I Need 3 Estimates-Here’s What They’re Really Saying(One Call Close)
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Summary:
“I need three estimates” is usually either a smoke screen hiding a price objection or a sign the customer is not fully sold.
Effective in-home sales closing techniques uncover the customer’s real objection and bring the conversation back to money.
The real close happens during the presentation, before you reveal the price or begin handling objections.
Separate your offer from competitors by clearly demonstrating your product, installation, warranties, company, and personal expertise.
Build credibility, eliminate uncertainty, and secure commitments throughout the presentation so buying becomes the natural conclusion.
In Home Sales Closing Techniques: Handling “I Need 3 Estimates”
I Need 3 Estimates-Here’s What They’re Really Saying(One Call Close)
If you're hearing 'I need to get three estimates— that's not a customer problem. Most of the time that's a sales problem. Here's why.
How much more money could you make if you knew how to keep people from saying “I always get three estimates” or if they do how do turn those into sales? If you sell home improvements like windows, doors, kitchens, bathroom, roofs or hvac on a one call close this is a common thing to hear. You’re understanding of what causes that and how to handle that will make the difference between you having the best life ever or having skinny kids.
In fact I would say that most of you like me make a living on our ability to handle someone who says I want to get three estimates because of how often we hear that. The main thing to understand is that “ I always get three estimates” is not a valid objection by itself. It is a way of saying no that masks what is really happening.
Two Categories of In Home Sales Closing Techniques
What is really happening when you hear “I need to get three estimates” can be simplified into to two categories
Category one:
It’s a smoke screen that you learn to handle
Category two:
They are not sold enough and you learn to prevent it.
That’s it.
One you learn to handle.
The other you learn to prevent from happening.
In Home Sales Closing Techniques for Handling a Smoke Screen
The first category is that it’s a smoke screen that you always hear at the beginning of the closing process in a one call close. This is the one you learn to handle. The second category is that it is a gentle way to say no to you because the reality is that they just aren’t sold on the product and price so they want to keep looking. This is the one you keep from happening. In the first category of the smoke screen it usually hides the real objection which is the money. That’s the only real objection you should hear if you’ve done your sales presentation correctly. In a one call close very rarely does someone say yes immediately when you first ask them to buy.
I almost compare it to a whittling process of them saying no until it turns into a yes. You learn to it professionally and in a way that doesn’t make the customer feel pressured. It’s almost like a knee jerk reaction that a customer says when they just aren’t right there yet. You go into a store to buy something and are looking at a coat you like and the sales person says can I help you and you say “I’m just looking” doesn’t mean you don’t want the coat, think it’s not worth it, etc. It just means that everything has not been handled in your mind like can you really afford it ,how you would pay for it etc. for you to give them your credit card.
So if that’s the case and the three estimates is the initial stall you hear when you ask someone to buy something then you need to be able to convert that into the real objection of the money. There a lot of ways that I do that but it could as simple as “ ron I just need to get three estimates.” No problem ..do you mind if I ask you a question? “sure” If this bathroom wasn’t 20 thousand but 10 thousand would you still be getting estimates? “ oh no if it was ten thousand I would be hiring you” So it really has nothing to do with getting estimates it just comes down to the money like it always does right? “ yea you’re right” So other than the money is this the bathroom you definitely want to put in your home? Yes and there you brought it to the money and then move on to the next step of your closing process.
In Home Sales Closing Techniques Begin Before the Price
The second category of “I want to get three estimates” is that they aren’t sold . Here's what most people in this industry won’t admit: the real close in home improvement sales happens before you ever get to the price.
Everyone wants the magic objection handler — the perfect line that flips a "let me get three estimates" into a signed deal. And I get it — "closing" sounds a lot cooler than "presentation skills."
But if you're hearing this objection consistently, the problem usually isn't your close. It's everything that came before it.
Everything I just showed you with the smoke screen — moving them off the objection, isolating the money — none of that works if you didn't do your job in the presentation. If they don't want it badly enough, no close will save you. You're losing it before you ever get to the price.
Let’s talk more about making them want it enough — but first real quick — if you do make them want it and are ready for more closing training, I put together a free mini closing course that shows you exactly how to handle it at the kitchen table and walk out with a sale. It includes live role plays including watching how I handle I want to get 3 estimates. Grab it in the description below. Now — Category 2..
In Home Sales Closing Techniques That Decommoditize Your Product
To get someone to not to want to get other estimates they have be sold enough on your offer that they don’t have to look around to make sure you are the best way to spend their money to solve their problem.
I hear it all the time in my training program: 'Ron, we're basically selling the same thing as our competitors.' And every time I hear that, I know exactly why that rep isn't closing.
If the sales rep thinks that what do you think the customers think. It’s beliefs like that that cause people to want to get estimates because people get estimates on commodities like gas because it it’s all the same why not get the lowest price. Your job is to decommoditize your product so it will lessen the chance you hear that. When someone buys a rolex watch or coach purse are they getting other estimates on other watches or purses. No because they want a rolex. It doesn’t matter that a cheap watch is over a hundred times less. The key to avoid estimates is to get your customer to want what you sell and to believe that the only place they can get your complete offering is from you and your company.
Demonstrating Value With In Home Sales Closing Techniques
If someone thinks your roof is a commodity you haven’t separated yourself from the competition. One way to do this by doing a detailed product and installation demo. It’s funny that the biggest thing that customers told me when I was selling windows at a high price is that they liked the fact that the windows tilted in to clean. The fact is that 99% of all double hungs sold today tilt in to clean. So why did they like that feature and felt it was an exclusive selling point?
It’s because most sales people either skipped that step out of laziness or assumed that it wasn’t important to sell since everyone else does it. It’s not what competitors offer but what they actually show that counts. If you do it right no other competitor has your combination of product, company, installation , warranties and more importantly you. Learn to sell these things. A lot of time separating your product from others is just explaining things that other competitors may have but they don’t talk about it. That your windows are fuse welded not mechanically fastened. That with your bathroom they never have to clean the grout ever. Your roof has a special ice shield. Or that your hvac system has scroll compressors and that you replace not flush the condenser lines.
Why Other Salespeople Are Your True Competition
The reality is that our true competition is other sales people. The biggest competitor and who you are competing against is not other companies and offerings but other sales people. Your not competing against ABC company you are competing against the sales person from ABC company. Think about your company. In most cases you could send two people from the same company, same product and one customer would think that you are the greatest thing since sliced bread and the other customer would wonder why you are even in business.
Building Credibility With In Home Sales Closing Techniques
The most important difference you sell is you. Ultimately what they are buying is you and your credibility. I've had customers buy from me at double the price of a competitor because they believed me — because I showed them I knew what I was talking about and they trusted me. That's the differentiator nobody trains for. Sales people who have high credibility make more sales..
Think about this… I know that if every customer believed everything I said was true everyone would buy. I could do it in one sentence if they believed me 100%. “This is the best product on the market in terms of the quality and warranty and what you get for your money in terms of value.” Now take it a step further every sales person they see says that so who do they buy from? The one they believe the most.
Eliminating Doubt During the In Home Sales Presentation
Another thing is that for a one call there can’t be any doubt. If there is any doubt at all to any of the color or product styles in a kitchen or bathroom, doubt to what they are actually getting with an hvac system or doubt about any aspect of your roof and how it is to be installed they aren’t going to buy. Think about yourself. Would you spend 20k if there was anything you weren’t sure about.
Of course not. The thing that will help avoid that is if you learn to explain and sell things in a methodical manner and get firm commitments along the way. I always use the analogy of selling a suit. If you just say do you want to buy this suit it can be hit or miss on the answer. But if you sell and explain the suit bit by bit and get commitments like so do you like the company that makes the suit,yes… do you like this material, do you like the fit, do you like the lining, do you like the buttons, and do you like the color then when you say so do you want the suit the only thing they can say is yes.
Doing it like that the yes to I want the suit is just the natural conclusion since you have sold everything separately up to that point. That’s how you need to be when you sell your product and installation to make sure there is no doubt and that you have gotten solid commitments on each section to be sure. The easiest way to do this is to have a structured sales presentation that doesn’t seem canned so you never forget anything and make sure every door is closed. You can’t be sloppy if you expect them to be comfortable enough to buy the first night.
Get More In Home Sales Closing Techniques
"Two things before you go.
One — don’t forget to check the free mini closing course. It has the exact language you use at the kitchen table when they try to walk you out for three more estimates.
Both are on the screen right now and in the description below.
Happy Selling
