DON'T BE AFRAID OF COLOR!!!!!

"Hello….my name is Joe, I am a painter, and I am afraid of color."

Sound familiar? Color can be difficult. It can be intimidating. It can be a pain in the rear. But…it can be...your friend.

Color can allow you to connect with your clients and better service their needs and dreams for their home. Color can distinguish you and your service from your competition. Color is quickly becoming a dominant factor in the decorating decisions of today's homeowners. By learning about color and embracing it in our lives and our work, we can change with the times, as our clients' needs change. And the best part about color….it can increase your profits.

Yet we still have that problem with color…intimidating, difficult, pain in the rear, etc. Many contractors would like to be able to help their clients with color, but don't know where to begin. I would like to share a few thoughts with you about color and it's role in our business.

Since we began offering "color consulting" in addition to our other services 2 years ago, we have noticed a marked difference in our client base demographics and in their end feelings about our company and the service, which we provided throughout their project. Homeowners are just as intimidated by color as we are. By helping them determine what they want, we are being of service. This service is very distinct from what they would receive from the rest of our competition, who offer very little, if any, advice & consultation about color.

The end result is that we are now servicing many more "upper bracket" homeowners, (which often means greater profits). We have also seen a difference in the "feeling" which our clients have about us when we are finished with a project. Rather than simply being satisfied or impressed with our competence and professionalism, our clients have often invested more emotion into their painting project and become avid supporters and references for our company. Color transform living spaces and environments, which makes painting more than a "maintenance" project. It becomes an emotional project. This is a good thing if you approach it with the right attitude.

In the next article, I will discuss some very good tips & ideas that have worked for us in dealing with color and meeting our clients' needs. Until then, think about color. While it can be a pain in the rear, it can also be one of your best allies in today's market.

By: Ross Dessert, Certa ProPainters (KC)

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