SALES TIP OF THE WEEK: Take Your Sales Off Life Support

From ContractorSelling.com:

There are only 4 outcomes to any sales situation:

1. You got the job.
2. You did NOT get the job.
3. A stall.
4. A future presentation

The first two outcomes are easy to comprehend. But the line between stall and a future presentation is the line between the mediocre and ‘Million Dollar’ techs and salespeople. To reduce the sales cycle, working on better qualified leads and generating more sales, here is some valuable information that may help you.

The Stall

Unfortunately, the vast majority of techs and sales people are great at ‘continuing’ a sale and turning it into a stall. It appears that the sale cycle is being closed but in reality, it is a mirage. Your sale is on life support. Learn when it is time to ‘pull the plug’ on this patient. This is sometimes a tough concept for you or your people to understand. Here are some examples to illustrate what I mean:

When you hear these worn out phrases, you are being stalled…

Send me some product brochures in the mail
I will give you a call sometime next week to discuss the proposal
Type that up on paper and we’ll discuss it.
Fax me the material and we’ll go over it
Call me sometime next month and we’ll discuss it then

It appears the sale is moving forward. Not so. Did you notice the two common denominators?

1. There is no firm commitment on the date or time to take specific action.

2. There is no commitment to act if the sales person DID do what the customer wanted..

Luck can sometimes prevail and you can be fooled by occasionally getting a job after being stalled. But if you are interested in getting more sales in less time, and if you would like to disqualify those clients who are not actually interested in your product or service, then you must learn to ‘clarify’ the sale.

The Future Presentation

This differs from a stall in that it gets the client to take a specific action within a given timeframe.

Here’s how the above examples would look/sound like:

I’ll stop by with a product brochure on the equipment. What day and time would be good for us to review it together? Next Thursday? How does 10:00 look to you?

Let me go back to the shop and sharpen my pencil then return with my full presentation. How about Wednesday at 4:20?

I’ll be glad to provide you with more information. Specifically what more information do you need? What if you don’t understand the info? What I would like to recommend is that we set up an appointment for Friday, at 8:30 a.m. to review the info together. How does that sound?

I’ll fax over the material right now. I’ll stay on the line so we can review them and go over the documents together.

Let’s set up an appointment for next month, say the 15th, at 2:45. At that time I can bring updated info and pricing. Is that date okay with you?

Move the sale forward with a specific action that must or should be taken by the client. This creates active participation from the client which moves the sale further through the cycle.

If the client will NOT commit to any action or follow up, it suggests that perhaps their interest is not particularly strong at this point in time.

If the client will NOT commit to the action, then withdraw the offer to present. For example,

‘Jim, I get the impression that perhaps now is not the best time to send the literature. If it is not possible to set up a date to review it with you, maybe it would be best if we waited and I called you at a later date.’

Remember, you can’t lose what you never had. It takes guts to do this but what it really does is allow you focus only on real sales opportunities and it also enhances your credibility if you are willing to walk away. Don’t poke at a dead corpse. It’s over. Know when to pull the plug.

Sonoma County Electrician

We are please to pronounce that Ron Dorris Electric has joined Footbridge Media. Ron Dorris Electric, a sonoma county electrician, is a full service electrical contractor serving Sonoma County, Marin County, Mendocino County and Napa County in California.

Puget Sound Roofing Contractor Changes Company Name and Launches New Website For Tacoma area homeowners & Donates Money to Charity

Fife, October 6, 2005 - Guardian Roofing, formally known as Guardian Exteriors, today announced the launch of www.YourGuardianRoof.com as an information portal for Puget Sound area home owners to find information about roofing and roof repair information. With articles being added almost every day and an online monthly newsletter of home remodeling tips the website is anticipated to quickly become the Puget Sound’s primary resource web site for roofing information.

Future plans include educational guides on selecting a roofing contractor, professional advice from expert roofing contractors, and a question and answer forum for Puget Sound homeowners.

The web site will be an invaluable resource for Puget Sound area homeowners in finding accessible information to address their home roofing needs. Information will be efficiently categorized for easy navigation.

Aaron Santas, owner of Guardian Roofing stated, “ We believe the name change will steer potential clients to be aware that we specialize now in roofing and not other types of home improvement. Our goal for the website is to be the best home and family resource guide for assisting all homeowners in Puget Sound the depth of knowledge and resources www.YourGuardianRoof.com offers is unparalleled.”

Santas continued with saying, “To celebrate we are offering our valued existing clients an opportunity to benefit their favorite charity. Any existing client that refers a friend to Guardian Roofing during this certain period and they buy we will donate $250 to your charity and discount the roof $250 for your friend.”

About Guardian Roofing — Guardian Roofing was founded on one basic principal. Focus on helping people solve their roofing problems. Guardian Roofing was founded by Aaron Santas, Matt Swanson, and Lori Swanson. Together they oversee all operations of the company from Sales, Client Services, and Administrative Services. Collectively Aaron, Matt, and Lori have been working in the roofing industry for 43 years. For More Information visit www.YourGuardianRoof.com

New Section In Our Contractor Directory

We have just added a new section, for electricians to our contractor directory.

This has occured with the new launch of our new client, Ron Dorris Electric, a Sonoma County Electrician. We will continue to be launching electrical contractor sites in the upcoming months.

Spokane Remodeling Contractor To Attend Home Show

Norman Construction is pleased to announce their attendance and participation in the annual Home Idea Show on October 13-15th, 2006 located at the Spokane Fair & Expo Center. Presented by Remodel Spokane. this remodeling show offers homeowners looking for products, services and home improvement ideas. You’ll find plenty to inform and entertain you at the show, from hundreds of vendors and hours of educational seminars.

Norman Construction has been attending this show since 1986. Stop by and see how Norman Construction has become one of the prestigious home remodeling contractors in Spokane, and request their consumer’s guide, “Seven Secrets To Home Remodeling,” that will help you avoid all the hassles and headaches when you remodel your home. Norman Construction will be located at Booth #002.

The Home Idea Show is produced by Remodel Spokane, and runs October 13- 15, 2006. Show hours are Friday — 12:00 noon - 8:00 pm, Saturday — 10:00 am - 8:00 pm and Sunday — 10:00 am - 5:00 pm

About Norman Construction – Established in 1974, Norman Construction is a small, award-winning company of responsible, courteous, quality-oriented craftspeople who enjoy their work. They are full service home remodeling specialists who take great pride not only in the work they do, but also in their relationship with the Washington homeowners they serve. They are committed to creating for you the home or environment that best fits your needs and desires, with as little disruption to your life as possible.

« Previous Page