Punch Up Your Sales Now!

If you fail to isolate, the prospect has the opportunity to throw more objections at you down the line. Say, "Other than fitting payments comfortably into your budget, is there anything else holding you back?" If there is nothing else, you know what you're working with and can begin closing by working on creative financing, cash down, extended terms, justifying the price and value of the product, etc. If the prospect does throw another objection into the works, don't despair. Be glad you found it out now. Simply keep isolating objections until you know exactly what you have to do to make the sale. Customize the words to fit your business and your style.

Practice clarifying "I want to think it over" and then isolating the concern. From there, it's up to you to overcome what you find. "I want to think it over" will always be a factor in the sales profession. You might as well get good at handling it and turning it into sales. Role-play with your people so they work out the kinks out before they're in front of a prospect. - Steve Johns

Steve Johns is a speaker, consultant and trainer for the remodeling industry. You can contact him at 405/759-2073 or steve@sellemup.com [1].
 

11. Remind the staff that everybody sells

Every contact with a company influences consumer perceptions. Employees should realize that how they look, speak and behave reflects upon the company. In that sense alone, anyone on staff can make or break a sale. But their enthusiasm for work and sense of investment in the company also make a big difference.

Mattson says that while it's the responsibility of the sales force to close business, all employees need to think about bringing it in. "You get more bang for your dollar if you train someone else to ask for referrals because the prospect isn't as wary," he says. "A lead carpenter can talk with passion and conviction. "

"Salespeople can get a job. It's the people on site who will keep it and guarantee repeat business. Repeat business always comes from people on the ground, not the sales force." - Kimberly Sweet
 

12. Have a process? Write it down.

"If all remodelers did was write down what they know in their heads, they'd be so far ahead," Richardson said during his seminar. Documentation will help make sure the right things get done every time, especially with more than one salesperson.

He proposed starting with your "sales recipe," whatever it might be. For example:

1. warm-up call
2. preparation
3. introduction
4. tour
5. presentation
6. budgeting
7. proposal
8. close
9. follow-up

13. Head prospects' objections off at the pass

Richardson also suggested writing down potential customers' standard objections and spending time as a sales team to develop a set of standard answers. - Kimberly Sweet
 

14. Look into sales systems

If you're seeking in-depth sales instruction, a number of consultants have Web sites, newsletters, classes and books that have worked for other remodeling companies. Here's a partial list: