8 minutes reading time (1562 words)

Solving vs. Selling from Bill Smith with Stanley Martin Homes

Solving vs. Selling from Bill Smith with Stanley Martin Homes

STOP SELLING START SOLVING their problem!   Customers buy products or services to solve problems.  Sometimes it is a problem of having the blues or being depressed—so a Snickers Bar or a good cheeseburger will do. Other times, their couch is getting wet every time it rains because their roof leaks or their car keeps breaking down so they are late to work.  In each case, there is a problem to be fixed, which is driving or causing the need for a solution.Solve the problem, and you make a sale. If you approach “selling” with the perspective of “solving the customer’s problem” instead of “making a sale,” you’ll make more sales, have happier customers, and increase your referrals (free business). Just a friendly reminder:  smiling is the very best way to convey friendship and build rapport.

Remember to smile! 

So, what does solving versus selling look like? The first step in ANY sale is being friendly.The top THREE characteristics of good sales people are:  Friendly; Honest; Knowledgeable.Number one—regardless of profession is:  Friendly. Customers want to do business with people they like, period.Your first goal when approaching a new customer is to be FRIENDLY. Take time to make a little small talk—let the customer tell you that they are ready to do business by their body language (leading you to the problem) or when they begin to describe the problem.That’s when you move the process into the “diagnosis” phase or the second part of the process of solving problems.

Diagnose the problem.

In the diagnosis phase, you are playing the role of “investigator/ doctor.”   You are investigating the problem—what is happening, when is it happening, why is it happening? During this phase, you must ask a lot of good questions to FULLY UNDERSTAND what is happening and why it is happening—(you must have the discipline to listen to their entire answers, without jumping in with a solution or the next question).  You may need to do a detailed inspection of the problem or problem area—diagnosis is a VERY critical step.   Diagnose wrong, and you will solve a problem that doesn’t exist.    No one would replace a hot water heater if the dishwasher won’t turn on.   Consider the following:    You go into a home, make friends with the homeowner, and he begins to tell you that every time he uses the kitchen sink, there is low water pressure at the faucet.    He says that he thinks that he needs a larger water line to the sink, and he wants you to install one.    You ask if the kitchen sink always had low water pressure—he says, “No.”   You ask if there is low water pressure anywhere else in the home—he says, “no." You ask when he noticed it getting worse—he says, “it happened over time.” You might think that the pipe to the sink has a possible obstruction…….perhaps it is an old pipe and has built-up deposits in it…….or, you think that the little screen at the end of the faucet may need cleaning……….you suggest these items to the customer, and ask if you can have a look.     After unscrewing the end of the faucet, you find the little screen plugged…….you clean it, and “problem solved.”  Simple fix, educating the customer about maintenance, inexpensive service call, and the customer will be very happy with you, and you have demonstrated that you are friendly, honest, and knowledgeable.    Think about how it COULD have gone:    “Yes sir, we will get a new “bigger” line run for you, and we think the old line destroyed your faucet so you will need a new faucet as well.  Also, you will need both HOT and COLD lines run, so I’m working up an estimate for both. I’m giving you the “friends” discount of 8.5% so the total is only $1,350.” “If you can give me a deposit of $800, we can get started immediately.” (Please don’t think I’m picking on Plumbers—I’m not, there are good and bad folks in every trade and business—just an easy example which most people can follow.)

So both “fixes” solved the gentleman’s “problem”—one costs $50/ and the other was $1,350, but both fixes worked.  What was the problem? Why did he call? His problem was low water pressure, but he REALLY called because: the dishes took longer to rinse; pots took longer to fill with water; a glass of water took longer to fill, and he knew the pressure was different and wanted the pressure back to the way it was when he first moved in. When you are diagnosing a problem, look for what is happening (low water pressure) and how it is affecting the customer (he has to stand at the sink much longer to do dishes/fill pots and glasses). Solve their problem, make their lives better, more convenient, and you will make a sale every time.Do the right thing ethically, and you will build a customer base that refers you and your business to everyone who will listen to them.  After we “fix/ solve” the problem, we are not done yet.

Keep moving forward.

This is a good place to deal with “objections.”   An objection to buying your product, or service, may be a need for more information, it may be a misunderstanding, or it may be a true drawback.    Here are the differences:   Simple objections are a way to say “I’m not ready to decide or you haven’t convinced me I should move forward.”  Misunderstandings are just that—the customer may not think they have a faucet problem—they may really believe it is a water pressure issue.   A drawback usually involves price or the fact that they do not like certain products—“You aren’t putting that cheap faucet in my house!”   “$1,350 !!  Are you kidding me !!!”    In all cases, handling objections has three distinct steps:   ISOLATE; UNDERSTAND; OVERCOME.  Isolate the objection—“so, your only concern is price”   “So your only concern is the make of the faucet?”   Understand the objection—“how much were you expecting to pay?”  “What make of faucet were you hoping to have installed.”  Overcome the objection—“If I could get you a discount, would that make you comfortable and willing to have us do the service?”   “ If we install a Bing-Bang faucet, would you be willing to let us make the installation?”  Isolate the concern—fully understand it—suggest how to work around it.   Get them comfortable with your solution.

Show them how you fixed their problem.

After we solve a problem, we need to show the customer what we did, explain why we did it, and show them that their problem is solved.   People love to know what was wrong, why it went wrong, and how you fixed it.  This is also your chance to demonstrate your knowledge, honesty, and to be a friend—showing that you ONLY did what was necessary to solve their problem—you didn’t “take them for a ride” or “cheat them” out of their money.    This step is critical because it “builds value” with respect to your product or service, and it places you as a “trusted professional” in their mind.   When you are a “trusted professional,” you rarely have to squabble over them paying a bill—customers see value in what you have done, and want to keep you as a “trusted professional” resource for the future.   Once you collect your fee/ pay, you are not done yet—at least you shouldn’t be.   There are TWO more steps in this process of solving problems verses selling.

Help them remember you!

The next step, before you leave, is to THANK THEM for their business, and leave business cards or a fridge magnet or something with them so “they have your number if they need it” AND for referrals.     Your business DEPENDS on people telling other people good things about you!   Make it easy for them to refer you—leave your name and number with them—where it is easily found.   You may even suggest that if THEIR faucet screens were clogged, others in the neighborhood may be clogged as well—ask them to mention it to their neighbors and refer you.   This is how you leverage, or multiply your business from ONE service call.     Remember, referrals are FREE business (no advertising needed) which are easier to go to because you have an “in”……YOU WERE REFERRED by their neighbor/ friend—it is not a cold call or first meeting

Check in after the service.

The last step in the process of solving, verses selling, has two parts.   The first part is to make a call to “check in” about a week to ten days after you install a new product or make a service call.    You are checking in to see if everything is still “going well” and to THANK THEM for trusting/ choosing your company.   This step is important because your follow-up call builds more “value” and shows a “friendly” level of caring about them. The second part of the call is to see if there are any other problems that need “fixing.”   It may be time for a new hot water heater, a new dishwasher, a new water softener, or a new pump in their well.   You may even suggest that if ANY of these appliances need to be replaced to “please call us so we can handle things professionally, and at a fair price.”    Lastly, remind them that you really appreciate referrals, and to please remember your business if neighbors/ family or friends have a problem.

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