As you approach businesses and properties that are managed by professional property managers for asphalt work, you will find a wide variety in levels of administration. As you have learned, sometimes even the smallest strip mall might be managed by a giant corporation. In other cases, a large apartment complex might leave its maintenance decisions to a general manager.
That’s why it becomes important for you to learn about each property before you make your formal approach for asphalt work. Large or small, formal or informal, all property managers are looking for key characteristics when hiring an asphalt contractor.
Professionalism
Property managers want to choose a successful pro for their asphalt infrastructure work. Asphalt work is often abused by fly-by-night, here today, gone tomorrow scam artists, so your clients will be on the lookout for signs of stability in your presentations. Successful professionals must do good work to be successful and they are more likely to be stable to come back next year to fulfill an annual contract.
How do you convey successful professionalism?
First, make sure you are neat, clean and presentable. Try to avoid bidding for new business in your work clothes. A clean uniform shirt with your logo on it conveys a good first impression, for example. All your vehicles and equipment should be clean and maintained to look as good as possible. Old stains, torn seats, chipped paint, dirty wheels and other eyesores do not inspire confidence.
Your bid sheets, business cards, brochure, list of references and other collateral material should be neatly and accurately done. It doesn’t have to be expensive and slick, but it does need to be clean and efficiently convey information without grammatical or spelling errors. Neat paperwork goes a long way toward expressing your professionalism by showing you care about details.
Streamlined contracts
Property managers too often spend hours and days embroiled in contract negotiations with various vendors. They appreciate a flexible vendor who can step up and quickly come to terms without delays, phone tag and days spent haggling about the details. You should have a simple professional contract prepared that can easily be filled in with specific details for any particular property, but you will often find the property manager has a contract prepared to the specifications of the property. The faster you can agree to the property manager’s terms, the more likely you will win the work.
It is also wise to have your references on standby, at the ready who can validate your company and your work.
Quality work
When it comes to asphalt work, property managers want the project to have the longest life possible. They want strong surfaces with maximum densities that will not crack or ravel. Hand-in-hand with quality is neat work. Straight borders, no blotches or stains and perfect cleanup are essential.
The best way to show a prospective client your quality is to show photos of completed projects, neatly paved and marked, with nearly invisible seams, proper drainage and smooth appearance.
