The Trader's Handbook
Welcome to the Traders Handbook, the definitive guide for businesses on Check Your Traders. Discover the profound impact of genuine customer feedback and learn how to harness reviews to propel your business forward. From understanding the nuances of our ranking system to leveraging customer insights for growth, the Traders Handbook provides invaluable insights for every tradesperson. Dive deep into strategies to enhance your visibility on our platform and master the art of client relations. Whether you're new to the platform or a seasoned professional, the Traders Handbook is your roadmap to success in the Check Your Traders ecosystem.
The Trader's Handbook
The Importance Of Customer Reviews & How To Get More
Unlike other business directories, Check Your Traders champions genuine customer feedback and reviews. That’s because we want to create greater accountability within the local trades market and help the professionals gain the praise and exposure they deserve.
Here’s everything you need to know about the importance of reviews to your business on Check Your Traders. Further below, we even share our top tips to help you receive more reviews from your satisfied clients.
How Customer Reviews Benefit Your Business
Benefit from a higher ranking
Reviews directly improve your ranking on the Check Your Traders platform. The more genuine customer reviews and ratings you receive, the higher you’ll rank in our search results. This ensures that when consumers are searching for your service in our directory, your business profile will be among the first to pop up, which makes it more likely for potential clients to reach out to enquire about your services. That’s why it’s absolutely essential that you always invite customers to leave you a review of your work when you complete a job.
Furthermore, unlike social media where anyone can post anything, making it difficult for customers to know who to trust, at Check Your Traders we check each and every review to ensure it’s genuine. This ensures no one is posting fake reviews to gain unfair advantage in the rankings.
Reviews improve transparency
To improve transparency for all consumers, our profile ranking system is not limited to positive reviews. It takes into consideration all your accumulated reviews, including any negative ones. This essentially means that if a business were to have the greatest number of reviews, but they were all negative, it would still rank first within its trades category. But this is far from good news! This system is designed to point consumers in the right direction so they can steer well clear of badly rated businesses in favour of the tradespeople who have received the most positive reviews.
Gain a unique insight into your customers
Ever wanted to know what your customers really think about your workmanship and service? By analysing the reviews left by your customers, you can better understand how you’re delivering on overall customer satisfaction. This is a great way to find out what you’ve been doing right and to check whether you can be improving on any aspects of your business to boost your ratings sooner rather than later.
Enjoy better visibility on our platform
Finally, there’s one additional and highly advantageous benefit to getting more frequent reviews for your business on Check Your Traders. That’s because the most recent reviews are always featured prominently on our homepage. This ensures your business will enjoy extra visibility on our website at no extra cost. So, if you receive regular reviews from clients, you’re more likely to feature on our homepage for longer and catch the eye of more potential clients.
3 Top Tips To Get More Reviews
Not sure how to get more reviews on your Check Your Traders profile? Here’s are 3 easy steps for you to encourage more clients to leave you positive feedback on your profile today:
1 – Hand out business cards
At Check Your Traders we can provide you with a range of marketing materials to help your business look more legit and professional. This includes designing business cards with your hard-earned Check Your Traders badge to show clients that you are one of Malta’s verified tradespeople.
Along with your general contact details, your business card will also feature your official Check Your Traders profile link. This is an effective tool to point clients in the right direction should they wish to find out more about you online. It’s also the easiest way to share your Check Your Traders profile link with a client in person. It sure beats scribbling down online addresses on bits of paper or having clients rely on their memory.
After completing a job, feel free to hand your client a card and invite them to leave a review on your profile. If the job went well, they’ll usually be more than happy to write a positive review. What’s more, clients can easily pass your business card on to friends should they wish to recommend your services.
If you’re interested in getting your official Check Your Traders business card, then get in touch with our Support Team today.
2 – Send a thank you message
Sending a thank you email or message to a client is a great way to show your appreciation for their custom. It also comes with several benefits for your business. It helps strengthen your relationship with customers which can lead to return business, it builds a lasting positive image for your brand, and furthermore it encourages clients to praise your business through social media, word of mouth, or an online review.
So, after finishing a project, why not send your clients a positive message to show your appreciation. Before you sign off, you can invite them to leave you a review and express how their feedback goes a long way in helping you improve your business and customer service. Be sure to include a direct link to your Check Your Trader profile. That crucial review will be just one click away!
3 – Share you profile on the socials
Just because you’re new to Check Your Traders, doesn’t mean you’re new to the industry. You may already have tons of satisfied customers to your name, all of whom may be willing to leave you a review and recommend your services.
That’s why it’s always a great idea to re-share your Check Your Trader profile on your social media profiles from time to time. You can even leave a short invite for people to leave you a review. Not only is this a great way to promote your services and emphasise your verified status in the market, but it will likely catch the attention of previous customers who may want to leave you a thank you for a job well done in the past.
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The Trader's Handbook
Improve Your Telephone Etiquette In 6 Easy Steps
While texting, email, and social media continue to be the most popular forms of communication nowadays, many people still prefer a direct phone conversation with their tradesperson before hiring them for the job. That’s because a simple phone call can reveal a lot about your professionality and the type of customer experience your clients can expect to receive.
This essentially means poor telephone etiquette can cost you clients. No matter how great you are at your job, if a client feels you are rude or unhelpful over the phone, it’s very unlikely that you will win them back.
The good news is that it’s really easy to make clients feel they can trust you over the phone. Discover our 6 top tips to improve your telephone etiquette and deliver a positive customer experience on every call.
1. Answer calls in a quiet area
As a tradesperson, you will more than likely need to answer client calls while you’re out on the job. This may mean a call may crop up while you’re on a busy worksite with lots of background noise around you. As much as possible, only answer calls when you can speak in a quiet space. If necessary, head to your car or van, or move into a private room. This will ensure you won’t need to shout over the noise in order for the client to hear what you’re saying. Ultimately, you want the client to feel as if they are dealing with a professional who is dedicating their full attention to their call as soon as you pick up.
2. Introduce yourself and your business
Any phone call you receive on your business line could be a potential lead. That’s why it’s always a good idea to answer calls by introducing yourself first. This will ensure the caller knows exactly who they are dealing with, which will put them at ease. Rather than answering with a question – “Hello, who is this?”- take charge of the conversation by introducing your name, business, and asking how you can be of assistance: “Hello, this is John from Check Your Traders. How can I help you?” This will establish a professional tone from the very start of the call.
3. Clarify who is calling you
Always clarify who you are speaking to. It may be a small detail, but research shows that we experience a positive reaction when businesses use our name. That’s because we are drawn to the sound of our names. It also helps humanise the phone call. As a tradesperson and business owner, this is an important step that will work in your benefit because it creates a more personal interaction between yourself and the client. A simple gesture like using a client’s name may mean they’ll be more inclined to hire you for the job over a competitor who may sound cold or uninterested.
Furthermore, by establishing the name of the client at the beginning of the call, you can sidestep the awkward situation of having to ask for a name at the end of the call or, worse still, at a later date should you have to call them back with additional details.
4. Use a pleasant and friendly voice
When you are dealing with a client face-to-face, they can learn a lot about you from your posture, the expression on your face, and many other non-verbal cues. Over the phone, you need to rely on your voice to sell yourself and instil client trust. That why it’s essential to develop a friendly and welcoming telephone voice that sounds confident and in control. Don’t talk down to the ground or into your chest, as this may make your voice sound mumbled and unclear. Sometimes it’s important to add a little brightness to your voice because a neutral tone may make you sound uninterested or bored. A top tip is to speak with a smile on your face. This will automatically lend a friendlier tone and clarity to your speech that will help the client warm to you.
5. Listen and take notes
As a professional tradesperson, it’s highly recommended that you carry a notebook with you at all times. When a client calls, be ready to listen attentively to what they are saying and write down notes. Firstly, this is beneficial for you, as it will help you remember details following the call. This is especially handy when you have several clients with different jobs to follow up on. Secondly, you don’t ever want the client to be reminding you of what you should and shouldn’t be doing for their projects. This will frustrate clients and force them to lose trust in you. Having notes at hand will make it easier for you to fulfil their requests to the letter.
6. Establish next steps with the client
Before ending the call, reiterate any points discussed with the client. This will ensure you’re both on the same page and that you have all the information you need to follow up on their inquiry or request.
Also, if you’re serious about turning your leads into closed deals, then it’s also important to establish next steps. Whether it’s setting up an on-site consultation or sending over a quotation, clarify any contact details and follow-up appointments while you have the client on the line. Should you need to follow up with a client via another call, be sure to clarify the best time to call them. This will make it easier for you to reach the client at a time convenient for them, which is a gesture they’ll appreciate.
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The Trader's Handbook
Tradesman be Covid-19 Safe
First contact
Insure to take full details of the job specifications over the telephone, the use of video call on Whats app or Facebook Messenger app will help you establish the what the job will entail.
Offering quote
When arriving at a customers home, be courteous take your shoes off at the front door as to limit the spread of germs. Wear a face covering at all times. Use your own material, pens, paper, telephone.
Go digital
Send quotations digitally, converse with your customer digitally, send updates and invoices digitally. This will not only help to keep you and your team safe with limited customer contact but also streamline your business.
PPE
When needed ensure the correct PPE is worn by all members of your team, This will help protect yourselves and your customers.
On the job
Arrange working hours with breaks in mind, take your own food and water to keep yourself hydrated. Limit your face to face contact with your customers, without appearing unconcerned with the job in hand. Put together set rules with your customer exp: 1 point of contact for communication.
Things to consider
Maintain Social distancing when possible, carry alcohol-based hand sanitizers and use regularly. Be aware of your surrounding take all possible precautions to protect yourself, employees and your customers.
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The Trader's Handbook
The ‘How to Guide’ for the Self-Employed in Malta
Thinking of setting up a new business or going freelance as self-employed in Malta? This article has been written specifically for you, guiding you through the most important steps and tips that you might wish to consider and consult throughout the process.
To start off, whether commencing your self-employment on a part-time or full-time basis, you have to deal with three main aspects:
Social Security contribution payments
VAT
Tax
Where to start?
The first step in the self-employment setup is to register with Jobsplus. If you are a foreigner and will register as a self-employed, you must also apply for a Tax Identification Number (TIN). When doing so, you will start receiving the required income tax return form.
As a self-employed individual, you will also be eligible to employ people with you. This can be possible once you register for a PE (Permission to Employ) number.
National Insurance number (NI) / Social Security
If this is your first employment activity in Malta, whether you are a local or a foreigner, you will have to apply for a social security number, also known as NI number. As opposed to being an employee with a third party, you will have to handle your own social security contribution payments or else seek assistance from a professional firm to do so. Social Security contribution payments should be settled every four months: April, August and December.
A 15% rate is calculated on the yearly income for the previous year. For the first year of operations, the minimum contribution rate as per law will be applied.
VAT
Self-employment trading activity has to be registered with the VAT department. A business can be VAT exempt (known as Article 11), meaning that no VAT will be added to the selling price. Likewise, no VAT will be claimed back on any incurred expense.
If your business will be registered as Article 10, a 5%, 7% or 18% VAT will need to be added to the selling price. The percentage depends on the type of business and products it sells. VAT paid on business-related expenses can be claimed back through the VAT returns.
Tax
The net profit of the self-employment business activity will be considered as the taxable income, taxed at the individual tax rates that vary from 0% to a maximum of 35%.
Through the income tax return form, the declaration of the yearly income and relative tax must be reported by end of June of the following year.
After the second full year as a self-employed individual, you will start receiving the PT1 form (Provisional Tax) from the Inland Revenue Department to pay a provisional income tax and social security contributions. Social Security payments through PT1 form will be definite and final.
Income tax paid more or less than the actual income tax due on the net profit of that year will need to be reimbursed or settled through the income tax return due by end of June.
Assistance
This article has been written for information purposes. More detailed information about business advisory, VAT registration, tax planning, banking, accounting and administration services can be found on www.fairwindsmanagement.net. If you require more information or professional assistance in relation to your new self-employment setup, you can get in touch with a Fairwinds Management Limited representative on info@fairwindsmanagement.net or on +356 2704 0903.
Fairwinds Management Limited Abacus Business Centre, Level 1 Dun Karm Street, B’Kara Bypass Birkirkara BKR 9037
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