[00:00:00] Ben Poulter: You can be the highest qualified electrician in the world. Who's able to solve any electrical problems, but without someone to solve that problem for what's the point. I know that there's a lot of people out there probably listening to this also that are a lot more qualified than me at the electrical trade and doing this podcast.

[00:00:21] Yeah, I do meet a few. because a lot of them comment on the videos that I put out there across social media where they quote like the regs numbers and the guidance note numbers, and I understand. Yeah, it's brilliant knowing your stuff and knowing everything about the electrical trade, the guidance notes, and the regulations.

[00:00:38] But when building a business for yourself, there's probably a few extra steps that you wanna. And then steps. So what they don't teach you in college, they don't teach you in school about business, about working for yourself. They train you to be a good employee. That's what I find. They train you to be a good employee and good at your job.

[00:00:58] But with this podcast, I'm gonna start telling you the steps that you wanna take to run your own business, to be your own boss, with a little bit of an added bonus at the end that'll help you take that next step to go a bit further, to help you even more. Welcome back to Toolbox Talks for electricians, where we aim to load electricians with the tools and skills they need to reduce stress, gain back time, and earn more money in their electrical business.

[00:01:24] Hello, once again, I'm your host, Ben Poulter. Today I'm gonna talk to you about how to get customers, how to get customers into your business cuz customers are the ones that pay the bills and for a good reason cuz what we do for them, we go around and fix their electrical problems and we fix them safely sort of thing.

[00:01:43] So, well, like I always say to my customers, I'll fix it to make it last, not to make it work. I want it to last and I want it to do its job, what it's supposed to do for a long time, not just until you've paid me and I've left the. So having a constant flow of inquiries and quotes to do is always a good sign.

[00:02:04] So to get those customers calling, there's a few things you can do. And number one, I'm gonna start out with networking and network with everybody and anyone you know, cuz you never know where your name's gonna pop up, when you need to be recommended as an electrician and to be able to be recommended by these other people.

[00:02:25] They've gotta know you're there. Cause if people don't know you're there, then people don't know you exist. Oh, it's obviously not gonna happen. So you need to start talking to people about your business, about what you're building when you're on site. Maybe make friends with the other trades. Well, to be honest, even if you don't like the guys or girls, to be honest, cuz you're going to have to.

[00:02:44] Well, you're gonna have to talk to 'em sooner or later if you're a plaster or a plumber of how you're gonna work around and do this job. So make friends with 'em. I used to work on site with other electricians, plumbers, builders, and plasterers, all who had their own little area for lunch. It was completely separate from each other.

[00:03:01] They're all at lunch. Go and sit in their own van and sit in their own little corner. Well, you, you didn't get to talk to 'em. You didn't get to sort of socialize with them that I thought, well, that's crap. It was like being in school where you've got the cool kids over there and the football players over there, and the scallywags that smoke weed in another corner, like it was completely separate.

[00:03:21] And if you know anything, just talk to different people, make friends with different people, and it'll grow your network. And as you can imagine, because I'm doing this podcast as well, I like to talk. So when I was at these sites, I used to go sit in the builder's van. I used to sit and get to know them a little bit.

[00:03:38] And every builder's van is a complete tip. So it comes with an added bonus. You don't have to get your muddy boots off to get in the van. You can just sit there covered in crap like the rest of them, cuz with in my own van, I've got a bit of a carpet. I like to keep it nice and clean. And the good thing about builders on site, they're always doing forever doing like little private jobs and they're around a lot of people's houses.

[00:04:01] So if you could say, yeah, I'm a spark man, so if you ever get a job or you need a Sparky or electrician, give me a call. I can help you out. So that'll broaden your network to get more work in the long run, and not just the builders and plumbers and electricians on site as well. It's always a good idea to make friends with the building suppliers.

[00:04:22] Cause if you think about it, where do people go every day to get their, a bit of plasterboard, a bit of wood. If they're making a bit of shelf, they go do a building. Merchants. And how many of them in there do you think get asked all the time? Oh, do you know a good electrician? I can guarantee you it happens every day.

[00:04:39] And if you've got a good relationship with a few of the guys or girls inside of the building merchants and say, look, if I drop a car here or here's my QR code, if someone wants to scan for a good electrician, recommend me. Will you? And especially if they obviously want an electrician as well , because they don't get a lot of electricians going to builder as merchants.

[00:04:58] I don't go in there too often cuz I go to electrical wholesalers where I get my sockets and my fuse boards. If you go into electrical. A building merchants, then they're probably crying out for a decent electrician. If someone nice comes along and says hello and said, look, here's my car. Do you wanna recommend me?

[00:05:14] I think they'll be more than happy to do that. I'll always say in business is what I've learned over time. It's sometimes not about how much you know, it's about who you know and who can recommend you to get that work. So with number one, a building your network of people that want to have electrician, that will recommend you be social.

[00:05:35] Social to everybody and anybody, and tell everyone about your electrical business. And the second tip to get more customers is advertising. And I'm not talking about paying for Google ads either. It's the things that you can do for free that'll build your customer base. And with this, you want a place where customers can, they can find you easily and find how to contact you as easy as possible.

[00:05:59] So I strongly recommend here that is something that I only started doing maybe like a two or three years ago, is having a linktree. It's completely free to set up and you can easily direct your customers to different links like where they can contact you, where they can check out your work or maybe join your Facebook page to have a little look at the previous work you've done.

[00:06:23] And these links can be added to you at Link Tree for any customer to sort of check out and go on there. And then, With the link tree, you can produce a QR code, which I know a few lads have done this already I've seen, I think is a fantastic idea. They've got a QR code on the corner of their van where people think, oh yeah, I need an electrician.

[00:06:42] So I'll go up there and get the details. They can go straight up to the van, scan it with their phone, and they've got all your details throughout. Be able to contact you later on, and that's so much easier for the customer. You wanna make as easy as possible for that customer to be able to contact you.

[00:06:59] Because how many times do you see a customer and they try and take your number down off the van or they try and ask you for your number? They put it in wrong and they, they can't ring you cuz they've put it slightly in wrong. But if they scan that QR code, they can see straight away, join your Facebook page where all your contact deals are detailed, are on there.

[00:07:14] Or they can go onto maybe your website where they can see the work you've previously. And a little, another little bonus with this link tree, you can send them straight to your Google business page. And that's where when you've got a customer, you've done a job, you can say, look, if you like the job, I don't do as a favor to help me grow my business, can you go onto Google and leave me a review?

[00:07:36] Because the more reviews you get on Google, the bigger you are going to, the better you're gonna be pushed to the top. Google being the number one of the most search platforms in the whole entire world. You want to be as high as possible on there. Now, number three, I'm not a huge fan of, it's the part piece of certification, but it was bought in for a reason, and the reason is to stop these cowboys go around doing rubbish jobs and leaving things to either catch fire or just leaving things in a complete mess, to be honest.

[00:08:10] So now even though you've done your qualifications and you are a fully qualified electrician, you've gotta be registered with a Part P competent program or competent scheme. That's what they say to, so you can carry out electrical work on domestic premises. . So if you're gonna be paying them, sort of what, 900 pound a year, make sure you get your money's worth, because I know that NAPIT has a website where you can, yeah, people go on there to check, see if you actually are a qualified electrician and you are part of their competent person scheme.

[00:08:39] I don't know why, but some people value that. They go on there to check you out and say, Hey. Are you qualified? You can go around people's houses and show them your sitting gill's qualifications and just, it's a bit of a kick kick. The T sometimes when they go, are you qualified? I wouldn't be here mate, if wasn't.

[00:08:55] I've got insurance and I've been doing it for years. The best thing you can do to a customer is be recommended, be buy your previous work and maybe to show them on your Facebook page or maybe your website of the previous installs that you've. Because I do believe that there is these, courses out there where three months time you're a fully qualified electrician and it is not necessarily, being qualified means you're a good electrician.

[00:09:22] You just might have that bit of paper to say you can do it. So if you're gonna be registered with these Part P competent person schemes to be able to notify the local council of the part p Building Regulations Control, then make sure you get your most out. 'em go on their website and say, right, do you put me on like a, a recommended tradesman website?

[00:09:39] Because a lot of the time they have their own site where I don't know whether domestic people I know about NAPIT and things like that. And n I. Because I'm an electrician, I'd assume someone doesn't really know about that. But if someone's in the building trade and they want a qualified electrician, they'll go on to NAPIT or they'll go on to the N I C to find one in their local area.

[00:10:02] But we'll also tell you the reason why I don't like. The Part P regulation. And although I understand that it's safe and it helps domestic premises not get ripped off by these cowboys, but the guy that come out to assess me, am I qualified or do I have enough knowledge to be a Part P registered electrician?

[00:10:23] Well, he told me, cuz we sat there and had a cup of tea and he said, oh yeah, nine months before I was a plumber. Like I just did some retraining skills and stuff and now I'm here assessing you. Hm. It made me feel a bit begrudge to be honest, for how the hell can you assess me when , you haven't got half of the knowledge, you haven't got the 20 years what I've got, but he's obviously got that job to come out and assess you and then another.

[00:10:48] Sort of assessment that I had from another guy. This is when I first registered, which I found was quite cheeky. He come out and he said, sorry mate, but uh, you haven't got this electrical Lightning safety guidelines copy. Unfortunately, without that bit of paper, you are going to fail and it's gonna be like a revisit, which is another, I think 380 quid, but convenient.

[00:11:09] He said, I have this on a USB stick. You can download it from me now for 140 pound. Well, that ruffled my feathers as well, which I said No thanks. Luckily I was , a friend of , a company down the road . With electrical business. So I got it from them saying that same day. But I thought you cheeky get, you are making 140 quid just to scare people to say you're gonna pass and charge them another 340 quid.

[00:11:32] I thought you can't do that. That's a cheek. So that's put me off of the Part P assessment in a way. And I just think that for electricians that are established and they've done all the qualifications, got the 2 3 91 testing in inspection, they're 18 for addition, qualified to have some guy.

[00:11:50] Come and try and sell you a stupid little download that you probably don't use, to be honest, for lightning strikes in the UK for a 40 quid. Or to say, yeah, I used to be a plumber. It sort of ruffles your feathers a bit to say, Hmm, don't think so, mate. So this is why I think the Part P is a complete ripoff, but another way to expand your customer list as you get to get your name out there for when you first started out.

[00:12:16] Will be to go to some of these trade websites. I dunno if you've heard of my bi, my Builder Check A Trade or My Workman. That's just three of them. I only know them ones because I registered with them when I first started out. And there's plenty of 'em all over the world where you can put yourself on to, you can put yourself forward for these jobs.

[00:12:34] You can say, right. I will quote for that job. I would like to do that job. And it's only something you do if you've absolutely got no work whatsoever cuz going through a third party. Ah, it's a bit of a nightmare at times, I think. But I did use sort of my builder for a while when I first started out, but only for small jobs.

[00:12:53] Not for like big rewires or anything. It was like if someone wanted to cook a supply put in, cause they had a new cooker delivered and obviously you can't plug it into the water. It needs a decent supply. Or it's where like someone's went and bought a hot tub and they hang about. I realized that I can't just plug it in.

[00:13:09] They also need a proper hot tub supplier. So these sort of jobs is what I did to get my. To get my name out there and again, to get to know the customers that I was working for and some of the nice customers, I'd start to talk to them. And so some of them are pretty nice. You sit down and have lunch, as you may well know, working round people's houses.

[00:13:28] Sometimes they'd say, Hey, Ben, do you want a bacon sandwich? Well, that's a stupid question to me. I will always have a bacon sandwich. It's beautiful. I like getting. . So the better relationship you have for them. Customers, you can sit down, you can talk to 'em, have a cup of tea, they're gonna recommend you to their family and friends, and then you may be able do a job for them.

[00:13:46] They're gonna recommend you to another load of family and friends. It's gonna build your customer base up that way and your reputation is gonna get bigger and better. Cause if anything, being an electrician, being a tradesman, even your reputation is, is what's gonna boost your business to the next level every time.

[00:14:04] Like how many. Tradesman. Do you know that have, yeah. I've had six businesses that've folded and liquidated every year. You think, well, my God, you must have start from scratch every year. It's a nightmare. You don't. You don't wanna do that. I've never done that. I've started one company and stuck at it. So starting out where you're doing maybe a little doorbell for someone, I need to meet my new doorbell fitted.

[00:14:27] Yep. You can do that job. You go around there, it can result later on. Landed like a 15 grand. , and I know this cuz this is exactly what happened to me. Over time, I maybe done a job, I th I dunno if it was a doorbell or maybe a socket, it was a small job. But that person, , remembered me, called me up, and then wanted a shed load of light in, put inside,

[00:14:47] a massive factory that turned out as a great job, harder cherry picker and everything just to put these 15 grand worth of light up down these alleyways. It was a good job. So this is what, you never know what can come. So you gotta value your reputation. You gotta make sure that your reputation's always good.

[00:15:04] You leave a good impression with customers cuz it'll do a huge favor in the long run. And I know, I understand you make mistakes or you might make a mess. But just make sure you correct it. Nope, never try and hide it. Like, not try and walk away. It work my problem, not my fault. Like I had a plumber mate, once he phoned me up, said, Ben, I've um, done this job and she's not happy with it.

[00:15:27] What, what do you think I should do? I said, well go. back and, make sure she's happy. Like I think it was a 90 pound job. It doesn't matter whether it takes you a day, whether it takes you a week, make sure she's happy. She's a domestic customer. If she tells her friends that you're rubbish wildfire, it sort of spreads.

[00:15:43] If someone says you are rubbish, that's it. It's your name's tarnished. To have all this reputation that you've took so long to build up it, it doesn't take long to ruin. I can tell. Because even sometimes it might not even be your fault, but as you always say to everybody, the customer is always right, even when they're completely wrong and they're a bloody nightmare.

[00:16:05] Like you gotta get that motto in your head that the customer's always right. Just make sure you walk away with that customer smiling. So I install these, electrics into , a brand new built kitchen. It was, and it was a beautiful old stone house. and , it was a unique shape, this kitchen. So it had sort of nine down lights all in that kitchen.

[00:16:24] So I had my laser out and I got them down lights, perfect and beautiful. , you know, it's a nice big house and you want it to look spot on. So that's what I did. So I was even chuffed with what I've done, so I. Called the customer through and I said, uh, yeah, yeah, check these outlet.

[00:16:38] They lovely and beautiful. And I like to point out that look how straight they are cuz I notice when down lights are wonky or when one's out even a millimeter. I hate it. It's a perfectionist thing. I think a lot of electricians are like it, but, so I point it out to her, but she said to me, uh, yeah, I wanted one over the.

[00:16:57] One over the fridge and one in the corner where I was gonna put the bin. Ah, right. Yeah. Basically the ceiling looked a mess, but end of the day, it's what the customers want. It was their kitchen. I just put the lights safely. It just, ah, my opinion, they looked a mess. So look after your customers, cuz in my experience, they'll tell everyone else that.

[00:17:22] Look after you as well. They'll tell everyone, their friends and their family, and that will sort of help your business grow in the long run. And this podcast is about how to get customers into your business, how to price the job, make sure you get paid, and to help that same customer keep recommending you over and over again.

[00:17:44] That's obviously another thing and that's just what you can find out inside of the toolbox Talks for electricians group. I'll leave a link in the description of these show notes. She can come along, join the group, have a look in there, and don't be shy to say hello. So until next time, I'll see you again.