Maybe you can give me a few tips on the following…
I close a good few sales, this is due to the fact that i offer good competitive(if not a little too cheap) prices, and also as my manner is quite good with customers.
However there are times when i feel that i am so close to clinching the job(usually small residential) then all of a sudden i am shown the door.
I know i am offering low prices(i know some of you may say that this is bad) and i am presentable yet still i fail in winning the customer when they are just out of reach.
I would usually rely on flirting my way through the deal by persuading the usually female buyer with phrases like “If you take up my offer i will personally come and clean your windows for you” and others…
Yet i am running out of things to say and am left coming out of the door empty handed after failing once more…any suggestions as to any phrases out there that will truly win a potential customer over?
When I’m called I like to ask what them what kind of time frame their looking at. Do they want the windows washed this week, or within the next two weeks?
Once I actually go out to take a look at the house and I give them the price, I tell them I have “this date” available and would happy to schedule you in. If that day doesn’t work for them I try to find a day that does. I don’t wait for them to tell me that I have the job. After giving the price I assume I already have the job. This approach has always worked well for me.
Try offering higher prices - they probably have one in their head anyway if you are legal, insured, bonded etc. Sometimes people have to pay more to ensure they are getting the quality that the price demands. Think of it this way: would you rather do one job to match the price of the other two? I probably only get 30/40% of the jobs I quote. They usually call me back after they have had a low bidder in with a bad job & half the work is done for me. I always offer my card & say - “good luck with finding someone, if you have no luck or you are not happy with the service - here’s my card.”
On offering a date: sometimes they have pre-fixed schedules. When they ask when can you fit me in - try this: “when is best for you?” Its an old salesman trick i.e.“what colours do you have’” - “what colour would you like?” They probably have a function or something they are planning the expensive window clean for anyway.
Oh & by the way - the callback rate goes up on the 30/40% I mentioned earlier. I probably get 30% more callbacks afer the previous “half price” window cleaner has been in. Because typically the jobs a bad 'un & they are rushing the job to get an hourly rate out of it.
Will try that, I suppose i never did that because i didn’t want to seem rude, but now that i think of it,if i am not getting the job i have nothing to lose.
Just let them know you appreciate feedback so that you can provide better service to them and the community. Remember, we all have room for improvement.
My statement was not directed at you. It was a general statement in response to your previously stated fear that requesting feedback would be considered rude:
Being open and honest with customers usually helps, as does the humbleness involved with letting them know that you have a willingness to continue to improve.
Oh ye i understand that, i will be sure to ask the next person for feedback because as you say yourself i will only be [FONT=“Garamond”]requesting[/FONT] feedback.
I think in the past once someone reveled their intention not to avail of my service i considered them to be quite useless to me, but now i can see how i can furthermore benefit from their input.
Well Rob, one thing you may try is instead of using the “cheap” approach try something else that sounds like a deal also-
[B]“Let me clean your windows for a month for free. If you are not happy with my service or if you feel it is not worth the money, we can part ways. Just give me 30 days to earn your business. Does next Thursday work for a start date?”[/B]
You need to get them into YES mode. When you walk in you are in “what the hell do you want” mode. Give them something to shake them a little, nothing is more persuasive than the word FREE.
You can keep your prices up and only take a very quick “loss” (it is really an investment, isn’t it?) Your long term revenue will far surpass any loss… and you got a customer you may never have got otherwise. You need to hit small areas hard so you are the “go to guy” for neighboring businesses.
Others may not agree with giving something away, it costs to play and that cost is nothing in long term financial security. Do not think about the month of freebies, think about possible years of revenue from this business.
Hi paul running out the door just now…thanks for the help up to now, might take you up on that offer if you don’t mind and PM you tonight with details of my areas to be targeted
What I like to do is say… “This job is easy for me and will ONLY be $XXX (said enthusiastically)”, then I wait for their reaction, then open up my appointment book and ask them what date they would like to schedule.
Maybe it sounds a little cheesy…but it always works. I think it’s the way I say ONLY…I usually get a shocked look. Just for experimentation purposes, I went to one house and bid $100 higher than I would have normally, and I still got the job.
Try it sometime, you really don’t have anything to loose.
