SALES TIP OF THE WEEK: Selling The Brand Of You Inc

One of the newest trends emerging in the contracting world is the realization that in order to sell more effectively on a consistent basis, that the elimination of the brand of the equipment in the sales person’s presentation is more and more common place.

This is ironic, since manufacturers have been brainwashing contractors and their sales people into including their brand of equipment in the sales presentation for years. I would assume they (the manufacturers) think that their brand adds value to the presentation in some way.

In fact, I have found the exact opposite to be true. The ironic part is that manufacturers of equipment may be “standing on their own toe” by their insistence in this silly point of contention.

The inclusion of brand names lumps contractors together in an apples-to-apples comparison and whittles away at the one thing that actually WILL sell the job.

That one thing is the differentiation of you from other companies by the services you offer that others do not or have not thought of and not the equipment that you sell.

I know I am not saying the popular thing here but I must tell you the truth. I have not included a brand name on any presentation of mine for many years. My students have done very well without using brands, SEER, efficiency levels or any other industry jargon as well. In fact one salesperson I know now has sold over $3 million year to date and is on track to produce over $6 million in sales revenue this year without using a brand name when he presents his options.

How do you sell without the brand name? It’s easy! Just talk about what the equipment and installation will do and NOT what it is. For instance, instead of using the term 95% efficient or 21 SEER, just tell the customer that this system has the “highest return on investment” or that it is the most “Earth friendly” system that consumes the least amount of energy. You can re-package anything that a unit has to offer without emphasizing brands or industry jargon.

Remember to tell your customer the story about how your services, warranty and installation are far different from your competitor. In fact the only thing that is the same will probably be the equipment or brand name.

You ultimately make the call. Selling equipment brand will only lead to a price comparison where selling your services is the only thing that nobody can touch. If you must sell the brand, make that brand YOU not your manufacturer.

Joe Crisara
www.contractorselling.com