Are your in-home sales reps listening or waiting to talk?
When delivering an in-home sales presentation, there are a lot of conversations that take place. Hopefully, your sales reps already know how to build rapport with homeowners. There is also a lot of education that takes place, answering questions, and overcoming any hesitations or objections that the homeowner has. Unfortunately, some reps can be waiting to talk rather than actually LISTENING.
Each appointment should follow a similar, step-by-step process, but the sales rep must be flexible and “in the moment,” paying attention to everything the homeowner says.
This may be your 500th appointment, but it is their FIRST time. Do yourself a favor and pay attention.
Here are some unfortunate scenarios that I have personally experienced while shadowing a sales appointment:
The homeowner already had very low energy bills and was mostly concerned ensuring the safety of his home. The sales rep ignored this vital piece of information and spent 30 minutes talking about the window’s energy efficiency. You could see the homeowner’s confused and frustrated face as the rep seemed to not hear him and was ignoring his needs.
On a separate appointment the homeowner loved our products and services. The only thing keeping them from pulling the trigger was the actual decision of whether now was the right time to invest in a new roof and spend that much money. Instead of listening and responding to the homeowner’s issue, the sales rep started to use an objection that was tailored to persuade a homeowner who wanted to get multiple estimates. HE GAVE THE HOMEOWNER AN OBJECTION WHEN THERE WAS NONE!
Situations like this happen all the time but can also be easily avoided. If you’ve fallen victim to this or have seen it first hand, here is some quick advice:
- Know your material thoroughly so you aren’t thinking about what you need to say next and can pay attention to what the homeowner is saying.
- It’s okay to write things down. If a homeowner is concerned about the durability of their roof shingle – jot it down and refer back to your note when the time comes.
- Slow down! Game speed is always faster than practice so try to remember to relax.
These tips can also work wonders for your personal relationships! Actually listen instead of waiting to talk.
Give us a call to learn more.