Do good work at a fair price. And I NEVER tape a wire connection. Isn't that a code violation???
Read Dale Carnegies book "How to Win friends and influence people" It is one of if not the best seller of all times for businesses and will pay for itself more than you could imagine. As BGaquin stated, (It's one of the main principles in the book) people are not interested in you, they are interested in themselves. Be interested in them and their life. "Call them by their name" often is another tidbit in the book. A persons name is the sweetest word they will ever hear. "Remember their interests". When you make them feel good they will spend their money with you.
Follow up in a couple of weeks after you complete a project and again later and ask if everything is still ok. This will keep you in their mind and often gets more work.
You will want to get a good estimating software. I use Conest Intellibid. It has an online pricing update service called Netpricer (on the internet at netpricer.com). Graybar is the company my system connects to for current pricing. They are very good at keeping things priced properly. If you get the go ahead months later or a year later you can click two buttons and have current pricing on all materials in just a few seconds except for gear and fixtures. It will save you time and make you money and make you more competitive.
