Resistance to the "Free Safety Inspection"?
In my Sales Summit class, one of the most common questions I face is regarding the 'Free Inspection" of a plumbing or electrical system which is a standard service for most flat-raters. For the contractor, it is an opportunity to "nip it in the bud" if there's a potential problem looming. For the customer, it is sometimes viewed as nothing more than a mechanized sales pitch for add-on work, and they are resistant. If this is happening to you, I recommend you examine your TIMING on introducing the inspection.
Consider the drive-through oil change franchises, like Jiffy Lube:
When you pull into this garage, what do you want? An oil change. How would you react if the technician began telling you about all of the other things they're going to check on, like fluid levels and filter conditions, BEFORE he even popped the hood? "Can you just change the oil please?"
And what if they opened the hood, drained and replaced the oil, and buttoned the hood back up and said "Your oil is all changed. Let's talk about inspecting the filters and fluid levels..." At this point, what do you want? You want to leave.
So the beginning isn't the ideal place, and the end isn't the ideal place. That only leaves the middle. And if you pay attention, that's exactly when the pitch comes. They open the hood, drain the oil, and stop. Now, they casually stroll up to you. "How ya doin? Not going anywhere for a few minutes? I didn't think so. See that? That's your air filter. How do you feel about that? Want a new one?"
Now consider your customer in flat-rate: When you arrive at the customer's house, where do they want you? At the problem. If, before you've even seen the problem, you begin pitching or requesting access for the inspection, how do they react? "Can you just look at the (toilet, outlet, whatever) problem?"
If you go ahead and look at the problem, then go ahead and actually complete a repair/installation all buttoned up, now where do the customers want you? GONE.
So once again, the beginning is no good, and the end is no good. That only leaves the middle. Try this: Go ahead and soothe the customer's urgency by BEGINNING the repair (once that task is sold). Somewhere in the middle of that repair, ideally if you have to move the customer's belongings around, like bleach and cleaning supplies that may be found under most typical kitchen sink areas, STOP. If you've built enough value in your very presence, and there is a bit of a mess in progress, you'll be ASTOUNDED by how quickly the homeowner leads you to other areas of the house if at that point you simply say, "Would you take me to the (basement, panel, whatever) please?"
I'm not talking about literally making a mess. But with a kitchen floor full of the customer's own undersink belongings arranged in a half-circle around the tech, or a hole in the ceiling where their chandelier once was, their interest in cooperating seems to be heightened. "Make a mess!"
Happy Selling.
Consider the drive-through oil change franchises, like Jiffy Lube:
When you pull into this garage, what do you want? An oil change. How would you react if the technician began telling you about all of the other things they're going to check on, like fluid levels and filter conditions, BEFORE he even popped the hood? "Can you just change the oil please?"
And what if they opened the hood, drained and replaced the oil, and buttoned the hood back up and said "Your oil is all changed. Let's talk about inspecting the filters and fluid levels..." At this point, what do you want? You want to leave.
So the beginning isn't the ideal place, and the end isn't the ideal place. That only leaves the middle. And if you pay attention, that's exactly when the pitch comes. They open the hood, drain the oil, and stop. Now, they casually stroll up to you. "How ya doin? Not going anywhere for a few minutes? I didn't think so. See that? That's your air filter. How do you feel about that? Want a new one?"
Now consider your customer in flat-rate: When you arrive at the customer's house, where do they want you? At the problem. If, before you've even seen the problem, you begin pitching or requesting access for the inspection, how do they react? "Can you just look at the (toilet, outlet, whatever) problem?"
If you go ahead and look at the problem, then go ahead and actually complete a repair/installation all buttoned up, now where do the customers want you? GONE.
So once again, the beginning is no good, and the end is no good. That only leaves the middle. Try this: Go ahead and soothe the customer's urgency by BEGINNING the repair (once that task is sold). Somewhere in the middle of that repair, ideally if you have to move the customer's belongings around, like bleach and cleaning supplies that may be found under most typical kitchen sink areas, STOP. If you've built enough value in your very presence, and there is a bit of a mess in progress, you'll be ASTOUNDED by how quickly the homeowner leads you to other areas of the house if at that point you simply say, "Would you take me to the (basement, panel, whatever) please?"
I'm not talking about literally making a mess. But with a kitchen floor full of the customer's own undersink belongings arranged in a half-circle around the tech, or a hole in the ceiling where their chandelier once was, their interest in cooperating seems to be heightened. "Make a mess!"
Happy Selling.
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