Welcome to Close it now, an H Vac sales training podcast with Sam Wakefield.
Speaker AHere we'll build your reputation in residential H Vac sales to be the expert influencer in your market.
Speaker AYou'll get insight into the top minds in the industry as they share their skills and hacks to help you on your journey.
Speaker AThis podcast isn't just about selling more.
Speaker AIt'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.
Speaker ANow let's get started with your host of the Close it now podcast.
Speaker AThis is Sam Wakefield.
Speaker BAll right, Sam Wakefield here.
Speaker BAs you just heard, this is the Close it now sales podcast for H Vac residential sales.
Speaker BToday we are going to be talking about a topic that's really important.
Speaker BHow do you ask for the sale?
Speaker BHow do you close the deal?
Speaker BDo you do it in the house?
Speaker BWe're going to be talking about how to close it immediately, how to ask for the sale.
Speaker BThe problem with so many sales professionals, project managers, comfort advisors, comfort consultants, whatever we are, is that, you know, brand new people.
Speaker BI remember when I was new this was I spent an entire year challenging myself to put words in my mouth to actually ask for the sale in the house.
Speaker BEvery time it's like I had this huge note that I'd put on my, my sun visor when I got back in the car and be like, did you ask for the sale?
Speaker BBecause that was a big struggle, that was a big friction point and even I know a lot of seasoned professionals, you know, they've been in this game a long time that still create additional follow up and create additional work from for themselves that's unnecessary.
Speaker BSo that's what we're going to unpack today.
Speaker BThat's what we're going to talk about because it is so w important.
Speaker BIt'll make your job way, way, way more efficient.
Speaker BIt'll make your just your entire life easier because you're not doing that extra work.
Speaker BSo question for you.
Speaker BRaise your hand if you've ever ended the sale like this.
Speaker BAnd this is a good example of what I'm talking about when it comes to creating additional work for yourself.
Speaker BFrom what I know with most people, most of the time the sale ends.
Speaker BOkay, Mr. Ms.
Speaker BHomeowner, how soon do you plan on making a decision for this project?
Speaker BAnd the answer is of course.
Speaker BOh, you know, in a week, in a month, in a year, it could be in 10 years.
Speaker BWhenever it is, it doesn't, it really doesn't matter.
Speaker BBut then you know, even if it's a week, then you respond with well, would Tuesday or Thursday be a good day to get back in touch with you?
Speaker BOr you know when is.
Speaker BOr you ask when is a good day to get back in touch with you?
Speaker BWell, what you just did is you created extra follow up for yourself.
Speaker BThat was a lot of times unnecessary.
Speaker BNow I'm not saying that every single job is going to close in the house on the spot, but by using some of the skills and principles and the techniques that we talk about, you will be.
Speaker BYou'll be amazed.
Speaker BYou're going to close a lot more in the house on the spot than you did before.
Speaker BNow, wouldn't say even 10% of your projects closing now instead of a week from now be an improvement in your numbers?
Speaker BI think heck yeah would be the answer there.
Speaker BBut the simple truth is that the numbers are actually a lot higher than that.
Speaker BBecause people want to be led the general public.
Speaker BEspecially when it's in a situation like buying and heating and air system.
Speaker BIt's something that's unusual territory for them.
Speaker BIt's a place that they might the average, so here's the average.
Speaker BThe average American family or American household buys 1.3 heating and air systems in their entire lifetime.
Speaker BWhat that means is for most people that you come across have never done this before and will never do this again.
Speaker BSo you've got this shot.
Speaker BMake it an awesome one.
Speaker BSet the standard, set the bar for their experience.
Speaker BThat way if they ever do it again, they know exactly what to expect and how amazing it can be and how amazing their experience can be and how painless it can be.
Speaker BSo that is what that we're talking about today.
Speaker BSo by creating that additional follow up you've just now you've put into your calendar.
Speaker BHopefully you use a calendar, some sort of reminder system to follow up with them and then on that day, the set day and time actually do it.
Speaker BYou have to actually do it.
Speaker BThen what are the chances that they don't answer the phone and they don't respond back to your email and they start to ghost you?
Speaker BI mean the chances definitely go up because.
Speaker BBecause the energy, while you're there, the energy is high for buying.
Speaker BThey called you, which means they have a problem to start with.
Speaker BThey want their problem solved.
Speaker BThey are looking for solutions to their problem or they never would have called you in the first place.
Speaker BSo at the end of a well executed sale, the logical conclusion is to close the deal.
Speaker BYou don't go to a restaurant and not expect to get the bill next week.
Speaker BSo you've got to a present the price while you're in the house on the spot.
Speaker BThat's step one to this, this part, you know, this section of the call.
Speaker BYou've got to have a way, if it's with our company right now we've got a menu system where just basically open up, okay, you're three ton horizontal.
Speaker BHere's all of our different.
Speaker BHere's the models that we talked about, here's the pricing, here's what it might look like financed.
Speaker BBoom.
Speaker BWhich one works best for you, you know, or you know a lot of companies I know you've got a digital version, you've got soft where you can generate the proposal right on the scene, do it.
Speaker BIt's wildly important to while the energy is high from the presentation to present the prices right on the spot.
Speaker BAnd once you've done that, how are you asking for the close?
Speaker BSo like we just covered so many people end that call with, well, when's a good time to follow up with you?
Speaker BAnd then the second you walk out the door, they have questions in their head.
Speaker BThey have say, you know what, since we're not going to get in touch with that person for another few days, why don't we go ahead and call some more people and get some more estimates.
Speaker BAll of these things start going through their head where if you had just asked for the sale on the spot, so many times people say, you know what, this sounds great, let's do it.
Speaker BAnd yeah, sure, we can install this next week.
Speaker BBecause they want to more, even more than you.
Speaker BThe homeowner wants to check this off their to do list, check this off their mental list so it's not weighing down their day.
Speaker BBecause in order to properly serve the customer right, in order to serve with their best interest in mind, we have to of course, put ourselves in their shoes.
Speaker BWhen you've got a big problem and having an air conditioning and heating problem is a big problem, so it weighs heavy on you.
Speaker BYou suffer at work, you suffer in your family life, everything suffers until that problem is resolved.
Speaker BSo it's heav and their one goal in that moment is to resolve their problem.
Speaker BNow they might send up some smoke screens of Whoa, we're getting 500 bids and we're going to compare apples to apples and all the things that they say.
Speaker BBut at the end of the day, that's really not the truth.
Speaker BThey're just trying to deflect.
Speaker BThey don't want you to know that they seem too over anxious and over excited about this, but at the end of the day, they are ready to just get it done.
Speaker BThey wish it was done yesterday.
Speaker BAnd so knowing that and having that context in mind, remember that when you do your presentation, you do your presentation, you show your pricing, then ask.
Speaker BAnd here's a great, great, great way to end the call.
Speaker BHere's how I ask a lot.
Speaker BProbably nine times out of ten maybe is I'll, you know, we'll talk about everything, we'll go over the pricing, go over all the different stuff and you see them sitting, kind of thinking about things and then close everything up and set it aside and stare at them across the table and say, okay, Mr. And Ms.
Speaker BHomeowner, you know, we know that you can call a hundred companies in this town for that matter, you know, 2, 5, 10, however many, and at the end of the day, it's a gut check of who's actually going to, you know, serve you the best, who's going to solve your problems.
Speaker BSo we don't take that lightly.
Speaker BSo what I'm asking, asking you today is, you know, I appreciate your calling us.
Speaker BWe've talked about the project and as a reminder, here, here's what we're going to do.
Speaker BLittle Johnny's room in the corner of the house, we're going to fix that by, you know, doing this and this and this with the ductwork and the return.
Speaker BThat way the solution is going to be when he wakes up tomorrow, he's not going to be under those extra blankets in the winter because it's so cold.
Speaker BAnd he's not going to be having, have the fan in there and you don't have to have the window unit in his room because it's too hot.
Speaker BIt's going to be the same temperature as the rest of the house.
Speaker BAnd then of course, your bills are going to come down.
Speaker BWhatever it is, restate what you're solving.
Speaker BIf the problem is, you know, when you wake up day after tomorrow, you're going to be waking up in a nice cool house and that's going to feel awesome.
Speaker BSo my question to you is, will you trust me with this project?
Speaker BAnd then be quiet.
Speaker BJust, you know, restate whatever the problem is that you're solving, but state it in terms of benefits, not in, you know, we're going to be running ductwork and we do this.
Speaker BNo, talk about it in terms of, okay, that room's going to be the right temperature, your bill's going to come down, it's going to be more comfortable in this house.
Speaker BThan you've ever experienced.
Speaker BSo will you trust me with this project?
Speaker BAnd what we're doing there is we're really narrowing the focus on what they're buying.
Speaker BWe're narrowing the focus into a relationship.
Speaker BBecause the entire visit, you've basically gone from first date to marriage proposal in probably about an hour is kind of the average for most people with a good executed presentation.
Speaker BIn about an hour, you've gone from first date to marriage.
Speaker BAnd the entire time you've been building rapport, you've been building relationship, you've been working on the credibility piece of the company, the credibility piece of the project that you're going to install, that you've got the right solutions for their, for their problems, and the credibility piece for yourself.
Speaker BYou know, obviously your experience, the number of projects that you've worked on, what your credentials are, etc.
Speaker BAnd then you're just basically asking them to trust you with this project because you're narrowing that.
Speaker BThat's a simple decision to make.
Speaker BBecause if they trust you with the project, then the rest of details are just details.
Speaker BIt's just a matter of figuring out, okay, how much or how little do they want to include in the project?
Speaker BYou know, which system do they want to go with, is the.
Speaker BWhich price point is the right price point for them?
Speaker BFinancing options, all the things.
Speaker BThe rest are just details.
Speaker BBecause when you're asking for the sale, just do that, say, close everything up and just sit down and look them in the eye and say, all right, we've gone through everything.
Speaker BYou know that here's the solutions, here's our problems that we're going to solve, and here's what it's going to.
Speaker BYour experience is going to be like after that, will you trust me with this project?
Speaker BAnd let them answer, Let them answer.
Speaker BJust be quiet.
Speaker BIf you have to sit there for 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 30 minutes, whatever it takes, it won't go 30 minutes, but force yourself to sit quietly.
Speaker BHave a bottle of water with you.
Speaker BIf you have to take a drink at that point to keep yourself from talking and filling the uncomfortable void, take a drink of water.
Speaker BThis is the water bot close.
Speaker BWhen you ask for the sale, you have to shut up.
Speaker BYou've got to close your mouth and just be quiet and listen.
Speaker BAnd they will fill the void.
Speaker BAnd you know, you're going to be amazed more times than you expect.
Speaker BAnd we're going to talk about it, setting the right expectations, of course, but it's going to blow your mind.
Speaker BYou're going to find a huge Number of people who will say, yes, yes, we will trust you.
Speaker BAnd then the follow up question is of course, great.
Speaker BThe next steps are, let's get this paper, let's go ahead and just get this paperwork knocked out and we can choose an install date.
Speaker BAnd that's a simple way to flow into the rest.
Speaker BBecause once they say yes, we'll trust you with the project.
Speaker BThen the paperwork, picking the install date, all the rest are just details, but they've made the buying decision.
Speaker BDon't make the buying decision harder than it needs to be.
Speaker BDon't make the buying decision of which system do you want, what days work for you, how don't talk about financing or paying by check or paying by credit card.
Speaker BJust ask them if they'll trust you with a project.
Speaker BOnce they say yes to that, all of the rest are strictly the details that can be figured out.
Speaker BBecause once you say yes to something, the rest is just going through the motions and you're like, okay, great, no problem.
Speaker BThe next steps are let's do this together, even if it's financing and say, great, let's walk through this process together.
Speaker BHere's where you go, here's what you do, here's what you're going to need and it's no problem, let's do it right now.
Speaker BSo that is how to ask for the sale on the spot in person.
Speaker BThat's just one way.
Speaker BThere's a lot of other methods, there's a lot of other verbiage and that kind of thing.
Speaker BThat's the one we're going to cover today.
Speaker BJust basically break it down to trusting you with the project because honestly, if they don't trust you, they don't even have to like you.
Speaker BBut they have to trust that you're going to solve the problem.
Speaker BThere's a lot of people in the things that we do.
Speaker BWe don't necessarily like the person, the professional, but we trust their judgment.
Speaker BSay if it's a doctor or something else that you go to, you might not necessarily like them, but you know they're great at what they do.
Speaker BSo you keep going back to them because they're excellent and they're professional.
Speaker BIt's the same thing with this.
Speaker BBut you know, at the end of the call, of course you're going to have built rapport.
Speaker BEven the people that aren't, you know, you're not going to call up to hang out with them on the weekend, of course, because you're there to serve them.
Speaker BYou're not there to be friends, but you are there to be friendly, don't be friends, be friendly.
Speaker BAnd so that is, that's how you do it.
Speaker BYou just narrow it down to trusting you for the sale.
Speaker BSo that is the message today.
Speaker BThere's one way to ask for the sale on the spot every time.
Speaker BAnd I challenge you to challenge yourself if you're not doing this, to just make a commitment to ask for the close every time.
Speaker BDid you ask for the sale today?
Speaker BDid you ask for the sale at every single visit?
Speaker BEvery single time that you're in a house, you've got to ask for the sale because it's so important.
Speaker BAnd with that, of course, comes a higher close rate.
Speaker BIt comes a whole lot less follow up, a whole lot less work that you've built, you know, built in for yourself.
Speaker BAnd, you know, I mean, who hates follow up?
Speaker BI know.
Speaker BRaise my hand.
Speaker BMost people are probably raising your hand.
Speaker BThe fortune is in the follow up.
Speaker BBecause every single pending you have, those need to eventually be converted to ones or losses.
Speaker BYou know, basically take out a war, you know, declare war on pending.
Speaker BPending, pending jobs, on pending appointments.
Speaker BI hate pending appointments.
Speaker BYou need to have a one or a lost in that category, but not a pending.
Speaker BNow at the same time, that's what work with your pendings.
Speaker BYou're creating what's called a pipeline.
Speaker BYour pipeline is when people call you back from, you know, six months, a year, two years back and say, hey, you know what?
Speaker BWe made it through but our system finally died.
Speaker BLet's go ahead and pull the trigger on this project.
Speaker BWe saved up the money for it.
Speaker BLet's go.
Speaker BAnd that's awesome too.
Speaker BSo that, that's definitely what happens with your pendings.
Speaker BBut a lot of your pendings are strictly ones or losses that you just haven't asked them about.
Speaker BSo we're also going to cover some different ways to do follow up in another episode.
Speaker BBut that is our message today.
Speaker BIf you got some from this, share it with somebody.
Speaker BJoin our Facebook community.
Speaker BWe've got the Close it now Facebook group is a fantastic way to stay in touch with all things Close It Now.
Speaker BYou get to hear when we're announcing upcoming coaching programs.
Speaker BI've got a course that I'm working on that is going to be a fantastic course.
Speaker BSo go to closeitnow.net which is the website that'll get you connected to Facebook.
Speaker BThat'll get you connected to everything.
Speaker BAnd yeah, share this with someone.
Speaker BShare this with everyone.
Speaker BWe're going to be running a contest for who invites the most people to the Facebook group.
Speaker BThere's going to be some cool giveaways for that.
Speaker BSo thanks for listening.
Speaker BI will talk to you again real soon.
Speaker AThanks for listening to Close it now with Sam Wakefield.
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