How to Build Long-Term GC Relationships that Drive Repeatable Revenue

According to Verderamo, precon is the best time to build GC relationships. Being relationship-minded, he says, is a constant process. But if you devote yourself to it, it increases your chances of success ten-fold.

The 4-Step Process to Build Relationships During Precon

1. Identify Best-Fit Customers

The first step is to hold a Relationship Alignment meeting — an opportunity to meet with the GC and determine if you two are suited for a relationship.

Mindset Shift: Instead of focusing on trying to win more work, hone in on whether they’re the kind of people who value your work.

Ask open-ended questions to get them to tell stories:

• “Can you describe your last successful partnership with a sub?” — If they struggle to pull a story off the top of their head, that’s a red flag.
• “How would your subs describe working with you?” — Forces them to be empathetic. Read how they struggle (or don’t) to answer.
• “When you think of your annual goals, what will your subcontractors do to help you get there?” — See how they incorporate subs into long-term planning.

Pro Tip: When you’re in a precon meeting with key people from the project, be forward and find out who the decision-makers are. Ask to meet the person in charge of buying out the project. GCs want to hire subs they can trust — very few people want to work with someone sight unseen.

2. Identify Best-Fit Projects

Once you’ve identified the best-fit customers, remember that not every project they have is work you do best.

Mindset Shift: Don’t bid just anything that comes your way just because it’s from a good customer. Hold out for best-fit projects — the bread-and-butter jobs you do well and enjoy doing.

“There’s often this mindset that if you say no to a specific project, you will ruin the chance of ever winning work with that client again. That’s not the case. People love clarity.” If you can’t take a job, be forthcoming and explain why.

Pro Tip: You have the most leverage prior to submitting your bid. They want that number so they can show it to the owner — take advantage of that pre-bid leverage by making important asks at this stage.

3. Eliminate Uncertainty in Your Bid

Mindset Shift: You’re not just submitting your bid to the GC — you’re preparing the GC to sell the project to the owner. Conduct a pre-bid scope review with the GC.

Cover:

• Any qualifications to your scope
• Clarifications you may need about the drawings/project
• Any alternates or value engineering ideas you have

Go through the scope they gave you together. If they didn’t give you one, be proactive and build your own. Communicate any exclusions the GC should know about — before bid day, not on it.

4. Demonstrate Your Expertise

Mindset Shift: You don’t need the project to start before you can demonstrate your expertise.

Schedule a proposal review to demonstrate your expertise to the GC. Cover:

• Your vision for ensuring labor productivity and procurement efficiency
• Details about your schedule and how you will meet it
• Your constructability review and how you will overcome challenges
• Additional value engineering ideas
• Clarification so your bid isn’t misunderstood

Outcome: Ideally, if your numbers are reasonable with just enough margin, you could come in as the second or third lowest price with the highest value in their eyes.

5 Client-Focused Wins You Can Try Tomorrow

Building stronger GC relationships is a long-term initiative, but there are quick wins available right now:

• Call the client when you have spare time and don’t need anything — touch base with the project executive just to build rapport.
• Show up to a pre-bid meeting. GCs love when subs do this. It demonstrates you care about the job and are present throughout.
• Set up a call to discuss this year’s goals with your key customers. Find out what they’re excited about and where you can support them.
• Show up in person to meetings and offices. Those in-person connections tend to have more staying power than those built entirely over the phone and computer.
• Build relationships at multiple levels, regardless of the status of the person. Some PMs are going to be project executives one day.

The unifying theme of Verderamo’s approach: center the client in all that you do. Chase long-term partners, deliver excellent customer experiences, eliminate uncertainty, and demonstrate professionalism. When you do, your entire business will benefit.