Increasing your Average Invoice

We recently received a question from a contractor.  Here is the question and what our suggestion was for him:
Q:  My average invoice is too low.  How do I increase my company’s average invoice without my technicians thinking I’m just trying to turn them into salespeople that are just trying to take advantage of the customer?
A:  When one of your biggest expenses is the marketing you sent out in order to get calls, it’s so important to make the most of each of those calls.  That means your technicians need to be aware of their average invoice goals and you need to help them achieve that number.  Here are four quick steps for helping your technicians achieve a higher average invoice:

Step One:  Set Expectations – People have a tendency to do what is expected, so set expectations at the level you need for your budget and plan, and then communicate those expectations.

Step Two:  Track performance – What gets measured gets improved, so track your team’s performance every day.

Step Three:  Review and coach – Review each technician’s average invoice performance individually and provide positive feedback and methods for how they can improve that amount.

Step Four:  Review invoices – Review each technician’s invoices to see what they are recommending that homeowners aren’t accepting.  Then, coach the technician on how they can gain the customer’s approval on more of these repair recommendations.  If your technicians know that every invoice is going to be reviewed, you’re sure to see an immediate increase!

Step Five:  Celebrate your success – People love praise.  As your average invoice starts increasing remember to take the time to celebrate and recognize your technician’s success. 

Good luck!