3 Simple Things That Help You Sell More
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Sales Training for Remodelers: 3 Must-Have Tools to Close More Deals
Here are 3 basic things that everyone who sells home improvement should be doing. Some may seem obvious but you would be surprised. I think that with all the emphasis on selling and closing skills people can sometimes forget how important these are.
Use Testimonial Letters to Build Trust
The first thing you should do is to have testimonial letters. Don’t you look at them on Amazon and read reviews for everything you buy? Even if you were only spending $50 on Amazon and one widget had many 5-star reviews and the other had no reviews which one would you buy?
The number one reason people don’t buy is risk. Risk that they will make a buying mistake since we have all had that experience. Especially with a higher-priced ticket like most home improvements are there is a greater risk. Reviews and testimonials are one of the most effective ways to reduce that risk. I always visit or talk to my customers after they buy to make sure they are happy and to get these testimonials. Not to mention the ability to get referrals but that’s the topic of another post.
Reduce Perceived Risk Through Social Proof
I may ask them to write one or in the worst case I tell them I can write one for them and they can approve it to make it as hassle-free or painless as possible. I always like to get letters that say things like “We weren’t planning on buying anything the first night Ron was here but after seeing everything he had to offer and now actually seeing the installed product we are so glad we did” or “We originally had quote for ½ of what Rons’ was but after seeing the difference in quality and realizing what was involved we are so glad we didn’t’ go cheap because we would have ended paying twice as much since we would have had to do the job twice because of the quality of work and materials. The lifetime warranty on Ron’s windows means that we only do it once for as long as we live here”. Or a simple “our kitchen is so beautiful and makes are home seem like a new home.” Any type of testimonials like this will help when the customer can see them from your actual customers.
2. Always Use Samples in Your Sales Presentations
The 2nd thing you need to do is to always have and use samples of what you sell and hopefully samples of your competitors. People have different dominant senses. Read up on neurolinguistics. Meaning that they visualize things, hear things, or have to touch and feel things. If you have a person who is more tactile and needs to touch things (known as kinetic) not having the samples to touch and feel will hurt you. There is no comparison between you telling vs. showing them a particle board cross section vs an MDF or solid wood on a kitchen door. Or letting them see what mechanically fastened windows look like compared to your fused welded corners. Letting them see, touch, and feel the difference between fiberglass walls and acrylic walls in a bathroom. Even the difference in padding on carpets counts. When I sold flooring just having the different padding samples that they could test by walking on helped me sell the best padding every time.
Show the Good and the Bad
Also, remember for something to be good there has to be a bad. If you have samples of the bad that your competitors use as well as what you sell the difference will be amplified and you will build more value in what you are selling. Bottom line - they can’t see how beautiful an actual sample of a quartz countertop looks no matter how good your pictures are. There is another reason showing samples can have an effect. Even if I was in a highrise building downtown and I had to park a block away if the customer picked a countertop sample color from a picture book that I didn’t carry up with me I would go to my car and get the sample. “I have a sample in my car let me go get it and you can see what it actually looks like. That’s okay we don’t want you to have to go all the way to get it and come back. It’s no problem if it’s you who wants and are going to possible get it I want you to be sure and let you see what you are buying .”
Keep Your Samples in Excellent Condition
Then I would go get it. Even if it was raining or snowing. People appreciate it when you go the extra mile and I think on a subconscious level it obligates them more to you. They appreciate your effort and it makes them want to do business with you. It’s human nature and everything counts in a sales call. I always equate selling to a sales scale that the more weight you put on the sales side when the scale tips in your favor they buy. You never know the feather that may tip the scale and need to use every resource you have available.
The flip side of that is that every little thing you may skip does the opposite and flips them to the not-buying side of the scales. Side note I think that it speaks for yourself that your samples have to be in pristine condition. Someone buying a 40k kitchen may do it by looking at one door sample and it is in bad condition. Nuff said. Or they are spending 30k on windows and the double hung you bring in is scuffed and worn. So much for the lifetime warranty. This is why anytime my sales team starts slumping the first thing I would do would be a trunk check to inspect all of their samples.
3. Show Before and After Photos to Highlight Transformation
The third thing you need to do if you sell any home improvements like windows, siding, kitchens, bathrooms, roofs, floors, and even HVAC is to have a before and after picture. This is what you are selling. Nobody ever says that they hope that their windows have argon gas, their kitchen has mitered corners, or that their bathroom has greenboard backing. There is no way you can describe how beautiful their kitchen will look, what the capping on windows looks like, or what an acrylic wall bathroom looks like compared to them seeing actual pictures. Even showing pictures of a new furnace install builds value when they see the new plenum and everything else involved. What they are buying is the transformation. Remember it’s the before and after pictures that really show the transformation.
Sell the Dream, Not the Specs
Having no before and after pictures would be like trying to sell a dress or car by describing the construction techniques instead of showing them a picture of the finished product. I have done entire sales calls and after selling the features and benefits I could tell it was looking at the pictures that really sold them. I can’t stress how important it is to use them.
Now here is the best way to use pictures and testimonials other than in your sales presentation.
The best way to use the testimonials and before and after pictures is in what I call a sell book. You can have an actual binder or if you want use a tablet. Tablets are great because the picture resolution is better than a printed picture. The point is to have all of the information on something they can look at on a separate device from what you use to price it up and sell your product. The reason it’s to be separate is that in most sale calls there will be a time after you do your presentation that you need a few minutes to come up with a price and/or get everything together on your laptop or tablet.
Use a Sell Book or Digital Gallery
So after the sales presentation before I start pricing or getting the paperwork together to deliver the price I always say “now if you give me a few minutes to get your estimate together while I am doing that why don’t you take a look through this book (or tablet) and you can see other pictures of work we have and other information about us.”
This does two things. One they aren’t just sitting there doing nothing and staring at you while you are figuring things out(especially if you are new and slower doing this ) and two it helps keep the momentum going and sells them even more before you reach the point when they have to be at their maximum moment of need and desire - when you give them the price.
Final Thoughts on Sales Training for Remodelers
Besides before and after pictures and testimonial letters I also have other sell things like a copy of cost vs value showing the average price of their product, fear information like articles about contractors who went out of business and took the customer's money, or awards my company has received. You get the idea. It’s like a last-minute commercial for you.
So always have before and after pictures, show samples, and have testimonial letters. These are more powerful than you would think for your selling arsenal. Now if you want to learn more please see the post on Selling With Emotions or the articles on Closing home improvements listed above. Happy Selling!
