Welcome to Close it now, the podcast that's revolutionizing the H Vac and home improvement trades industries.

Get ready to dive deep into the world of heating, ventilation and air conditioning.

We're turning up the heat on industry standards and cooling down misconceptions.

And we're not just talking about fixing vents and adjusting thermostats.

It's about the transformative movement that's reshaping the very foundation of H Vac and home improvement.

We're the driving force, inspiring top performers who crave excellence not only in their professional endeavors, but also in fitness, nutrition, relationships and personal growth, proving that we can indeed have it all.

This is Close it now, where excellence meets excitement.

Let's get to work.

Now your host, Sam Wakefield.

All right, Today we are exploring a concept that separates amateurs from professionals.

So that is what we're going to talk about today.

This is part two in the series in the Energy Driven Sales series, the invisible skill that changes everything.

And you are going to love this session.

So stay tuned.

It's going to be awesome.

Before we get to that, I want to let's start off today with the what's in your cup?

It's been a minute since we started like that, so if you don't know, here at the Close it now podcast.

One of the things that I have been on this journey is since actually Starting at the January 1st of 2024, I made the decision in my life to go alcohol free.

So I've been on this journey and I've always been a massive coffee connoisseur.

So we 2024, we explored in 2023, 2024, we explored coffee beans.

Lately I've been on this journey of tea.

So if you are around the world and you drink hot tea, I would love to hear from you what your favorite tea is.

And yeah, send me recommendations and I'm cool down to visit some tea houses as I travel, those types of things.

So today this is a cool.

What is in your cup?

What is in your cup today?

Are you drinking tea?

You drinking coffee?

You got your got your espresso?

What's going on?

You make sure to stay hydrated.

It's starting to warm up.

This is, we're the beginning of April 2025, but today I've got a special shout out to Mr.

Brian O'Boyle.

He is an Irishman.

I'm butchering the accent.

Sorry, Brian, but he is.

He's gonna be coming on the show soon and he is actually going to be attending the Relentless, the ultimate SALS transformation event in Boston, Massachusetts, May 6th, 7th and 8th.

In fact, I have a big announcement about that here in a minute.

But today's what's in your cup is Twining's Irish breakfast, which I, I grabbed that just for you to put in my cup today.

So tribute to Mr.

Brian O'Boyle.

Huge shout out.

He is up at the Dream Team up in, in the northeast and so super stoked to have him on the show coming up and also see you in person.

Meet you in Gareth at the event in Boston.

So excited about that.

So, everybody, what is in your cup?

Let's, let's celebrate this episode.

Let's take a cheers and here in just a second.

Everybody lift your cup.

Three, two, one.

Ah.

All right, so let's get into this.

I am so excited about what has happened with the Boston event.

You need to know this there.

I, I wanted to make this as absolutely attainable as possible for everyone.

So what I did, I'm putting this first.

What I did is we have decided to make the buy one, get one ticket price.

The deal is extended all the way to the event.

So those tickets are not sold out.

We extended it.

Bring your business partner, bring your sales rep, bring your friend, bring anybody that has anything to do with the, with, with the customer interaction.

It's going to be fire.

It's going to be awesome if it's just you.

So let's do this.

We'll start a, we'll start a group in the, A chat in the Facebook group.

So if you're on the in the close it now Facebook group, go in there, find somebody to go in with.

People all over the country have tickets that, that want to buy tickets.

Now's the time.

We'll match people up.

Message me, I'll match you up with somebody and we'll get some ticket splits.

So buy one, get one ticket is extended all the way to the event.

Now is your chance.

If you want to bring your team, you can bring them at half as much as it was going to cost before.

So this is the, this is the offer.

Make sure that you take advantage of it.

Let's fill this room.

And you gotta hurry because the tickets are going fast.

So make sure to grab yours.

Go to closeitnowbootcamp.com Also, that landing page just got a totally good refresh today.

So lots of more info on there about the event.

If you were thinking about the event, but you just didn't know the right information that the venue is on there, the dates are on there.

Lots of lots more information on that landing page.

So go to close it now boot camp camp dot com.

Close it now boot camp dot com.

And that is where you can get your ticket.

So pop in, grab your ticket, let's go.

So let's get into this episode.

I am stoked about it.

So episode two of this nine part series.

What is a container and why every cell needs one?

Do you know what a container is?

This is something that you know, it's called a container.

It is definitely the difference between what separates amateurs from professionals.

Whether you realize it or not, every single sales conversation, it either has one or it falls apart.

Because it doesn't.

This is one of the things that when you have the, when you go into your appointments and you're like, man, it just didn't, it didn't flow, it didn't seem to go right.

It's like I lost control.

It's because one of the main reasons is because you didn't set a good solid container.

So what is that?

So here's a quote for you.

One of the things that I like to say is a strong container.

It invites trust, focus and presence.

A weak one invites confusion, chaos and resistance.

So a strong container invites trust, focus and presence.

A weak one invites confusion, chaos and resistance.

So let's get a little more into what a container is and then we're going to get into why they matter and then how to set a container with intentionality.

So number one, what is a container?

So a container is a concept borrowed from transformational spaces, coaching, therapy sessions, healing work, and I've adapted it for cells.

So basically what it is is the energetic and emotional boundary that holds the interaction.

You may not be able to see it, but you can feel when it's there and you can feel when it's not there.

It's that, that sort.

Here's some big characteristics of a strong container.

You know, when it happens, you've, we've all been to an event where they set a really good container.

You may have just not even known it because we're not going to say, hey, let me set this container unless you've been in a, you know, a space with like a healing modality, so to speak.

So here are some of the key, key characteristics.

Okay?

One is clarity.

They know why you're there.

You know, a lot of people call this setting the right expectations, but that's, that's amateur compared to when you're actually able to hold a container around a conversation.

So clarity.

They have to know why you're there.

The, the intent is important.

Number two, safety.

They Feel seen, not sold.

They feel seen, not sold.

So safety.

The third is presence.

When you're there, you're fully engaged.

You're not robotic, you're not scattered, you're not constantly have.

You know, I quick ninja tip.

When you go into a home, put your phone on.

Do not disturb.

When you're there, they say, love the one you're with.

This is so important.

So be fully engaged with your homeowners.

Direct eye contact, all these types of things.

So story time there.

We all know that experience.

I remember a couple times specifically, it'll share a good story and a bad story.

What do we want to do first, good or bad?

Let's do good first.

Let's do bad first.

Bad container.

I had an appointment once.

I've lots of appointments that I botched.

But a horrible appointment that I had years ago.

It was one of those, you know, the kind, the driver personality you walk in and they instantly are, hey, come over here, look at this, come look at this.

And it drags me out and met me in the driveway.

Like a lot of times they do drags me around to the, to the condensing unit.

Of course, this is, this is H vac cells, go around to the air conditioner.

And the whole time he's just like, I want to do this, I want to do this, I want to do this.

And I just, I.

This was back before I understood this concept.

And man, it was like, okay, I'm like, got my notepad out.

I'm.

I'm scrambling, trying to take notes, write everything down.

I'm grabbing my measurements.

And it was, I just felt like I was being bulldozed the whole time and couldn't get a word in edgewise.

You know, we went inside, same thing inside.

And it was 10 minutes.

He's like, okay, I gotta go.

Send me an email.

And buzzed out of there, you know, took me back outside and just led the whole thing.

And I was left in the dust of like, holy crap, what just happened?

I mean, do you think I made the sell?

Absolutely not.

And it was such a.

It just left me feeling gross.

It was like completely off balance, thrown off the whole process.

And there was no process.

It was just more of like I showed up and got fire hosed with this guy and ended up sending a quote and ghosted me.

When I tried to follow up, it was like, why wasn't even there.

Raise your hand if you've had that experience.

And so that this bad story now once I started to understand this concept and was able to.

Some people Call this set the right expectations.

But it's more than that.

It's not just setting expectations.

It's holding the space, the entire appointment.

When you set a proper container, you're not just setting the expectations.

You're able to control the environment.

In the house or house or wherever you're at, you're able to control the environment.

If you want to see this in real time, come to the event in Boston.

You'll see me, Scott Bell, Doug Wyatt, Doug Brown, all expert trainers.

You'll see what it takes to control the space, to hold the room.

And so controlling that container is so important.

So good story.

I can think of a ton now at this, you know, at this place.

But let's take one that started off a little bit rocky and how I was able to control the container.

Again, it was one of those types of people.

And I've actually talked about the story before, but it's one of my favorites of how I was able to control the container and guide it to a cell.

You know, the initial appointment started off with the guy, kind of the same thing, met me on the porch.

Hey, here's what I want to do.

This, this, and this.

Of course, now this was just a few years ago when I was still in the field.

I absolutely, of course we're going to check that out.

But first, is there somewhere I can set my bag down?

That way I can get my measurement tools out, grab a notepad.

That way I can take notes of what you're going to show me.

Absolutely, of course.

So he takes me over to the kitchen counter, set my bag down, stopped right there, and immediately, immediately set the container.

So one of the things that's important to know, especially if you follow along with the close it now process.

One of the things at the beginning, it's the.

The thing, the steps are interchangeable a little bit in that the.

The order, as long as your sequence of.

Of order happens before a certain period.

So what I mean by that is, you know, we talk about doing your company intro, we talk about doing your personal intro, we talk about doing the agenda, typically in that order, if as long as everything is going smoothly.

But when things start to go off the rails a little bit, there are times when you might need to move those around into a little bit different order so that you can take control of the situation.

So that's exactly what happened here.

We got to where we were headed, and I instantly went into.

Okay, sounds like you are.

You've got a lot to tell me.

100%.

Want to listen here first, is it okay if I just go over with you a quick plan for our meeting?

That way I can help you best and be most efficient because it sounds like you have a little bit of a time crunch.

He says, absolutely.

I said, okay, well, here's a quick plan.

First of all, I'm going to ask you some questions.

Then you get to tell me what you're experiencing, what your concerns are based on those answers.

I'm just going to make a short list so I know what's important to you.

Then we can go around and we can grab our measurements.

Because if I don't know what I'm looking at specifically, I might miss something.

It's like you go to the doctor if you have a problem with your foot and he starts looking at your shoulder and he doesn't ask you questions first about why you're there.

You think he doesn't know what he was doing?

Right?

Yeah, of course.

Well, exactly.

So that's why I'm going to ask you a few questions.

First you get to tell me everything that you're about to tell me and then what we'll do.

Then I'll grab my measurements, we'll sit down, I'll show you the calculations I run, then we'll just work together to come up with a, you know, project and proposal that makes sense for you.

Sound good?

Sounds great.

Perfect.

So then we go through the process and he kept trying to pull, kept trying to pull, kept trying to pull, kept trying to pull me off track.

We end up going through the, you know, the questions, the measurements.

We sit down at the table and we used to have this big leather bound, or, you know, our leather bound books.

Had our, all of our, it was our brag book combined with our menu, menu pricing, printed.

I've never been a fan of everything completely on a computer because I don't want the battery to die.

I don't want it to, you know, have the kid run by and knock it off the table and.

Or the dog's tail knock it off the table and your computer breaks your hose.

Right?

You can't write business if you're relying on a battery or a computer and it goes down on you.

So we had menus.

I like menus.

And so I've got my book set right on the table.

We're going through this process and he reaches over the table and grabs my book and starts pulling it towards him and starts to open it.

I reached right back across the table and I grabbed that sucker, closed the, closed the, closed it back, pulled it back and set my hand on it.

And I said, no, sir, it's not time to look at this yet.

We'll get there, but we need to go over a few things first.

And it was a total pattern interrupt.

He did not expect me to take control like that.

But I'll tell you what happened.

The second I did the entire rest of the appointment, it lined right up into the container.

And I was able to lead the rest of the way, instead of feeling like I was just on the sea of waves that were throwing me all over the place.

Ended up in a great cell.

You know, it turned out to be a good project.

And he was happy camper with him.

What it took is I had to be slightly oppositional, just enough.

And it's almost like asserting dominance.

Not really, in a way, but when you take the lead, you take the lead.

Sometimes it's more than just guiding.

Sometimes you have to take the lead.

And that's what happens.

So in this container, that's the story.

That's the good story.

So let's get back into this container.

Why do containers matter?

One, especially in cells without a container, what happens is the buyer leads, not you.

The conversation lacks energy, right?

How many of you raise your hand if you've been in that conversation?

And it just feels so flatline number three, resistance shows up fast.

They start to, like, be oppositional, like you.

You're trying to.

They ask you a question, you're trying to tell me information.

And then they're, well, I read somewhere, I heard from somebody else, they start to all this opposition.

So with a container, what happens is they start to relax.

They relax into the conversation because they know that you're a professional, you own the flow, which is so important.

You have to own the flow of the conversation.

The pace.

You get to control the pace.

Trust forms faster.

And decisions come easier when you set a solid container in the environment, in the conversation.

So here's your brain science tie in.

That has to go with this.

And one of the things that.

So for all of you that are into brain science, you know, I am mirror neurons.

So your neurons in your brain there are mirror neurons, what they're doing, they're always scanning for emotional leadership.

So if you don't set the tone, basically the buyer's nervous system, it does what it's programmed to do.

It goes into fight.

I mean, we're programmed to do fight ORF flight mode if we don't feel safe.

And so if we don't set a container of safety, of certainty, what happens is that it's going to drive them back into that.

That they call it the lizard brain.

And they're going to fall into protection mode.

So that's why the container is so important.

And there's the.

I mean, there's your brain science behind why this is why this happens.

And so here's another quote for you.

So this is important to understand cells isn't about forcing a close.

I know just about every single person listening.

Raise your hand if you've ever had that thought of, like, ah, I don't want to be that sleazy cel.

What makes a sleazy salesperson?

Somebody who forces the close.

You know, we've got trainers all over the country that you know that.

It's almost like they browbeat homeowners into buying.

And if you don't buy, it's like, oh, we've got to do this right now or the deal goes away.

It's off the table.

Here's all the reasons why today is the best day to buy.

And if you don't buy, the price is about to go up by 85,000%.

All of that is just trying to force a close.

Well, no wonder if you sell like that, no wonder you have lots of cancellations, right?

So sales is not about forcing a close.

It's about creating a space where a yes can show up naturally.

And that's what I love so much about this process.

When done properly, you create the space and the yes is getting.

It's going to appear.

You start to attract the yeses into your life because you've created the space where they feel.

Where the yeses feel comfortable to show up.

So let's get into how to set the container.

But not just how to set the container, let's set it intentionally.

Because when you have the right intention.

Now we're really starting to create some magic.

So is this helpful to everybody?

I'd love to hear from you if this is.

The series is resonating in a way that.

Because I know this is something that nobody talks about in any home services training that I've listened to thousands of trainings and been to lots of trainings.

Nobody talks about this, but it is so crucial.

These are the components that build what's actually happening.

People will study and work 5, 10, 15, 20 years to get to the 1% level.

They do this intuitively.

My goal is to break this stuff down so you don't have to wait 5, 10, 15, 20 years to get to mastery level.

You can do it in one, you can do it in two.

Yes.

It's going to take a journey.

It's going to take practice.

It's going to take getting your reps in.

But the more that we can understand why we're doing what we're doing, the faster you can get there, because your awareness is step one.

And then as you get the reps in, when you're aware of something, you.

You intentionally have to.

That's why I like awareness moments.

Once you're aware of something to not do it, you have to be in.

You have to intentionally not do it because you.

It's.

All it is, is awareness.

It's just something that you are, you know, functioning in now.

So.

And for all of you on YouTube, make sure to like and subscribe to the channel.

And, and, and for everybody that's listening, share this with your friends.

I know that there's, you know, lots of people that, that anytime you hear somebody say, hey, I just feel like I lost control of that appointment.

Send them this episode.

It will help.

So number three, how do we set the container?

This is, you know, every single time you're setting a container, whether you mean to or not, sometimes the container is their container or you just let it happen to you instead of being intentional about it.

So let's do it on purpose.

So there's three dimensions to set when you are, you know, setting up this environment.

Number one is physical.

Number two is emotional, and number three is verbal.

So the first thing with physical is your body language.

You know, anytime you go to highly recommend this, the number one thing you have to remember.

Slow down.

Take more time than you've ever taken in your appointments.

I promise you, results will.

If you only do that, your results will increase.

When you go up to that.

To that door or before you hop on your zoom or however you do your sales, before you hop on the phone, take a.

Take a beat.

Breathe in, breathe out.

And just take a breath.

Take a couple breaths.

Relax your nervous system.

Slow down.

Get centered.

So stand tall.

Slow your breathing.

One is remove distractions.

Remove just one.

Like I said, put your phone on.

Do not disturb.

Remove the distractions out of your brain.

But also if you're in an environment and there's chaos going on, you know, it is okay to ask them to turn the TV down or off.

It's okay if, like, the animals and kids are going crazy, it's okay to ask them, is there somewhere we can go where it's a little quieter, where we can focus?

It's okay.

Ask them for that.

I was on a coaching call earlier with Somebody and if you don't know, I do virtual coaching.

I just had a few spots open up in my one on one coaching program.

So message me if you want to, want to discuss what it looks like to do coaching with me because this is the fat, the fastest way to go from zero to hero to go from, you know, increasing your.

So many stories of people that doubled their income throughout the coaching program, those types of things.

But I was on a coaching call earlier with a guy and with Brent and he was, hey, what's up Brent?

If you hear this episode and he was saying that what he does and this is a great tip for everybody.

When the chaos is going on, talk a little quieter.

And as you talk a little quieter, they A lot of times this is your first without having to ask.

If you're talking a little quieter, they're getting frustrated hearing you and let them make the move to turn the TV down or go somewhere else.

If after just a little bit that they don't pick up on that, then ask.

So those are a little psychological ninja trick.

So body language.

Body language is huge.

Remove distractions.

Face the homeowner with your, with open posture, right.

Don't stand there with your arms crossed.

Don't completely square off with them.

You know, this is basic stuff but you know, have a little bit of an angle.

Have the right posture though.

Your posture is everything.

Don't slouch.

Stand like you're proud to be there.

And because you are, you should be.

Number two is the emotional dimension.

One is being calm.

Be the calm in their chaos, right?

Be, be that thing that is, that, that is calming.

When you, when you develop rapport quickly using that calm tone of voice.

Yes, we have to match them.

If they're high energy, we're going to be high energy.

But we're going to.

The second you pass the moment of rapport, you get to control the energy.

So calm tone of voice is going to bring them down as just like with your kids, it's kind of the same thing.

We're constantly teaching our homeowners how to buy from us.

So if we are giving, using this calm tone of voice, it's going to bring their energy down.

We're getting into the time of year for a lot of you that in the different trades, especially H Vac that is very season driven.

So phase one of summer, there's a lot of upset people.

Remember they're not mad at you, they're mad at the situation.

So the more that you use that calming tone of voice, it will help them to regulate their nervous system and calm down.

The other is grounded energy.

Before you talk, don't just impulsively react.

Choose to respond, be intentional.

Number three is confidence without aggression.

You know, confidence doesn't have confidence doesn't have to be loud.

You don't have to be loud to be confident.

You don't have to be forceful to be confident.

So confidence without aggression is crucial.

And number three, the verbal dimension to set, you know, setting clear expectations.

You know, a good example.

And I gave you a agenda script earlier, but just it doesn't even have to be quite so specific, just basic, like here's what we're going to do today and I'll guide you through every step of the way.

You know, tell them that and then tell them what the steps are going to be.

Also using permission based language.

You know, I love permission based sales.

It is the way that people buy in our current society.

Anybody that tells you otherwise, it's just not keeping up with the demographic.

It's not keeping up with society as it stands right now in 2025.

So permission based language sounds something like is.

Okay if we start with a few quick questions to make sure we're on the same page.

As simple as that.

Permission based language is so important because it drops that barrier, that wall of resistance that goes up when you show up.

Absolutely drops down when you start to use permission based language.

So here's the tip though.

The moment that you set the container is the moment that the cell begins.

It doesn't happen at the end.

The cell does not.

Just at the end when you're closing.

The second that you show up, your energy introduces yourself before you ever knock on the door.

So the moment you get there and set that container is the moment that the cell starts to begin.

So here, number four, here's the difference between accidental and intentional influence.

Because this is all about influence.

When we set the proper container, we are earning the ability and earning the right to get to influence their decisions in life.

And this is major.

Take this responsibility.

Don't take it lightly.

This is a big responsibility.

Because when you start to, when you learn these skills, you are stepping into this realm of being able to influence people in their decisions in life.

And this is a big responsibility.

So accidental influence is when you let the mood of the moment dictate the direction like we were talking about.

You walk in and you know, oh, I just go with the flow and however, you know, let that homeowner lead me around, well, that's accidental influence.

It's not scalable.

You Cannot grow.

There is a however good you think you are, if that's the way that you run your process, you are unknowingly setting a cap for yourself that you'll never grow past.

You don't realize that you could be two, twice as good, three times as good, four times as good.

Your numbers could go way up if you got intentional.

Sadly, the people that have that mindset are a lot of times the same people that are not open to learning anything and they're just.

They're basically moving backwards in life.

So don't have accidental influence.

We want intentional influence.

So intentional influence is when you guide with purpose from the very beginning with a container.

So without a container, you know your close becomes a rescue mission, right?

You end up at the Without a container, you end up at the end in this almost boxing match fist fight to it's just handle objections, handle objections, handle objections.

If your biggest friction point in your sales journey is always how to handle more objections, how to handle objections, I would be willing to wager that you need to go back and look at how you're setting a container.

You're probably accidentally letting them set the container and you've lost control of the whole thing.

Now with a container, what happens is the close becomes just the natural conclusion of this aligned conversation.

A well executed cell system will lead to a cell.

So you can either create the space or you can be trapped by someone else's.

That's really important.

So you can either create the space or you can be trapped by someone else's.

So don't get trapped in their container and have nowhere to go.

Don't be that rat caught in the trap.

You get to when you're intentional, you get to create the space.

And when you create the space, you can design it any way that you want and make it a place of fun, safe, comfortable, trusted environment where they feel comfortable to make that buying decision and to make it today with you.

It's not just to make it, but to make it with you today.

So here's your mission.

Before you worry about scripts, before you worry about dropping your price, before you worry about anything else, ask yourself this.

Did I set the container?

Did I lead the space?

Did I create safety?

Did I invite presence and trust?

Because once you do everything else, it's going to flow more naturally for you.

So here's the thing.

If you want to master this, work in the room live hands on.

This is what we're going to be practicing at.

Relentless, the ultimate sales transformation in Boston May 6th, 7th and 8th.

So here's the big news again.

The Bogo ticket deal is extended all the way to the event.

So go get your ticket, go to closeitnowbootcamp.com and you'll get to practice this in real time in the space with us there.

I want you to be successful.

I want to see you double your income this year.

If you increased your income by 30%, what would that do to your life?

If you increased it 50%, if you did 2x3x?

We've seen people go through the sales journey, go to the, go to our trainings.

We've seen, absolutely seen people that I've trained multiply their income 2x3x over and over and over.

And it has to do with some of these principles.

This is why we get such different results than the other trainers in the industry.

Not because they don't know what they're doing.

But nobody's addressing these core key topics that everybody needs to, needs to have.

I don't care what style system you run.

I don't care if you're call by call.

I don't care if you are tabletop.

I don't care if you're virtual.

Every single one of these concepts apply, no matter who you are or what, what granular system you run.

So go get your ticket.

It's not just another sales event.

It's the one that's going to change everything.

So, everybody, thank you for joining me today.

I am so stoked that you're here.

You're going to hear a lot more of this type of thing coming down coming because we're just scratching the surface on this series.

If you thought these first two episodes were good, just wait till we get to the next ones.

All right, everybody, I'll see you in Boston.

And until next time, you go be someone worth buying from.

You've been listening to the Close it now podcast.

Our passion is to dive headfirst into the transformative movement that's reshaping the very foundation of H Vac and home improvement and at the same time, covering fitness, nutrition, relationships and personal growth, proving that we can indeed have it all.

We hope you've enjoyed the show.

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We'll be back soon, but in the meantime, find the website@closeitnow.net find us on Instagram @thereal closeitnow and on Facebook closeitnow.

See you next time.