Managing director of Houzz Andrew Small considers how to attract millennial consumers, who are spending the most on their homes.

Strong customer service is vital for delighting clients, increasing word-of-mouth referrals and retaining loyal customers, but do you have the systems in place to ensure you’re working in the way potential customers expect?

Aged between 26 and 41, millennial consumers are tech natives who has grown up with technology at their fingertips for everything from banking, shopping and travel, and they’re your next generation of customers.

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With a tech-first approach to all areas of their lives, these potential customers expect their tradespeople to make their project more transparent and easier for them through the use of technology.

They are also investing in their homes, with millennials’ spend on home renovations surpassing older generations, who historically reflected higher median spend,

There was a 70% jump in spend by millennial consumers in 2020 (£17,000 versus £10,000 in 2019), according to Houzz research.

Here are five top tips on how you can leverage technology to elevate your client management techniques and market yourself to this tech native demographic, with these low maintenance yet high-touch strategies.

1.Deliver smooth communication

Clear communication is vital for a successful renovation project. In fact, professionals on Houzz tell us that miscommunication and misunderstandings are often the root cause of frustrations.

Similarly, when surveying homeowners on Houzz about why they hire their tradesperson, communication was the number one deciding factor.

With Houzz Pro, an all-in-one marketing and business management solution, you’re able to deliver a streamlined communication experience, where all interactions are stored centrally, helping to avoid misunderstandings as there is a record of what has been agreed.

And with the personal project dashboard, clients can access all the information about their project at any time, from any device, helping them to feel part of the process.

2, Provide financial clarity 

A home renovation project is a deeply personal investment for a homeowner and not just financially, they are also investing their time, personal space and trust in you.

According to a recent Houzz survey, for one in five renovators, lack of financial transparency was a challenge in their recent projects.

With the suite of financial tools within Houzz Pro this doesn’t need to be the case. It’s easy to create estimates in minutes, send these out for digital signature, set up clear payment plans and quickly produce a change order any time there’s a significant change to the agreed budget.

By being up front and clear about costs, the impact changes have on the budget and when payments are due, you’ll ensure that there are no surprises for the homeowner.

It’ll also give you the reassurance that payments will be made in full and on time.

3. Use tech as a selling tool

Winning a project is as much about selling your design as it is about selling yourself. Potential clients will also be evaluating your processes and how easy it will be to work with you.

Impress them with tools that make their life easier and help to alleviate any concerns they may have.

It’s important to also remember that visualising the finished project can be difficult for the homeowner.

They may have dreamed about their new kitchen or extension for months but actually pulling the trigger on making decisions and investing the money can be difficult.

With the Houzz Pro 3D Floor Planner, you can help your clients envision how a space will look and feel post-renovation and align on important project decisions early in the process, helping to move projects forward faster.

4. Manage (and exceed) expectations

For many renovators, this is likely to be the first time they’ve undergone a project like this, and they won’t know what to expect.

As the experienced one, it’s your job to inform them about what will happen, ensure they have realistic expectations and help them to understand the timeline.

It’s also important when working in someone’s home to be respectful of their space and let them know what will be happening and who will be there.

With the Timeline feature on Houzz Pro, it’s easy to create and share a visual timeline that helps the homeowner understand the stages of the process, which they can access at any time.

By doing so, you’ve not only set an expectation, you’ve exceeded it. These are the things people remember and tell others about.

5. Remember: when they win you win

By incorporating all of these points as a fundamental part of your day to day, not only are you delighting your clients and helping to attract new ones, you’re also building transparency and trust into your core business operations.

You are  mitigating any risk from miscommunication or misunderstandings, which all lead to a better bottom line. It’s a win-win for everyone involved.