How To Help Your Remodeling Prospects Make Buying Decisions
Consumers reading or watching the news are being fed information everyday about financial scandals, difficulty obtaining credit, increasing costs on just about everything, and the uncertainty of when things will improve. Let’s face it, bad news sells better than good news, there is plenty of it and as a result consumers have a low confidence level.
The consumer needs to have confidence
Before they will commit to buying remodeling, or anything for that matter, they need to have confidence in themselves, what they plan to buy, and, their salesperson. Take the time in the sales process to understand their concerns so they gain the feeling that you know what they are up against. Again, they want options, but just throwing options at them will increase their confusion and concerns about making a decision. Work to gain their trust and confidence, not 
by what you say, but rather by the intuitive questions you ask.
If you know and ask the right questions, questions that help them feel you must know what you’re talking about, and that get to the heart of the purpose for their project, as well as their concerns about it, they will come to see you as the trusted expert. If you go about interacting with them in a sincere and purposeful way, they will come to trust you, your solution, your business, your purpose, and, ultimately their ability to make a good decision.
The consumer needs proof
A good conversational exchange may help swing a prospect over to your side, but I suggest they will need proof of your offer and claims so they can confirm any agreements and stay confident after closing the deal. Proof can be accomplished in many ways.
For example you could provide strong references that can back up from personal experience your abilities and promises as real. Professionally prepared project specifications and agreements that detail the project as well as the customer’s purpose for doing the project will show you truly listened and captured important details. A payment schedule in your remodeling proposal based on project milestones can help them feel confident they will receive and actually see value as they make progress payments. Describe for them your process for producing their project. Let them know about your preconstruction and precompletion meetings and why you do them. Tie several benefits of these meetings to any concerns they may have expressed during your discussions.
Some of you may already be doing these things.
If you are, but your still not seeing results, rethink how and when you do them. Make sure your solutions are presented in a way that your customers can see how they address their purpose and concerns. Don’t assume anything anymore, except that you can’t make assumptions. People remember 10% of what you say, but 90% of what they say. If a customer says they like your solution, ask them why and seek a detailed answer. In doing so they will hear themselves justify their decisions and you get a chance to make sure they didn’t add something you couldn’t deliver on or miss something you may already be including.
Looking for sales training and or a sales coach?
Contact Shawn to find out how he helps remodelers and other construction related businesses all over the country achieve the business and personal results they desire. If you’re not earning and keeping enough money for your retirement yet he can help you change things.
Manufacturers can and should provided information and education relative to product options, differences and price points. Retailers selling to remodelers should be getting this information from their distributor and manufacturer reps. The entire supply chain should be sharing this information with contractors through trade shows, educational events and personal interaction. 
Help them get mentally prepared: Let them know what to expect they will live through while the construction is under way. Tell them about things that might affect them like the noise, the dust, shutting off their water, change orders and the decisions that come with final selections and unanticipated challenges. Just as a doctor would do with patients regarding medications, a good remodeler will warn clients that it is likely there might be side effects experienced during the remodeling process. By doing so clients can recognize the warning signs so they will be able to mentally and physically adjust. Also, my experience was that by discussing these realities in advance, the fatigue might not set in as early, or at least would not be as significant, as early, as it might be if my team had not warned them.
Help them get physically prepared: Living through the remodeling process can be much easier with some preparation. For example, remind customers they will not be able to cook while you remodel their kitchen. Suggest they consider cooking and freezing easy to microwave meals and or collect take out menus before you start their kitchen renovation. Some remodelers have told me they actually provide their clients recipe books and or a collection of local restaurant menus to help with this. If you are renovating their only bathroom as part of a project, ask how they plan to deal without a toilet for a few days or more. They may not have even thought about such realities. Maybe you or they can even set up temporary spaces to tide them over until they get their homes and their lives back.
