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Selling isn’t a magical power that only a certain type of charismatic people are able to master. It is a skill that’s based on communication between two people, one who provides a service and another who needs the service they provide.
Learning to be better at communication will help you turn leads into jobs. However, few people consciously work on becoming better communicators. We are taught our communication skills by listening to our parents and family members talk. The truth is most of our parents didn’t have the best communication skills either. My kids always tease me because I am always saying, Close the light or Open the light.
Well it’s obvious you can’t open or close a light bulb, so the little darlings say, Dad do you mean turn on the light?, anyway you get what I mean. But, with just a little effort, you too can learn better communication skills, which will make you a more successful salesperson.
Selling isn’t just communication, it is communication with a purpose. One of the first mistakes people with limited sales abilities make is to confuse social chitchat with selling skills. Being friendly and engaging is very important, but it isn’t the most important quality that a successful salesperson has.
A homeowner isn’t going to choose your roofing company just because you like the same football team they do. People are going to choose the contractor they trust and who they believe will solve their problems.
One of the most important skills to selling, is listening, not talking. Professional salespeople are similar to cats. They listen, watch and gather all the information, then they pounce. Talking too much and too early in a presentation, trying to be the expert, can turn people off.
Learn to ask questions. Find out why the customer contacted you, in the first place and what their needs and wants are. The more a customer talks, the more they buy. So the main goal is to get the customer to talk, it is the only way to find out what they truly need and how best you can help them.
Four Types of Buying Logic
Sales trainers teach four types of buying logic when they are training new salespeople, they include:
People buy from people they like
People buy from salespeople they like. This perspective has been around for years, but in reality people buy from who they like and who they also respect. Some people have bought things from people they liked, but were let down in the end due to poor performance. This means that even though people like you, they aren’t going to spend the extra money for your work, unless they see value in going with your business.
People like to buy things
People like to buy things, but hate to be sold. Buying is an enjoyable process to most people. An example of this is the many people who go to shopping malls everyday to walk around and usually go home with something they didn’t even need. I know this example is on a much smaller scale, compared to your industry, however, the logic is still there.
What people don’t like, is to be pushed by a salesperson. That is why professional salespeople make it easy for people to buy things by using choices and educating the customer, but they never push people.
People use their logic to make a purchase, not yours
Customers make decisions using their logic, not your logic. Have you ever tried to argue politics or religion with someone? The more you argue, the more they dig their heels in and the stronger their position becomes.
You can only supply information and ask questions to help your customers re-examine their own buying logic. You can’t talk people into a sale. For example, most people who are buying a roof often think they are only buying shingles, and it is the salesperson’s job to educate them about a roof system.
People buy because they think you are going to solve their problems
This is one of the most important things you need to keep in mind. People purchase your services because they believe you are going to solve their problems, not because they actually understand, technically what you are going to do.
A perfect example would be going to the doctor and he prescribe you medication. Do you really understand what the medication does, chemically, inside your body? Probably not. But you trust the doctor and therefore take the medication, and all you care about is you wind up feeling better.
As a contractor, what you are selling is trust. As much as you may want to explain the benefit your fantastic craftsmanship and ability bring to the job, the simple truth is customers probably are not technically competent enough to understand your message. In the end they buy because they trust that you will solve their problems.
Putting the logic to work
The next time you talk with a potential customer, think about the four types of buying logic. Too many contractors are only estimate reviewers. While you may be very strong with the technical side of the trade, it isn’t the customer’s strong point.
Too much emphasis on the technical issues and not enough time discussing what the customer wants is likely to produce a confused customer. Some people will just give up and buy from you. Others will just take the lowest price.
A good thing to remember is, it’s not your customer’s responsibility to determine the difference between your bid and the competitor’s bid. It’s your responsibility to communicate the difference. It’s important to find out what the customer is really looking for, and then provide that value. Listen first, talk second.
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At Hire A Convasser we look forward to working with you and helping you build your business and your presence in the community by providing quality, real-time and door-to-door generated leads.
In addition to providing quality leads, we also want to provide helpful information on how you can effectively market your business. Please check back often for articles on marketing, roofing and business management.
