Charlie "Tec Daddy" Greer
Before Saying Anything …
Here are some sales truths....
Overcoming Objections for Appointment Sellers
As an appointment seller, you’re going to run into tough questions and objections, especially when there are other companies in your area who quote low hourly rates or other prices over the phone, or will run a service call for free....
How to Sell Service Appointments – Part 2
This month, I’ll cover the most important parts of selling service appointments over the phone....
How to Sell Service Appointments – Part 1
Getting a higher closing rate requires commitment; an unwillingness to let people get off the phone without booking an appointment. Once that phone is hung up without booking a call, that customer is lost forever. Set it as a personal commitment that no one who calls will get off the phone without booking an appointment. ...
Your Top Three Priorities for 2012
As another new year filled with promise dawns, here are my suggestions for what you should focus on for 2012....
Training Your Appointment Seller
You’ve decided to enhance your business by adding an appointment seller to your team, and you’ve hired someone who is an award-winning telephone sales professional. This person already knows how to talk on the phone. Therefore, the training should less than one day...
How to Interview an Appointment Seller
When you’re seeking an appointment seller for your business and have identified some promising candidates, conduct their first interview over the telephone. These individuals must sound absolutely fantastic in order to get an in-person interview....
How to Recruit a Great Appointment Seller
The best contractors are the best recruiters. Since recruiting is such an essential component of running a successful service company, you should learn all you can about recruiting. ...
Who Answers the Phone? Why Four Voices are Better than One
Most contracting businesses have one person who answers the phone and, yes, that's one (albeit old-fashioned) way to do it. Ideally, however, you’ll have four different people whose jobs involve the telephone...
The Importance of Appointment Sellers
The person who sets the appointments for service calls and estimates at your company is your front-line representative. People in this position are usually referred to as customer service representatives (CSRs), but that’s too general of a term for this article. Let’s go with a more descriptive term and call this person your "appointment seller."...
Grow out of a One-man Shop in 30 Days (Part Two)
Last month I showed you how you, as the owner of a one-man shop who is doing everything, can afford an office manager to handle your phones and all your paperwork. Now I’ll tell you who to hire and where to find them....
How to Grow out of a One-man Shop in 30 Days, Part 1
You may think you can't afford an office manager, but the fact is you can't afford to not have an office manager. ...
Will You Be Profitable This Busy Season?
You don't make money by running calls. You make money only by maximizing your profitability on every call, one at a time. This means doing more work per call and consequently, spending more time on every call. A consequence of this is that your technicians will see fewer customers per day....
Two Ears, One Mouth: Listen Your Way to Increased Sales
We are in the people business, and the key to success in dealing with people is listening well....
Fixing HVAC issues: A Responsibility, Not an Option
Dirty indoor HVAC equipment, indoor air pollution, and dirty, leaky, or undersized ductwork cause a variety of mechanical problems for the equipment, and damage the environment. The problems they cause for the building's occupants can be financial, health-related, and emotional. These conditions must be taken seriously by HVAC professionals, and we should stop presenting solutions to them as "optional."...
You Can Still Sell High-Efficiency Furnaces in Today's Economy
The reduction of the federal tax credit on high-efficiency doesn't mean you can't sell your top-of-the-line furnace any more. There are many reasons to own a great furnace beyond tax cuts and energy efficiency...
Your 2011 'To Do' List
Many people find having a "to do" list helps them organize, prioritize, and get things done. Here is a model list designed for anyone who sells HVAC service or equipment. My suggestion is that you keep this list with you in the vehicle and review it every day....
How to Overcome the 'Price Objection'
Last month, I gave you responses to the "price complaint" that will help you get the easy sales. If those responses don't close customers, you've got a full-blown "price objection."...
How to Solve The ‘Price Complaint’
Here's a scenario we've all faced: You attempt to close a sale, and the customer responds that your price is too high. Now what?...
Why Should They Buy From You?
The most common complaint I get from people in this industry goes something like this, "Charlie, around here, everyone’s cheap. Also, I'm in a very poor community with a low average income per household. People want quality, but they don’t want to pay for it. All they want is the lowest price. How do you overcome the price objection in a situation like that?"...
Running Service – Step Twelve: Concluding the Service Call
The is the final installment of a year-long primer designed to teach you what to do when running service calls, and how to maximize each call in an honest and professional manner. Charlie says, "I'll tell you everything I do; from the moment the call is dispatched, to the greeting at the front door, to closing, down to what I do to prevent 'buyer’s remorse.'"...
Running Service Step 11: Doing the Work
Charlie Greer is in the midst of a year-long primer designed to teach you what to do when running service calls, and how to maximize each call in an honest and professional manner. "I'll tell you everything I do; from the moment the call is dispatched, to the greeting at the front door, to closing and handling objections, down to what I do to prevent 'buyer's remorse,' "Charlie says. Here is installment number 11....
Running Service Step 10: Getting the Signature
Charlie Greer is in the midst of a year-long primer designed to teach you what to do when running service calls, and how to maximize each call in an honest and professional manner. "I'll tell you everything I do; from the moment the call is dispatched, to the greeting at the front door, to closing and handling objections, down to what I do to prevent 'buyer’s remorse,'" Charlie says. Here's installment number 10....
Running Service Step Nine: Closing on Service Calls
Editor’s Note: Charlie Greer is in the midst of a year-long primer designed to teach you what to do when running service calls, and how to maximize each call in an honest and professional manner. Here is installment number 9....
Running Service Step Eight: What to Stress
Editor's Note: Charlie Greer is in the midst of a year-long primer designed to teach you what to do when running service calls, and how to maximize each call in an honest and professional manner. Here is installment number 8....
