Construction Pipeline's Advice On Following up To Get Good Reviews On Leads

Sometimes it's very frustrating working with new clients here at Construction Pipeline.

By far the most common lead credit request from new clients is no contact.  They all seem to love to say... 

"If the general contractor was serious he would call me.  I sent him an email or left one message."

I am not suggesting that you should become a window licking stalker on the opportunities we send out but this is far from good follow-up.

The Team here at Construction Pipeline always responds to the subs with this, "Well ya know, that logic applies both ways, a general contractor could easily say that if a sub contractor was really serious about working with me he would follow-up with me."  I think the best way to look at this is simply whoever is providing the service has the burden of follow-up with the person with the cash.   

Lets take this example.  You have posted a help wanted ad on craigslist or your local newspaper seeking good employees.   Think about how many hours during your work day that you really are not available to speak with an applicant.  Maybe you're with a client, working in the field, already on the phone, driving, or doing paperwork.  If an applicant called during any of these times what are the chances of him getting your voicemail or you just saying email me over your application and I will take a look.  Would the right thing for the applicant to think is "Well if he is serious about hiring me he will call me."  That would assume that you have never once wrote a phone number down on the back of an envelope and pushed it aside or ever have had an email you wanted to see spam filtered.  It would also assume that you have never checked your voice mails and had a fire somewhere you had to immediately address.

Lets take a second applicant example.  He calls and you briefly interview him over the phone and he suggests that he emails over a copy of his professional looking resume.  Perhaps he further suggests that after giving you some time to review his application he will call you back to answer any questions you have.    He then proceeds to send over an email thanking you for taking the time to speak with him and he looks forward to speaking with you again.  A few days later he calls and gets your voice mail (you were on a job walk and didn't recognize the number)  He then calls again and you agree to meet but unfortunately for our applicant here you decide to go with a different guy.  

End of the world for this guy?  No way! 

This applicant knows that the chances of it working out with a brand new guy at, being generous, say fifty-fifty.  You liked him well enough but decided to go with the guy with a bit more experience.  Experience meaning he knows EVERYTHING and can't be retrained as to how you want things done.  Our applicant just happens to be "lucky" and calls you back in a few weeks to see how things are going.  Guess what our applicant gets a shot with you starting the next day and our more experienced guy gets to add yet another new employer to his resume.

Do you as a boss value "go getter" types?  Would your advice to a young guy just starting out be its fine to just email out a few resumes and sit on the couch and say, "Well I put in some applications if they were serious they will call."  I know that when I am hiring here at Construction Pipeline, be it for sales reps, editors or even a janitor I want them to show some initiative and want to work here!

Remember this, Construction Pipeline sends out project lead information to three companies.  Our experienced clients are some of the smartest industry savvy guys out there.  They truly believe that they are selling the best product there is...themselves!

We do consider no contact a valid lead credit reason but it's amazing how many times a credit request is submitted and we literally call the general right then and the general picks right up.  Construction Pipeline has the best lead replacement guarantee in the business but as we say if the sub would just call the general right before he calls us life would be so much better.