Sales leads for building industry are vitally important as costs of construction increases and builders look for ways to increase revenues and keep employees working. Construction leads are more critical than ever and building industry sales leads should be followed closely and handled in a timely manner to keep sales flowing.

Free construction leads can come from electrical and mechanical engineers, remodeling companies and contractors in the residential and commercial building industry. Highway construction and cabling companies all require construction sales leads vendors to pass on the information they receive. Follow the construction sales leads news and trends through industry magazines and associations as well as through providers of construction leads. Stay in the loop with current information on building industry sales leads in a number of ways.

1. Follow trends in construction leads online

2. Subscribe to the most effective construction sales lead lists

3. Meet with industry experts to get the latest free construction project leads

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Share information with construction sales leads experts

As sales leads providers learn more about how builders navigate the Web and utilize their products, they are becoming savvier about the kinds of tools contractors and developers will utilize. You need to stay on top of the construction sales leads trends to make sure you are on the list of leads recipients.

I recommend: Register with Construction News Portal to receive RSS news feeds and the latest newsletters to keep up with all the sales leads generated by other users and to keep up with the trends affecting the industry. Follow the news at Market Research, a company that mines the wires to keep industry professionals updated with the latest reports.

Stay on top of construction leads trends

While you can't spend your whole day reading about industry changes, you need to stay informed about the latest news affecting your industry. Find niche publications that can narrow your focus and regularly feed you with the important news that you need to have each day.

I recommend: Keep up with industry news that can affect your sales leads at the American Construction Inspectors Association. Find all the latest information and news that will affect your sales and your overall business opportunities at the Construction Financial Management Association.

Get free construction leads from industry experts

You often can hear about the latest news affecting your industry before it even hits the press from a good networking group. Find ways to interact with your peers and be prepared to share important information on sales leads.

I recommend: Keep up with all the latest news and trends by reading the magazine and networking with the members of the National Association of Women in Construction. Find the latest reports on the trends affecting sales in the construction industry at the American Subcontractors Association.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Encourage your team to read an industry publication and present regular reports on sales leads for the construction industry news that they've found in staff meetings.

It often takes a lot of legwork and phone calls to cultivate solid construction sales leads. But hitting the pavement isn’t the only way to build your list of construction leads. In today’s construction industry, sales leads can come from a variety of sources. To increase the number of construction sales leads: 

1. Use online sources for construction sales leads and construction referral services.
 
2. Network with former clients and colleagues in the construction industry - sales leads often result from these connections. 

3. Narrow your marketing efforts and you may land more qualified construction leads.

4. Manage your construction leads wisely and satisfied customers will provide even more referrals to your business.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Peruse online databases for construction sales leads

The Internet is a powerful tool for helping stay connected to job opportunities in your field. Several online databases exist that provide listings of various construction projects coming up for bid. You'll be able to search for potential construction sales leads by geography, industry and job function.

I recommend: BidClerk is a search engine dedicated to the commercial construction industry that is chock full of construction leads. For a monthly fee, you can view thousands of construction projects nationwide and bid on the projects you want. ConstructionWire, Dodge and Onvia provide similar services.

Use contractor referral services for construction leads

Online contractor referral services handle all the marketing and advertising for you then pass on the construction sales leads to you. Typically, it's pay-for-performance with these referral services - you only pay for the construction leads you get.

I recommend: CalFinder qualifies construction sales leads before passing them on to you. For construction leads on home improvement projects, consider using QuinStreet, or Renovation Referrals.

Increase your construction sales leads with targeted marketing

Purchasing the right mailing lists, telemarketing lists and email lists can be the key to growing your own list of construction leads.

I recommend: ConstructionLists, a division of The Information Refinery, is a full-service list broker specializing in the construction industry. Construction sales leads can result if you target your marketing using their lists of architects, property managers and more. 

Invest in software to help manage construction sales leads

Once the construction sales leads start to roll in, the real work begins. Contacting your leads, setting appointments, creating estimates - managing your construction leads takes time but is crucial to landing projects and keeping customers satisfied. Customer-relationship management software can facilitate the process and let you focus on what you do best.

I recommend: Although sales lead software, such as Salesforce.com or Leads360, may not be designed specifically for the construction industry, it can still be a useful tool for managing construction sales leads.   

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Stay organized. You don't want to get so overwhelmed that you miss out on promising construction sales leads or have to turn down any construction projects because you are overbooked.
• •  Many customers still like to do business the old-fashioned way, through face-to-face contact. Network with other players in the construction industry. Sales leads are often a hot topic of discussion at industry events.
• •  Construction jobs are plentiful. Keep sniffing out construction sales leads until you find the project you'd like to bid on.

Construction leads can help to set your company apart from your competitors. With the right kind of sales leads for building industry you can make the best decisions on where to invest and where to go fro additional business. Begin making the most of construction sales leads vendors by taking advantage of the many services and reports provided by providers of construction leads.

Free construction leads are available through industry associations, networking groups and online construction sites. Use leads for the construction industry to guide your decisions and keep you informed of news and trends that greatly affect your company profits. Become more successful by making the most of commercial construction sales leads in a variety of ways.

1. Look for lists with well-qualified construction leads

2. Use construction sales leads vendors

3. Look for building industry sales leads through online lead generation services

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Avoid waste with good sales leads for construction

Since your entire reputation as a contractor or investment counselor rests on your ability to guide clients in the right direction and make business decisions that turn out profitable, you should make sure that you are using effective sales leads to open doors

I recommend: To stay in the loop with the leads available online, you should register with the Leads Report. Attend one of the many informative seminars that can help give you a sales advantage at the Construction Industry Institute.

Bring in experienced providers of construction leads

While you collect your own research based on the local market and your own experience, you should consider incorporating a regular leads list in your operations. A sales expert can help sort though all the choices and point you in the right direction to land more deals.

I recommend: The Associated General Contractors of America is a great place to get the inside scoop of how to generate sales leads for your business while networking with other professionals. The American Society of Professional Estimators offers educational resources and other information that will be useful to sales and project leaders in construction.

Invest in construction sales lead lists

You can set a budget and limit the amount of information you receive, choosing a time limit or number of leads as a guide for your sales spending. Many of the lists available are free through associations and other online tools.

I recommend: Get involved with the Building Industry Consulting Service International to find out how the successful pros generate their sales leads and turn them into major projects. Read the research, meet the experts and take training courses to learn how to sell your projects through membership in the Design Build Institute of America.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Look for a combination of subscription and free construction project leads that cover your specific area of expertise both locally and nationally to have the most well-rounded leads.

Individuals working in sales face the difficulty of finding new business leads. Having a plan of attack, however, allows one to work efficiently and effectively in generating new construction sales leads. One can utilize a variety of methods to reach their leads, such as obtaining residential, commercial and industrial building permit activity, attending construction trade shows, purchasing mailing lists, contracting with list brokers, utilizing radius marketing systems and online construction search engines.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Email autoresponders

Email autoresponders are a computerized marketing tool that allows a business to send emails to potential customers at predetermined intervals such as 1 day, 3 days, or one week. The process begins by the potential client submitting their email address via a 'request for more information' form on your website. That submittal triggers the autoresponder program to begin sending emails to the client containing information about your business, services you provide and existing client testimonials.

I recommend: Refer to GetResponse to learn more information on the functions and benefits of email autoresponders.

Construction trade shows

Construction trade shows provide an outlet for sales people to network with a variety of individuals in the construction industry such as architects, contractors and owners of building supply stores. Construction trade shows focus on various aspects of the construction industry such as commercial interiors, green building products and other building maintenance and renovation materials.

I recommend: Reference the BizTradeShows website to learn of upcoming construction trade shows within the United States and internationally.

Construction mailing lists

Purchasing a construction mailing list, whether in standard mail, email or telemarketing format, allows those working in sales to effectively and efficiently reach architects, contractors, subcontractors and others in the building industry.

I recommend: For more information on available construction mailing lists, reference the Edith Roman website.

List brokers

Individuals working in sales may contract with a list broker to handle their marketing activities from start to finish. List brokers access relevant databases or, if need be, develop a database based on criteria provided by the client.

I recommend: Reference the Bethesda List Center to learn more about services provided by list brokers.

Radius marketing system

A radius marketing system targets potential customers within a specified geographic location. This process is particularly useful for those in the remodeling industry because it allows them to query homes constructed within a specified period, such as 10, 15 or 20 years ago, whose owners may be interested in updating their kitchens, bathrooms or flooring.

I recommend: For information on radius marketing systems, refer to the SmartLeadsUSA website.

Online construction search engines

Online construction search engines serve as a means to connect individuals seeking business opportunities with those individuals in need of construction services. Those working in construction sales can query potential job opportunities by project type, geographic location, start date or value of project. Contractors can also advertise their services on online construction search engines so individuals in need of a specific service can contact them directly.

I recommend: Refer to the BidClerk website to not only learn more about online construction search engines, but to also query available business opportunities.