Welcome to Close it now, an H Vac sales training podcast with Sam Wakefield.

Here we'll build your reputation in residential H vac sales to be the expert influencer in your market.

You'll get insight into the top minds in the industry as they share their skills and hacks to help you on your journey.

This podcast isn't just about selling more.

It's about understanding your customers needs and building efficiencies behind the scenes so you can sell more but work less while being top of mind when people think H Vac.

Now let's get started with your host of the Close it now podcast.

This is Sam Wakefield.

All right, welcome back.

Sam Wakefield here.

I am so excited to cover this episode.

So we just wrapped up the six episodes of the Becoming the Hunter series.

So in that same vein, being a hunter also means being incredibly kick ass at your follow up game.

So raise your hand if you're like me and for most of my career I was horrible at follow up.

I was so bad, I will admit it, I will own it.

Because, you know, it turns out that it was two things.

One of the things we're going to talk about is mindset and the second that we're going to talk about is the language around follow up.

So we're gonna get into this episode and it makes sense that this is the episode as we're getting in.

Let's see, we're into November 2023, we just finished up doors.

We've done some incredible, incredible episodes on how to generate leads.

But now let's talk about how to circle back and close them.

Right?

And I say circle back kind of tongue in cheek.

And you'll know what I mean by that here in a few minutes.

But before we do that, let's get into the what's in your cup for the day.

So today it's actually not coffee, it's something else.

I am.

This is a.

It's called Gorgi or Gorgi.

I think it's Gorgi.

It's clearly being marketed to women, but it is an energy drink that is extremely healthy.

So I don't like artificial sweeteners.

I'm not into energy drinks that are full of basically just full of trash.

But this is a good one.

It's a mango mango flavored energy drink and Mango Tango and it is delicious.

This one is made with B vitamins and a ton of different stuff.

And I'll tell you, the energy I get from it is really clean and there's no crash.

So I like it.

It's pretty good.

There's a mango one, there's a peach one, There's a watermelon one.

But yeah, so this one's pretty delicious.

So what is in your cup?

Message me.

I always want to know what or pop it in the Facebook group.

If you're not a member of the Close It Now Facebook group, you've got to go join because it is such an incredible place for support.

I do a ton of training in there.

So go find the Facebook group and drop me a message.

What coffee are you drinking?

What do you drink for energy?

What do you drink that's healthy?

Years ago, this would have been a whiskey conversation, but I'm basically sober now and I feel incredible.

I decided to.

There's nothing wrong with drinking, but I decided that it was not serving me well.

And I tell you, I'm so much clearer minded.

I like waking up and being able to think and not feel like my mouth is a bottom of a birdcage.

Right?

So some of those mornings, boy, I remember them.

So anyway, let's take a sip of whatever's in your cup.

I hope it's something delicious.

Three, two, one.

All right, so getting into this episode today, this is follow up, right?

Follow up is important.

Follow up is crucial.

If you're not doing follow up, you are literally leaving hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars worth of business on, you know, on the table that you're just not closing.

You know, I cannot tell you the number of times homeowners would tell me, you know, after I'd followed up with them, oh, my gosh, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12 times, you know, 5, 6, 7, 8 months later or a year and a half later.

And homeowners would tell me, you know, we weren't originally going to go with you, but everyone else stop calling.

So really we just figured that nobody else really wanted our business.

So we called you back and we're so glad we did.

And it's incredible what happens because the fortune is truly in the follow up.

You know, we've heard that over and over, but it really is that powerful.

And I think that one of the reasons that most of us have always sucked at follow up is mainly because we didn't know the language to use, we didn't know the words to use around it, we didn't know the right posture around follow up, and we didn't use the right language.

So what would happen is we would start using those terms like, hey, I'm just following up.

I'm circling back, I'm just going to check in.

It's just touching base and those types of expressions and terms feel desperate.

You know, how many times have you sent an email that said, what questions do you have?

Let me know if you have any questions.

Well, they would have asked you if they had questions.

Come on.

I'm so down on this because I've been so guilty myself for so, so, so many years.

And so now there is a better way to do follow up.

It's all about your posture.

It's about your mindset.

You know, originally one of the things that I, you know, I didn't follow up because I was nervous.

I thought I was going to be bugging them.

I thought I was going to be annoying my customers at the time before I even used the term clients.

And you're just not.

So get that out of your head.

That is a false representation where we feel like they're doing us a favor by buying from them and like, oh my gosh, I'm trying to help you and you won't even call me back.

Well, let me stop you right there.

That is a broken mindset.

Let's fix the mindset first and then I've got an entire scripting language that I'm going to teach you here in just a minute, a word track that will get results in my virtual accountability group that I run.

And if you want to know more about that, definitely message me.

But in the virtual accountability I run, I taught them this follow up method and the next day between six of them, they sent out these messages strictly to their recent follow ups, the ones from the last several months that didn't close.

And between six of them, they closed over $100,000 worth of business the very next day strictly on this follow up message that I'm going to teach you here in just a couple minutes.

But first let's talk about the mindset because it's so important.

You are an expert.

They came to the doctor and then they're not even calling the doctor back.

That's avoidance mindset.

Right?

That's their avoidance mindset.

But also, how many times do we not call them back because we think, man, they're, we're, like I mentioned a minute ago, we're bugging them, we're annoying them and those kind of things.

But really what happens is people do just get busy.

Remember this project, unless you're in the house and it's, you know, 105 outside and there's no cool or zero outside and there's no heat.

Most of the time though, this project is way more important in your mind than it is in their mind.

And you've got to remember that, especially if it's any kind of like, hey, we're just getting numbers and you know it's working.

We have to increase the importance of this project in their mind and the urgency in their mind.

And we'll do other episodes soon on how to create urgency.

But this is an important one.

So they will start to forget immediately.

They're going to start to forget.

The importance of the project diminishes minute by minute the second you're out of the house.

That's one why it's so important to close it while you're there on the first sit.

But if you can't do that, that's fine.

I'm here to empower you.

And I understand that there's companies that build their entire model off of one sit.

Closes.

That's great.

You're not going to close them all.

So what we don't want to do is close the door to pipeline business strictly because we forced a yes or no answer or something ridiculous like that.

Now, if you are one of those companies that is forcing an answer, it has to be once it close or we won't ever get them.

Shame on you because you're not serving your homeowners to the top of your ability.

That sounds to me much more like a, you know, a scam because you know you're overpriced.

Now, if you know, you're.

If there's nothing wrong with being priced high if as long as you deliver value and service.

But if your whole model is based on we have to get one set closes once it closes because we have the highest price in town and we know the second anybody shops us they're not going to go with us, then you need to readjust your priorities.

So that's a wrong intention.

That focus is on the wrong thing strictly on your bottom line and not helping people get over yourself.

Let's correct the situation.

So I'm coming down hard on this because it's the freaking truth.

It's what's happening in our industry right now.

And you are the reason for the last couple, two, three decades that our industry has gotten a black eye.

So stop it.

So now that I'm off my soapbox, there is.

And the other side of that is, yeah, no, there's nothing wrong with being the highest priced company in town.

I am all for that.

As long as you bring more value than everybody else.

It's not about price, it's about value.

If you are kicking ass in value and really deliver on what you're asking from the homeowner and they see enough value, then absolutely go gangbusters.

Do it, but don't do it strictly because you're a bait and switch company and trying to take advantage of people.

So that is the mindset.

People want us to be in touch with them.

They, to some degree they want us to earn their business and we have to do that.

When you do the work and you, you go the extra mile and do what it takes to earn the business, you will get it at a much higher percentage than people who don't.

And so let's get into some of the scripting for the follow up though, because it's really crucial.

So steps to the follow up.

The first thing is always have an offer, right?

We're always going to have some sort of offer.

The offer is going to rotate though, and just know the offer does not always have to be a cash discount.

In fact, you can close the business on all kinds of things.

Here's an example.

Hey, I remember we were, you know, we were talking about XYZ product.

Let's take a Remi Halo, for example.

Hey, I remember when I was in the house, we were talking about the Remi Halo.

You really liked what the, what it did for you.

Well, check this out.

We just got the newer model and for a limited time we're going to do the newest model at the old model's price.

So you'll be able to get it before the price increase happens.

Whoa.

That's a different kind of offer, right?

That's really cool.

People will be engaged because of that.

Now what we have to do, and I'm going to give you the formula here in just a second.

But when we rotate, you're going to rotate an offer with people one, one time you're going to have an offer for a product like that.

Next time you can have it, you know, have some sort of a discount offer.

You can, anytime there are changes in financing, you can have a reach out for that.

Anytime there's changing in any kind of rebates that happen, you can reach out for that.

Just always have something.

Always have.

Hey, earlier before we were talking about this, but check this out.

We just came out with a new product that might even work better.

So that's something else.

You know, have different offers.

Now we'll get into some really specific closing offers here in just a little bit, which is really fun.

But so let's get into the formula though.

So the things we're never going to say in our communication follow up, circle back, check in, let me know what questions you have.

Do you have any questions?

You know, all those kind of things, touching base, you know, blah, blah, blah.

Don't say that.

What we are going to say though is, and here's your formula, I'm continuing the conversation we had on X date about xyz, right?

We had the conversation on this date about this thing.

The next thing, next line is I just found out about whatever it is you found out about.

So I just found out.

So that makes it immediate.

That makes it important.

So I just found out about the new promotion.

I just found out about the change in rates coming up at the beginning of the year, right?

I just found out we're getting a rate increase in January.

You know, whatever it is, the next line is I thought of you because this perfectly fits your situation.

When it makes people feel special when we tell them, I thought of you because this perfectly fits your situation.

Then the next line is I didn't want you to miss out.

I didn't want you to miss out.

I thought of you because it perfectly fits your situation.

I didn't want you to miss out.

And then the last line is, are you open to more info?

So when we fill in the blank of I just found out about XYZ promotion, do not give the details of the promotion.

So it could be I just found out about the new models coming out that are taking place at the old ones for a limited time, we're going to discount, we're keeping them at the same price.

Are you open to more info?

Or I just found out about.

Even better is like I just found out about a flash sale we're having the last week of the month.

I thought of you because it perfectly fits your situation.

I didn't want you to miss out.

Are you open to more info?

Right?

Or I just found out about a huge promotion we have coming up.

I thought of you because it perfectly fits your situation.

I didn't want you to miss out.

Are you open to more info?

And so we're telling them we've got a promotion coming up.

We've told them we've got something coming up, but we're not telling them what it is because we want to set the hook so they reach back out to us.

And I can tell you so many times, in fact, this reminds me of a story in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

I was sitting with one of their selling texts and he was showing me this one text thread for like a month and A half of message after message after message that he had sent with no response.

No response, no response.

He sends this message instantly, three dots, dee dee dee.

The woman comes back, what do you got?

And so we closed it that day because of this message.

And it happens over and over and over.

In fact, sitting with him in an hour we close two different projects with this message.

So it's super powerful.

So let's go through it again.

We're not going to say things like follow up, circle back, touch base, check in.

What questions do you have?

Can I answer your questions?

We are going to say and I'm just going to go through with for example a discount offer and we'll use George.

George, I'm continuing the conversation we had on October 31 about the new system for your upstairs of your house.

I just found out about our Thanksgiving special we've got coming up.

I thought of you because it perfectly fits your situation.

I didn't want you to miss out.

Are you open to more info?

So there's an example with context of a way to follow up like this.

They will reach out.

I'm telling you, people will respond to this.

It is a very highly effective message.

So start implementing this and you will be amazed at what happens.

Now here's the thing.

You have to have an actual offer.

Don't just not offer anything.

Don't just make something up that is not an offer, but have an offer.

It has to have a reason to reach out.

And some of the coolest things I've been doing lately and I've been coaching people on and things I've done in the past is like you will be amazed what people will do for very small incentives.

So let's talk about some customized offers.

The more that you can pay attention in the home and figure out what they are into and what their hobbies are, what their interests are.

And we can play to that when it comes to the follow up game.

For example, here's a fun one that is so easy to do and doesn't really even cost that much.

When you come across somebody that is like super into sports or tailgating, they are like big beer drinkers or something.

This is a really fun offer as long as it fits within the confines of what your company is okay to do.

But reach out to them and go through the same process and get in touch with them and say listen for a limited time, here's our offer, free beer for a year.

And you will be amazed at what that does.

Right.

And what did it cost us?

What one case of beer a month.

So what, 300 bucks?

3, 400 bucks total for the whole year, which is probably less than you would have got a discount off of the system anyway.

More importantly, it's really cool.

It totally makes an impact.

Do you think he's going to tell his friends about it?

Hell yeah, he is.

And how many people are going to be calling and say, hey, I want my free beer for a year.

Okay, no problem.

You have to go with XYZ equipment or better.

And those are the ones that qualify.

So, man, talk about creating a story.

That's a social media post right there waiting to go viral.

So yeah, homeowner buys heating and air system from this company and gets free beer for a year.

That's like front page news kind of stuff right there.

Because remember, it's not about you, it's about them.

And you can do all kind of stuff.

I mean, it doesn't have to be like that.

You can, if somebody's big into sports, be like, okay, cool, no problem.

Hop on ebay or hop on a website.

Find like a signed baseball or football or jersey or something that is, whatever they're a fan of.

Use that say, hey, for a limited time, I remember you specifically and I just came across this.

Why don't we move forward and here's what we got in it for you.

I mean, this is a story as old as time.

I don't know if you, I'm sure most of you listeners don't remember this, some of you might, but years and years ago, banks would literally give away like toasters to people who open a new bank account.

Like here, come and get your toaster to open a bank account.

This is not new, but also why have we never done it in our industry?

You know, we could do all kind of crazy stuff.

Free year membership to the tanning salon or you know, whatever, right?

It doesn't matter.

Whatever's like in your area.

I mean, I could totally imagine my brain is going nuts on this.

For a limited time for qualifying systems, get, especially here in the winter, get free season pass to such and such ski resort.

If you live like near, if you're in Colorado or live near ski mountains or something like that, I mean you could totally make up anything and it could work, it could be really fun, it could be effective and make a really cool offer.

So I'm just going down that road there.

But it's hilarious and it's amazing what people do.

I've done so many bizarre, crazy things over the years to close deals.

Just because we Can.

I mean, there's no rules in this game.

Who said we have to live within certain boundaries when it comes to this kind of stuff?

We don't.

Let me empower you.

As long as it's legally, morally and ethically okay and the leadership at your company is okay with it, then talk to them.

I mean, offer all kind of do all kind of fun stuff, right?

Go find yourself an autograph baseball on eBay for 300 bucks and give them that instead of discounting 500 or $1,000 off the equipment.

They're going to see the value.

It's fun.

Show up.

If somebody's got the wall of whiskey, right?

They're into bourbon and whiskey.

Show up with like some crazy, super exotic whiskey.

You know, if it cost us 2, 300 bucks for the company, that's still less than what we were going to discount, right?

And so what does it matter?

I'm so about connecting with people, building relationships, serving them.

But that also means paying attention to what they're into, right?

This is classic.

I highly recommend a book called how to Swim with the Sharks without getting Eaten alive by Harvey MacKay.

It's a classic and it's one of the best books on connecting and networking I've ever read.

So highly recommend that.

So that's our episode today.

This is the follow up episode.

Use this and you will start getting results.

It is incredible what happens when you change your posture around follow up.

And the last part of it is Bamfam.

You have to be able to Bamfam.

That's book a meeting from a meeting.

If every single conversation you have with the homeowner, you must be.

This is not try to.

This is.

You must schedule the next time you're going to communicate.

If that is via text.

If it's via email, via phone call, schedule a date and time.

Tell them grab your calendar.

I can't be spontaneously available, but I want to make sure your time is important.

I want to make sure to be available with for you.

We're busy so I can't just be spontaneously available like that.

So grab your calendar and let's find a time that matches up so we can reconnect and then schedule.

If it's a zoom call, I always ask for a video call first.

You know, Zoom call or FaceTime.

If not a phone call or at least a text or email, you've got to schedule something.

As long as they are willing and open to doing that and scheduling a hard date in time for the next time you talk, the sales conversation is not over.

It is still a very active live conversation.

So you have to do that.

So you got a Bamfam book a meeting from a meeting every single time and when you do that it goes into your calendar.

You do not miss those right non negotiables.

Start doing that and having the posture in your conversation of hey I'm continuing this conversation.

Then you're going to see some insanely different results with your follow ups.

So again that's the episode for today.

That's that nice little last minute nugget there for you.

Last thing.

I've got a quick question here.

If you will go to wherever you listen and leave me a review.

I would love a 5 star review this.

Your company lives and dies by reviews.

So does mine.

If you've ever gotten value.

I appreciate it so much and you know it's really fun to see these man to see the reviews.

So here's the review of the day from O in Odom.

I think this is actually somebody in my Facebook group but says awesome stuff.

It's a five stars said wish I would have tuned in a year ago, exclamation point.

Can't stop listening.

So thank you in Odom.

I appreciate it.

You are incredible sir.

And for every single one of the rest of you, couple things real quick.

I am going to be speaking at door to door con 7 that is January 22, January 25, 2627 is going to be in Salt Lake City.

Tickets are incredibly cheap.

So I Want to yeah 1-25-2627 Go to h vacdoors.net Click on the Events tab and when you get your ticket use the code SAMW10 for a 10% discount off of your tickets.

And that is going to be incredible.

It's going to be a place where with that hunter mentality, with this type of mentality you will learn massive tips, tricks and just implementation to come back and turn into a sniper.

You will be a killer when you get back from that conference.

Keynotes are Lance Armstrong, Sean White, Chris Voss, Sam Taggart, myself and it's going to be really incredible.

The other thing is you can reach out to me about training.

I am all over the place right now, training companies all over the country.

But what I want to talk about right now is I am planning on hosting an in person training event here in the Austin, Texas area.

So if you have thought man I absolutely would love to have Sam out to my company but I don't know if the owner would go for it.

I don't know if the leadership or maybe we're just not the right size company.

That would make sense to pay the big bucks to have Sam to come out.

Not that it's that expensive.

It literally pays for itself while I'm there because I make we'll go out in the field with you do ride alongs.

We make the sales.

It literally pays for itself every single time I'm in the field.

So don't think it's expensive.

However, if you're an individual, you know it doesn't make sense to have me to pay the price to have me come to your company when there's no company to train.

It's just you, right?

Or maybe you're a smaller company or a different company, you know, or you just want to send your people somewhere to give them a different change of perspective.

So I'm going to host an event here in Austin, Texas.

So message me samoseitnow.net pop me a text 512-364-8559 or join the Facebook group.

We're going to start really promoting it here really, really soon.

I will have some early bird specials on the ticket price so that way you can get in and lock in your seat early before the price goes up.

I have to do that because it gives me an indica.

So why do people do that?

Right?

Psychology behind it.

When you're selling tickets for events, the early bird specials give you an idea of there's metrics around what the total number attendees will be by the number of early bird tickets sold.

And then what happens is just this is event planning.

You can use some of that ticket funds from the first tickets to reserve the space.

Then as the rest of the tickets sell, it fills up and it usually works out to be playing plus or minus just a few from what the metrics look like.

So it's planning, right?

That's why there's event planning.

And early bird tickets are great.

You know what you like, you want to do it and so you get a discount, don't pay the stupid tax and wait till the last minute.

And so that's what my friend Dave Bengel says when he's selling tickets for his events.

But anyway, I am good at host.

It's going to be the full on just as if I was in your location training the full on close it now sell system.

This is what we're seeing.

Such dramatic results.

Here's a fun story.

I was just in Raleigh, North Carolina next week over at Air Experts shout out to the guys over there, you guys are killers.

Kick ass.

Hope you are implementing I know you are because here's a fun story from a guy named Patrick.

So he went out on a.

It was just a plenum replacement quote was what it said on the ticket.

In the past, he would have, you know, probably spent about 15 minutes and this is his words telling me he said he would have probably spent about 15 minutes in the house, left, emailed over a quote for maybe a couple thousand bucks or something like that.

Well, because of the process and implementing the process, he was able to leave the house with a $70,000 close on their lease program on a $70,000 ticket.

He was like, holy shit, man.

It sounds.

It's like you gave me a new superpower.

I'm.

He was like, in fact, I'm going to read you his text message that he sent me a couple days ago because it's really fun.

He said, I hate.

I just hate thinking of all the millions of dollars I've left on the table for years.

Kills me.

He was like, man, let's see, this is yesterday.

He was like, dude, $48,000 sale today, two systems zoning and IAQ.

You gave me a new superpower, man.

I love it.

So, yeah, it is incredible.

So, Patrick, you are a rockstar, dude.

I can't wait to see what your numbers turn into now that you know a much better way to do it.

So, everybody, those are the kind of stories we get every single time I go out, right?

I've got my guy Eddie over in Kansas city.

He was 40% before I got there.

We closed out the week at 79% close rate.

This is close rate, right?

40%.

He's been in the industry 30 years.

He's taken all the trainings and it hasn't had a single week since then.

And we're over four months later that he's been less than 60%.

His close rate normally falls between 60 and 70% every single week.

Months later, when he was 40% for a long time before that.

So it's the kind of lasting change that happens.

So I'm going to be teaching that whole process, that system here in the really incredibly cool city of Austin, Texas.

So I invite you all out.

You will have to message me to get info on the tickets right now or go to the close it now Facebook group as soon as I so samoseitnow.net you can email me there, text me 512-364-8559 or go to the close it now Facebook group.

Join the group and message me there as soon as I have more info.

I'm going to be putting up a bunch more info about it, but if you want to be the first, you want to get the Early Bird tickets, let me know because we're going to change some lives.

I want to do things differently in my events and you are going to see how and why it's different.

The minute you get there.

You will never have been to a training in the H vac industry like the one I do.

I hope you can from the podcast.

I hope you can tell that I do things differently.

If everybody goes right, I go left.

If everyone is doing one thing, we're going to do something different.

So last second tip on Follow up.

This is the piece that nobody does.

And for all of you that have stayed and listened, this is the biggest golden nugget of the entire episode.

So I hope you stayed and listened.

Don't just call or don't just email.

When you're doing follow up, you're going to email, you're going to call, and you're going to text every single time you reach out.

If they don't answer the phone, call and text and email every time.

Now here's the thing.

There's one more step.

Go out and knock on their door again.

Go to their house.

Go when you know they're going to be there.

And here's your script.

Hey, I was just around the corner and so I thought I should probably stop by while I was here because that makes things the most convenient and easy for both of us.

I want to continue.

I'm continuing the conversation that we had about and so it's the exact same message, but in person at the door.

So do not be scared to do this.

You're not bugging them.

One social proof happens because when you tell them, hey, I was just around the corner working with one of your neighbors, that's a whole different type of message than, hey, I just wanted to circle back and see what you thought.

Right?

So go.

Go to their house, knock on their door, follow up in person, and you will start closing so many more deals because you had the freaking brass balls to go do it.

I don't care if you're a man or a woman, you.

You gotta have those brass balls like in Glengarry Glen Ross, right?

Coffee is for closers.

Earn your coffee, get your butt over there, knock on the door.

People will open and people will buy.

So that is the episode for today.

There's the hidden Easter egg.

At the end of this episode, I want to know if you stuck this far into the episode and listened.

Message me that directly.

If you message me and say you heard the Easter egg at the end of this episode, I will give you a free gift.

You will get a free one hour of coaching if you message me directly and tell me you heard the Easter egg.

All right, that is the episode everybody.

I hope you got some value from this.

Go leave me a review.

Five stars is the best.

I love you all.

Thank you for listening.

I hope you have an incredible, amazing Thanksgiving week.

Hug your family members, hug the ones that you love and until next time my friends, Go save the world one heat stroke at a time.

Go save the world one frostbite at a time.

Thanks for listening to Close it now with Sam Wakefield.

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