The question: All they want is a price!?
Steve’s answer: Give a price! But after your script …
Hi Steve,
I figure you might get a kick out of a new “marketing tactic” I am using. I found one of those coupons that says “Any 5 rooms cleaned for $49.95!” and taped it up by my phone. (This is the lowest priced “bait and switch” ad I’ve seen in my area.)
I keep it there for the price shoppers who call me or for renters who are moving out of their place and need a cheap cleaner just to get their deposit back. Twice in the last week or so, I’ve told callers to call this coupon guy, cause he’s what they are looking for.
I explained that I don’t do coupons or specials, and if their only concern was the lowest price, I could save them some time. I read the coupon to them and gave them the phone number. I explain that I don’t know this cleaner, but it is the lowest advertised price I’ve seen. I then qualify my “referral” by stating, “Don’t be mad at me if they don’t do a great job. I’m just trying to help.”
Both callers were amazed that I would do such a thing. The amazing thing is that both callers eventually called me back and booked with me. Is that weird or what? I guess honesty really is the best policy!
Honest in Virginia
Well, Honest, I’d say you are on to something IF they are truly “price shoppers”. However, we teach in Strategies for Success that the reason most people ask “how much” is because they don’t know what else to ask.
So I would suggest you use our SFS phone script to find out if in fact they truly are obsessed with price or if that is just the first thing that comes to mind when they call a carpet cleaner. (Sadly, our industry has spent BILLIONS of ad dollars over the last fifty years teaching the American buying public that the only way to judge a carpet cleaner is by PRICE!)
Remember that you can download our SFS phone script off this site for free and you don’t have to come to SFS to do so. Even though once you see just how well it works my guess you will start asking yourself, “What else am I missing by not going to SFS?” My answer- over 1,000 pages of systems, procedures and forms just like the SFS phone script you just downloaded!
However, assuming your caller really is one the dreaded and oh-so-very-irritating price shoppers I like the idea of you staying in control and at least “appearing” to be helpful. You could even say something like, “Heck, IF they stick to the prices they’ve advertised I may have them clean MY carpets!” Very effective!
Steve
P.S. This procedure will really freak out your typical suspicious, paranoid competitor when the customers start calling saying that you recommended them. The potential lost revenue is almost worth it just to mess with this bait and switcher’s head!