When You Don’t Know What to Do in Decorative Concrete

Are you tired of feeling like an imposter when faced with a customer's decorative concrete inquiries?

Imagine confidently addressing their questions and impressing them with your expertise.

Discover foolproof strategies that will empower you to handle any situation, even when you're caught off guard.

Today, we'll be discussing a common dilemma faced by many: encountering a customer problem you don't know how to solve on the spot. We'll explore effective strategies to tackle these situations.

Be sure to stick around to the end because I'll give you a series of questions you can engage other decorative concrete professionals with to help you overcome this common dilemma.

What do you do when faced with a customer problem that leaves you stumped?

Let's examine the do's and don'ts to ensure you handle these situations with confidence and professionalism.

Step 1: Understand the True Needs and Hot-Button Issues

When encountering a customer problem, it's crucial to identify their true needs and hot-button issues.

Here's what you should do: ask questions, make notes, and take pictures.

You can uncover their underlying concerns by actively engaging the customer and gathering information.

Making notes and taking pictures tells the customer you are as concerned about their issues as they are and gives you the information you'll need in a future step.

Step 2: Reaffirm the Customer's Concerns

Once you've understood the customer's hot-button issues, it's essential to reaffirm their concerns.

Here's the recommended approach: repeat back their hot-button issues.

By restating their concerns, you show empathy and ensure you've accurately captured their needs.

Here's where the problem comes in. Let's say you don't know how to solve their concerns. Either because you're new to the industry or haven't seen anything like it.

Avoid trying to provide an immediate solution or admitting that you don't know what to do.

Instead, reassure the customer that you're dedicated to finding a resolution. And this is where step three comes in.

Step 3: Utilize Your Resources

When faced with a challenging problem, it's time to tap into your available resources.

• Utilize installation and training videos
• Contact your supplier for expert advice.
• Network with other decorative concrete professionals. Maybe you have some local connections where you can meet face-to-face but don't forget to engage with online forums as well.

Pro Tip: Consider doing joint work on systems new to you or on a larger project that is outside of your capability with your current tools and labor.

The benefit of joint work is to leverage someone else's expertise and additional labor. This is not only for new decorative concrete contractors but also a great way to stay connected with others in the industry. Creating friendships and building professional bonds can be useful and fun.

This collaborative approach can bring fresh perspectives and help you arrive at effective solutions that may not have been apparent initially or can give you the experience you need to tackle a similar situation on your own next time.

Remember, giving up and giving in to negativity is not a listed option.

I've coached clients who were going to walk away from a sale AND their business because they felt so ill-equipped at the moment.

Instead, take proactive steps to find solutions by leveraging your knowledge and expertise to save both the sale and the business.

BONUS: What to ask when seeking assistance from other decorative concrete professionals

First, be ready to provide a brief description of the situation.

Include your customer's hot-button issues and pictures of their current surface or problem areas.

Next, clearly communicate what you saw and what you think the proper solution may be.

This develops the critical thinking you'll need to grow in your confidence while giving the professional a starting point to guide your thinking as you grow in your knowledge and experience.

Then ask:
• Am I on the right track?
• How can I solve these issues?
• What are the top two solutions/systems I should recommend?
• Did I fail to ask something important?

So There You Have It

So there you have it. Three steps to take when encountering a customer problem you don't know how to solve on the spot. AND some bonus details and questions that will help you make the most of your resources.