Hard sell, soft sell, pros and cons...

Hi all,
Ron asked me to start this thread....around the topic of the psychology of selling.

There are many schools of thought, lots of books, and tapes on this subject. It's a personal subject, and what's right for you, may not be right for someone else.

But in my opinion there are some things to keep in mind when in front of the customer which hopefully will lead you to greener pastures.

First off, sales people are often stereotyped. Period. Any time you use a hard close you run the risk of evoking the image of a used car salesman in the buyers mind. Now combine that with the stereotype that follows contractors of any sort around.....and you quickly have two professional strikes against you.

For this reason, I (we - See Dirt Run!) use a consultative method of selling, designed to place you in the roll of educating the consumer as a professional. By asking questions about their needs and what they want done, and why it's important to them, you will quickly learn things you might not otherwise. Then, based on the answers, provide them with information, and educate them. Answer their questions and help rid them of fears, which may be there because they were burned by the last guy.

Don't push for the sale right off the bat. Give them time to discuss it together, and let them come to you. You'll be amazed at how many do.

Why? Well, when you pressure someone, people have a natural tendency to shy away and back off. If they do sing they often regret it and try to get out of it, although not always. It can sometimes create fear based problems in the relationship between client and contractor. However, when you don't pressure them and remain consultative, they simply remove thier own objections - POOF - and move toward buying, because they are comfortable with forming the relationship. Objections, are based on fear, and can be created by the sales person. Imagine that. We are often our own worst enemy!

Beth

Many times I have had buyer remorse from customers, interesting that you touched that a little. The cancellation after the service or the reschedule to put you off because the customer really doesn’t want it but wont come out and say it.


You might be a little younger Beth, I can’t remember my personal selling 101 courses. What are the five stereo types of customers? I know they have five different groups. Analytical I know is one. Help me remember the rest please.


I will post more on this one when I have had chance to reflect. I admit that it’s hard for me not to hard sell. I really enjoy selling the ones that my sales people can’t get. Would you call me the terminator. lol

Hi Ron,
I don't know about younger....let's not go there.
But, I have been selling hi-tech products since '88 and in that time have experimented with many sales tactics/strategies.

I'm sure you could come up with more than five categories to put buyers in. But really, then aren't you stereotyping them the very same way they might you?

I guess my point is based on the consultative model, which began with the Sandler method of selling. "seek to understand before you seek to be understood."

You can tell them about chems and sealants till you are blue in the face, and scare themin the process. But if all they really want to hear is that you'll cover the plants so you don't kill the prize willing rose bushes, then isn't that the place you need to be? If you ask them why the are not using the other company anymore, you find out where their pain is. Solving the problem is based on healing their pain, and their pain, is where the objections lie. Try it.

I have used this technique for years, and sold some nice software systems with it. It applies broadly to any type of sale, and also into your personal life. It's more important to ask questions and provide information based on the answers, along with some fundemental info, than to blindly bombard them, not knowing if you covered the topic of interest to them.

I'll also say that LISTENING is more important than speaking. Why? Because if you don't listen you have not heard them or what's important to them. You can blather on all day about the job you say you can do, but if you don't hear the questions and statements, and if you don't understand why they ask what they ask, then you will miss the mark.

Ok, off the soapbox now.....gotta go sell something!

Beth

<b><font color="FF00FF">terminator,,,,,heheheheHAHAHA--free.

Like I said I don't like hard push'e salespersons.

Really it depends on each and every customer as how to sale to each plus what type of account it is.

In this type (water,psi) of bussiness most accounts already know what both will do as in harm and damage.These two parts play a big roll in getting accounts,hard push'e S.P. means to much psi to some accounts,terminator means a flood of water who cares.
Most sales comes in just a few mins. after you meet the customer if you have done your book work on the customer your after.
Most all good salespersons has a fear when entering in the world of the customer,dat fear is a plain NO from the account without even giving you a chance to get some of their money.On that type the harder you try the worse you make it on yourself,,this type I like although it will take several trips over a peroid of time to get them,thaT doesn't mean trips back in weeks apart but months or years,depends.This type is your better accounts as in keeping for along time,they want change to another P.W. just b/c of price or you can do a better job.They look at the over all picture which means you and your company.

It depends but alot of times I do not try to sale on the first trip if its a big account and worth getting [bigboy].First I do alittle bookwork and then go in and get a over all picture of what I'm after.

Heared dat a wittle rock could take care of most terminators .</b></f>

Beth,

I think you need to stereo type the buyer fast. This way you know how to handle. Some folks want you to be pushy. Believe it or not I have had people thank me for being so persistent. I wish that sale just weren’t like this and that’s why we all use those tools in our bags to attract more customers that sell easy.

This is a great subject and we all wish we had better relationship with customers but in today’s world its tough. I mean when your building a business that’s sound you need numbers too. We can’t always just focus on one type of customer. There are many types good and bad. Those you enjoy working with and those you can’t stand. Early on I only had a few and it seemed much easier to handle and I didn’t have jerks. As time goes on you can’t focus on taking care of all customers like you want too. Not to stray from the subject but this is why I feel the importance of the initial contact. We need to make that first impression to all customers it might be the last chance you get.

I still have more just taken a break,,,,,,,,gotta answer bigboy bout de terminator.

Ron,
Don't confuse stereotyping with evaluating. You would be correct in saying we need to evaluate the customer, but stereotypes lead to biases both good and bad, as well as things like racism, etc.

Evaluating the client and reaching a quick understanding of him or her is very important. I find it hard to believe that anyone who wants to be successful in business would not learn how to deal with different personality types. It's critical. Those who don't want to grow of course, will quickly alienate clients and potential clients, and will not grow.

Just my .02 on it....

Beth

<b><font color="FF00FF"> Will hur'y up me got small fire crackers tho so be nice </b></f>

For those who have never met us....
Beth

<b><font color=blue>Tell Ron get out my chair . [hello] Ron,calm down I hadn't got the cat icon [spin].,,ya'll make a great looking couple</b></f>


[fox]

Thanks,
I'm hooked on him, he's hooked on me, so it works!

Beth

<font color=e87400>
Hrmmm, Well Beth, you have me confused about this thread. Maybe I'm not seeing the whole picture here.

Do you close at all on your initial visit with the customer?
If so how many times?

"Hard Close" = Poor Salesperson, pure and simple. I good salesman can hammer a customer within an inch of insanity and the customer will never be the wiser, smiling all the while.

Car Dealers = High Pressure Sales, Much different than "Hard Closing" With most dealers it's a ritual game that most people simply dread the method of, it's tired and used. It's one reason that many dealers are finally getting away from this form of selling, especially with the internet being widely available.

Contractor Reputations = Good for me, while many of my brethren make appreances to potential customers in a non-professional manner they are often "Stereotyped" as a lacking competitor thus assisting in giving my company a better image. Look Professional, Act Professional, Be Professional & the customer will see a professional. And looking professional doesn't mean pulling up in a Mercedes wearing a 3 piece suit, that scares the hell outta customers. Pull up in a professional Truck wearing clean Jeans and a nice collar shirt. This is what I refer to as the "Contractor Look" I feel this look is one that shines "Service Professional"

Then again that's just all opinion!
Cody

PS
I think you're reading to much into Ron's reply regarding Stereotyping Beth! I have to agree with Ron there. Maybe he should've said "Categorized" rather than "Stereotyping".
In most cases you don't have time to really get to know your potential customer prior to the first sale so you need to categorize the individual real quick. Maybe a more friendly way of saying this would be, If you want to make the sale you better "Sum Up" the decision maker in a hurry.

Hi Cody,
Sorry .... Didn't mean to be confusing.
Hard close = high pressure. You can easily close the customer without being high pressure or hard close. One of the most interesting things to me about the Consultative Sales Model is that the client overcome their own objections.

Bottom line, you still close sales. Do we close them on the initial visit? You 'betcha we do. But we don't have to pressure them at all in order to do it.

About the stereotype of "contractor" it doesn't sound like you fit it at all. You sound like you present yourself as a service professional. Many folks out there show up late, don't return calls, and when they do show up look sloppy and unprofessional which does not reflect a positive company image. That's really what I was getting at.

About Ron's "stereotype" comment, well, I don't know him well enough to know what he meant so I took the response based on what was written. No biggie.

Have a great day all!



Beth

Good Morning

Beth,

My approach is the same, and very effective. I actually feel I can sense the relief the prospect feels.

Exactly. It's pretty basic. If you feel at ease, and comfortable, your guard comes down and you are more likely to commit. If the guard is up it becomes a wrestling match and you spend valuable time trying to get the guard down. If you ask them if they need time to think it over with their spouse or want to go ahead and get started, they seem to appreciate that you took into consideration that they might want time to make a decision without pressure. I can't count the number of times the office phone rings right after Rod leaves, and all they needed was a few moments of peace to decide for themselves. They call in before he is back and give us a credit card number, or tell us they are putting the check in the mail same day!

Give them room to feel good, and they will be happier I think.

Have a great day!

I found that the cancelation rate goes way down. If you pressure someone, and they are afraid to say no. Some will take a few days to get up the courage to call and cancel. That problem seems to disappear almost completely if you educated/consult and even encourage the prospect to shop around. It shows that you care about them and their needs. I think it raises your credibility level to the next level. Instead of the prospect wondering about you. Take the lead and show them.

I dont get it. Why would you want to sell in the first place? I never show up to a property to sell my services. So by not ever opening up a bottle of sales pitches:

1) I never feel pressured to make a sell.
2) Customer never feels pressured into any decisions.
3) PWU's reputation is never "pushy" sales type of company.

So yeah, i know i dont always get the job, but my "no sales" approach gets me over 70% of the jobs i give estimates on.

When i arrive at the customers property. I give them my packet, and i answer their questions, for as long as they want me to. I talk to them about their patunias, their lillies, or their new PT Cruiser, or whatever. When they are expecting the sales pitch, they only receive an estimate that i somewhere in the conversation got thought out and put to paper.

I give them the estimate, show them my cell # and tell them to call me with any questions. Tell them that is my private cell #. I tell them that if they want to schedule, call the office line. They feel they have a friend on their side, and little do they know, the company line rings cell phone anyway.

I just feel the best way to sell, is not to sell at all. But to just be a good ole country boy and laugh at their jokes and pet their dog.

Absolutely! We don't get cancellation problems, and the customers seem much more at ease. I also believe it helps them feel more comfortable about having work done on the single biggest investment they have made - their home.

Rod encourages them to shop too, if he feels they are uneasy. Sometimes that gets them to actually make a decision then, since they have:

1. probably called 5 other people who didn't return their calls or stood them up

2. he is backing off, which means that psychologically their wall drops.....

<b><font size="2"><font color="9900FF">Don't have time to know your potential client plus Sum it up.

Thats the easy part I think,If your out looking for clients it doen't take long to look around and get an ideal of what the client is like.Your first eye contact will let you know how fast to sum it up or should you sum it up.You may decide not to sum it up with the client after you started your give your bussiness talk and thats worse then getting a NO.

If they call or walk in thats a different sale,they are looking for a quick sum it up because they are looking to spend their money somewhere you didn't have to talk them out of it,just alittle acking as a professioal will get most.

On all the others alittle dab of bookwork will get most because you sum'd it up before you even talked to them,,No egg shells to watch out for as in a crack in closing the sale.

I don't never go looking for a NO or a maybe,my time is important too and I don't plan on wast'ing it on NO's as to the reason for the dab of bookwork or at'least a feel.</b></f> </tt></s>

Exactly, Craig!
What I am talking about doesn't look or feel at all like sales. It is about education, talking, answering questions, and letting them find their own way. Yet, believe it or not, it actually is a very highly touted sales technique...

<font color=e87400>Bigboy
I figured that your last post there was directed at me. When I mentioned "Sum Up' I am referrring to Summing up the customer to how your going to pitch them. Am I gonna hit this guy direct, from the side, with humor, through his dog, car, boat, fishing. Am I selling cleaning for $Savings, keeping up with the Jones's, vanity alone, liability, image or what. You can line up 20 people and all will have a diffenert view of what cleaning is, why there having it done, and what it's gonna take to get them to sign the line.


For the rest of ya
I think that it should always be a primary goal to SELL your product and get a sig on the first visit. Focus should be to get a signed contract on the initial visit PERIOD. Otherwise your an order taker. And I've come to realize overtime that most order takers are LOWBALLERS too. These people have high closing rates over 60% If you can even really call it a closing rate, should call it a buying rate And they are the ones that advertise Will beat any competitors bid by 5%or some percentage. This is the type of strategy that makes my skin crawl. People get into the biz, cannot sell, cannot manage all they do is take orders at low bids and make it tough for legitimate businesses to reamain reputable. They are content making meger wages that they think are great because they are making twice what they were making at Burger King as a Whopper flopper!!!


Cody