Helping Your Customers Choose a Paint Color

When it comes to choosing a color, as a rule you should never pick the color for the customer. It is fine to assist them but make it known that the final decision is 100% their choice.

Paint half of a small 12” x 12” piece of drywall black and the other half medium-gray. Take the paint chip and hold it up against each half of the drywall. This will give the customer an idea of how the color will look on the walls once it dries.

Most of the time customers can pretty much narrow down their color choice to a couple of shades. Your best bet is to like them both.

Say something like:

“They are both really nice colors that would be very easy to decorate around... Which do you like best and why”?

This is a good way to stay involved in the process and lead your customers into making their own decisions.

Remember the homeowner is looking to you for your professional advice but you should never be directly making the decisions for them.

How to Avoid Scheduling Conflicts in Your Painting Business

For most busy painting business owners scheduling conflicts rank at the top of the "Avoid at all cost" list.

Not only do scheduling conflicts cause added stress, they upset the customer and makes you look unorganized and unprofessional.

Don't get me wrong, I understand that sometimes rescheduling a job is unavoidable and necessary but it should be the exception, not the rule.

One way to make sure that your schedule stays on track is to allow yourself a two day grace period between jobs. Notice I did not say take two days off between jobs...

Here is how it works.

When you are doing the estimate for the customer let them know when you are available to do the work. Say something like "I have an opening in my schedule the week of..."

It is much easier to call a customer and ask them if you can start their job a day or two early rather than a week or to later.

Working on a floating schedule like this reduces stress and allows you the flexibility to squeeze in smaller jobs between the larger ones (or just take a nice day off during the week).

In the end you will make more money and not get burned out.

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Customer Service Tip for Painting Business Owners

It is important for house painters to realize that customer service doesn't end after the paint job is done.

A great way to insure that your customers remember you is to send a "Thank You" letter a few days later.

It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, just a polite thank you letter letting the customer know that you appreciate them and look forward to working for them in the future.

This simple yet powerful marketing tip is overlooked by MOST painting business owners.

Painting Business Yard Signs

One of the least expensive and best forms of advertising you can do for your painting business is invest in a few quality yard signs.

Keep the theme consistent with your business cards and letter head. Use the same logo and font and display your phone number large across the bottom.

Put a yard sign up at the job you are working on as well as one in the yard where you will be working next...

You will be amazed how many jobs you can get from this inexpensive form of advertising.