When it comes to the end of the sale and you have trouble asking the customer to work with your company by upgrading an appliance or installing a new product, the entire service call can go awry. You want to make sure that your entire experience is geared toward building up your credibility to give your professional recommendation to the customer.
Loudermilk’s 4 Steps to Earn the Right to Ask
Just arriving at the customer’s house does not give you the right to ask them to buy a product at the end of your sales call. You must work through four main steps to earn the right to ask the customer to spend money and be taken seriously.
- Get to Know the Customer – This step is more than just asking about the problem the customer called you there to fix. It’s even more than complimenting the customer’s home. Put the effort into really getting to know the customer and what their life looks like. You’ll be surprised by the amount of trust and connection the customer will feel just knowing you genuinely care enough to get to know them.
- Figure Out What’s Important to Them – You don’t need to pretend to be the customer’s best friend to evaluate what is important to them. Things like safety, efficiency and longevity of their appliances can be determined just based on casual conversation about their expectations for their home. You can use this information later to show them how your recommendation fits their needs and priorities.
- Educate the Customer – The customer doesn’t need to know all of your technical expertise, but take the time to connect the dots about your service along the way. Help them understand what you’re doing and why to include them in the process and make sure they come to similar conclusions at the end of the visit.
- Give the Customer Options – The customer requested you to come to their home because of your expertise. Use it to talk about the best options for the problem at hand, allowing the customer to ask questions and start to think about which solution is best.
Be Direct
Once you’ve completed the four preparation steps, you’ve earned the right to ask the customer to invest in a new or upgraded product. The key to asking a customer what they want to do is to be direct. Don’t be afraid of their rejection or coming off as pushy – you’ve established ahead of time that you care, you have knowledge and are looking out for the customer’s well being. Use that credibility to tell the customer what the best option is for their situation. Stop asking how the customer feels or what they think, and inform them of the option that will work the best for them.
Fight For Your Recommendation
You have the expertise to know which product will work the best, last the longest, run efficiently, etc. Don’t shy away from the truth just because the customer objects or isn’t sure. Be honest about why you are recommending the product and be confident in the fact that it is the best solution. Ultimately, the customer is paying you for your professional recommendation, so give it to them!
Keep Feeding The Flame
If you want to continue learning great techniques and building your confidence as a salesperson, feed the flame of your success! Check out all of our resources – from blogs to podcasts to our fantastic PRESS PLAY classes. We’re here to help you IGNITE THE POWER WITHIN.