Subscribe in a readerMy wife and I am buying a house. We've found something that supports our 5 year needs, plus would make a great rental after that. Here's an interesting sales lesson from our choosing a property inspector.
When vetting property inspectors I called three, the first had a wonderful lead capture script that I'll share with you at another time. The second had a cranky lady who answered the phone, wasn't organized, and sound like I interrupted her. The last provider asked questions first, had a brief presentation, then captured lead contact.
All providers could provide a price over the phone. The first provider had a series of questions used to "determine the inspection fee." The second gave me a number as soon as I asked with no explanation. The third asked a few questions to establish the rate, explained what he did, asked if I fit into several "special rate" categories, then provided a "rate based on responses."
Interesting enough, among the discount categories were two affinity categories, "retired or active military" and "first time home buyers." The third inspector was a proud military retiree with at least that much in relative experience. He also explained why a quality inspection helps first time home buyers avoid common surprises.
The first provider sounded the most professional (and corporate) with the highest rate. They even had music on hold. The second had a middle of the road rate, and the third had the lowest rate even before any discounting.
Which provider would you choose? (Which provider all you?)
I selected the third provider, not because of the rate, instead because I felt the most confident they could deliver on the service and had my best interest in mind.
While the second provider did establish that "a quality inspection will take 2 and a half hours" they didn't say what happened during a quality inspection like one and three. Provider number three actually delivered "what" and "why" during his brief presentation.
The good news is that everything these professionals did right can be done in your sales presentation no matter how you deliver it. I was able to immediately narrow down my list to provider one and three. But one thing all the providers missed when I told them I was price shopping.
Not a single provider ask, "What other factors will influence your decision in selecting a property inspector?"
And, only one asked how I heard about them to establish I came from a referrals. The third provider was the most personable, provided the most relevant information about choosing a provider, and provided the best price justification.
Was I influenced by the lowest price? Maybe, but not likely, because he explained the inspection process I had confidence that he could do it, and would have paid up to a 23% premium. (They were 18% off the highest priced provider.)
In part 2 I'll share with you service delivery, there were quite a few elements that must be in your fulfillment, plus a few items that would increase your sales if done right. But first, let's look at exactly what you can add to your sales process.
Here's the process: First, he was recommended along with three others by our real estate agent. Second, he had a pre-sales walk through. Finally, he delivered his service and explained his findings.
This all sounds simple enough, but how can you apply it in your business?
What I'm talking about is scripting. This is something I can cover in another article, and this is no way a complete study of sales script.
No matter what you think about scripts they will save you time and improve your conversion percentages. They make sure you include every element shown here, no matter who preforms the effort. Done right you can start moving into premium pricing, done wrong you'll continue to struggle.
© 2009 Center for Strategic Relations, All rights reserved.
Justin Hitt helps you sell more technical services in less time with fewer resources. For one-on-one consultations and done-for-you services visit https://www.justinhitt.com/
By Justin Hitt at March 19, 2009 4:19 PM
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