A Weak Commitment Is No Commitment
Prefer to Watch: Here's the the Video
The Power of Commitment in Home Improvement Sales
Summary
Firm commitments are crucial in one-call home improvement sales—weak answers signal lost deals.
Don’t accept vague responses; train customers early to be decisive.
Use follow-up questions like “why?” to strengthen or test their commitment.
Your real-life communication habits influence your sales effectiveness.
Why Telling Isn’t Selling
I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase telling is not selling. That’s because when you’re doing sales and especially home improvement sales, selling is asking questions. The most common type of questions in selling is what is known as tie downs or getting commitments from your customers. If there are any commitments that are not solid, or what we call doors left open, you won’t make the sale. If you are doing a one-call close, getting firm commitments is even more important because if you are selling someone on the first visit, everything has to be handled. All questions answered, all doors firmly closed, and everything is tight, or they won’t buy. And unlike other sales, you don’t have the luxury of going back to clean up your mistakes and tighten down commitments. It’s done right the first time, or it’s not done at all.
The most powerful type of commitment is to sell or commit the customer to your product. Questions like "Is this the type of window you want to put in your home? Does our company sound like the type of company that you would want to do business with? There are different ways to phrase commitments, such as “Can you think of a better window than what I showed you to put in your home ?” Or changing the commitment to the beginning instead of the end. To put in your home, is this the type of window you want?
What Is a Commitment in Sales?
Selling the Customer on Your Product
The point is that none of these questions or commitments are effective unless they are firm commitments. Otherwise, your tie-down has a loose knot. A weak commitment or weak tie down is like no commitment. Translation: your commitment is worthless.
Commitments or tie downs have to be solid when doing sales.
Tie Downs Must Be Solid
So what are weak commitments? When you ask a person a closed-ended question and they respond with “I think so,” “maybe,” “sort of,” They could even answer yes, but it is weak…example they hesitate… yeah or anything where your gut tells you it’s not a firm commitment. The best example to make sure your commitments are tight would be if you lent someone $1000 and said Now, if I do that, you're definitely going to pay me back next week. Would you accept any of those answers? The response you give, “you said you think so, is that a yes or no?” “Maybe, “ what does that mean? “sort of,” unless you can do better than that, I’m not going to lend you the money” is a perfect example of how you handle weak commitments using your style.
Recognizing Weak Commitments
What Does a Weak Commitment Sound Like?
One thing to keep in mind is that with your friend in a situation like that, you can be more direct and even blunt, but when you are getting a firm commitment from customers, you have to be gentler and not make it come across as an interrogation, or you will piss them off and lose rapport. “I’m sorry you said “sort of like you weren’t sure. Are you not sure, or would that be a yes or no?” In its basic sense, getting a firm commitment means that you not only get a definite answer but that they mean it. If what they say isn’t true, then just making them say it doesn’t mean anything.
Now, if you don’t normally get firm commitments or give them in your real life, that may be another reason you aren’t doing this in your sales call. That’s because you don’t recognize that it is happening.
If you ask your friend if they are going to meet you after the meeting for a drink and they say I’ll try and you let it slide, it means you are used to getting weak commitments. A firm commitment would be if you just said, “Is that a yes or no, because I don’t want to show up there if you aren’t going to be there.” So if you are not used to getting firm commitments in your real life, that will be an issue in getting commitments in your sales job.
Or maybe you aren’t used to giving firm commitments when people talk to you. When your friends ask you if you are going to be there, and you’re the one who says, “I’ll try.” Sidebar: In most cases, not only is" I’ll try” a weak commitment, but in all probability it means no. 😊
Getting Firm Commitments Without Losing Rapport
Sometimes, the real issue in getting weak commitments beside you not getting them is that they aren’t committed, and it gives you a chance to solve the real issue. So getting a firm commitment isn’t about making people say things, but getting honest answers that are firm. For example, if you weren’t sold on the product but were weak-willed, I could make you commit. “So, Mary, from what I’ve shown you, I’m sure this is the type of HVAC system you want to put in your home right?”
Even if they weren’t sold, they would probably agree because you are overbearing and asking them in a way you are really feeding them. Much better if you didn’t’ feed them but asked them. This way, if there is any doubt, they have room to object versus the first way, which feeds them the answer. See the difference if, instead of “I’m sure this is what you want, right? “ from what I have shown you so far, is this the type of HVAC system that you definitely want to put in your home? I think so…I noticed you said I think so, like you are not sure. And if you aren’t sure, that’s fine, but is there anything you aren’t sure of?”
Your Real Life Habits Might Be Hurting Your Sales
Are You Used to Weak Commitments?
Now, either they say “no, I’m sure” and the commitment is firm, or they say You know, I keep thinking about the variable speed furnace and with the efficiency and extra comfort that might be the way to go.” Now you have uncovered why the commitment was weak, and you can handle that. If you just forced the yes answer, you wouldn’t have known that or made the sale. So, understand that getting commitment is about asking questions, but be sure they have room to object so that you don’t get a false commitment.
Use “Why” to Tighten Commitments
The best way I know for commitments that I am not sure are real, or if I want to make it tighter, is to follow up with “why.” Is this the kitchen you want to put in your home? Yes, it is…and why would that be? When they answer that question, they have to reinforce it, and it makes the commitment stronger. Or if the commitment is weak or maybe not true, you will know by the answer they give you.
For example, if you say Is the window system you want to put in your home and they say .. Yeah… and you say Why and they say Well, I like the color - white. You’re probably in trouble. What they should be saying, I can see how it would save me money on my fuel bills, and I like the lifetime warranty, etc. Why is it a very powerful way to follow up on commitments? The most brutal application of this, you have probably heard many times and didn’t realize it. “Do you love me?” Yes…why? Why do you think he or she does that? They want to know if it’s real. Same thing here. At least in sales, your life wouldn’t be in danger if you don’t get firm commitments.
Train Customers From the Start
Now, during the sales call, you are training the customer to give you firm commitments by not accepting the weak ones. That’s why when you are leaning to get firm commitments, it starts from the beginning. If you start the sales call by allowing the customer to give you weak commitments, it becomes a habit, and by the end, when you need the commitment to be solid, it won’t happen because you already let them slide on it many times before. However, if it's the first time, the customer gives you a weak commitment. “So do we sound like the type of company you would want to do business with?
I think so….I’m sorry, would that be a yes or no? Oh, it would be a yes. You are training them that you won’t accept weak commitments, and after a couple of times and continue to not accept them, they’ll stop doing it. Sort of like how you train your children and pets. Stop them the first time, not the tenth, and it will be a lot easier, and it lets them know it’s not acceptable.
Treat It Like a Real Commitment
So, in general, be sure your commitments are firm and that they mean what they say. Learn to get commitments like you're asking someone you loaned money to if they are going to pay you back? This isn’t that far-fetched because when you're in the home, in a way, the customer has your money. We talked about the most important tie downs or commitments, such as whether they want the product, want to do business with your company, etc.
But there are so many other commitments that are just as important, such as do you see why would replace instead of just flushing the line set like a lot of cheaper companies do? Is this how you would want your window constructed? Would you settle for less than a lifetime warranty if you didn’t have to?
Final Thoughts
So, in summary, do you see how important it is to learn to get firm commitments when doing home improvement sales? And why would that be?
Now, if you like this type of post, check out the post on features and benefits or the other posts on closing home improvement sales. Happy Selling!
