My guess is you dread “high pressure sales pitches”. Guess what? Your potential cleaning and restoration customers are no different! No one wants to be “sold”!
So instead of being a “salesperson” you must morph yourself into a “consultant” focused on solving your client’s problems. Your prospects will respond to your “expert advice” by becoming loyal (and very profitable) Cheerleader Customers! So how can you transform yourself into an Expert Consultant?
Obsess over the late Stephen R. Covey’s phrase: “Seek first to understand”. Or in SFS speak: “Put on your Customer’s Eyeglasses”! Ask yourself: WHERE is my prospect’s “pain”? WHAT makes them fear the phone ringing? WHY did they call me? After this analysis and once you have developed creative solutions for THEIR problem…
Always use the phrase “my recommendations” instead of “proposal” or even worse “presentation”. (Yuck!)
“Presentations” quickly become a “show and tell” focused on how great you are. (And you have fallen into the “Selling Trap”!) Remember- your customers don’t care about YOU but they love themselves! So you must first discover “where they hurt” with one simple phrase, “Let me ask you…”. Here’s how to do it:
Restoration HINT: On water losses just follow this free SFS Initial Water Damage Customer Interview form.
Commercial HINT: Use our free Commercial Carpet Analysis form to discover WHERE their maintenance issues are located. (More on this next week!)
Residential HINT: Follow this free SFS residential Phone Format to break down your caller’s initial suspicion and resistance.
After these “customer interviews” simply give the client your “recommendations” on solving THEIR pain(s)! You will be a HERO and well on your way to wealth in this industry!
Steve Toburen
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