yes, how was the experience?”; “what was the process you used to find us? Was it a referral? If yes from who? Was it online or from an advert?”; “are you familiar with how plumbing works? Are you familiar with how our brand works?”; “what is the problem you are facing? Is it water pressure? Is it leaking problems?”
• Have a customer package — that is offering additional solutions that may be aligned with your products or service. In the example of the plumbing company, you could offer additional consultation on bathroom finishes, showers, bathtubs, solar heating, drainage services, mechanical designs, financing options etc. In short have everything a customer would need when they purchase
• Customer scale of 1 to 10 — The use of the 1 to 10 scale is used in getting clarity form a customer. The scale clarifies what needs to happen for both the customer and you the company. In the construction industry (depending on your line of business), most companies have a set of processes, systems or procedures when it comes to service delivery of their product or service. This scale dictates the readiness of the customer at the buying journey.

These tactics are just a few ways marketers can get creative in creating clarity and proper expectations for customers. When customers are prepared in their buying journey, it is easier for them to be clear, confident and determined.

As is with any other industry, it is imperative that companies in the construction industry invest more time with customers up-front. Prepare their expectations so they don’t get surprised.