Things You'll Need:
- Access to local and region newspapers.
- A willingness to do online searches for leads.
- Experience in the construction industry.
- A good resume showcasing your past construction work.
- Optional - a website with photos of your work and a list of your past clients.
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Step 1
If you work in the construction industry, then you already know how competitive the field can be. Too often you might find out about a new project that is under construction after work on it has already started. If you want to make good money in the construction industry, then you need to always be looking for construction leads. The first way to obtain construction leads is through word of mouth. Experienced professionals can find as much as 80% of their work through word of mouth alone. Keep a careful record of contractors you have worked with, people you have shared jobs with, and contacts at companies you have heard of or worked for. Every three to six months you should circulate through these contacts. Send them an email. Better yet, call them and speak to them personally. Being able to sell yourself and your services is a huge part of being successful in the construction industry. Let other people know that you are available to work or that you will be in a few weeks or months. Try to sound enthusiastic, energized, and positive about working with these people. If you are talking to people who do the same work you do, share tips and leads with each other. You never know. One person may have turned down a job which you would be perfect for. Always keep the line of communication open to other industry professionals. Chances are you'll find lots of construction leads this way.
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Step 2
Read newspapers and online versions of newspapers as much as you can. Look for news about planning boards at the local and regional level. Has a project been approved at a recent planning board meeting? Is construction moving forward? If contractors are already in place, it might be hard to get work. But by watching the news about businesses and developers who are still attempting to get approvals, you will find many construction leads. Write down names of people who presented at the planning board hearings. These might be real estate attorneys, company CEO's, real estate developers, engineers, architects, or land planners. Each one of these people could be a useful contact point if you are looking for work. Don't be shy about contacting them directly. Even if you read that they have already lined up people to work with them, there may be extra work or project positions that have yet to be filled. If you're serious about lining up new work, you need to pursue these construction leads aggressively.
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Step 3
Besides working on your sales pitch and learning how to present yourself to people in casual conversation, you need to work on other elements of your presentation. It always helps your business if you can put together a nice looking website. Publish photos of completed projects you were involved with. List past companies you've worked for. Write about your unique experiences in the industry. If you are a one man operation, your website needn't be complicated. Just make it clear, concise, and easy to read. And make sure your contact information is published in large lettering on every page - and make sure it's in a clear font and a bright color. You want to make it as easy as possible for people to reach you.
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Step 4
When you feel that you have a good construction lead to pursue, consider entering your bid on the work. You will need to take into account the scope of the work, the bidding start and end date, and get the right contact information for the architectural firm or real estate developer who is running the project. Again, this is where those personal contacts come into play. If you have a good relationship with an architect, engineer, or land planner, this person might let you know about future proposals and then you can simply go in on the project with that person as a part of their team. Construction leads are the best when they come from an "insider" who already knows you and likes your work. Still, it's always worth pursuing blind leads that might come from newspaper articles you read about new projects being considered.
Comments
itsagoodday said
on 8/13/2009 Home Improvement pros in the U.S. and Canada can receive free job leads at Home Improvement Want Ads at www.homeimprovementwantads.com
constdeal said
on 7/8/2009 Excellent article. I speak to contractors everyday that we have referred work to and they always appreciate extra tips. I will send them to this page. My website also has many valuable tips for Construction Pro's. Constructiondeal.com has excellent blogs and a great resources section.
Great works Ehow!
Constructiondeal.com
fixsor said
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