We recently nailed the despised question you hate to hear: “How much do you charge for…?” How can you conquer this “sales road block”?
Just use my Two-Step “How Much” Reply: “I can help you with that.” (slight pause) “May I ask you a few questions?”
With this Two-Step Reply you have both a) explained WHY you want to interview them and b) received their “permission to proceed.” (Giving your prospect the “Illusion of Control” is very important!)
Now ask questions that will display your “attitude of care and concern” and also subtly force them to “invest” their time in your conversation. So…
Ask your prospective client “Valid Business Questions”! (VBQ’s)
RESOURCE: We’ll cover VBQ’s and so much more in our 3 hour, online SFS: Winning over your caller! LIVE seminar. Click HERE for 100’s of ‘Lead Conversion’ ideas and systems easily book prospects who use text, email, Facebook, website chat or even… the phone! HERE are our upcoming class dates…
People are impatient and want to “cut to the chase”! GREAT! So do you! (Of course, you must still be courteous and observe the “social niceties”.)
Your VBQ’s should begin with easy questions. (It is a negative Moment of Truth when the customer doesn’t know the answer.) So instead of asking, “What fiber is your carpet made out of?” why not start out with, 1) “Are there any unusual spots or stains I need to be aware of?” (Don’t use the word “problem” here.) Here are some more sample VBQ’s for a residential pre-inspection:
2) “How old is the carpet?”
3) “Have there been any pets on the carpet? Have you discovered any pet stains?”
4) “Are there any installation concerns you’ve noticed? Such as loose carpet, split seams or ripples?” Mention these descriptive words to jog the customer’s memory or otherwise they’ll just say “Oh, no. My carpet is fine!”
NOTE: Click HERE to instantly download our SFS Residential Pre-Inspection Format (With lots of VBQ’s!) And VBQ’s work great on cheap, “Can you match this price?” customers!
Commercial HINT: Click HERE to download our SFS Commercial Carpet Analysis Interview Sheet. This form also works great for janitorial bids and has over 20 different VBQ’s for commercial accounts.
Restoration HINT: This SFS Restoration “Moment of Truth” Checklist has many great VBQ’s that will quickly calm a traumatized Insured.
Steve Toburen