Here are 10 proven time-tested techniques that will improve the skills of any HVAC salesperson or selling technician.
10. Say as little as possible.
You were given two ears and one mouth, so use them in that proportion.
Say only enough to make the sale. Do not say anything you can make the sale without saying.
People are always stating that people buy from people they like. That’s debatable, but if you want people to like you, play the strong, silent type. People like good listeners.
On the other hand, many people (such as your prospective customers) tend to be poor listeners. When you talk too much, they stop listening.
9. Be an active listener.
You have to do more than just listen. You have make sure prospects know you are listening. You do this buy not doing anything other than standing and listening while others speak to you, then repeating back to them what they just said.
8. Make productive use of your drive time.
Most HVAC professionals who work in the field spend nearly half their work day behind the wheel of the vehicle. Most people waste that time by talking on their cell phone or listening to music or the radio.
The people who make money in this world are the people who can close sales. If you want to close more sales you’re going to need sales training, and you’re going to have to practice your sales techniques. The most convenient, economical and appropriate time and place to do this is in the vehicle between calls.
Listen to sales instruction on CD or your digital device, and practice your sales techniques between calls instead of talking on your cell phone or listening to the radio. You’ll show up on every call more focused and sharper. Imagine become a little better closer and negotiator every call. Before long, you’ll be the best salesperson in your market area, because your competition isn’t applying themselves like you are.
7. Set goals.
How are you going to hit the bullseye when you don’t even have a target? How are you going to reach your goals when you don’t even have goals?
Set a daily minimum sales goal and commit to it. Make it mandatory. Tell yourself that you’re going to keep running calls each day until you hit your minimum goal. If you dislike working overtime as much as I do, you’ll hit your goal by mid-afternoon every day.
Winners are goal-setters and goal-setters tend to be winners.
6. Close early.
You’ve probably been told that you must “build value” prior to quoting prices. That means you won’t give prospects the price until after you’ve given them your sales pitch.
You’re a consumer yourself. When a salesperson won’t tell you the price without giving you a sales pitch first, what’s the one thing you know about the price before it’s given? My answer is that the salesperson thinks it’s high.
Be more nonchalant about the price. If you were giving them a special deal on a $20,000 project for only $10,000, you wouldn’t feel a need for a big, long sales pitch, would you? You’d expect them to jump right on that opportunity, wouldn’t you? Well, act like that.
If you want to make a change in your sales figures, you’re going to have to do something different. Choose this technique right here.
5. Give them more than one opportunity to make a buying decision.
Whether you’re in equipment sales or a service technician, always do some minor disassembly and leave things that way prior to making your presentation and initial closing attempt.
During service calls, bring what you’ll require to do the work in with you, set up a little work area, then close.
Then, when you receive a rejection or a smoke-screen objection, you’ve still got to do some reassembly and clean up before you leave. Often, those few minutes are enough time for prospects to simmer down and realize they really don’t have any other choice.
Most people take no for an answer way to quickly. You can close again; just don’t go repeating yourself. That’s annoying.
After you’ve put things back together, give the prospects some new and different information about the product or service you’re selling that they haven’t heard yet. When they say something like, “Oh, I didn’t know that,” you can say, “Based on this new information, is this something you’d like to move forward on?”
4. Project a positive level of expectation.
Regardless of how your prospects act, you act and conduct yourself as though you expect them to:
- listen
- be interested in what you’re saying
- are cooperating
- want you to solve their problems
- are going to buy from you.
Additionally, regardless of appearances or anything your prospects say to you, speak to everyone as if they have complete buying authority and have the money.
3. Project authority.
Take charge of your calls. Don’t provide too many options and require prospects to make too many decisions. Don’t be afraid to say “I’ve compiled a list of requirements for you. There are some of things on this list that you don’t get a choice on, and there are others that are optional. This, this, and this need to be done and you don’t get a choice on it, so that’s a done deal. These are things that really should be done; and this is a system enhancement that is highly optional. So which way do we want to go? Do you want to go with the minimum, do you want to save some money going a little further down the list, or do you want to receive the maximum discounts get it all done today?”
In other words, act like doing the minimum is already a given and that the only decision they need to make is how much additional to buy.
2. Project confidence
People want you to be confident. Confidence sells and confidence is what people buy. They must feel confident in you and they won’t unless you project confidence.
1. Make eye contact.
Eye contact is what confident people do. An unwillingness to make good eye contact could raise doubts in their mind about you.
This is absolutely the most important thing you can do. Whether you’re on the job or not, make good eye contact with everyone during every conversation.
If you’re not comfortable with making good eye contact, practice by staring into your own pupils in the mirror for five minutes per day for five days.
In a perfect world, you’ll have practiced your salesmanship so much that you’ll have all your presentations, closing techniques, and negotiating techniques down pat. Even if that describes you, you’ll never be as good as you could be without killer eye contact. Good eye contact will get you further with people than good words.
When you make good eye contact, people don’t question you, doubt you or try to push you around. Good eye contact gives you authority.
The one thing you can start doing right now to improve your sales and interactions with others is to force yourself to make good eye contact.
Charlie Greer is the creator of Slacker’s Guide to HVAC Sales on Audio CD, which you can listen to between calls to increase your sales and income. Check it out on www.hvacprofitboosters.com, or call 800/963-HVAC (4822). Email Charlie at [email protected]