Key To Success In Tiling

[UKTT Darren]

There seems to be a few people on here talking about unrealistic wages and things are quiet, it can only be yourself at fault, dont want to come accross as arrogant and put anyone down, but when your self employed YOU have to find the money, nobody said it was easy, most people think it will just come to them by dishing out a few cards. I get a lot of people through the doors who have never been self employed before and are used to a regular wage comming in, if you are employed all you have to do is turn up at work, do your job, go home and get paid at the end of the month.
The people who make it work very well in self employment are the people who have the commitment, passion and the desire to succeed and dont let anything get in the way of reaching that goal, A new business takes time, nobody is saying you are going to make 40 grand in the first year, but work at it and build your contacts up and you will achieve them wages later on.
The tiling skills is only a part of a self employed tiler which most people forget, you have to get the business first and thats where the first problem is, This is the process you need to be focusing on

1 MARKETING (This is all your advertising and building up contacts that will result in an enquiree)

2 SALES ( this is what people neglect, you have to convince the customer that you are the best person for the job, do this by selling yourself)

3 PERSONALITY ( You have to have one, No personality and you will go nowhere, you wont build up the contacts and you wont win the customer over, this can be linked to the sale pitch by reading the customers or contacts personality and trying to mirror theirs, you are more likely to get someone to buy from you if you are the same kind of person as they are)
Remember you are selling your tiling services

4 DOING THE JOB ( This only comes about when you have got the first 3 correct)

Other tradesmen is definatly the way to go and find as many as you can who will pass work your way.

Best of luck to you all and strive to be the best and the money will follow.

Regards
Darren

 

[DHTiling]

well said daz mate. hope this helps some newcomers to the trade to have that get up and go attitude.....

 

[devonmark]

spot on darren, couldn't have put it better myself

 

[enduro]

Well said, a lot of new tilers think its a way out, to get lots of money without to much work, it takes around three years to get a business up and running with repeat work, you have to be the right sort of person, a working week is seven days if needed, 7am start until its finished. if that's not you go stacking shelves in a supermarket, but the rewards are there if your hungry enough.

 

[stedlocks]

probably a part of the 'sales' bit, but be nice!!!


imagine that you have someone in your home to do some work.........do you want

a. an arrogant geezer who you feel talks down to you? or

b. a happy bloke who is willing to help where possible?

its a small thing, but goes a long way🙂

 

[Fekin]

Aye.
Theres definatley more to it than just a small ad in the local rag.

While some people only do just that, I feel that for the majority it needs to be as the poster has said.
----
Heh, but once you win the job from the customer all you ever hear from then on is "can you judt do me a favour" :icon8: lol

 

[tiler tom]

The answer to Fekin is yes I can do that for you (as long as it is not a day) sure I can put that toilet roll holder up for you. Takes 5 min and gets you remembered.

 

[stedlocks]

The answer to Fekin is yes I can do that for you (as long as it is not a day) sure I can put that toilet roll holder up for you. Takes 5 min and gets you remembered.

per - sactly!!
be nice, smile, do what you can until they take the ****!!🙂🙂

 

[Jeffrey4670]

Hi, I agree with all the items above, to make it, being self employed! It does not happen over night and not to forget about all the clients who make you wait months to get paid and on occations not at all. keep smiling. Jeff.

 

[Varley]

Great thread Darren, made this a sticky for all newcomers no read 🙂

 

[IvegotsTILE]

Darren is spot on I've found that after putting myself about and starting to get the work in its my personality that gets me all my work.
Plenty of my customers bug the hell out of me(specially the ones with plenty of dosh)but I chat to them find out about there interests,family etc. until I find a common ground then I make sure that we get on like a house on fire,sod making me a cup of tea my customers make me bacon butties for my dinner and are happy for me to change the days I can start.
I make sure their very comfortable with me,every single one has let me work at their house unsupervised after probabaly being there for the first day.That makes them pass on my details to all their friends and family plus most have already called me back to do more tiling for them,don't get me wrong I also go out of my way for them,the kitchen splashback I was at on Friday I had to stop work to take the mother to pick up her kids from school because of the rain(now thats a favour)but it was all worth it cause she called today to get me to come round next week to tile her bathroom.
Promote yourself, get on with your customers like a house on fire and work your balls off(worked the last 10 days straight,plenty of 12 hour days) this is how you'll make your money and not be short of work.
Cheers Darren:beer_yum:

 

[penno]

really really appreciate this advice as someone who is just starting up. Most important thing to me in the world at the moment (making my new business work). Spent all my time since leaving school in the Army (14 years) so my social skills aint bad, think i am pleasent enough. Just crossing my fingers this works, have a wife and child to look after 🙂

 

[Home Tiler]

penno

i did a friends bathroom the other week...the plumber who fitted it said i did a good job tiling it ....now he passes work on to me ...

so if i was you try and get in touch with plumbers they seem to have alot of tiling jobs that need doing
good luck mate

steve:thumbs_up:

 

[scrubmuncher]

I agree, personality is probably 'more' important than skills at the moment. It is hard to be confident at first when your a little shakey maybe constant self scrutiny, but once you can produce the banter to go with your 'over' confidence when looking at a job, you've won. I think the reason the banter is more important is because thiers no getting away from the fact that every bloke and his dog is giving it a go these days, we are over run with new tilers and if you dont have the banter to go with the skill your not gunna get any work.
I'm a quite quiet person in reality, but from 8 till 6 I pull on my trainers and turn into a different guy. I spent ages without work, going into showrooms all quiet and reserved, not really speaking to other tradesmen. Then I found this other person in myself handing my cards out to tradesmen at every chance I get, talking to every tradesman I meet, anywhere. Approaching showrooms with the attitude that I'm gunna do them a favour, not the other way around. Has worked for me. If your a quiet person you really need to find your other self to get noticed, beable to turn it on when needed.

 

[UKTT Darren]

Exactly, if you get on really well with the customer you are less likely to get any grief as well, as some punters look for faults that are not there.

 

[jabba]

I find that lots of the "old timers" are not appreciating the fact that some of the "newbies" seem to be getting lots of work while they sit moaning in the pub at 1.30 after doing half a shift and deciding to let another potential customer down while they enjoy a few more beers......... times are chjanging, tradesmen now have to be on time every time, true to the customer and RELIABLE. It doesnt matter how good a tiler is, if he/she turns up stinking of ale with a "couldnt give a hoot" attitude then im affraid they will find themselves sitting in the pub a whole lot more.:clock:


Jabba

 

[McP77]

I find that lots of the "old timers" are not appreciating the fact that some of the "newbies" seem to be getting lots of work while they sit moaning in the pub at 1.30 after doing half a shift and deciding to let another potential customer down while they enjoy a few more beers......... times are chjanging, tradesmen now have to be on time every time, true to the customer and RELIABLE. It doesnt matter how good a tiler is, if he/she turns up stinking of ale with a "couldnt give a hoot" attitude then im affraid they will find themselves sitting in the pub a whole lot more.:clock:


Jabba

Couldn't agree more. It still amazes me when people thank me for turning up on time and doing as I said I would. As far as I'm concerned that is the least they deserve and I would expect to be b%&*$ed for not turning up rather than thanked for just being on time.

 

[GatesheadCol]

This is a great thread for us newbies.

All comments here are spot on, my time at the minute is mainly marketing. I go into the tile shops even when I dint need anything, chat to the guys and gals behind the counter. Now they know me they aklways have a chat and a bit banter. Get to know them, they will not give your cards out straight away but start taking your customers to their shops.

Everytime your out socially and you meet someone who is a tradesman give them somne cards, with a scratch my back and i'll scratch yours. One of my drinking mates builds conservatories (guess who his tiler is), thats what we need to do.

On the personality side - you have to have one. Ive been out on 4 quotes so far and got every one in the bag, 3 done already, the 4th starting on monday. Ive had a sales background so it helps but thats what you have to do sell yourself.

My second job (couldnt believe it at first) left me alone in her flat allday, do your job, keep it clean and chat to them when you arrive. Spend 10 minutes doing that. She actually said yto me 'it makes such a difference having someone in that is so easy to get on with. She was fit too but had to control myself as her boyfriend has 3 other rooms for me to tile lol, which are now also in the bag. Happy days

An old northern saying - Shy bairns get Nowt

 

[webby]

I am new to the forum and the last thing I want to do is come across as arrogant.I have been tiling now for nearly 30 years and I have never advertised.It did take a little while to get established but certainly less than a year.Yes I did 7 day weeks and bank holidays to start with.I had to as we had 5 children to bring up.However I have five months to go before I retire (officially) and am now in a position to work just 2 or 3 days a week if I want and still earn a good living.Mortgage is paid so one thing less worry.Money has been secondary to me and it is far more important that the client is a hundred per cent happy with the work.It is also important that I am one hundred per cent happy with the work.Attention to detail is a must.Don't skimp on anything.Use the best materials for the situation whatever they cost.Don't haggle.You should have a price for your standard of work and you should stick to it.If I put a price in for a job and don't get it I will be working for someone else.Be pleasant with people.Most of my work is private/domestic and I only ever work on a day rate plus materials.Hope this is helpful.Remember lads (or lasses)you only get out of life what you put in.
----
Jabba~~~~ just noticed what you said about old timers.Well I'm 65 next bithday,I am up at 6.30 every morning and start work at 8.I hardly drink anyway.I don't have the breaks during the day that most people do( I usually stop long enough to have a bite to eat) and I pack up about 4.30.If I am going to be late for some reason or can't turn up I phone the customer and let them know.I don't know where this attitude to old timers has come from but the most problematic tradesmen in my area are usually younger.Being realistic I suppose there's good and bad in all walks of life but I did resent you targeting us older tradesmen.And I'll tell you now,I can keep up with most youngsters.As I said before,I admit that I don't actually have to work every day if I don't want to but I do more often than not.

 

[jabba]

Hi Webby, as you say there are good and bad in all trades and obviously you don,t fall into the catagory i was refering to...... well done!!!!

 

[DaveCSC]

Good thread.
A lot of people do get roped into training courses on the belief that they will earn £50,000 per year. I recently contacted a company that were advertising plumbing courses through distance learning. The course cost approx £4,000, when I queried the cost he replied that doctors leave college with debts of £15,000 and they won’t earn £50,000 a year and why wouldn’t I book on the course and did I still want to be in a dead end job in 12 months – total hard sell. (Just to let you know I am from Construction Skills College in Stoke, I told this company though that I worked in a factory and was depressed with my job so that I could find out what they were all about).

Customer service is very important and it can be the little things that make a big difference, for example, if you went to price a job wearing jeans and a top or you went to price a job wearing work trousers and a top with your business name printed on the difference in the customer’s eyes is massive. Their first impression of your professionalism is key, and the cost of a couple of tops is very low.

And the basics – be on time, be friendly, be confident, be tidy – when you have finished a job a customer does not want to have to clean up after you. AND don’t forget to take photos of your work and build up a portfolio.

Did you know that organisations such as business initiatives and business link occasionally run courses on working for yourself covering areas such as marketing, book keeping, etc? These courses are free and in Stoke you can attend either during the day or evenings.

 

[top tiler]

totaly agree with all the boys no free rides in the tiling game

 

[ipanderson83]

I have quit my job and am currently looking at doing a Tiling training course.
This is exactly the post I needed to read to reassure me that I am making the right decision in what I am doing.
MARKETING, SALES, YOU, END PRODUCT are all the things that I have always concerntrated on as an Ex Salesman.

Thanks...

 

[cornish_crofter]

I have been self employed doing various handyman jobs for around 4 years now.

We also renovate and develop property so the customer focused business is part time.

That said, my only advert is with the local village newsletter.

I get most of my work via recommendations. I tend to keep my clients in the picture wrt progress and when I intend to be on site. I suppose I am quite chatty, which in some walks of life can be a disadvantage, but people like that in me (unless they are just being polite).

I did catch a small cold a while ago. I had so much repeat work from about 7 people that I neglected to grow my client base. Due to their personal curcumstances the work from a couple of major clients dried up and I was left with about a weeks worth of work.

Then other work appeard out of nowhere!

I know that I may not be the best that there is, but I do a reasonable job and people like having me in their house. I think that's what counts.

The other thing is honesty. One client who I was recommended to wants me to install a wet room. I have told him quite honestly that I have never installed a wet room before so we are researching it together.

 

[White Room]

I have been self employed doing various handyman jobs for around 4 years now.

We also renovate and develop property so the customer focused business is part time.

That said, my only advert is with the local village newsletter.

I get most of my work via recommendations. I tend to keep my clients in the picture wrt progress and when I intend to be on site. I suppose I am quite chatty, which in some walks of life can be a disadvantage, but people like that in me (unless they are just being polite).

I did catch a small cold a while ago. I had so much repeat work from about 7 people that I neglected to grow my client base. Due to their personal curcumstances the work from a couple of major clients dried up and I was left with about a weeks worth of work.

Then other work appeard out of nowhere!

I know that I may not be the best that there is, but I do a reasonable job and people like having me in their house. I think that's what counts.

The other thing is honesty. One client who I was recommended to wants me to install a wet room. I have told him quite honestly that I have never installed a wet room before so we are researching it together.

Give Tony at wetdecs a call he knows his wet rooms

 

[garretridge]

spot on darren after the course with you back in april i have worked on this side of the business getting confident with people selling myself and it has worked for me getting better as the weeks go on and can see a difference in my order book because of it! cheers-Ian -Tiling Solutions.

 

[UKTT Darren]

There is a key to success 2 on here as well somewhere, mayber dave can put it next to the first one, just gives you that bit extra push when reading it

Its not something you start off doing, it should just be a way of life, second nature to do it, thats when you will notice the difference in the earnings and bookings
Glad your doing well and the course worked for you
Regards
Darren

 

[Jimmy]

This is my first post but, I thought I could add a little to this having been a self employed plumber for years and coming into tiling to expand my work horizons. I like to think I got jobs out of quotes through being truefull, genuine and honest. I always try to come across as if nothing is too much trouble and tell the customer the things they want to hear without leading them on . The big thing is to apear confident even if you are not, there is a lot you can work out/research behind closed doors away from customers.

 

[ChrisJWood]

Jimmy's right you'll find most people in this world seem to blag what they can do. Confidence gives a customer security and so long as you're willing to research what you don't know (this forum being a great place to do that!) then you can't go wrong. Confidence over competence is no excuse tho.

 

[Donnie]

HI Darren, having been a self employed person for 20 years i know all the draw backs with making a success. However I am considering changing my career and becoming a tiler. I have tiled for quite a few people for no charge Mostly family, but i want to ask one question. In this current climate of uncertainty, do you think there is work for new tilers just starting out? In a dilema to give up what I am doing and start a new career after my divorce. Would love to hear your opinion. My area of work will be Northern Ireland.

 

[UKTT Darren]

Hi Donnie
Doesnt matter what line of work you decide to go into either self employed or employment there is uncertanty and no gaurentees, if you employed your desiny lies with how good someone else is at business to keep you in a job. However with self employment you make the decisions and if there is a lack of work out there you just have to dig in deeper and look harder for it, The golf courses are full of tradesman every day saying how quiet things are and how there is no work, there is work out there but they wont find it on the golf course or in the pub and the work just wont track them down either, you have to find it the hard way, by promoting yourself more, multi skilling yourself more, making more contacts with others who could send work your way, there is loads of ways to get business in, you just have to explore them all, the ones that do the most will be in work, the ones that expect things to happen will struggle, a desire to achieve and be successfull is what a lot of peolpe lack, im not saying it is easy and everyone is capable of doing it, some people just aint got a business brain and thats what you need if your going to run a business well, people forget this bit, they think because they are a tradesman and can do a good job, thats all the skills they need, you need a lot more than that, thats why so many people fail, iv been self employed for 22 years running other businesses as well as being a tiler and running tiling businesses, ive seen a lot of people fail along the way, ive made some mistakes as well but ive learnt a lot from them

I see a lot of people come through the doors of my training centre and i spend the first two hours of the course explaining a lot about what key skills you need to be successfull, i can tell after about half an hour who has a chance of making it in business as a tiler / plasterer whatever and who is probably wasting their time and may struggle, nothing to do with the actual trade skill they will end up with.

People think that the place is flooded with tradesman because of people attending training centres, its not the case, no good having excellent tiling skills if you aint got the drive or ability to find any work or you havent got any sales or personallity skills, these can be taught and you need to rely on them all the time

The best thing to do is keep your job if you can, learn the skills then do work in your spare time or on weekends to build up your confidence and skill levels, then see if you like it then move over once you feel comfortable, trouble with this route is you go at it half heartadly because you have other job commitments, still the best option for you though

Starting any new business off is not easy and anyone that has done it will tell you it takes time to build up. I know when i took a chance 7 years ago and started the training side of the game, started off training 1 person per week then it gradually got bigger and bigger but it was still a gamble, could of easily failed but failure wasnt an option for me. i made it work.
You can only regret the things you have tried otherwise you will allways wonder what if, i would personally rather try my hardest and if it failed my mind would be at rest and move on, rather than keep thinking about it.
The reason i still teach and do the training myself is to help people achieve what they are looking for and give them a good chance of success, my tiling course is unlike any other tiling course where as you not only get taught all the tiling skills, you get everything else you need from me to give you the best shot, thats why if you read the feedback on our courses my name is mentioned a lot, people seem to respect the fact that im genuinly trying to help them

Sorry for the long post but hope this has helped you a bit, i could have come on and said get yourself on the course and youll do great and get some money in off you, i try and be honest as possible then people can make up their own mind whats best for them to do

Regards
Darren