| In-home service contractors are finding it very | | | | with whoever booked the appointment in their |
| challenging to sell to homeowners these days. If | | | | home. Spend as much time needed in that first |
| you're a builder, home renovator, plumber, heating | | | | appointment gathering information and taking |
| and cooling contractor, pest control company, | | | | measurements. |
| landscaper or you sell to home owners, you're | | | | 2. Tell Success Stories |
| probably struggling with your sales. It's time to | | | | The second step involves your time and attention |
| change your approach with your customers or | | | | given to your potential customer. Sit down at |
| you'll go out of business. | | | | their kitchen table, ask for something to drink |
| There are many kinds of customers, but the | | | | while you're calculating the job cost. While you sit |
| most classic might be the "We're getting | | | | with the customer, tell them stories about other |
| estimates." customer. When they call for an | | | | situations and homes you've seen that were |
| estimate, they like to make sure that whomever | | | | similar to their home. This will start to establish |
| books the appointment knows that they are "just | | | | trust and a level of comfort. |
| starting the process" of getting estimates. | | | | 3. Gather Information |
| They mention a bit about the research they've | | | | Give yourself time to gather all the necessary |
| already done. They might even give the model | | | | information and measurements in order to give |
| numbers that they are looking for or talk about | | | | them an estimate. |
| the internet site that they used to bring them to | | | | 4. Show Your Credibility Book |
| your company. | | | | You or your sales advisors should always carry a |
| It has been my experience with husband and wife | | | | credibility book to represent your business. It's a |
| households that the man makes this initial call the | | | | binder which should contain great articles about |
| majority of the time. Don't be surprised when the | | | | the company, testimonial letters, a certificate of |
| wife calls with the same approach. Make the | | | | insurance, and customer satisfaction surveys |
| appointment with her and do not make the tragic | | | | from other customers. Give this book to your |
| mistake of suggesting that her husband be there | | | | customers during your visit to their home. |
| for the appointment, unless she suggests it. | | | | 5. Provide an Estimate |
| Sometimes our male egos with lessons learned | | | | These customers, who are used to scheduling |
| from our parents during a different generation | | | | second appointments with other companies, will |
| told us that "the man of the house" makes the | | | | be dumb-founded that you can sit with them and |
| decisions on this kind of stuff. This couldn't be | | | | in an hour of their time, figure out the job and |
| farther from the truth in most households today. | | | | give them an estimate. |
| As I learned from a very knowledgeable business | | | | In my experience, I hear things like, "All the other |
| woman, a woman has control over her man in | | | | companies that came to give an estimate would |
| ways you can't even imagine. On many calls into | | | | have to go back to their office to figure it all out". |
| your company, there may not even be a man or | | | | I reply that I would rather sit and get this done |
| husband in the household. | | | | for them right away. I tell them that I know how |
| Making no assumptions or generalizations during | | | | frustrating of a process this can be and that I'd |
| your first customer contact is the best first | | | | rather make it easier for them. |
| approach. | | | | 6. Follow up |
| Now you've booked the appointment and it's the | | | | Using these techniques consistently, many |
| day of the estimate or customer visit. An | | | | customers make their buying decisions for me in |
| estimate-getting researcher informs you what | | | | the first sitting! |
| order you are on their estimate list. For many | | | | For the customers who don't make decisions for |
| years, I would handle this estimate similar to | | | | you right away, write your cell phone number on |
| many other sales people in this industry. | | | | the top of the proposal and tell them to call you if |
| If I wasn't the last person to give an estimate, I | | | | they need help making a decision along the way. |
| would do a two-part close. I'd spend the first visit | | | | Emphasize that even if they're unsure about their |
| gathering information and taking measurements | | | | decision, they can still call with questions - that |
| and information related to the job. Then I'd call in | | | | you'll help them in any way you can. |
| a few days to book the next appointment, at | | | | Before leaving the house, ask, "When do think |
| which time I'd try to position myself as the last | | | | you'll be in a position to make a decision on this?" |
| estimate to be given. | | | | Whatever the customers' answer, ask if it will be |
| The only flaw with this method is that all other | | | | alright for you to call them on the date they |
| companies on the customer's estimate list would | | | | mentioned, to see where they're at with their |
| try to do the same. As a result, the customer | | | | decision? |
| would get frustrated when they couldn't get | | | | Now, this is very important: |
| estimates completed right away. Many times on | | | | Look them in the eye, shake their hand, and ask, |
| my second visit, the customer still wouldn't have | | | | "Are you sure that's enough time, because I really |
| all of their estimates. My closing rate on | | | | don't want to be a pest." |
| customers like this was typically under 20%. | | | | Then, you must call the customer back on the |
| Then I discovered my "miracle closing technique". | | | | date and time that you agreed! |
| My closing technique is pretty simple. It involves 6 | | | | These follow up phone calls for me usually begin |
| easy steps which your company should follow | | | | with an apology from the customer, who then |
| with every customer. | | | | asks me when we can do the job. |
| 1. Meet Face-to-Face | | | | Using this approach, my closing rate sky-rocketed |
| The first and highly effective approach to closing | | | | - going from less than 20% to over 60%! |
| the estimate-getting customer is, go and meet | | | | |