Overcoming Objections - Risk
Friday, May 02, 2008
Risk is more than a great board game that takes way too long to play. Risk is something your clients face when making decisions about their project. Risk is a major influence for people. It is why some people choose a familiar company or product over an obviously better choice. When you're explaining your services to clients, keep the risk factor in mind. They may not pick your company because it involves taking a chance.
How Do You Overcome Risk?
- Try to take risk out of the equation. Whenever possible, provide a guarantee. Money back guarantees or satisfaction guarantees go a long way to letting clients feel more comfortable taking a chance on you.
- Allow people to try out your products, if you can. A trial or test of how a product works or how a material looks over a period of time can do wonders. You might even be able to promise them that you will remove or replace a product for free if they're not happy.
- Another option is to prove your experience. Risk goes away when people are convinced they are dealing with an expert. Provide testimonials, before and after photos, references, awards, associations you may belong to, and more. If they can see you are a specialist or good at what you do, you have a better chance of closing the deal.
Labels: Sales Advice
Sales Advice - Communicate What You Know & They Will Buy
Monday, April 28, 2008
Communication is your friend. When you are selling your services to a potential client, always keep in mind that what you know isn't always what they know. You may forget to include all the great details that would really sell your company and land you the contract.For example, you might make a statement like this, "We provide outstanding service to all our customers." It's a great thing to say to people but if you stop there, you're not communicating. Why is your service outstanding? What do you do to make it so great? Do you do something different from your competitor? Talk with the potential client, don't talk at them. You know that you offer 24-hour emergency service or that the products you install have a 10 year warranty. But these people don't.
"We have X years of experience in this industry." Doing what? This is a great jumping-off point but it has to be taken further. Break down those years and share the type of work you've done and demonstrate your passion for you've been in this business for so long.
"I'm confident we'll do this job right." I'm happy for you. But communicate with me why you're so confident. Do you have new state of the art tools? Do you use only the best materials? Does everyone on your team have 10 years on the job? Make them confident.
"We do this job better than anyone else." Very good. But... you know what's coming next. Give us the details, right? Right. Let them know why you're the expert. Tell them what they need to know and maybe what they don't need to know. If they see (and hear) you are capable, they will sign on the dotted line.
Labels: Sales Advice
Contractor Sales Mistakes - the Follow-Up
Friday, April 11, 2008
Last week, we talked about the non-stop sales pitch mistake. This week, we talk about when contractors stop too early. Failure to follow up is a common sales mistake of which many contractors are guilty. I know that "follow up" is a buzzword used far too often in most industries. But a sales follow-up is very important to maintaining your business.What is a follow-up? Following up means continuing the conversation with your client. If you promise to call back, then you should always call back. If you schedule an appointment, then you show up for the appointment. But following up goes beyond good manners. A follow-up means calling your client after the work is complete to check on job satisfaction. Taking the time to call means a lot to people and could mean repeat business. Going another step further, a simple follow up call to ask for referrals will mean more work in the pipeline for your business.
If you have a sales call or presentation that does not lead to a contract, let the people know you will be following up in some way. This gives you a second chance to make the sale and close the contract. Giving up on the first (second, or third) try may not be the most practical decision. By getting back with these potential clients, you're keeping your business name fresh in their minds. That is how your company can go to the next level.
Labels: Sales Advice
Contractor Sales Mistakes
Monday, April 07, 2008
All contractors are salespeople. They only want to be contractors, but sales is part of the job. When giving a sales pitch over the phone, or in person, it is important to make sure you make no mistakes. With an economic slowdown (some say "recession") in the works, every lead is important to every contractor. One major sales mistake that plagues many contractors is when one must go into "sales mode" and start making that pitch to prospective clients. Sales mode usually involves a rambling off every job detail and cost in a non-stop monologue. It can be tedious or even frightening for some to have to act as a salesperson. So many try to get through the pitch as fast as possible to get it over with.
The key to overcoming this sales mistake is to ask more open-ended questions. First, by asking for more details, you'll be pre-qualifying the potential client. You'll also be finding out exactly what it is that they want. By knowing more about the person, you'll be able to tailor your pitch to make sure you meet their precise needs. Also, you'll be forced to slow down your sales presentation which will make it more effective than the non-stop "sales speak" assault.
Questions are the necessary ingredient to make better pitches and close more contracts.
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Labels: Sales Advice
Contractors - Pass Along Your Wisdom
Friday, March 28, 2008
If your business has more than one employee - you - it is important that you pass along everything you know to help keep your company rolling along. Your company depends on your knowledge, wisdom and experience. I have a philosophy for every small business owner - "Learn it, Do it, Teach it." When you pass on what you know to a good worker, you'll end up with a great worker. But it shouldn't stop there. Thanks to your training, that good worker has become a great worker and should now teach other employees what he or she knows. When excellent workers leave your company - and this happens to every company - you'll be missing their talents. To prevent this, make sure they learn from you, perform well on their own, and then pass along their knowledge.
This practice of "Learn it, Do it, Teach it" keeps any one person from becoming indispensable. It protects your business. And, as an added benefit, it helps those star workers gain additional fulfillment beyond a job well-done. Helping others learn a trade or craft can be very rewarding.
Pass on your experience and skills to your workers, follow up and evaluate their work, and have them pass on their skills to new protégés. You'll sleep much better at night knowing you did.
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Labels: Small Business Advice
Contractors - Really Know Your Customers
Friday, March 21, 2008
Any talk of sales advice always gets the term"know your customer" thrown about a lot. Here's some practical advice that can help you understand who is paying for your services and why they're doing it. The more you know, the better the chance you have of getting the job.There are driving forces that will cause people to hire you. These sales triggers help satisfy a need your potential client has. To get to know these clients, you need to ask yourself several questions. By knowing the answers, you can effectively sell your services and land that coveted contract.
Everyone has triggers to make them hire your company. The needs that most apply to you include: saving money, saving time, improving quality of life, increasing safety, and making life easier. If you can craft your sales presentation to address these needs, you can close the deal.
- How do your services save them money?
- How do they save them time?
- How does your service increase their safety?
- How does your service help their quality of life?
- Can you make their lives easier with your products and services?
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Labels: Sales Advice
Contractors - How Much Is Too Much?
Friday, March 14, 2008
When it comes to selling your services and products to potential clients, there is a tendency to want to give them as much information as possible. The rationalization is that if they know a lot about what you can do or the products you install then they will hire you.The problem is, in most circumstances, that too much information can literally stop a client in their tracks. A recent study by researchers at the University of Iowa showed when people were given a lot of information about a product they were less happy about it than those given fewer details.
The research showed that once people made a decision to buy a product, they want to like the product and justify any decision to keep it. It's part of the sales idea of selling the sizzle. They just want to connect with the emotional aspect of a new granite countertop or hardwood floors. The client may not want to hear about every little advantage or product specification.
People are bombarded by so much information these days that it might not be best to overload them during a sales presentation. Life is fast-paced enough, for your clients, without having to try to straighten out all the details on a remodeling or home repair project. Also keep in mind that some clients may want a lot of information and can handle the overload. It's good to have "leave behind" materials on the products or services you provide for those who want to digest everything they can.
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Labels: Sales Advice
