The One Question That Makes Closing Home Improvements EASY
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Contracting Sales: The One Question That Makes Closing Easy
If you sell home improvements there is one question you need to ask every time if you want to make the closing easier and therefore make the sale easier. Most home improvements are sold on a one call close. I found that as a sales person whether you like a one call close depends a lot on how good you are at it. The sales people who don’t like it generally are the one’s who don’t know how to do it right and they in turn create the customers who don’t like it.
If done wrong it can seem sleazy and high pressure but when done right it is professional and a good experience for the both the customer and the sales person. I don’t have to explain the financial implications of why it’s better for both the company and sales person if you can sell someone the first time instead of going back over and over. Plus the reality is that unless you are selling the cheapest price your closing rate would be higher if you learn to do it right the first time. Be backs are b-broke in this business. The biggest difference in a doing a one call close vs other sales is that you have to do everything right the first time. You don’t have the luxury of going back to fill in any holes you left out or to cover things you missed.
Contracting Sales: The Pre-Close Commitment Question
The whole concept of selling to me comes down to the fact that when people buy they really only have to make two decisions. Do they want the product and can they afford it. If they want it which includes that they can see the value of it and if it’s affordable then they buy.. Anytime you buy anything you answered yes to those two questions. I want it and can afford it. There really is nothing else involved. If the answer to both those questions is yes, you buy and if not you don’t. So if you create a situation where the customer wants what you have and it’s affordable to them you really don’t have to close them they pretty much buy on their own. The more they want it and can afford it the less you have to close .
So when you are selling home improvements the sales presentation makes them want it and the close is just helping them get what they want. Helping them get what they want in most cases just comes down to making it affordable to them. The simple way of looking at it is that if they want it and it is affordable to them the close becomes much easier.
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So based on that the key to your sale is you have to do is make sure they want it. That’s why the most important commitment you get is what a lot of people call the pre-close commitment or the commitment question. This is done after you have explained everything except the price. It is the last thing you do before you give them the price. It’s what gives you permission to give them the price and get into the close. In most cases it sounds like this “If this is affordable to you is this definitely the roof you want to put on your house” . It sounds simple but there are four things that will make or break how effective this question is. Here they are:
The first thing is that it has to be a firm commitment.
That’s why the words are important because it it dictates how strong the commitment is. You are basically just asking someone if they want your product but there are subtleties in the way the question is phrased. It’s also important to realize that you are not asking them to buy here you are just asking them if they want it.
That’s why I say “is this definitely the roof you want to put on your home” I should be able to say definitely, and they give me a strong yes. The words are key for this simple question. Don’t change anything by saying things like:
“Do you think this a roof you want put on your home or do you like this roof so far? Is someone going to pay $15k for something they think they want or for something they like? No they would only pay 15k for something they definitely want and that’s why the words you use here are important.
The second thing to make this work is that the commitment has to be real. The given is that your sales presentation was done in such a way that they really do want your product. If they don’t want it then none of this will work.
If you did your job right during the sales call the only answer you should be hearing here is an immediate definite yes. If not then you are loosing it in your sales call. You can’t be afraid to ask this question here because if they can’t give you a yes to a simple question like “do you want it” what do you think will happen when you put the 15k on top of that?
One thing that helps make it real is to make sure that you are asking them and not feeding them. There is a big difference between saying “I’m sure this is what you want right?” vs “if this is affordable is this the roof you want to put on your home.” The first way you are feeding them and the second way you are asking them. The problem with the first way is that even if that aren’t sold you can make people say things or get them to agree with you but if they don’t mean it doesn’t mean anything. Getting them to say yes when they don’t mean it defeats the purpose of commitment. You are checking to make sure they are sold before you go further. You have to make sure the commitment is real. Even if you weren’t sold I can make you say it by saying “I’m sure if this is affordable this is what you want right?”…uh ok
“I’m sure this is what you want” is feeding them. “Is this what you want? Is asking them.
Another way of looking at it is that you are getting permission to ask them for the order. If they don’t want it does it really matter what the price is?
As a professional If they don’t want it you shouldn’t be asking them to buy anything. That’s what causes the high pressure that people don’t like. When they are being forced to get something they don’t want. It’s also the last chance you have to make sure you have the customer in the right spot of wanting it before you make it affordable to them in the close. All the selling is done at this point sadly if you haven’t sold them by now it’s over.
Listening is the key to know if it’s real or not. When people hesitate before they answer it’s not a firm commitment. Make sure they are not just saying the words but that the mean it. There’s a big difference between “Are these the windows you definitely want to put in your home and one person crosses their arms and says “yea” and the other person looks you in the eye and says “yes ..definitely” . If they are not sure you need to check it..nicely…”I noticed you said yea almost like you weren’t sure was that just my imagination or is this something you definitely want?”
Contracting Sales: Reinforce Commitment With “Why”
The third thing to make sure the commitment is real is you have to give them room to object. If I say “ this is want you want right” you are feeding them and if they are weak willed they will just agree with you and say yes. If I say is this what you want then they have more room to say I’m not sure or I can see them hesitate if they are not sure. If I say “is this definitely the kitchen you want to put in your home ?” and the answer is ……uh yes. The hesitation is a big sign there is something there that if you don’t catch it now will keep you from making the sale. I noticed that you hesitated a bit is there something you aren’t sure about and if so that’s fine?” Well I keep thinking about that cherry color you showed me instead of the oak I picked out? Then you can go back and make sure they are set on everything. If you didn’t’ you would have never made the sale.
The fourth and probably most important thing about this commitment question is that you have to reinforce it to make it rock solid.
That’s why the most powerful way to reinforce their answer and make sure it’s real is to follow up with the word why. Is this definitely the bathroom you want to put in your home?” Yes it is ..”and why would that be?” When they answer …I like the color and the installation looks top notch” they reinforce the commitment and you can feel it get tighter. I get as much as I can here. After they answer I always say “is there anything else” I also like the way your company does business and the warranties are great. It makes it even better.
Also by using the word why it will tell you how firm the commitment is. If I ask them if these are the windows they want to put in their home and they yes. Then when I ask them why…they sort of stumble and say “well I like the white color” you are probably in trouble. What they should be saying when you ask them why they want it is that” I love the construction, I like the way these will save me money and how your company does business.” That’s why the most brutal way you see why used is when people say “Do you love me?” and you say yes and they say “why?” Why do you think they’re doing that? Because they want to make sure it’s real.
I hoped this video made you think and pay more attention to this step that on paper seems simple. Just asking a question. I see a lot of reps do it wrong or just flat out skip it. It’s the key to you making money or not in this business.
If you like these types of videos and want to make more money doin in home sales check out the article on “Mastering Features and Benefits” or the articles on closing listed above.
Happy Selling!
