Leads Deconstructed: Getting To Yes

Getting To Yes

So you’ve evaluated the project and created the estimate for the homeowner. Next is the follow-up. The goal here is to have one last pitch ready to close the sale. However, often times, contractors may receive pushback on specific aspects of the project. It’s you’re job to work with them to help them overcome their fears and objections.

Homeowner concerns come in all different forms; sometimes it’s about timing and other times it may be about cost. Here are a few ways you can respond to common homeowner objections.

Are you a contractor looking for leads in your area? Sign up with CraftJack today to find new work opportunities from homeowners in your area.

It Starts WIth Sales

It Starts With Sales

Like any time you want to win the job, you must do your part first. This is where your sales techniques will come in handy. From the first phone call, you must set yourself up for success. Be professional and show up to the quote on time. Be attentive to the homeowner’s concerns about the project and send over an estimate promptly.

After you send the estimate, you’ll want to follow up with the homeowner. This is where you might encounter a few of the following statements.

  1. Just Browsing For Prices

One scenario contractors often see is that homeowners are just browsing for prices. It’s important not to consider this a job lost but rather a job that’s a pipeline lead. Amy Lempa, CraftJack account manager, offered some advice for dealing with this scenario.

“Try to set up a follow-up date without being pushy,” she said. “Offer to follow up in the future to see where they’re at regarding their project, then mark it in your calendar and make sure you actually follow up! The homeowner will know you’re serious and care about your work if they know you cared enough to follow up.”

  1. Quoted Price Is Too Expensive

How often have you heard that quote you provided is too expensive? Or, that a homeowner is going to continue looking around for other prices. While this might seem discouraging, it might require you to ask more questions to discover where they see the value and what they want out of the service. CraftJack account manager, Anthony Zheng, provided a few follow-up question ideas you can use:

“Dig for more information and see what the homeowner’s pain points are,” he said. “Is it really the price that they are concerned about? Do they see value in a higher quality service? What is their timeline like? Ask if searching for a lower price worth the time investment.”

  1. I’ll Wait A Year

Many people like to plan long-term for their home improvement projects, but that’s not always ideal for a contractor and not always the easiest to figure out.

“Pulling out the objection from the customer can be difficult. But asking opened questions will help tremendously,” Tim McKenna, CraftJack account manager, said.

Asking more questions and listening to customer concerns may help you overcome this question. This is a sales technique that is used in various industries and can help you to win the job.

“Ask about the last time this project was completed,” McKenna said. “Did they hire a contractor, or did they do it themselves? Did they finance this project, or did they save up for it?  This is a good way of finding out their budget and their financial situation without asking right away. If a customer financed or got a loan for the last project, they may be going this route again and this may be why they are waiting until next year. Going over the different options you offer may make it more affordable than they had in mind.”

  1. Sounds Like A DIY

Since you’re a trained and seasoned professional in your field, a dreaded response from a homeowner might be that they see the home improvement task as a DIY project. With the sales aspect aside, a DIY project may result in unexpected consequences like damage or even physical harm if they’re not careful. McKenna advises that homeowners who respond with this may not see value in hiring a professional, and it’s your job to educate them on why it’s essential.

“This is where you can talk about the common problems that can occur when a DIYer should have hired a professional,” he said. “Explain that it might be cheaper at first but could lead to costing more in the long-run when a professional has to fix the issues caused by mistakes.”

  1. Getting Other Quotes

It’s no surprise to many contractors that a homeowner will get more than one quote when trying to hire for a specific service. However, if you want to win the job, you’ll need to differentiate yourself from the rest. You might want to include an incentive with your estimate with a discount if hired in a specific timeframe or a unique guarantee on your work. Explain these perks to homeowners when they respond with “I’m getting other quotes.”

Conclusion

A “no” from a homeowner doesn’t mean the job is lost; there is simply more work to do to get to the yes. Try a few of these suggested sales strategies next time you encounter one of these objections.

Looking for more sales tips? Read What To Do When You Don’t Win The Job.