What is Selling with Integrity and Ethics?

What is Selling with Integrity and Ethics?

Recently I severed ties with a person that I lost all faith in selling with integrity and ethics. I stopped training this person due to his unwillingness to part ways with questionable tactics that did not give customer the ability to have all the information in order to make a good decision. Once he learned that someone was interested in a product he pounced on that want without considering the future or immediate future and how it will affect the customer.

I tried and tried to reach this person however his greed and thought process was a little off center. His idea of success was the amount of money brought into a company and in his wallet. His ides of success = success equals a justification to the means and end. When this fellow and I parted ways he had 4 different stories to 4 different people and that is a huge indicator to what kind of person this guy is at this time. He does have the potential to change when and if he wants to change. At this point in time money is his driver and how he gets it does not matter.

Selling with ethics must include giving the customer information that allows the customer to make a wise decision and to make the correct choice. Omitting information in order to manipulate the customer into a purchase has never been proper. It is hiding the truth and is deceiving the customer. This is never a good thing or something that is taught. This is an evil man’s way to try and make his way through life by taking advantage of people who are less informed. Working this way with 1 product will make it easier to do this with many products and is the road to destroying business relationships. This customer is not the type customer to call and place a concern with you they are the customer that will not call you in the future. This means you will not know or understand why this customer has stopped calling you. Once this customer realizes that he or she was taken advantage of he or she will not want others to know. However with this customer there is no problem letting potential customers know that you are a crook even though the dishonest individual is gone, gone, gone.

Omitting information is pure and simple dishonest. This shows a lack of integrity and an inability to sell with meaning and conviction by doping what is right. Selling with the intent to omit information is an insecure person’s way of becoming secure by taking advantage of a weaker person. The person is weaker due to lacking the proper knowledge and information to make a good choice. You make a person weak in order to appear strong and correct.

To sell equipment that will affect people’s salt levels when you know the customer has problems (High Blood Pressure) with salt is not only dangerous it is incredibly dishonest. Not informing the customer of these problems and providing a better source is irresponsible and unethical. Selling a tank Less water heater that only provides a 40 degree temperature rise and a top end of 105 degrees at 3 gallons a minute is unethical and lacks integrity when there are 2 full bathrooms ,kitchen, laundry that must be maintained by this tank less heater. Improper sizing of the tank less in order to sell the tank less heater is way out of line and you are a thief. Having 2 or more fixtures run at the same time will not supply the proper demands of hot water the customer needs and somehow this is ok to do?

This is not selling people this is plain and simple stealing from the customer. Give the customer what they want attitude is not relevant in this instant. To do something you know will not work is not honest. Why would you do this? What could possibly be important enough to by-pass your integrity and beliefs? What is worth your soul that you do not care how you treat another individual? Are you so insecure that you would rather have accolades for doing wrong than doing what is right?

I have seen people teach people to clear a drain using a small cable and head. This is to get the drain running then run a camera to video inspect a drain line and shake their heads while rubbing their chin making statements such as this: I have never seen such a bad drain or this is in the worst condition I have ever seen good thing we are here today. This is supposed to add fear specifically fear of loss to acquire an action by the customer to move forward. The customer will say something similar to this: can you clear this line? I just did and see how ti is, remember they used a small cable and machine that is not able to clear the line. This unethical tactic is used to sell building sewers and should not be tolerated in our industry.

Any sales trainer that teaches this type behavior should be thrown out of the any industry where this method is taught am surprised at highly acclaimed sales trainers that are given high five’s for this kind of behavior from technicians in the construction service trades. I remember beign in a class with some Canadian drain cleaners where this behavior not only was applauded it was suggested as a viable means to an end and would allow you to become a valued member of the million dollar sales club. This is not a viable way to sell. It is not acceptable and gives our industry a horrible name and reputation to beat back.1 person that sells this way reflects on the 30 that sell with ethics and integrity. That 1 person is looked at more intently than the honest person. Watch the news reports the bad and ugly receives recognition Good deeds receive a minute at the ned of the program.

Decide to start today and sell with integrity and ethics. Allow honesty to rule what and how you operate a as a company. Force your employees to follow ethical boundaries or get rid of them. There are unethical companies and it is difficult to do anything about these companies. It is even more difficult to find and hire ethical people for your company. Stay the course and hire the right person and forget bodies. My last 3 resumes from construction service trades mechanics who are working for other companies in our area consist of: 1 a convicted rapist 2. A man convicted of abusing women (2 convictions since 2000) 3. A serv ice provider that is convicted and refused to pay child support. 3 people are currently working for local service providers in customers’ homes. Do you suppose if the customer knew this they would want that person in their home? What does that tell you about the character of some companies? Do you think integrity or ethics may vary with a company that hires improperly? Do you suppose this should be a question to ask before you allow a company into your home?

Today is the start of a brand new day where you decide to do something different. This difference is to pass all information available that will give the customer the ability to make the best choice. Let the customer know the pros and cons and then make the decision that best fits their budget and knowledge. When a customer still makes the wrong choice you then have a decision to make. The decision to make is not that difficult, you either do the job with acknowledgement to your concerns or you walk from the job and allow someone else’s reputation to take the hit in time. How important is your reputation.

Honesty, integrity, and ethics are not questionable. They are black and white. If you believe there is a line and this line can be crossed you have an ethics and integrity problem. Change your thoughts, replace you thoughts, replace the source you are receiving your information and soon your actions and words will start to match one another.

How do you guys deal with those obnoxious clients?

how do you guys deal with those obnoxious clients?

you know the ones who can’t be satisfied? Always feel they paid to much? they quote big box store prices right back at you? can’t understand quality? I’m from a rural area so the customer base is smaller then some. any ideas?

This is a recent discussion in a LinkedIn plumbing professional site. This is the actual writing and questions posed to the group. I am laughing so hard at some of the answers that cry havoc. It simply has me wondering how some of these people are still in businesses. Some of the responses are: I have a PITAS charge, I have a surcharge depending on their ability to pay fire them, Tell them to use someone else. I will get as obstinate as they are and give as good as or better than they can. These business owners have offered some pretty good solutions to gain cooperation would you say?

My first area of concern is the very first question. How do you deal with this translates easily into why do you work with these people? Please give me reasons so that I do not have to work with this type customer. Do you guys deal with these people? Then look at the last 2 words: obnoxious clients. The comment is full of resentment and regret by the business owner.

I must ask why the customer acted and responded in this manner. The answers I received were guesses and I think they did this because. There is your sign too much thinking without knowing for sure. This is a huge problem for many in sales and running a business. They think they know what is important to a customer. They refuse to ask the customer why they chose them today and what they liked best. When I ask owners why they refuse to ask a customer they tell me they already know the answer. How do you know that? They have been told by sales organizations, trainers, and have read it in a book.

I have news for you are sadly mistaken. The only way to know what your customer likes is to ask him or her a few parting questions. Mary what did you like best about today? Mary what is the real reason you called me and why today? Mary what did you experience today that was different? Did you like it? What is your favorite part of today’s service?

These questions will provide you with true answers that you can give to other consumers to turn them into your customers and clients. They will give your insight to perceived value that s important to your customer. It will give you a different perspective with your listening and communication skills that drive the interest to use you without stalls or remorse.

When I ask plumbers why people use them the answer is laughable. The answers are: I am honest, I do good work, I am clean, I am knowledgeable, and people know me, I’ve even heard we are a 3rd generation plumber. I am wondering what does that mean. Does that mean you have more skill or knowledge than the next guy? What secrets are being passed down by only generational schooling?

Is anyone honestly trying to convey that other people in the service industry trades are not honest? Does this mean most of the industry service providers are dirty rotten scoundrels? Do plumbers think that many of the other plumbers do horrible work? A lot of these reasons have nothing to do with anything other than self-importance and a higher view of yourself than your customer. This crap puts you at odds with your customer prior to you starting work as it shows in your attitude ,facial expressions and body language that you are superior.

In the beginning forget what you know it is unimportant. No matter how important you believe you are you’re not. As your service call proceeds you will become more valuable to the customer with your knowledge and skill set. However right now your ability to listen and communicate is the most important tool in your tool box.

you know the ones who can’t be satisfied?
Your question to ask Michael, tell me what would be satisfactory? Then go above satisfactory I want to give each person over the top service.

Always feel they paid to much?
Why do you feel this is too much? Allow the customer to tell you what they have heard, what they have done or what they have seen in the past. Once you discover why they feel this way you can give them an answer that makes sense and is aligned with their reason
.

they quote big box store prices right back at you?
Michael I am having difficulty with that statement what does it mean? Find out what it is and then answer the question whether it is informing the customer that they are making a product to price. Then move into why more people use you remember those questions you will be asking the customer from now on that give you true perceived value. Once you inform the customer ask which ones are not important.
can’t understand quality?

Sorry plumber this one is on you. You have not communicated effectively your difference and you deserve the crap the customer is piling on you. I do not know 1 person that does not understand quality. I do know people that refuse to get quality for some projects due to understanding the abuse a product or service may receive. It is your duty to discover if this is the reason and then give them a product and service that fits their needs and not yours.

I’m from a rural area so the customer base is smaller then some. any ideas?

This one is probably the number one reason for failure. It is an excuse to gain acceptance for your dismal performance. You’re seeking approval from others that have failed to join you in misery. I usually hear this: my demographics are different. This is usually accompanied by a whiney crying sniffling voice that is defeated. I am being harsh here however stop with the whiney baby stuff.

People are the same. They have the same questions and concerns. They make the same money as other areas. They spend the same amount of money as other areas. There are poor, below average middle class, above average, and wealthy. Every area has drawbacks and every area has their pluses. I am here to tell you if you keep getting those that do not have money then quit advertising to that demographic.

What I mean by quit advertising. If you are known for low prices, give discounts; frequently advertise 59 dollar drain cleaning Th.at is what you will get. We people want discounts all over your website that draws people to call you. Keep in mind it cannot control the quality of your customer but will increase your call volume. You are getting what you asked for and why you are expecting different is another question to answer. During your networking event you claim no one will beat your price, you do things for free.

There is a simple formula to increase customer retention and decrease the customer degree of difficulty. That formula is to listen more and gain clarity to what you heard. Then communicate in terminology the customer understands and is aligned to their reasons for moving forward. Gaining clarity is defined by knowing why customers make the statements they do to you. Why did they pick you for this task and why today? It may not be the customer that is the obnoxious one.

Practice Better Business

Confusion

Confusion

Due to recent circumstances I have had the opportunity to look at things from a different perspective. That perspective is as an observer. While observing, something that I have noticed that I did not notice in the past when I visited sales sites, sales forums, or Industry specific internet sites or networking events is the lack of clarity with statements by professionals that should be in charge of the sale or job. This includes professionals I have had the opportunity to work with in the past and I have had the opportunity to participate and interact at trade shows and other events.

I am amazed at the ambiguity of some of their statements. Some of these professionals are trying to make a point with their statements and when that statement is questioned, answered, or someone replies to the statement another definition defining the original statement arises that changes the content of their original statement. It is followed by I meant to say this versus what came across. When there is ambiguity and confusion with your peers, imagine the confusion the customer will encounter that has less knowledge of the product, service, or sales skill. You are what you practice.

I have a networking partner that barked orders at me and she had very little idea how it came across. The first thing that went wrong, her information was worded improperly. She demanded things done versus asking if something was completed. Her statement was that there was a commitment to a time and date to complete a task she wanted completed. There was no commitment to a date however the action was agreed upon to take place soon. She may have thought she set a date however the week she thought she set up happened to be a week that could not be used due to health reasons. This person decided to argue and debate verse trying to discover exactly what was happening. Having to get the last word is never a good way to try and influence any person. When you treat peers in this manner you turn them off. When people treat their peers this way they also treat customers this way when they are perceived to be inferior. Imagine what a customer is also feeling. They are feeling pressure and confusion which leads to a let’s get away from this person mentality.

When a customer is unsure of your meaning it may cause a problem moving forward. A customer will not stop you and say they do not know what you mean or if you could state it a different way. They will not say how you mean. They may even shut down. Worse yet they may say get out of here and use the competition.

Your job is to discover information. The information you want to discover:
1. Has this happened in the past
2. What was done if it has happened in the past
3. What would the customer like to happen today
4. Why did they call me
5. Why they did not call the person that was there before
6. What is it they really want
7. Confirm everything you have heard
These are some of the things you want to discover. Now it is time to give the customer information concerning their solution. You will want to align your solution to the customer’s reasons to get things taken care of and today. Combine those 7 questions with other questions that show the customer that you care about their issues and solving those issues.

When the underlining task is how your company can make profits the most important aspect is forgotten and left behind. That aspect is listening and communicating that brings information and knowledge to the customer and you. When you help the customer gets what they need and want you will eventually get what your company requires.

Decide today to start gaining clarity with your conversations and have a common goal with your customers, co -workers, and family. Leave the ”what ifs” on the other side of the choices and confirm the I need it. Drive clarity over ambiguity and allow the customer to win every time.

Practice Better Business

How to sell?

Whenever I involved in a discussion with others in the construction trades concerning sales I make a discovery. This discovery is made each and every time with owners and employees that have little training in sales are in the discussion. When I speak with owners and employees that have had training roughly half still have a belief that is similar to those with little or no training, This belief is sales is somehow related to immoral behavior.

My discovery and declaration is they have not learned how to sell. These contractors and employees have searched for sales training when they should be searching how to sell. They find sales training and then decide to invest in the training without considering why they need to sell, how they will sell, or what they will sell.

There may be a consultation with the sales trainer. What good is that training when you or the sales trainer ahs not found out your beliefs? What is most likely to stop you in your tracks from selling? What is stopping you from moving forward with a sales system? What have you done up to this point? Why did it not work? Why did you give it up? Why did you not stay with it? What did you like about it and what did you not like about it?

What is it that you like about sales? What do you not like about selling situations? Why do you think the way that you do? What is your support system like? How do you continue with your ongoing training? What drives your training? What have you seen? What have you done? What have you heard?

What is it that you need? What is it that you want? Where do you want to be in 1 year? Where do you see your company in 3 years and then 5 years? What is your plan? How will you get there? How will you sell?

I am here to inform you that you must jump in and get your feet wet. It is understood that you drank a lot of Kool-Aid in the past .You are reluctant to drink from the well of broken promises and dreams. However there is a need to give as little more you for your future. It is a simple procedure. In a few steps you can have a break out year.

It starts with step 1, defining and determining your goals. What are your goals with customer service and experience with you and your company? What are your company goals? What are your personal goals? How can you tie these goals together? Each goal must be dependent upon each other and a plan to reach those goals. Your customer allows you to reach your company goals that will pay you and then give you the means to reach your personal goal. Once you have clearly defined the customer, professional and personal goals you then can head to step2.

Step 2 is a commitment to do what is necessary to follow up on your goals. You cannot be half in and half out and expect to reach your goals. There is a demand to be all in with your words and actions to fulfill your dreams. The commitment stage is 2 phases. The first phase is a commitment to stop doing what you have always done in the past. Let me cover that a gain as it is the most important phase of stage 2. You must forget and leave behind the land of what was and move into the land of what will become your future. Make this commitment to you, spouse, children and employees. Most importantly make this commitment to your customers.

Step 3 is a byproduct of step 2. Sharpen your listening skills. Close your mouth and listen to the customer. Practice with your spouse and friends in order to build a new belief system. When your spouse or friends speak, shut up; do not respond with something that you know. Decide to ask a question about the things you have heard. Let them react and respond to your question. Once again do not react to their reply ask another question about their response and gain confirmation about a fact they stated. You will start to see a change with their eagerness to give you more information and they will be happier. This stage is difficult as you will change your behavior from center stage to a developer.

Step 4 is dependent upon step 3. Your communication skill must take a giant leap forward. The communication you employ is based on what the customer states to you. It is essential to use the same powerful descriptive words to describe your solution. An example is my faucet is too hard to turn on and off. Typically a plumber would present it this way. This faucet is broke and needs fixed. It is an old faucet and should be replaced or they may state I have parts in my truck and can fix it. Some may say,I have a faucet in my truck and it is x amount.

Mrs. Client I have a faucet that works with a single finger and is extremely easy to use. Would you like to give it a try? Notice how the handle is formed for ease of operation. The best thing is you will get years of use before you will need me again. Let’s go take it in the (sink) and see how it would look.

Which way entices a buyer to buy? Which way engages the customer to act in a particular way? Which way increases the desire to have the new faucet? There is no end to where this could lead the customer. She could say since we are doing the faucet can I have a new sink? Would you like a new sink also? It will also give you the freedom to suggest a new sink.

Decide today to implement these 4 basic strategies and Practice Better Business. Decide today to use words that encourage the customer to take action. It is time to stop being boringly predictable. It is time to learn how to sell.

Take that Ride

Take that Ride

Helping others to succeed is a very good feeling. Helping your customer receive what they should and deserve to get is a fantastic feeling. The reward is a very happy customer that has just enjoyed a wonderful customer experience and over the top service. It is said it does not matter when you cross the finish line, it matters more who you bring with you across the finish line.

There are times where I lose my inspiration and will to help others increase their ability for success. At times it is very frustrating to listen and hear what is being stated by the misinformed. Interacting with plumbers across the country and Canada I hear how selling is immoral. These misguided individuals have witnessed unethical selling. They have heard or seen where a person of low moral character has taken advantage of consumers. To label all sales or selling systems as unethical or of low integrity is short sighted and inaccurate.

On top of this they have been taught for years how to use fear of loss as a motivator to move a customer forward with the purchase. Tying words like flood, property damage, insurance, or in general a difficult time trying to repair or replace a product that will fail if they do not move forward today. Manipulating people with fear is morally reprehensible to many of the owners and employees in any industry. However it is the quickest way to show a return on investment. This does not mean it is right or the correct way to sell.

Frequently problems that occur with customers are with the words the technician chooses. Frequently what is thought as the problem is not the real problem however it is easier to blame the customer or what is done than the real problem. An example would be with sales within the trades. The process is fine the issue is with the way the solution is presented that lacks integrity, honesty, and professionalism. The next issue is with an honest technician that has not mastered the English language. Sentences are fragmented or words that express doubt in the mind of the customer are used.

Some words that are used that bring doubt are; I think this should take care of the problem when in fact they know it will take care of the issue. This is broken and must be fixed or I need to fix this or words you should not use. Explain why it broke, what it will take to do what is necessary and then how you plan to keep it from happening again. If I were you this is what I would do. You are not them and you do not know or understand what they want to accomplish. If you choose to do this versus when you do this the result is this.

Another example is; I can take a level, draw level lines, and use a razor blade knife or drywall saw to penetrate drywall. I have seen people take a hammer or pipe wrench to penetrate a wall. Is it the penetration of the wall that is the problem or the actions of the person using the tool? 1 way is neat and the proper way to get the job accomplished the other way is messy and can create more problems over the long haul. Each penetrated the wall and gives you access to the real plumbing problem. The same holds true with the decision with what words you will use.

You can control the actions of our customers by the words we choose. You can control the attitudes of our customers when we use effective words. You can influence decisions and have customers make the right choice by choosing different words that are powerful and lead to a natural conclusion to use you. It is essential that you learn how to communicate with your customers. Effective listening is the starting point and then gaining clarity with what you have heard will give you the measuring stick to guide you to the proper communication.

Have you ever made a statement and the customer immediately slipped into an angry or agitated state? Ever made a statement that made a customer nervous? Have you ever stated something and immediately see the customer tune out and turn off? Conversely have you ever made a statement that immediately had the customer saying yes let’s do it? Have you ever said something that immediately gave you instant credibility and gave the customer the ability to trust you?

Typically plumbers see a lack of integrity with the way other people sell within the construction trades and will place blame on sales. Sales is not the problem, the real obstruction is with the individual that is selling using manipulation as their tool to sell. When we see obese people, blame could be placed on the fork and spoon, when we read about a drunk driver that killed a person on the road ,blame could be placed on the car. When a person of miserable and despondent character sells improperly it is not sales system that is bad it is the individual that is in question.

It is time to appreciate and recognize that it is you that will do the selling. It is time to understand that you are not unethical and the way you sell will not be taking advantage of people. The time is now to distinguish and implement a sales system that is guided by your integrity, honesty, and ethics that will help your customers while helping your company grow. Have faith in yourself to do what is right for your customer. Leave no doubt only you control how you sell.

Peace of Mind

What does Peace of mind look like? How do you define or portray peace of mind? What is significant enough to be classified as peace of mind? How do you know it is significant enough to have the label of peace of mind? What do you imagine the customer is calling peace of mind? Peace of mind in sales is defined as the absence of mental stress or anxiety.

I was asked a very good question by a plumber. His question is how he could describe peace of mind to a customer without using that exact verbiage. This poses many questions. How do you know the customer is experiencing peace of mind? Another question I asked was; do you do an inspection of their plumbing system and talk about preventive measures? Is there information passed to the home owner concerning their plumbing system and how they can maintain the system and fixtures. The answer was no. I then asked how you are delivering peace of mind. What constitutes peace of mind?

This raised another good question and concern, many plumbers state they deliver peace of mind what if anything is it they really deliver? It may be a relaxed idea that the problem they were experiencing has disappeared. However it cannot cover their entire plumbing system or whatever system you are providing peace of mind to the customer. Keep in mind what you the technician believes is peace of mind most likely is not what the customer believes peace of mind is. Attending to 1 issue in the customers home or business cannot deliver peace of mind. Peace of mind might include knowing who to call and that you will be available to take care of them when they do call. What happens when they do call and you are busy and cannot attend to their needs? What then?

Peace of mind has many points to ponder and has many definitions. To discover how a customer defines peace of mind you must ask the customer. Your point of view is not relevant. A simple question that trades people seem to ask their customer frequently is; do you have any other item that needs attention. When the customer states no it is somehow believed that peace of mind has been achieved.

How will that question deliver peace of mind? It takes years to become an expert in any trade profession. The customer lacks the education and training that you have received. Yet we expect the customer to diagnose problems or the start to a major problem that will occur in the near future. A good business practice is to give the customer an inspection. Check all of their products that apply to your profession. Adjust for free those things that you do not want to charge for and the customer decides that they can live with without affecting their lifestyle. Then make it a point to discuss preventive measures. These preventive measures can be taken care of now but definitely will have to have some attention in the next 12 months. When the customer cannot take care of them immediately help them set up and budget with a time limit. Set the appointment for a few weeks or months or at least ask for permission to make contact with them on a specific date. Then follow up. At times sales people in the trades pretend that they care in order to make the sale and when you do not follow up on recommendations you have made you do not care and worse yet you do not believe the products do not require attention.

I have a customer that has a water heater located in the middle of their home. If the water heater were to leak it would have immense potential damage to the home. It was quickly approaching the average life expectancy for water heaters. For 3 years in a row I would ask if he was ready to address the water heater. For 3 years he said not yet. The 4th year he met me in the driveway and asked me if I was going to talk with him about the water heater. I made the statement we already are and he replied lets change it out. Customers appreciate consistency and persistence.

It is always advantageous for the customer to be proactive versus reactive. The benefits for a customer to be proactive far outweigh the benefits to be reactive. The first thing is to take care of potential issues before they happen. Second they save money when they can choose to do it at their own choosing versus after hours or weekends. The customer can budget for an expense versus having a surprise waiting for them when they arrive home from work or wake up in the morning.

When peace of mind is defined as absence of mental stress or anxiety passing information concerning the possibility of their products failing definitely decreases the potential of the customer stress and anxiety. They know what is going to happen in the near future. The customer will be prepared and will remember you for expressing those concerns to him or her.

Increase your ability to give your customer peace of mind by giving them more information than any other service provider has done before. Help your customer by letting them know and understanding their systems. Let them know you are in your parking lot waiting for them to call. You are there for him or her. Make it easy for the customer to reach you. Increase your effective communication painting a vivid picture that allows the customer to imagine ownership. These are things that peace of mind looks like.

Customer Retention: Would you like to know how increase customer retention during a sales call

Customer Retention:
Would you like to know how increase customer retention during a sales call

There are many ways to sell your product and service. Some are more effective than others. Frequently the sales training separates each portion of the sales gig into individual events. Then you are taught how to deal with the individual events piece by piece.

These separate events are classified as;
Greeting
Information gathering
Answering, beating back, by-passing objections
Closing the sale
Completing the work
Collecting payment

A lot of time training is spent discussing objections and closing the call. It is understandable why the concentration is spent on those 2 items. The objections stall the sale and you must know when to ask for the sale. Frequently the sales technician believes they have answered the objections and prematurely tries to close the call. This is when 3 things can occur. These 3 things are: the customer buys, the customer does not buy, customer buys and buyer’s remorse is created.

The problem with this type training is you create objections for the customer. The technician answers false objections and gives another objection to the customer to throw at them. The technician hears wow that price is high or other forms of what is presented as an objection and immediately thinks that needs answered. When in fact the customer made a statement that may not affect the sale and has no meaning.

Throwing some cute statement back at the customer does not answer any questions or concerns in relation to the reluctance or resistance the customer may exhibited. It may bring a smile or even a sigh out of the customer but it did not make an impact on the customer’s decision making process. Many buyers will buy when a price seems more than they thought. Buyers are conditioned to make statements that have absolutely no meaning. For proof of that statement re-visit some of the purchases you have made in the past and what you have stated to the sales clerk or sales person. Truth told almost anything is always more than you or I want to spend. However you or I end up purchasing the product for more than we thought than for less than we thought.

I had a concrete slab poured in my back yard for recreation purposes. When the concrete sales person told me I automatically stated that is a lot of money. Had the concrete guy known I was willing to spend 3 times that amount on cedar decking I would have been stuck at his price? Immediately he dropped his price 200 dollars due to me making a silly statement that meant absolutely nothing. He was taught to deal with objections immediately. It costs you money when you treat objections as a separate event of the buying process.

With traditional sales training in the construction trades you are taught to pounce on what you believe is a buying signal. What does a buying signal actually look like? Some believe it is when the customer makes a statement that is based in a fear of loss. In plumbing; a customer that has had a leak in the past under the floor that penetrates the top of the floor and then the customer states I did not like that and I am afraid it can happen again is a buying signal. The problem is the leak they are experiencing today is above the floor and contributed to a washing machine hose. This is when the sales person stops giving all the information and concentrates his or her efforts on never having this happen again to the customer. Is omission of information’s selling ethically or honestly? Selling a re-pipe is fine however you must sell ethically and give the customer all the information. You do this by asking the right questions and giving the right choices.

Closing is not a separate event and we must stop treating this as a separate event. This is exactly how customers become disenchanted with your company. When any company is more enthralled with making the most without consequences for your actions your reputation is targeted. By separating the closing and objections during the buying process you are fooling yourself with the customer’s real intent. The reason is you do not know the customers intent.

What if you were trained to not receive reluctance? What if you were trained to ask the right questions that gives you the customer’s reasons to move forward today? What if you were trained to look at the stuff a customer’s states from a different point of view that drastically alters the way you think? What if this different way of thinking produces a positive buying situation that is aligned to the customers reasons to get this taken care of today and by you?

What if you were trained to respond to the customer’s questions or concerns in a way that put you alongside of the customer. What if you were trained to hold a conversation and communicate to him or her on their level?

What would change if you understood where a customer was coming from? What difference would it make when you know the customer’s resistance and reluctance before you give your proposal? How much of a difference would it make if you can address the real issues and concerns the customer has with your product, service, and or price during your representation of your proposal? How much of a difference would it make when you can gain agreement with your proposal when you use the customer’s reasons to accept your proposal?

The time is now to stop treating the sale as a separate event. It is not a separate event. It is 1 event where you gain agreement to a natural conclusion to use you. It is time to influence versus convince and persuade a customer into your way of thinking. It is up to you to discover and find your customer and then deliver what he or she requires. The time is now to increase retention and the interest of the customer. The time is now to stop boring your customer into submission.

Practice Better Business

I Have To Think About It

I Have To Think About It

Here are excerpts from a forum thread concerning I have to think about it. The stuff below is ok until you start adding all of the garbage up to come to a final conclusion that this is a very unprofessional way to present and represent you.

Notice all of the upper case words that indicate screaming or obnoxious statements made in a sarcastic tone. Notice how some of the sentences belittle the customer and berate them into making a decision. Notice how this person will place blame on the customer and try to force a decision. This person does not realize that the customer has doubts about the sales person and his company and it is not about the solution or price.

The solution is not in doubt. What is necessary is not being deliberated. How it must be fixed is not in question. I doubt very much that price is the major concerned. Nothing in the next 8 paragraphs addresses the real problem. The problem is the sales person did not address why the customer should have him do the job. This person did not drive the want to use them to make the right choice.

The very first paragraph speaks of the negative sale. The idea is to put pressure on the customer concerning the dangers, disaster, horrible choice of not moving forward.
QUOTE

“I used to sell franchises. We did a negative sale… Over the course of 3 hours we said “If you are approved and accepted”, you will be able to make $$$$$ by purchasing our franchise..but only if you are approved.

Thinking about it could “cost you the opportunity”.

Everyone that paid was accepted.

If some one says “I NEED to THINK ABOUT IT”, its highly likely you did not address their concerns,qualified them properly, or offer a realistic return on investment/payback (as others have suggested).
I would suggest to the prospect that ” decisions are best made when the information is at hand”. Well, I am here, the info is at hand so what concern did I NOT ADDRESS? If there were none, then YOU HAVE TO GROW SOME CONJONES. Well then, what do you have to think about? Decisiveness is a leadership quality. Push them to decide. How about this, How about you sign the deal and you just think about …the benefits you gain from our program.

A landlord had his sewer back up. During a video inspection of the system, the camera went into a black hole. Mr. landlord- the repair is $18,000 and we need you to sign now to fix this.
LL- I need to think about it. I need to ask my wife.

Look Mr. landlord- YOUR tenant is up to his ankles in Sh!t. He has 2 kids. The sewage is going into the neighbor’s yard. What is there to think about? Sir, you need to meet your contractual obligation to your tenant and also prevent further costs by getting this done now. Sign here and we’ll get instant approval with Bank of Mike.

That’s too much money…..Sorry Mr landlord, you called us out. We came here in an emergency, the ONLY thing to think about is knowing you did the right thing by fixing this now.
Sign here.

Closing is NOT carnival barker stuff. At some point in time a great salesman will hold his prospects feet to the fire- Sir, I have presented all the numbers and you have agreed all along. You had issues we addressed and you agreed to our solution. Now its time to finalize….. If you let him think about it, your competition will jump on him.

As a final suggestion to all with the passive approach- go into a job interview with a CEO and tell him you prefer a passive approach to closing.Do you think you will get the job?
End of Quotes
The very first paragraph speaks of the negative sale. The idea is to put pressure on the customer concerning the dangers and disaster of not moving forward. Build a frenzy that does not allow the customer to think and then apply the pressure on them to buy now.

The 2nd paragraph and first sentence is spot on and then they ruin it by pressing the information that they gave the customer. We have already discovered the information given was not the proper information. The customer did not have a problem with the solution or price they have a problem with why should you do the job. There is no information concerning this and how can the customer make the right choice without the right information. Forcing the customer to make a decision based on the wrong information will produce lousy results. Then the sarcastic approach how about this how about you sign this and think about the benefits of our program.

How can the customer think about the benefits when he has doubts about you and your company doing this job? How about this: the customer does not trust or respect you to do the job correctly. How about you do your job in a better way and give the customer information that will allow them to make a decision about you and whether you can do the job?

Then when the customer shows resistance the sales person applies more pressure. By implying if they do not do it now the people staying in the home and the neighbors will live with misery. You must do this now so sign here. It is telling the customer they are betraying their beliefs and are bad people. Then the salesperson tries to belittle the customer and tell him what his duties are and if you sign here we can take the deed to the home and hold it over your head for payment. Stop being stupid and sign here.

This guy is right closing is not carnival stuff. It is not about smoking mirrors and blowing smoke. Selling is not a might is right attitude and strong arming a customer into making a good choice. None of this garbage is necessary if and when the sales person presents their solution properly and includes the customer. You must express the idea that you are capable of doing the job.

If this guy came to my home I would show him the door quickly. I am pretty sure you would have to call the law to remove him from your property. The problem is this guy has zero clues what he is doing wrong or why it is wrong. It is something he has done since the 80’s. Again the solution and price is not the issue. In the situation there is only 1 way to take care of the problem and this means the solution is rock solid and everybody knows it but the sales person. The concern is with the sales person and his ability.

Why do people have this belief that if you are not ignorant and obnoxious that the closing is passive? How is closing a sale passive? Why is doing the right thing consider soft? I am not sure giving your customer all of the information to base their decision is passive. The concept is simple and basic, give information to the customer and allow him or her to make a commitment and consent to a natural conclusion to use you.

Here is a good practice to rid yourself of the reluctance of I have to think about it: This is before you present price.

Mr. Landlord when we first started talking you told me why you called our company could you tell me again why you called us? If I remember correctly Robert asked you to call and ask for me didn’t he? Why did he ask you to call and ask for me? That is true I take care of problems. We are problem solvers and get rid of your problem. Would you like to know why more people use me for this type job?

Mr. Landlord what else did Robert tell you? Did he tell you about the time he used another company and what happened? We do not want that to happen to you? How should we proceed today? Still getting reluctance, do not give price. You want a commitment to do the work before giving price.

Mr. Landlord you do realize what can happen if you do nothing? Can you tell me? What else do you think will happen if you allow this to go on for several days? When we take care of this everyone can go back to their normal life. This will be a thing of the past and you will not have to worry about this for a very long time. What do you think Mr. Landlord? What do you think we should do about this?

During your upfront information gathering time you should be asking if this type thing has ever happened in the past. Then you want to ask what was done to remedy the problem and what the outcome of that was. It is at this time that you ask the customer how they found you and why they called you today.

You have already discovered they have used other companies in the past .That begs another question to be answered and that is why are you here. Find out why he called you. What is the driving force to have you? Discover why he did not call the other people he has had in the past? When he asks you why reply I want to make sure I do not make the same mistake.

You will want to discover how long they will keep the property, how they keep the property up, if there are tenants you want to discover if they like the tenants, if the tenants have paid on time and are good tenants. These things will help you determine how serious this person is with getting things done quickly. When you get ready to present your solution those things will become reasons for you to do the job. Align his or her reasons to get the job done with your solution and you will find price is way down on the long list of reasons to get the job done by you.

Never lead your presentation of the solution with price as you set the tone for a price only presentation. This leaves you open for I have to think about it, I need to talk it over, your price is too high, or man that is high. Of course it is high when you give no other reasons to use you and your company. The customer does not have faith that you can take care of them and do it properly. You must gain cooperation and commitment forming an allegiance with the customer to use you. Give your customer positive reasons to make the right choice and start having enjoyable ownership exchanges.

All CEO’s will want positive results that produce higher profits by closing more sales at a much higher percentage. They all want a successful long term relationship with customers that deliver exceptional customer service and an even better customer experience. Start closing 8 out of 10 indecisive customers versus 1 out of 10 and start enjoying the sales process and the customers buying process. Force always comes to a dead stop.

Customers and the opportunity for additional sales

Customers and the opportunity for additional sales

Last week the blog examined when you should ask for the upsell. Today the conversation and dialogue is when you should ask for additional sales. Sometimes additional sales are called cross selling or add on sales. The answer to this question is the same as the upselling. You should provide and present your customers the opportunity to accept additional sales with every visit that will enhance and make a difference with their lives.

There are numerous methods to examine how this should be accomplished. One of them and an incredibly good business practice is to complete an inspection of every home. The inspection accomplishes many things for the home owner and you. The first and most important gift the customer receives from you is the ability to examine and consider preventive measures. Very rarely will you encounter a customer that has budgeted for breakdowns in the home. The inspection can create a budget for your customer to make the necessary reapirs in the next 12 months. Frequently the breakdown is accompanied by SURPRISE. The inspection in all likelihood will prevent surprise failures.

Taking time to do the inspection allows you to review with the customer a plan for potential repairs that will become necessary in the next 12 months. The best thing is the customer can take care of these items prior to them becoming a major problem. This may help contain any potential property damage in the future. It can prevent the failure from happening at an inopportune time. This inspection can prevent the home owner from missing work in the future or sit at home waiting for you to arrive. There is no need to make 3-4 trips to the customer’s home in the next 12 months when you take care of al their issues today. It is much cheaper for the customer to take care of them today. It is also cheaper for your company. Each time you make a trip to a customer’s home it costs you x amount of dollars by taking care of all their issues today you now have 1 trip versus multiple trips saving trip charges and wear and tear on your vehicles and technicians.

This gives the customer the opportunity to deliberate any concerns he or she may have with the products in their home with you the expert. The customer can decide to repair or replace the product with your help. This can be completed today or the customer can budget for the future. The inspection gives you the ability to understand how the home is working and how things were put together.

After your inspection have a conversation with your customer about their fixtures. Discover how well your customers like their existing products. Ask how they fell about them and if they picked out the product. When a customer picked out their product ask what they liked about it. This will give you information concerning their buying process. When the customer states they purchased the home with the products already installed ask them if they would like to pick out products that they would like. Ask questions to discover how the product is used or how they would like to use that product.

When your customer makes a statement you must know and understand what it means. Seek clarity at all times. What does I like it just fine mean? Do you suppose it could mean it is working however I would like to have a better looking or more functional product? You might ask if you could replace it what would it look like. I cannot afford it? If you could afford it what would it look like? Do you think that you could help set up a budget for her to afford a product that she wants?

A fantastic result created by discussing preventive measures is when the potential problems do happen they are not a surprise. The customer is expecting it to fail and should be ready to move on it .When you do an inspection and discuss your findings the customer has a decision to make. The decision to make is: a repair or replace the product. When your customer likes the products that are existing preventive measures in all likelihood will extend the life of their product and catch premature failures before they happen.

It is essential to hold a conversation with the customer that is used for discovery. During this time you will discover if the customer likes their product or if they want to replace the product. There is no reason to spend a lot of time on repairing the product when the customer is not fond of the existing product.

You should always price up options for your customer. The options should include a repair and a replacement. You may want multiple replacement options. Your options should align to the customer’s reasons to move forward. Forget your reason why things should get done. It does not matter until the customer asks you what you think.

Your customer will thank you for the inspection. They will thank you for taking the time to discuss with them preventive measures. The customer will thank you for caring about them. Your customer will thank you for doing things that no other service provider has given them in the past. The customer will receive over the top service and an excellent customer experience.

When should You Give your Customer an Option on their Product

When should You Give your Customer an Option on their Product

During a recent webinar a question was raised. When this question was raised and a discussion followed it was apparent that many plumbers misunderstand selling for the consumer. The question asked was: when do you ask for extras.

A beneficial and advantageous sales practice is to ask questions to gain clarity. I required clarity and asked what do you mean? Many of those that attended the webinar seemed to have the same question concerning when they should take action with sales. When I asked my question more than a few did not realize there is a difference between upselling and additional sales. Many of those in attendance did not know what to say or do.

Up-selling is having a conversation with a customer that in most scenarios the product can and will do more for the customer than the original product the customer wanted. As an example in plumbing; the customer has a 40 gallon water heater and you move them towards a 50 gallon or larger water heater. Up-selling will have a relationship with the original product or service.

Additional sales are defined as selling additional items other than the original product the customer wanted or needed. Using plumbing once again a customer that needs a water heater and you sell an additional repair or replacement of a faucet, water closet or any additional product that is not related to the original issue or product.

When is it the proper time to discuss up-selling to a customer?

The first thing to realize and always remember is you are not doing it to the customer. You will always up-sell for the customer. There is a huge difference between the 2.When you decide to sell for a customer you will start asking proper questions that will give you an indication how the customer intends on using the product. You then suggest and give your customer options for a better product that will help the customer accomplish the task in a more efficient manner.

When you sell to a customer you are selling products without discovering what else is required of the purchaser concerning the use of the product. You are selling to gain more money and using persuasion and manipulation in hopes the customer will buy products of more monetary value. The sole purpose is to increase your job ticket.

The questions you ask have a purpose. The questions are to gain information. The information you are after is how this product will be used. Who is using the product? How will they use the product? What else would the customer like this product to do for them while using it? How often is this product used? How important is appearance over function and ability? Ask the customer if they chose the product and if they have not chosen that product ask if they would like to pick out a different product? When you discover the customer purchased this product ask what they liked about the product that made them choose it? A couple of really good questions to ask is how you do like your present product or how do you feel about this product. All these questions have a sole purpose. That purpose is to discover information and gain clarity.

Each customer should receive this inquiry by you. Each customer deserves to make a choice of keeping the status quo or receiving a better product that will enhance their life. Each customer should receive options to decide whatever will meet or exceed their demands on this product. It is not your choice which product is what best fits their requirements. The only thing you know is the existing product is installed you do not know or understand why it was installed. You do not know how the customer is using it or if they are just getting by due to it being an existing product. How can you possibly make the right decision for the customer?

Give your customer the accurate information to select the right choice and the correct product for their use. Start including your customers in the solution by asking questions and giving him or her ability to make a choice. Amazingly many of your customers have been denied this ability to make a decision that affects how and what they receive from the construction service industry technicians. Remarkably a greater number of customers will thank you for giving them the opportunity to make a choice and receive a better product that is designed to deliver on their requirements and demands of their products. Astonish your customers and start giving them what they want and deserve to have in their home.

When should you give the customer options to their issues? The answer is always. The time is now to give your customer’s the outstanding customer experience they deserve.