Sales Topics

Without sales a terrible thing happens; nothing. In our corner of the shelter industry the role of ‘salesperson’ is played by; artists, mechanics, craftsmen, diagnosticians or others calling themselves; technicians, designers, estimators or consultants. Very few want to be called salesperson and fewer willingly expose themselves to sales training. The result may be that the public is able to buy our products and services at bargain basement prices--often below cost. Or the public just doesn’t buy. The result is that we have a pool of contractors that appears to be constantly drained by those closing up shop and refilled by others just starting up. And we have frustrated homeowners.

This aversion to the label salesperson is not unique to contractors, but in reality everyone who breathes practices sales techniques in some way. The employee who marches into the boss’s office bent on a raise must sell the boss on his or her capabilities and historical performance to justify the raise. The child following mom through the cashier’s lane in the market clutching a bar of candy indeed knows enough to ask for the order several times before overcoming the objection and closing the deal.
“Mom, can I have this candy bar?”
“No” replies Mom as she begins to unload groceries onto the checkout stand.
“Mom, I really want this candy bar,” insists the child a few moments later.
“Absolutely not! I’m not buying candy!” Mom replies forcefully.
After a few more moments, the insistent child asks again, “Mom, why can’t I have a candy bar?”
“You’ll spoil your dinner!” Mom replies, not realizing that the persistent child has just smoked out the real objection as Mom occupies herself with the duties at hand.
“I’ll save it until after dinner, I promise!” replies the child, eyes gleaming with the knowledge that the objection has been overcome.
“Oh, all right,” replies Mom with a sigh.

The point is--all of us are salespeople, but not many people want to be known as salespeople. Nor is it a title we hope our children would strive for when they grow up.

I can gain a unique advantage over a many remodelers when it comes to sales. It’s hard to sell a kitchen remodel, for example, that only exists in words and sketches to a skeptical homeowner. It gets easier when you understand how people think and make decisions.

With some training I can create an interaction with the homeowner that feels less like sales and more like education. I can involve the senses in the educational process to make the process move more smoothly. We have five senses to choose from. We can; see, smell, taste, touch and hear. Involving the senses allows me to bypass short-term memory and go directly into long-term memory. That makes for better education--it's permanent. I carry presentation materials so my future customer can see and touch all the documents related to the process of fixing their home while they hear me describe the process. I let them touch and smell samples. With my laptop computer and portable printer I can show products and specifications and ultimatley print out an agreement with images of those products we explored with a price specific to their project at the kitchen table. This allows me to get the order signed in just a couple of hours most of the time.

If I do the best job of educating the customer about what I'm going to do in their home to provide for their needs--and come up with a price for quickly and accurately--I win the job at my price. In reality, this doesn’t happen without specific tools and training directed towards the topics of “show and tell” and “how to determine a fair price” any more than hanging a door could happen without specific tools and training.

To order your copy of my book on sales and train yourself how to educate the prospect better check the 'to order' page on my website (http://www.techknowledgeonline.net/) or click on this link for a special price offer; https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wHNOZXC7WEY5HkirjapvDkvDU20d1mgFq5LijPERFjc/edit . You'll find the 280 page book describes a linear process for educating the prospect and winning the job. The goal of this book is to provide the information necessary for contractors to become consciously competent when dealing with the prospective client. In these dealings the contractor’s goal is to win the job. The information in this book is arranged chronologically as a linear process covering;
1. answering the phone
2. screening the leads
3. setting the appointment
4. educating the prospect
5. establishing distinction
6. making the presentation
7. justifying a higher price
8. making the sale
9. collecting the money

Adapting the process allows contractors to streamline the sales process by becoming more efficient at each point of contact with the prospect, beginning with the information gathering phone call and with each following step. By approaching sales without the dreaded “high pressure” this book provides a comfortable routine for those who hate to sell.