When it comes to selling, closing the deal is not only the final segment of the sale, but it’s quite possibly the most essential part of the process. On this episode of the Rocket Roof Show, host Andy Near interviews the Master Closer himself, Dale Childress. While Dale feels he’s always been naturally drawn to sales, he had a fresh start when he landed in roof sales and with much knowledge of sales and almost zero knowledge about roofs, he still succeeded where others failed. Dale attributes a major part of his success to his own choosing not to learn what everyone else was doing. When learning something new, it’s important to pay attention to the people you want to be like. Seeing what people are doing, both right and wrong can help you grow immensely.
WATCH EPISODE ON YOUTUBE
https://youtu.be/E1Rp8xgGE1E
SUBSCRIBE VIA YOUR FAVORITE PODCAST DIRECTORY
http://www.buzzsprout.com/75529
You don’t have to rely on product knowledge to sell, it is important, don’t let people tell you it’s not, but that is a piece that can be learned along the way. Knowing how to sell is the crucial piece of the puzzle. While people like to buy things, they don’t like to be sold and knowing how to make what they need their idea is the trick of the trade in selling.
In the roofing industry, we’re in the people business and if you want to survive and thrive, you have no option but to be ethical. A common mistake made when approaching your customers is forgetting to stay in agreement with the prospect. Getting tunnel vision and trying to go straight to closing the deal is an all-too-common mistake made and it’s one that can lose you the sale almost immediately. When you’re talking with your prospects, shut up and listen; understand and listen to their needs, their wants, their concerns, all of it will help you find the right opportunity to close the deal properly and always remember, no one can argue with you if you agree with them on everything.
With budgetary concerns being one of the biggest drawbacks, make sure you put your prospect at ease from the start. Don’t let price determine whether the job happens or not, if price is the issue, you will never close the sale and move forward with the job. Neutralize the money issue and everything else will be easy to have fall into place. With financing and restoration, you bring them options and help them to stay in control. Make price the reason they need this job to happen, if your roof fails, you’ll be looking at far more money spent on areas that could be avoided. Then ask the question, “How soon do you want it finished?”. Sooner is always better than later. When multiple estimates are requested, deliver. When they ask for three estimates, who says they have to be from three different companies? You can give them three different estimates and still come out on top! Good, better, best. Don’t rely on one of anything. Don’t be intimidated by the request, remember, you’re the expert at what you do!
When you’re talking with prospects, it’s important to constantly gather and update your information and customer database, always learn about your prospects, and make sure you continue to LISTEN and make them comfortable. Ask them if they’ve had their roof replaced before and listen to what they liked about the process as well as what they wished had been done differently. This will let you know what’s important to them. What information can you leverage to close the deal? If you’re working with a facility manager and they don’t have the authority to make the decision, make sure you empower them, as they are the gatekeeper. Make them feel important and let them know you’re dead in the water without their help. Bleeding positivity is a great way to live life, even when you’re not selling. Be over the top positive and expand your mindset on what’s possible, we’re always looking for opportunity, it’s in our nature.
How do you sell someone something that they don’t think they need? Show them their problem, they probably don’t even know there is one. Four simple steps in roof sales are:
Step One: The problem, nothing else matters unless they know they have a problem
Step Two: Solving the problem
Step Three: The solution, what to do to move forward
Step Four: Closing (Yes, closing the sale is its own separate step)
Never forget to go for the close. Give them an opportunity to say “yes” or “no”, great questions to ask are, “Has everything we discussed today made sense?” or “Have I given you enough information to make a decision?”. Listen and go from there and never forget to follow up. The follow up is part of the closing and it’s where the money is. Be pleasantly persistent, how can you make them think of you one more time without them realizing you’re following up? Never forget to thank them, they’ve taken time out of their day to talk to you and that’s valuable for everyone.
Being successful in sales doesn’t have to be rocket science. Carry yourself the way you want your customers to be, if you don’t carry yourself at the level you want them to be at, you’ll never succeed, it’s the law of attraction. Make a process and constantly improve it. Learn from those who have succeeded before you and find a group that specializes in your niche so you can learn from each other. It’s ok to be rejected because you can always go back and try again, turn on the voice that says, “I will do it”. If you’re ready to be successful, you can make it happen, sales are how you can control your own income.
SPONSOR APPRECIATION
Special thanks to our sponsor Top Roof Marketing, a full-service marketing group that specializes in the commercial roofing industry.
JOIN US LIVE TWICE A MONTH
To be part of the real-time discussion with our live audience, like us on Facebook and tune in every 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month at 7pm ET: www.facebook.com/RocketRoofShow.