Many contractors go into an estimate or presentation hoping the client won’t raise any objections that are hard to overcome. But if you just realized that objections are a natural part of the client buying process, and if handled correctly, could lead to a solid business relationship, then you are a selling machine!
Think about the last time you made a major buying decision — the purchase of a new car, a big screen TV, or major kitchen appliance. What were some of the questions you asked yourself?
- Is this the best buy for the money?
- Do I want the options or just the basic model?
- The price seems high. Can I get a better deal from another dealer?
- When can I get delivery? Can I get it sooner?
- Can I be sure that service will be provided when I need it?
- What’s their track record?
Concerns influence the final decision
If these questions sound familiar, you were weighing your needs against all the known factors, trying to get all available information so that you can make the best decision. In the process, you had some concerns about price, quality, service and delivery — all of which influenced your final decision.
In many cases, you accept negatives to get the positive result you want. You may be willing to pay a bit more to get the kind of service you need, or to wait a bit longer for delivery of a specific model. You evaluate the benefits and drawbacks; when the benefits heavily outweighed the drawbacks, you bought.
Now, you need to remember the people you sit down in front of do the same thing. This is why you always ask a series of check-in questions that develop a series of small “Yes’s”, culminating in the final yes…the close. More on the small “Yes’s” in another post, but you get the idea.