The construction playbook
How to become a contractor ChatGPT names when clients ask for a shortlist
For owners and managing directors of UK specialist contractors, M&E firms, fit-out companies and regional builders.
Sector lead for construction at Fortitude Media
Download the playbook (PDF, 8 pages, 1.8 MB) ↗
Estates managers, developers and main contractors now ask ChatGPT and Copilot which firms to shortlist, and the assistants name the ones they can place clearly. This playbook shows a UK contractor how to turn its projects and accreditations into evidence those assistants can read.
What is inside
- The questions clients and main contractors ask assistants
- What a project page needs to say
- Which accreditations and listings must match
- A ten-question scorecard for your own firm
- A plan for this month and the next ninety days
- How to tell whether it is working
Questions your buyers ask
- Asked an AI assistant
Which M&E contractors in Surrey have worked in occupied schools over the summer?
- Asked an AI assistant
Which fit-out contractors in Manchester have done Cat B office fit-outs for professional firms?
- Asked an AI assistant
Who are the best M&E contractors in the South West for schools and colleges?
- Asked an AI assistant
Which fire door installers near Birmingham are third-party certified?
Three of the ten scorecard questions
- Does your homepage opening name one or two specialisms and a region in plain words?
- Have you published at least ten written project pages in the work you want more of?
- Does each project page give the building and client type, location, scope, what made it hard and the outcome?
The full scorecard, a plan for this month and the next ninety days, and the sources assistants check are in the PDF.
Questions founders ask
Our work comes from repeat clients and main contractors. Does this matter for us?
Yes, though less urgently than for a firm chasing new clients. Main contractors and project managers use assistants to check firms they have been given. A firm that looks thin online can lose out at that stage even when the introduction came through a relationship.
Can we name clients and show project values?
Only with permission, which many clients give at handover. Otherwise, describe the client type and building, such as "a regional housing association" or "a Grade II listed office in York", and give a value band rather than an exact figure. The assistants need specifics about the work, not necessarily the client's name.
Will a national contractor always be named ahead of us?
No. National firms tend to be named for broad questions, but most client questions are narrow: a type of work, a building, a place and a constraint. A regional specialist with clear evidence for that combination can be the closer match, and a twenty-person firm with well-written project pages can win.
Do I need Constructionline Gold, or is CHAS enough?
It depends on what the main contractor asks for, so ask them. Every Constructionline level includes SSIP health and safety, Gold is the level that meets the Common Assessment Standard, and Platinum adds an on-site audit. CHAS can also certify to the standard. Say plainly on your accreditations page which one you hold.
Read the full guide
Sector guides · 10 min read
How does a construction firm get named when clients ask ChatGPT?
Estates managers, developers and main contractors now ask ChatGPT who to shortlist. Here is what the assistants look for in a contractor, and how to get your firm on the list.
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