Stage 3 (Continued): Creating Urgency While Negotiating and the Power of Silence
July 3, 2024Last time we looked to effectively present your price-value offer by being prepared to negotiate, and the need for establishing trust, building value, and creating urgency before ever providing your price.
After stating your price, the art of using the Power of Silence is essential as you observe the prospect’s body language and responses without immediately adjusting your offer. If price concerns arise, do not lower your price without justification. Instead, offer ways they can “qualify” for a price reduction, like becoming a referral customer, allowing a business sign, or providing a Google review. This keeps you in control while maintaining the professional integrity of your offer.
In this blog, having reached an agreement, we now emphasize “everything you do or don’t do” is critical to the WOW factor in your agreed upon customer relationship. The key to this is striving for “WOW.” Wow does not just happen. You have to make it happen. You have to be intentional not only in your actions but that of your crew and team. You take the lead and your team will follow. If you are not leading the WOW, then you cannot expect your team to fill the gap.
What are the ways you can intentionally bring “WOW” from the moment of signing the agreement all the way through completion of the contracted installation?
- Clear Communication: Right after signing the contract, establish a communication channel where the client feels connected and informed. Send a personalized thank you email, outline the next steps, and set expectations for the project timeline. I would suggest giving your customer a copy of your standard operating procedures of conduct that you, and that your customer can expect from yourself and your crews. Address start and finish times, crew appearance, crew etiquette, times, and length where there may be noise for the customer and customer’s neighbors. The value of this list is that your employees know that the customer has the same set of eyes and you do even when you are not onsite.
- Attention to Detail in Preparation: Before installation day, make sure your crew is prepped and aware of the project’s unique requirements. Clean, organized job sites and well-maintained equipment make a strong first impression that sets the tone for quality work. Sloppy appearance and sloppy workstations open you to unfavorable impression and recipient of more critical response.
- Professional Appearance and Behavior: Ensure both you and your team present a professional image every day. Uniforms, polite greetings, and respect for the client’s property go a long way in adding value. The best installation companies require employees to wear shoe covers any time they step into the house as part of their standard operating procedures as such shows respect and honor to the customer.
- Walkthroughs and Check-ins: During the project, offer regular updates, walking the client through the process. Invite them to ask questions or give feedback, making them feel involved. This openness makes clients feel valued and builds trust. Do this by phone and/or text or email. For multiday projects affirm your progress and target project completion. Ask for your customer’s input and response.
- Final Reveal with Enthusiasm: At the end of the project, present the completed work with pride. Walk the client through the space and highlight any special details you have included. When you highlight the craftsmanship and the unique features, it demonstrates your investment in the outcome. Essential to this is before pictures and after pictures that you can show side by side. You want the customer’s WOW not only for the work performed and its outcome, but from the entirety of their choosing to do business with you. It is also at this exact time to get their 5-star rating on your website. It is also at this exact time that you may ask not only for their rating but if they can share a kind word about the work done and doing business with you. Get this on video even by your phone.
- Follow-up Care: After the project is done, send another follow-up email or visit to ensure satisfaction still remains. Offering maintenance tips or a care package for their new decorative concrete coating shows that you are thinking long-term about their investment. Such follow-up can strongly yield some leads from your client.
Next time we will close the full-circle loop for this successful sales cycle.