Assume = Nothing

You can always assume on the price if you wish, but getting the job and for enough money to be profitable are two separate things.

If you want to guarantee you make money on terrazzo (or any stone) job, you need a site visit. Certain things just can’t be done remotely over the phone. You have to know what risks you’re facing and how much reward is in it for you.

If you are going to be charging someone $3-$5 (or higher) per square foot for a restoration, get off your heinie and educate the customer on why they have to spend that much – especially on a job like terrazzo, where the possibility of every person who ever swung a wax mop will be raining down quotes in the pennies.

If you sense the customer may just do it right and the job is large enough, show them a sample. Nothing sells like seeing it for themselves.

So until next time, keep your stick on the ice.

Tom McNall is founder and owner of Great Northern Stone Care, a Huron Park, Ontario-based stone-cleaning and -restoration company servicing all of southern Ontario. Tom  also offers corporate and private consultations; he can be reached at stone_rx@earthlink.net.

This article initially appeared in the February 2011 print edition of Stone Business. ©2011 Western Business Media Inc.

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