Written by Ari Greenbaum, co-founder of conXpros
There is not a single home improvement or home services pro that will not benefit from the information and insights I will share with you today. Whether you are an aspiring salesperson or a seasoned top-producer, the imperative concepts I will share will either serve as valuable new insights or equally valuable review. I love business and helping contractors succeed, but my lifelong passion has been in sales. It has been the vehicle that opened every door and opportunity in my life. It has resulted in six-figure income starting at a young age, the ability to enter a new industry and become a valuable asset to those employing me, and fuels a great deal of the content I share from personal experience here on the conXpros blog. That same passion and love for sales allowed me to leave my comfort zone of selling over the phone & find immediate success in the in-home sales model for roofing replacement, window replacement, & HVAC design. As many people similar to myself can attest to, it is easy to lose focus of the basics of this wonderful profession of selling.
I personally cut my teeth in the sales world selling securities and investments to people at a firm that used the Straight Line sales approach. This same approach became more publicly well known after the recent Leonardo DiCaprio movie, The Wolf of Wall Street. DiCaprio played the role of Jordan Belfort, who was the person behind many of the “chop shop” brokerage firms (like Stratton Oakmont, the one highlighted in the movie) that made millions using Straight Line selling back in the 1990’s. I am not here to endorse Belfort, but do want to give credit where credit is due. I personally resisted the urge to read his popular book titled The Way of The Wolf, in which he shares the psychology and concepts that are the Straight Line selling method, until recently. I am glad that I chose to read it. I personally believe that this method is the absolute best way to succeed in sales and has been the basis of my own success for over 20 years. As I shared, I am not writing this to offer a plug for his book (although I do highly recommend it to anyone who desires to improve their abilities as a sales pro). Rather, through what he shares in the book, highlight a crucial point that so many salespeople forget or overlook, yet is the KEY ingredient to moving a prospect to a “yes”. Personally, I always practice these concepts, but the review and reminder helped spark this post that I know will benefit those reading it. Thank you Jordan!
Early in the book, Belfort shares the 2 key ingredients to successfully moving a prospective buyer to become a client or customer: logic & emotion. A large percentage of salespeople fall into the trap of focusing too heavily (or only) on the logic and forget or overlook the fact that people buy BECAUSE OF EMOTION! As Belfort details, both factors must be hit to get the “yes”, but only focusing on the logic will rarely relate to a closed deal. The logic side is the features and benefits. Many of us are good to exceptional at tying the benefits of our product or service to the prospect’s needs and pain points. When this is the sole focus, the common response from the prospect is non-committal. This is exemplified by responses such as “let me think about it” or “I want to compare it to others before deciding”. This is because you have made it ALL about the product or service. You have successfully demonstrated your expertise and knowledge. The prospect sees the logic of what you are offering, but until you provide the reason to say yes NOW, they will rarely pull the trigger based on logical reasoning alone. The reason to say yes is based in “making” the person FEEL that they must start getting the benefits your product or service offers immediately. Essentially, they cannot risk waiting a single second and delay the expected results. This can only be achieved by pushing the emotional buttons. Once properly pressed, it is nearly impossible for the human mind to resist.
So, how do we push the emotional buttons that will move a prospective client to a yes? It is as simple as painting the picture for the client of what the future will look like with your product or service. When our minds start “seeing” the script of how the benefits are affecting our lives, the “need” or urgency is created. This gives the reason to say yes to you right now, as opposed to solely letting logic guide the decision that is best. Some sales field may be more challenging to build this emotional response. Fortunately, home improvement is not one of those cases. Rather, it should be amazingly easy to accomplish this goal. The home is one of the primary “loves” people have in the world. It is right up there with family at the top of the list. And what is a button that many people cannot resist? MONEY! Most home improvement companies offer products or services that attack or press both of these key emotional buttons. Paint the picture of what their beloved home will be like once the work is complete. Help them see the joy and benefit they, their family and friends will receive from it. Show them the positive financial benefits they will receive. When you combine the logic of a fantastic product or service and the benefits with the power of emotion…your closing rates will explode!
I cannot script every scenario, but I will offer some ideas for different categories in the home improvement and home services field to spark applicable ideas for you & your company.
Window Replacements: Help them feel the benefits of the improved comfort either from the upgraded glass pack or less draftiness coming into their home. Paint the picture of the energy savings (dollars & cents), extended life of their HVAC system (not working as hard) and the monies saved as a result.
Heating & Cooling: Focus on the personal comfort, more consistent temperatures, quicker ability to heat or cool the home on extreme days. If there are specific pains such as whistling ducts, rooms not receiving proper comfort, show them the benefits of the changes you will provide. Help them see the money saved on a monthly energy bill with the new system getting installed.
Water Heaters: Paint the picture of how wonderful it will be to no longer worry about how many others took a steaming hot shower in the last hour. Show them the savings in energy costs.
Roofing: Paint the picture of the improved energy efficiency and money saved when trying to keep a home cool in the summer. Share how beautiful the house will look with the upgraded new roof. Help them see the potential money saved long term as a result of the warranty you and the manufacturer offer.
As you can likely see, this is not rocket science. It requires you to put some thought into your own company and what benefits you offer to a client. Identify the emotional buttons you can push that are directly related to the benefits of your product or service. The key is that you incorporate both aspects on your sales calls. Build the value in the logic side by tying the benefits to their needs AND push the emotional buttons by providing a glimpse into what the future looks like with your product or service. That is the “magic” formula. Now get out there and crush it like the Wolf!