More Q&A from our July Webinar
In our last blog posting, we answered a number of questions from our previous home improvement webinar. We will now address many of the remaining questions that we received. If your question did not get answered please contact us.
Q: Can you give some examples of what to say when you talk about solving some of the things you’ve uncovered during your inspection or needs assessment?
A: It is best to preface what you say with statements such as, “During the inspection, I noticed…” then wait for a response to see if they are aware of the issue, or say, “Were you aware of (note a specific issue)?” Again, wait for their response. Be cautious not to be critical of their property, nor the way they have dealt with a serious issue. If you uncover something that they are/were aware of, ask, “How long has this condition existed?”
Also, as you develop rapport, you can say things such as, “I’m sure that in delaying this project you made decisions that you felt were in your best interests. Are you still of that same opinion?”
This method is essentially called “processing” and relates to uncovering issues or asking questions about issues, which in turn, give you more understanding of where the prospect(s) is at that point.
Q: Our company has an S.F.I. program with Home Depot. The majority of the people who become prospects are of the opinion that our prices should be “much lower” than anyone else. How can we overcome this attitude?
A: This “attitude” you refer to is probably more yours than your prospect’s. It is not uncommon to think this way, however, it is not valid. Within Home Depot there are many products or services offered with different “grades”. The same people who buy those products may become leads of yours and they may not always buy the lesser grade.
In addition, if you are offering a product that also requires installation (which constitutes a major part of the pricing) it is important for you and then ultimately the prospect to understand the quality of your installation process and the “back-up” which would not be present or apparent for many products sold off the shelf at Home Depot.
It is also a “fact” that your company is held to extremely high “standards” at Home Depot and ensuring those standards again requires production, operational, and administrative back-up, which are all part of that pricing.
A final thought which repeats something in an earlier question: If/when you lose a job because of “price”, in most cases, it’s really about value, which implies that the salesperson has to be trained while utilizing presentation methods which relate the “value added services” beyond the product itself.
Q: I have been in the remodeling business for 25 years. I’m a licensed mechanical engineer and have never thought of myself as a salesman. I first heard Dave speak 20 years ago. I was impacted by his understanding of the marketplace as well as his vocabulary and intellectualization; however, I never chose to follow his concepts because I felt they were really for others. This webinar has convinced me to learn more about what I don’t know. I intend to put many of these methods into practice myself and encourage my 2 estimators to do likewise.
A: This is not really a question, so I’ll start by saying, “thank you” and then add a caution. As you attempt to use the methods which we recommend, it will take some time for you to become proficient in their use (that was probably the same with the application of your mechanical engineering skills early on). I encourage you to find out more about the concept of “customer satisfaction selling” and our training on The Science of Successful In-Home Selling.
It is not necessary to think of yourself as a salesperson. Instead, envision yourself as a competent presenter and communicator and devote yourself to understanding more of what the customer is saying, thinking and feeling in your contacts with them. The latter will lead to an increase in your competence.
Thank you once again for all of your excellent questions, and don’t forget that early registration for the premiere of Super Sales Training has kicked off!
