Sales Consulting for PlumbersListen to the frustration in the voice of this actual homeowner: “Last week we had a plumbing issue so I called four different companies to get estimates. I called four because it was a BIG deal with dookie floating in the front yard. Our worst guess was that the sewer line from the house to the street ruptured and needed to be replaced.

Plumber #1 came out the same day, measured and did some math on his iPhone. He then looked up and said that it would be $4900…. after a few seconds I said, hang on and let me write that down.

Plumber #2 also showed up that same day, and after measuring part of the house and out to the street, said he would get back to me. He didn’t, but two days later he emailed an estimate that read, “Replace sewer line and reconnect; $5800.”

Plumber #3 arrived a couple of days later, again doing some measuring, and then wrote up an estimate on a company quote sheet. He seemed a bit more professional, but way tardy at $5500.

Plumbing company #4 told me on the phone that they would schedule someone to come to my home and take a look. They never did; heck they didn’t ever even call back.”

So three out of four plumbers contacted showed up and provided bare-bones boring estimates, but as a frustrated homeowner who was in need of a plumber FAST, in addition to a price, I also had several questions I really wanted answered, such as:

-How long will this whole process take?

-What are the steps involved?

-When can you get started?

-Is this going to destroy my entire yard?

-Is there possibly a temporary fix to keep me from having to do this now?

-What makes one plumber better than another?

Why didn’t any of these clowns make me feel special? Why didn’t any of them say, “Pick me? I’m different; better, faster, more thorough, etc.” It wouldn’t have taken that much effort, would it?

——–YOU KNOW RED MEANS STOP———

Following are the titles of the 8 chapters of my book, Sell is NOT a Four Letter Word; Enthusing, Essentializing, Engaging, Exploring, Elaborating, Encountering, Executing, and Expanding. If this doesn’t make you want to know more about the book, you really need a checkup from the neck up.  

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People request multiple estimates for their own reasons, which may vary greatly. Many are attempting to get the best price, others want to see what different vendors recommend in order to stop their pain. Still others call multiple companies to ensure at least one will actually show up at their home!

Well, in this post I want to focus on the salesperson’s side of the “other estimates” piece of the selling puzzle. You already know how much simpler it is if you know from the jump that your prospect is seeking other estimates, rather than getting hit with that proclamation at the conclusion of a proposal. So it seems to make sense to do everything possible to explore your prospect’s stance on this issue sooner rather than later.

CheaperIn order to determine a company lead prospect’s thought process, either the staff at your call center or the local admin person at your office should probe about “other estimates” while gathering information and setting an appointment. If you company is like most, admin people typically haven’t been trained to  ask that question, so you should probably plan on doing it yourself by way of a confirmation call to your prospects, prior to meeting with them.

You also should probably pack your own parachute by saying something like this when you call: “I’m (your name), the consultant who will be coming to your home/business to evaluate your blah-blah system, and I want to tell you up front that I’m really thankful you called our company. Since you contacted us, can I assume that my company is your choice for this project, or will you also be talking to one or more of my competitors?” (WFA)

(If yes) OK, then would you mind telling me how many estimates you plan to get before you make your decision? (WFA) And how many do you have now? (WFA) Would it be OK with you if I am last in line? (WFA)

(If an explanation is requested simply say) Well, my company is committed to providing the lowest total cost of ownership over the life of the system, and that will be much easier for you to see if you listen to what some other companies have to say and get their estimates before I arrive. (If you feel it’s necessary, say) Heck, if I just wanted to try to sell you something, wouldn’t I ask to be first? (WFA)

After this short conversation, change appointment day/time if needed to ensure you are last.

Now before you jump up and cancel your subscription to this newsletter, make sure you keep reading when the Part II portion of this post appears next week.

©2016 Robinson Training Solutions, LLC