Does your home improvement company know the best way to deal with sales objections?
No matter how many appointments you have in your diary, your customers are always going to have objections when it comes to closing those all-important sales – but it’s the way you handle them that can make all the difference.
The biggest thing that is stopping your customers buying from you is fear; fear that they’re going to get ripped off, fear they’re not going to get the best results, fear that they’re going to end up paying over the odds.
In order to help them overcome these fears, we have to provide them with the right information at the right time, via helpful content on your website.
With that in mind, I’m going to share three common home improvement sales objectionsI’m sure you hear all the time, and how to prevent them (along with a video demonstrating the WRONG approach).
Give the following tips a try for yourself, and you might find an increase in your own close rate.
Sales objection #1: I want to get the cheapest quote
This is by far one of the most common things you’ll hear from homeowners, especially in the age of the internet where people like to take their time over significant decisions. They like to go away, research, and get a few quotes to make sure they’re getting the best deal for them – which is perfectly reasonable.
If a potential customer says this to you while you’re on the job giving a quote, you may feel inclined to give a reply much like Stephen Engler from Interstate Roofing in the video below:
However, this is an outbound approach that doesn’t really work anymore; after all, you KNOW you offer good quality materials, don’t cut corners and certainly will NOT give the cheapest quote they can get. So, instead of having to talk yourself up to the customer, you should be qualifying them out from the start.
In order to do this, you can make up a call plan, and ask the right qualifying questions to help you find out all-important aspects such their budget, what they’re looking for, who needs to be there to make the decision etc. – then pass on anyone who isn’t the right fit. You could also do this with an online form.
There are also plenty of ways to make your customers aware from the outset that your company won’t necessarily be the cheapest quote out there, but what you WILL offer them is a good quality service, workmanship and materials, with a good warranty or aftercare service to back it up.
For example, one of the best ways to do this is to have a place on your website full of helpful content that answers the questions you KNOW they’ll be asking, such as what can affect cost (you could talk about materials, complications and added extras, along with the average cost customers can expect to pay).
The best place to provide this content is on your website’s blog.
Sales objection #2: I’d like to go away and think about it
Moving onto the next sales objection in the video above, Mr Engler goes on to talk about how to deal with hesitant customers who may feel like what you’re offering is a good deal, but they would still like to go away and think about it first.
Perhaps they may even want to double-check your company is all that you say it is. Another perfectly reasonable objection, but one you can avoid in the first place by ensuring you give your leads all the information they need to make a decision BEFORE they contact you for a quote.
So, instead of doing what Mr Engler suggests and telling the client you’ll get the paperwork rolling anyway, allowing the customer to ‘sleep on it’ before going ahead – something that immediately sets alarm bells off – you should ensure your leads are properly qualified and armed with the info they need beforehand.
Waiting until you’re at the customer’s door and putting pressure on them to sign paperwork they aren’t sure of will not only be off-putting to the customer, it also signifies you don’t care about whether they’re actually making a choice that’s going to be 100% right for them – and you are increasing their fear not elimiatting it.
There are several ways you can ensure the customer is properly informed and qualified before your visit, including:
- An informative blog covering a wide range of topics and questions your customers ask you about on a daily basis (this can also help you capture more leads)
- Nurturing leads with helpful, informative emails that may include links to blog posts and other premium content (such as ebooks) they will most likely find helpful
- Taking the time to qualify leads BEFORE you confirm a home visit to provide them with a quote (via either an online form or a quick courtesy phone call)
- Sending out a detailed email explaining exactly what they can expect to happen during the quote, along with other helpful information such as what it’s like to hire your company
This approach ensures your customers have all the information they need at each stage of the process, so that when it comes to the quotation stage, they should be pretty much ready to sign the paperwork.
TIP: You may still get the occasional customer who wants to think things over, or sleep on their decision, and in this case you should NEVER try to pressure them into signing anything before they’re ready
Sales objection #3: I can’t decide without my partner
The final sales objection Mr Engler covers in his video is the customer who is completely on-board with the deal and would like nothing better than to sign up right now, but feel they can’t make the final decision without their significant other’s approval.
Usually they’ll want to go away and have a chat with them before making the decision together. But unlike Mr Engler suggests, you should NEVER try to pressure the customer into getting the paperwork rolling that you can then offer to “rip up later” should they change their minds (adding fear and extra stress).
Instead, you should always ask the client if anyone else needs to be involved in the decision-making process, and ensure they will be present BEFORE you do the home visit and provide a quote – this prevents a lot of follow-up phone calls and awkwardness.
TIP: If for some reason, the other person couldn’t be present due to a last-minute change of plan, you should be happy for the customer to go away and talk to their partner first, to ensure they are making the right decision – rather than trying to get them to sign anything they’re unsure of.
I hope you’ve found this blog helpful when finding new ways to deal with home improvement sales objections; these work regardless of whether you’re telling conservatories, roofing services, hot-tubs, boilers, or any other home contractor work.
Have you tried any of the above methods yet? Let me know how you get on in the comments section! I’d love to hear from you.