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PRO INSTALLER DECEMBER 2015
PRO BUSINESS
@proinstaller1
The difference
between Losing
and Winning
A lot of opportunities are effectively won or lost by installers before a quote is even written. Benjamin Dyer, CEO of
tradespeople’s app company Powered Now provides some background to what can be a mystery for some tradespeople.
Every time there is contact
with your prospect you will
unwittingly move the sale
either forward or back.
These tips are designed to
lift the veil on this process;
I hope that you find them
thought-provoking.
Be personal – People buy
from people and when you can
establish rapport with a customer, you are much more likely to
win the business. In this respect,
face-to-face meetings are the most
powerful, telephone calls the next
and emails least effective.
James Chandler of Chandler
Building visits every job himself,
and says: “It’s important that you
see the client in the flesh.”
Keep every promise – It’s an
unfortunate fact, but everything
that you say will be taken as a
promise. Whenever you say one
thing and do something different – for instance, “I will get the
quote to you by Tuesday”, you
undermine trust and damage the
sale. There is logic here as people
think, “If they don’t keep their
promises before I give them the
job, what will they be like after
they have started?”
The first phone call starts the
process of building trust and a
professional manner is needed at
every stage. Returning calls quickly is part of this, as is turning up
on time.
Powered Now’s recent survey of
over 1,000 homeowners revealed
that 83% were frustrated with
trade companies that didn’t turn
up when they said they would.
Mirror what you look for in a
supplier – Just think about how
you want your suppliers to act
towards you. You want them to
be pleasant, helpful, turn round
requests quickly and be reliable.
If that’s what you demonstrate to
your clients, you are more than
half way towards a very successful
business.
Demonstrate credibility - When
selling to residential customers,
without talking down, show that
you know all about building regulations and other statutes. They
are unlikely to have a clue. You
can also mention in passing your
membership of trade associations,
any warranties you can provide,
all of this alongside your qualifications and experience. This all
builds credibility.
Don’t go for the hard sell – In
my experience, the moment someone tells you that you are a good
sales person, you have failed.
People don’t like to feel they are
being sold to, rather that they
are being helped. Yes, you need
to sell, but the prospect mustn’t
notice. That’s the British way.
If you talk about previous jobs,
showcasing pictures of your neat
work and how various issues
were overcome, that’s selling, but
definit