Make the Most of Your Appointment (Before and During)
Over 1 billion people are active on Facebook. Over 100 million people use Instagram every day. More than 140 million businesses use one of Facebook’s apps (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp) daily. Twitter has more than 140 million users who are active on the platform everyday. Why are we giving you these boring stats? What, you ask, do these stats have to do with building a swimming pool or an outdoor living space? We think these spaces are perfect mediums to showcase your work and communicate with prospective and former customers and think more builders should take advantage of these free opportunities! Before you meet with the homeowner, they are likely going to try to find out all they can about your business by going online. If you are working with a referral from our service, this almost always the true. What better way to show them your fantastic work than using social media? If you are unable to update your website quickly, there is nothing easier than updating your business page with the most recent images of your work. All you need is your smartphone. Homeowners love the opportunity to see what builders have created before. A play by play of your construction process can be enlightening and can offer homeowners a sense of what might be involved if they decide to do a similar project. You can easily build your audience by asking anyone who comes through your virtual door to like your page and follow you. If you actively post, you can keep in touch with your audience and let their interaction with your images to draw others in, and voilà, you’ve got some free publicity.
If you don’t have a website, you should have a business page on social media. Did we mention it’s free?
An appointment is a little like an audition and like all actors, we think contractors should have a couple of great headshots! When the homeowner has an opportunity to get a feel for the scope and quality of your work before your appointment, you can lead with your best foot forward.
The only thing worse than not having a social media presence is having a bad social media presence. To keep your space looking professional, the images of your work should shine. We did a Google search to find some pointers on taking a good outdoor photo with your smartphone, and we think these tips could be helpful for pool builders and anyone who wants to showcase work they have completed outdoors.
Some of the more sophisticated recommendations may require additional camera-related apps. We did not include any tips about light exposure, identifying focal points on your phone, HDR mode, timers, flash, etc. but if you are interested in learning about this, refer to the links below. The other tool mentioned a lot was a tripod. Tripods can be inexpensive. To keep costs down, consider a shorter one that can be propped up on a table or another piece of furniture for height. The goal is to be able to keep the camera still and steady for a good picture. This is particularly true if you are adjusting the shutter speed.
Time of Day
Many sites recommend you take exterior photos right after sunrise and before sunset, sometimes referred to as the “golden hour” or the “magic hour.” This is because of the “diffused light that is created by the sun being low in the sky” creating pictures with a warm cast of light. This light provides shadows that give your images depth. It’s best to avoid the glaring light during other times of the day. Sometimes filters in phone apps or options available when editing can help to achieve this effect.
Composition
Frame your images with a foreground, middle-ground, and background. The idea is to add interesting depth. Some examples of capturing foreground, middle-ground, and background are if you are at the beach, you would take a picture of sand, water, sky/clouds.
Use the elements in the picture to guide the viewer through the image. Make sure the elements highlight what you want the viewer to pay attention to (focal point). Sometimes the elements can be used to create a frame around the point of interest. If your phone’s camera has a visible gridline option, this might be helpful for creating good composition. The gridlines can help you easily find the naturally occurring lines in your image and also help you follow the composition “rule of thirds” that says you should “break your image up into thirds vertically and horizontally and place the subject of your photo at the intersection of two lines or along the lines.”
Clear Vision
Make sure your photo does not include distracting elements. Change your vantage point, if necessary. For example if you are trying to take a picture of the beautiful new pool you built and part of your image is blocked (not framed) by landscaping or another structure, move to another spot, even if just a couple of feet away.
Other Tips
Don’t put the horizon in the center of your image, use it as a dividing line to emphasize the ground, where your work is.
Change your perspective to add variance to the images you will be posting online. If you are going to post multiple images of the same project, this is particularly important. Make the images interesting for the viewers so that they can see your work from several vantage points. If you are going to take a lot of images, try to capture your work in 5-10 images. We don’t recommend posting more than that for one project unless you are using Pinterest.
Use tangible, recognizable objects to help viewers identify size and scale. For example, a swimming pool set against a fence or landscaping alone will not give the viewer perspective of how large the pool is. Placing it next to patio furniture is a better indicator, easily identifiable indicator.Consider an editing app if you find yourself wanting to fine tune the lighting, contrast, and sharpness of your images.
Resources:
We wouldn’t include these common sense tips if the homeowners we talk to didn’t give us feedback. So here it goes, consider it a PSA for some builders in the industry. In addition to showing up prepared, don’t forget the following:
Be courteous, friendly and professional.
Make eye contact.
Answer all of the homeowner's questions.
Communicate effectively to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings (see our tips for good communication).
Value the homeowner’s time. Arrive promptly. Keep your appointment long enough so the homeowner does not feel rushed. But don’t linger.
Take pictures of the build site to help you remember any details you might want to remember later. You can use these images for a more accurate estimate, for “before and after” photos, and to help you communicate any issues you foresee or that arise later.
Leave your business card and any other marketing materials your company uses with the homeowner.
Always remember your face-to-face meeting is more than your opportunity to sell the project, it’s an opportunity to sell your company for now and for the future. Do your best to represent your company with a great first impression. This impression may influence a homeowner to recommend your company even if they don’t hire you.