Tommy’s Eight-Step Sales Process
Proven to Work Every Time
I’m sure, as a home service business owner, you can agree that sales are everything. They are what brings in the money, scales your business, and how you continue to open your doors every day. I started with A1 Garage Door Company, and now span over 13 different businesses, 300 plus employees, and am a featured member of the YEC community.
So…how did I get there?
I became what I am through sales.
Yes, there was a lot more to it then that. However, think about it. Everything we do in life, every time we want something, we must make a sale. A parent doesn’t want their teenager to go on a trip, for example, that teenager must pitch a sale to the parents to change their mind.
Face it, we are in business to make money. This is Home Service Millionaire after all.
Why is all of this important? Do you really need to be reading this?
The answer is its importance lies in the future goals of your company, and if you are a home service business owner, yes you need to read this.
In this post, I will provide an all-encompassing rundown of my foolproof eight-step sales process PROVEN to get you the sale every time.
We will be going through contact, arrival, assessment, pitch, checklist inspection, package pricing, backup, and closing the sale.
Let’s dive in.
1. Contact: Be considerate and manage expectations
When setting the appointment, give the customer a four-hour window.
30-minutes before you will arrive, call the customer and start to build rapport.
Always remember, there is no second chance at a first impression. Take a long look at yourself before you get out of the truck. Tuck in your shirt, carry breath spray and consider how you look to the customer before entering their home.
2. Arrival: Consider your customer first
Park in the street to avoid blocking the owners' access.
Be confident! You are the expert. Take control of the situation and make the customer feel like they chose the right company.
At the same time, be humble and avoid saying things that might make the customer feel dumb. You want to make them feel like a genius for hiring you.
The first few minutes of the customer experience are key. If it’s a bad experience they may let you finish the job, but they may not refer you or call you back.
Show good manners and stay humble. Make eye contact and project confidence.
3. Assessment: Ask good questions
Ask good questions. After I introduce myself and hand the customer my business card—but before I open my toolbox—there are three questions I ask:
- This is a beautiful home; how long have you lived here?
- What exactly is going on with your garage door?
- Is this the first time you have had an issue?
Of course, you would need to tailor the questions more towards your type of home service business.
By asking these simple questions, I have learned about the customer as well as the door I will be working on.
The best way to make a customer happy is to ask good questions and then do a lot of listening before you get started. This will also increase your chances of finding and solving all their problems in one visit. Win-win!
4. Pitch: Sell the minimum product or service first—don’t oversell
Customers need to be able to trust you know what you’re talking about and are being honest about their situation before they will open their wallets for more.
When a technician takes his time and shows me exactly what I’m going to get, and it’s exactly what I was looking for, I say yes because I trust him and his approach.
Once I trust him, I’m going to pull out my credit card or checkbook and make a purchase—it’s a done deal.
Always go in with the minimum viable solution for what the customer called you about.
Once the work is started, you can and should look around for other things that may have gone wrong during a general inspection.
5. Checklist inspection: have a detailed checklist that covers evything
You should have a checklist that details every single thing that should be looked at on a job so it’s done the same way every time.
Go through each item on the checklist (parts, etc.) and pass or fail the item. Go through the list again with the customer giving them the non-technical reasoning behind any failed checks.
Take pictures of everything.
Keep it simple!
6. Package pricing: Compile the customers' individual needs into a package price
Provide the customer with a written copy of your quote with accurate and verifiable information about your service and its cost. Then, be willing to go through the quote with them line by line if necessary.
Be humble!
Make your presentation as visual as possible.
Then, ask questions that will allow you to verify that the prospective customer understands and agrees with your proposal.
Be patient and prepared to offer extra reassurance and explain things more than once if needed.
People also love having price options: high, middle, and cheap. Limit options to three, because too many options can work against you.
Always start with the best option and step down from there.
If there are items that are vital to safe operations, explain that to the customer.
You would be surprised what a good adjective can do for a sale.
7. Backup: Don't be afraid to call for help
If you find it hard to close a sale, or a customer seems upset, get your manager on the phone.
Call the actual manager (who optimally knows you’re out on a sales call) and put them on the phone so they can make sure the customer understands exactly why they need to do what you say is necessary.
Make sure you and the technician are on the same page.
If you have to offer a discount, ask for something in return such as a referral, a review, or even to leave a sign in their front yard.
When you talk to a customer, your vocabulary should exactly match that of your customer.
This should apply to your technicians as well.
Be polite but firm in your voice and behavior.
8. Close the sale: what is it going to take to earn your business today
What is the last thing you tell a customer before walking out of their home? I probably say this line 10 times a day: “Sir/Ma’am, what is it going to take to earn your business today? The reason I ask is we have grown our business more than 40 percent because of referrals, and once we do this service for you, I am sure you are going to tell your friends, neighbors, and family all about us.” Now shut up. Listen carefully and find out exactly what the buying criteria is for the customer.
Secure the relationship
You’ve packed up your tools and made sure the site is perfectly clean.
You’ve filled out all the paperwork, collected payment, and explained the warranties.
Are you done?
Not quite.
Stop and invest a few moments in securing your new customer relationship.
Take a little time to describe everything you have done.
Taking time with the customer at the job’s end eliminates buyer’s remorse and prevents warranty callbacks.
It also increases the chances of a good review and reduces the likelihood of a bad one should something go awry after you leave.
You made it
Start implementing this eight-step process into all of your sales, and watch your business take off.