In every relationship and aspect of human life, our success is directly related to our ability to communicate. Sadly, many divorces are a direct result of a communication breakdown; parents and teenagers butt heads when they find they no longer speak the same language; and business relationships can crash and burn over misunderstandings. Therefore, it’s crucial that you learn how to effectively communicate—and do so often—with your clients, employees, subs, vendors, etc. Flex those conversational muscles!   

START EARLY 

From that first conversation you have with a prospective new client to the day you turn over the keys for a final walk-through, you will need to actively communicate with them each step of the way. And the earlier you start doing so in the working relationship, the better. This is no time to be a shy introvert. Avoid misunderstandings by having honest conversations about money, realistic scheduling, and selection/procurement of materials. As you build trust with the client, it will make it easier to have those tough conversations down the road. For example, when problems arise from a sub doing shoddy work and leaves you hanging.  

We’re all human—mistakes will happen. Now we have to figure out how to make it right. And that means talking frankly to the homeowner—addressing who will be responsible to cover the costs of fixing the mistake. My team? The sub? Or maybe the homeowner for a last minute change order? All of this needs to be worked out—in detail—to make it clear how the situation is going to be handled.     

SAVE YOURSELF SOME STRESS

When a question or problem comes up, never assume what your client wants or what they will do. Assumption creates uncertainty and anxiety that could otherwise be avoided by having an open, direct conversation. To keep the project on schedule, on budget, and overcome the problem on friendly terms, you will need to have a conversation that is easily understood by both parties. Multiple conversations may be needed to ensure everyone is on the same page. 

For example, let’s say you’ve started working on a new project even though the final design is not in place. This happens—a homeowner is anxious to get started and you’ve got a team ready to work. So, some decisions will get made in the preconstruction phase and priced into the budget; other decisions are still open. You try to account for these unknowns by putting down a number—maybe for tile at $20 a square foot. Now jump forward: You are well along in construction and asking the homeowner to finalize their tile selection. The homeowner has great taste—expensive taste—and comes to you with tile that costs $100 a square foot. So what do you do? 

You could put your head in the sand, order the product, and hope that when the time comes to submit the bill they agree to pay the extra. Or, you do the smart thing—communicate clearly to them that this is way above the original estimate for tile and that this product involves additional hours for installation. Present the additional cost for time and materials. Allow the homeowner time to decide if they still want to proceed or if the reality of the price has dampened their zeal. Then discuss how these additional costs will be paid—just track the time and material and bill them later or is there any wiggle room left in the budget to cover this? Keep in mind the goal of your conversation: To come to an agreement on materials and how it will be invoiced/paid. And, of course, get it in writing—a signed and dated change order—to eliminate confusion and surprises with one stroke of the pen.   

FINAL THOUGHTS…

If I’m ever accused of overcommunicating with a client, I’m okay with that. These relationships we build with each and every homeowner are unique and special. We’ve had a share in building their dream home and they’ve gotten to know the NS Builders family. And our mutual success is built on a strong foundation of open communication.   

It’s time to discover what NS Builders can intentionally craft for you! Contact us today to get started on your custom dream home. Together, we can make it happen. 

—Nick Schiffer