Why Every Builder Needs a Clear UVP to Win New Business

If you’ve been in the building industry for a while, chances are you’ve built a loyal group of clients who wouldn’t think of hiring anyone else. There’s something about your craftsmanship, your reliability, or your attention to detail that they consider invaluable. You’ve earned their trust, and they keep coming back because they know exactly what they’re getting.

On the other hand, why is it so hard to win over cold prospects if you want to scale your business beyond your established circle of referrals?

I was recently talking with a building contractor who had his solid base of loyal customers but was struggling to break into bigger opportunities. He was making cold calls and joining every RFP list he could find, only to discover just how crowded the field outside his bubble really was. 

Even though he was fully qualified, he was shocked to find himself competing against dozens of other outfits. He said on one project the winning bid was so low, he couldn’t understand how anyone could turn a profit. 

As he sat complaining, I couldn’t lose the thought of his truck I had just passed in his parking lot. It had a tagline right underneath his company's name in big bold letters: “A Professional Remodeling Company.”

Technically the statement wasn’t wrong: If you need your home or business property remodeled, his team is more than qualified to do so. The problem was, among an infinite sea of competitors, it was as generic as it could get, missing the chance to proclaim his unique value his current customers already knew.

Unique Value Proposition

Your unique value proposition is the clearest expression of what makes you different from the competition, boiled down to the one thing your customers care about most. It gives you an advantage by showing that you operate with purpose, expertise, and a proven formula they can trust.

It should be the central theme around all of your new business tactics, from your website to your social media, proposals and pitches. Your team should not only understand it, but operate according to it on a daily basis. When you demonstrate what makes you unique by providing value, your customers and employees will talk about it, growing your reputation.

Keep in mind that while your team might have pride in providing excellent customer service and being integral, this isn’t uniquely valuable because it's what every other building business values. Although your clients and prospects appreciate these qualities you need to dig deeper and leverage the one niche you are really good at.

Uniqueness and Value

Being unique without any value doesn’t get you very far. You could proclaim that you are the only residential remodeling company who specialize in purple houses. While that is a niche, it's only valuable to people living in a cartoon.

The goal isn’t just to be different for the sake of being different. It's to connect what’s different about you to something your customer actually cares about.

You may be a great metal fabricator. You have completed everything from major infrastructure projects all the way down to your buddy’s deck rails. Although it's impressive, it's exactly what your competitor down the street has also done.

Instead of the tagline “A Professional Remodeling Company,” what if the remodeler’s truck said:  “Proudly endorsed by the Historic Homes Association.” 

There might be many who are endorsed but incorporating it into your messaging, marketing materials and website will strike a chord with that target audience. And even if your prospect isn’t on the historic registry, just the statement alone speaks of credibility that stands the company apart.

Dig Deep to Uncover Your UVP

Now if you’re thinking, “ I’m not sure what makes us special,” you’re not alone. A lot of great companies have a hard time seeing their own strengths.

Here’s an easy way to start digging:
Ask your best customers why they chose you. Get in the habit of following up every project with a quick gift card and survey. A satisfied customer can lend some insights you weren’t aware of. 

Ask your employees what they think you do better than anyone else. They are intimate with the project and customers and should have a fresh perspective of your customers and their preferences.

Look at your best past projects and ask yourself — where did we really shine? Or maybe there is a type of project you really would love to do more of if you had the opportunity?

Chances are, the seeds of your UVP are already there. You just haven’t packaged it yet.

Consistency Builds Trust

And here’s the thing: you have to stick with it, even if it feels like nobody is paying attention right away.
Consistency separates the serious companies from the forgettable ones.
Consistency makes you the obvious choice when a customer is deciding between you and five other contractors who all basically look the same.

When you stay loud about what makes you valuable, even when it feels like it’s falling on deaf ears, you're setting yourself apart. You're planting seeds. And when it’s time for someone to make a decision, you’ll already be ahead of the pack.

Because at the end of the day, people don’t just hire the cheapest bid anymore. They hire the company that feels a little more thoughtful, a little more professional, a little more trustworthy.

And that’s what a clear, consistent UVP delivers.

Listen to the podcast, and see what you think.

Written by Rusty George, ironically with no help from Artificial Intelligence. Well, maybe he used one little app to check his grammer and then discovered a better way to write a sentence or two, but hey - he's only human.

Rusty George leads a branding, website design and marketing agency serving Seattle and Tacoma area construction companies, subcontractors, manufacturers, material fabricators and suppliers. His goal is to help the building industry become more attractive to the skilled workforce of the future. Reach out to us at any time to discuss how you can build a powerful unique value proposition to get an edge on the competition.

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