I’ve spent a great deal of time in the field with flat-rate residential Plumbing, HVAC, & Electrical service technicians in front of real customers coaching them on sales and I’ve seen some great, some good, some bad, and some really bad customer service and salesmanship.
It’s about to be a new year already and some of you are still making the same costly mistakes day in and day out, week after week, month after month, and year after year. Are you ready for a change? Do you want to improve? Are you ready to make 2017 different and better? It’s time to drop the bad habits and focus on picking up some good ones instead!
7 Sales Tips To Make 2017 Your Best Year Ever
Think about the customer, not yourself:
First of all, you’ve got to practice “active listening” and pay attention to the customer’s wants and needs, then determine the solutions you can offer to satisfy those according to their preferences.
How will you know what their wants, needs, and preferences are? Well, start by asking open ended questions and building a relationship (rapport) with the customer.
Read our blog post on how to build Rapport >
Thinking about the customer, not yourself means you won’t be thinking about what option gives you the biggest commission, but instead about the potential solutions which would best solve their situation and best fit their preferences.
Remember, you don’t get anything and the company doesn’t get anything, if the customer doesn’t get something first.
“You can have everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want.” – Zig Ziglar
Stay Positive:
I get it…residential Plumbing, HVAC, and Electrical service contracting can wear you down. I’ve been there. I’ve been out of bed at 5 am and back in bed at 2 am. This line of work is NOT for the feint of heart and it’s not for those who have thin-skin either.
Residential service professionals face constant rejection, constant disappointments, are sometimes abused by customers, and are always under pressure to produce.
To remain positive, always remember:
- Shake off rejection. Every call is a new opportunity.
- “This too shall pass.” Nothing bad lasts forever.
- This customer wasn’t the one who abused you so don’t take it out on them.
- Performance goals reset and we don’t have time machines. Focus on how you can do better tomorrow, next week, next month, and next year.
- Stay out of the “Huddle.” You know, that parking lot group of guys who constantly complain about management, the pay plan, their customers, etc.? Yeah, avoid that thing like the plague.
Don’t Count The Cows Before They Come Home:
Another way of saying the same thing here is, “Don’t count your chickens before they hatch” or in plain english, “Don’t count your deals until the money is in the bank/office.” This approach will help you avoid being disappointed and thus also helps you to remain positive.
It’s really important to be optimistic in sales, but not overly optimistic. Being overly optimistic puts us on an emotional high which only makes the let-down of a “No” that more crushing and emotionally devastating.
I remember learning this lesson the hard way. I was in automotive sales and a previous client and friend had referred their family member to come see me to purchase a vehicle. I spent HOURS with this person searching through hundred of used vehicles that fit their preferences and met all of their wants, needs, and budget.
We finally found the “perfect” pre-owned vehicle for her and worked on getting her the financing she needed on the vehicle. The dealership was closing and we were still waiting to get a credit decision back from the bank, so she put a down payment on the vehicle to hold the vehicle until she could come back the next day to sign the paperwork and finish taking delivery of the vehicle.
The next morning rolled around and we had the approval from the bank. I called the client and let her know the good news. She was excited and confirmed our 10 am appointment to come pick the vehicle up. In the meantime, I got the vehicle filled up with gas, had it detailed out to the max, and even started compiling some of the paperwork to make the delivery process go smoother.
She didn’t show up at 10 am. Instead, she showed up at 11 am with a vehicle she had just purchased from another dealership down the road to let me know she was “sorry.”
I know … #LessonLearned … right?
Always Tell The Truth:
This seems like an easy one, right? Let me clarify, this includes even “little lies” or “white lies.” Also, your customers consider a failure to meet or keep a promise as much of a lie as you telling them that pigs fly.
It’s possible to unintentionally give the appearance of lying. For example, your best estimate at the start of a project may honestly be 2 days until completion. However, at the end of day 1, you know a lot more about the complete scope of work and now think it will take an additional day.
Did you tell the homeowner? If not, they may think you lied. It’s important to keep re-managing expectations.
When you tell the customer “It’ll only take 2 days” and it actually takes you a week, they’re likely to get mad because they feel as though you lied to them.
Next time the customer asks you “How long will this take” try asking them if there is a particular timeframe they were hoping to have the work done within and assure them you will do everything you can to meet or exceed that expectation.
I’ll give you an example:
Customer: “How long do you think this bathroom remodel will take?”
Technician: “Well, there is a lot to be done here. Was there a particular timeframe that you were hoping to have the work completed within?”
Customer: “Well my wife is due in a few weeks, and we really want to have to bathroom completed before the baby arrives.”
Technician: “That’s a pretty tight window to work within. We of course will do everything we can to meet that goal for you. Let me speak with my scheduling manager and see what we can do. Maybe we could get extra guys here to make the work go as quickly as possible.” (Price accordingly)
This level of courteousness should also be applied to your arrival.
If you have a scheduled service window of let’s say, 10 AM to 12 PM, the customer likely thinks this means you should arrive at 10 AM. Go ahead and set an alarm for 9:30 AM. When the alarm goes off, determine if you will make it to the customer’s house by 10 AM.
Yes? Go ahead and give them a call and let them know you’re on your way and what time you should arrive.
No? Go ahead and call the customer, let them know you won’t be there right at 10 AM, let them know why that is, (i.e. You’re finishing up a job right now) then let them know that you will call them when you’re on your way and will let them know your anticipated time of arrival during that call.
This is a level of courteousness and professionalism your “competition” is completely lacking. Be different. Be better.
Set Goals:
Set some specific goals for 2017. What have you accomplished in 2016? Challenge yourself to do more and do better.
Divide up that goal into quarters, months, and weeks so you can track it. Then go mark it on your calendar.
I.e. Goal = “I want to help 100 people save money on their residential home services by getting them signed up on our company membership/advantage plan.”
100 ÷ 4 = 25 per quarter.
100 ÷ 12 = 9 per month.
100 ÷ 50 = 2 per week.
Own The Process:
Take responsibility for yourself, your actions, and your decisions. Don’t pass the blame or come up with excuses for why you weren’t able to accomplish something. Be willing to be held accountable.
Throwing someone else under the bus to make yourself look good only makes things worse for yourself going forward.
“What Susie says about Sally says more about Susie than it does about Sally. Remember that.” – Unknown Genius
Plus throwing someone else under the bus or passing the blame onto others erodes trust and teamwork. We need everybody to work together and support one another as a team so that the business will operate efficiently.
Take Pride In What You Do:
According to Reference USA there are only 302,830 plumbing, HVAC, and Electrical service contractors in the United States. That’s less than 1% of the total population.
And according to the Nuts and Bolts Foundation, more than 60% of US homeowners avoid making home repairs themselves and research by Deloitte predicts that in just 10 years, America will be short over 2 millions skilled trade workers.
A survey by Rigid found that only 6% of high school students have an interest in pursuing a career in skilled trades.
What you’re doing matters. What you’re doing is valuable. You are valuable.
Therefore:
- Never cut any corners with your work. Make sure everything you do is your best work.
- Stop letting customers devalue you and what you do. If they think it’s “so simple” why did they need to call you out to their home to fix it?
Will you make 2017 your best sales year yet? The decision is yours.
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About The Author:
Patrick is a Husband, a Father, a Modern Entrepreneur, the Founder of BizPAL.org, and the Creator of BizPAL’s Automated Recruiting Program.
He holds certifications in Social Media Marketing, Facebook Advertising, Inbound Marketing, Business Automation, and more!
Fun Fact:
Patrick was born and raised in a predominantly Amish community in Northern Indiana.
Got questions about the Amish? Ask Patrick!
Patrick is the son of a Career Tradesman and is extremely passionate about helping the Contracting industry grow and advance.
He has over 10+ years of experience in Customer Service, B2C Sales, Social Media Marketing, Sales Training and Coaching, Business Consulting, etc.
He has spent the past 7+ years working with Service Contractors from coast to coast to increase their Sales, boost their Profits, increase Customer Satisfaction and Brand Loyalty, and improve their Operational efficiency by Building Creative Solutions and Implementing Innovative Ideas!
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