How Connections Can Help Your Construction Business Grow

Most construction business owners are interested in nurturing the growth of their business. They want more clients, more revenue, and more prestige.

Obviously, to accomplish this, you need to do good work and build your reputation organically. But it’s also a good idea to spend more time making and reinforcing personal connections that can assist your business growth.

How do you do it?

The Power of Connections in the Construction Industry

Better connectivity in the construction industry can help you grow your business in several different ways. First, and most notably, you’ll have the opportunity to meet people who can help you grow your business. Some of these people will be active participants in your business. Others will be potential clients and referral nodes who can help you find clients. Still others will simply be willing to share knowledge, information, and resources with you, so you can grow your business more effectively on your own.

These are some of the most important types of connections to make.

Employees, contractors, and subcontractors.

This is an excellent opportunity to meet new employees, contractors, and subcontractors. Even if you don’t get to meet them directly, you can meet friends, relatives, and neighbors of good prospects.

Clients.

You may also be able to find clients this way. People are much more likely to hire people they know, especially for big and intensive projects. If you have a warm relationship with an individual who eventually has a construction need, they’ll likely think of you first when searching for a construction business.

Partners.

It’s also possible to find a variety of business partners, suppliers, and other contacts through networking. You’ll also meet people who can introduce you to valuable third parties and suggest new resources you may not have otherwise considered.

Peers.

Don’t neglect your peers. Connecting to other construction business owners can help you develop new ideas, learn new things, and challenge yourself in new ways. Don’t think of them as your competitors; these are fellow business owners, and each of you can support and strengthen the others.

Networking is also about entrenching your construction business into the community – and growing your reputation as a result. As you make more connections within the community, and as your construction business participates in the community more frequently, you’ll develop more brand visibility and name recognition. That’s going to help you land more clients passively in the future, as well as start all your client relationships on better footing.

Forming New Connections

These are some of the best strategies for forming new connections.

Employ a mix of tactics to find new people.

There are many types of people who could help you grow your business. These include entrepreneurs of other construction businesses, skilled individuals who work in various trades, politicians, insurance agents, and much, much more. If you want to meet as many people as possible, from as many different areas as possible, you need to employ a mix of different tactics to find new people. That means probing social media, attending local networking events, and even making small talk with strangers you encounter on the street.

Be authentic.

Many people who start professionally networking for the first time feel tempted to adopt a hyper-professional, superficial personality for the sake of attaining broader appeal, but it’s almost always better to be authentic. Adopting a fake persona is going to be off-putting, and could potentially sabotage your chances of making stronger business connections. Just be yourself, and you’ll be far more likely to see results.

Show up consistently.

Networking isn’t something you do once. You’ll need to practice this consistently if you want to reap the benefits. This is especially true if you want to build your visibility and reputation within a given local area; showing up to the same monthly networking event, every single month, can help you build that reputation.

Offer value.

When making new connections, do your best to offer value, rather than requesting value, especially upfront. People are going to be much more receptive to your connection if you have something to show them, teach them, or offer them.

Follow up.

Always follow up with your connections. Shaking hands and exchanging names at an event is a great first step, but the person you meet is unlikely to remember you unless you take the time to follow up with them in the future. Set a schedule to stay top of mind with your most important contacts.

Maintaining Stronger Connections

It’s not just about forming new connections; it’s also about strengthening the connections you already have. You can maintain stronger connections in the construction industry by reaching out and following up with your connections periodically. Even a simple “happy birthday” message or holiday greeting card can help you stay top of mind with your contacts. And of course, pay attention to the value exchange; make sure it’s at least as valuable for these contacts to engage with you as it is for you to engage with them.

Is It Worth the Effort?

If we’re being honest, we need to acknowledge that networking is a lot of work. It’s something that costs both time and money, when your time and money are restricted. But in general, networking is more than worth the investment to grow your construction business. And for many construction businesses, it’s downright essential if you want to survive.