Sales Closing is Overrated (But There Are Still Things You Need to Know)
Prefer To Watch: Here’s The Video
Closing is overrated. People always ask how they can become better closers, but the easier way is to make them want it more. If you make them want it more, you have to close them less. The more they want the product, the less you have to close them; the less they want it, the more you have to close them. You need to know how to close, but the real selling is done before the price, and this is accomplished during the presentation. That’s why there are two places you can sell: before the price or after the price. Selling before the price makes them want to do it, while selling after the price makes them do it. Selling after the price also causes more cancellations.
Understanding the Closing Process in Home Improvement Sales
In a traditional sense, you are closing when the money is on the table and you are asking them to buy. The more they want it, the less money is an issue; the less they want it, the more money becomes an issue. You could be a horrible closer, and at the end, if they want the product, they'll just say, “Look, instead of going through all this, can we just write it up?” Or you could be the best closer in the world, and if they don’t want it and don’t think it’s worth it, they won’t buy. You might be able to make them buy, but they will cancel the next day.
So, if you're struggling with closing, the first thing I would look at is how good your sales presentation is—how badly it makes them want it. Whether you're selling HVAC, roofing, windows, kitchens, bathrooms, or gutter guards, the easiest way to check that they want it is with some type of pre-close commitment. This is done after you’re finished selling and about to get into pricing. It’s usually some variation of, “So if this is affordable, is this definitely what you want?” Then be sure to reinforce the commitment they give you by asking them why. “Why” is a great question to use because it reinforces their commitment, and the answer they give you also indicates how strong and real that commitment is. You can make people say anything, but if they don’t mean it, it won’t mean anything. If you ask, “Is this the HVAC system you want to put in your home?” and they say yes, then you follow up with, “Well, why would that be?” If the only thing they say is, “Well, I like the color,” you might be in trouble. However, if they say, “Because I can see this would save me money on my energy bills, and I like the warranties and how you install it,” then you're in better shape. If they don't want the product and don’t give you a strong commitment, then you really aren't in a position to close them, and you don’t have the right to ask them for the order. Any professional salesperson shouldn’t be asking someone to buy unless they want to and can afford it.
The Essence of Closing in Home Improvement Sales
Once you've done that and feel that you've received a strong and real commitment from them, the essence of closing is that all you're doing is helping the customer get what they told you they definitely wanted. So normally, once you get a commitment, you deliver the price and explain what sales or discounts you have and what the payment options are. All closes start with you usually asking them to buy. The most common technique is that once they commit to the product they want, you explain the payment options, whether it's cash or finance, and have them pick how they would pay. If they say, “I'd rather finance it,” most people then assume the order by saying, “Well, the next step is you fill out a credit application, and we get you started.” If they're paying cash, you say the next step is to get your credit card or write a check, and then we'll get started. This is where the closing usually begins.
A key part of closing is understanding that if somebody wants something, they think it's worth it, and they can afford it, then they buy. If you can get them to internally answer yes to those three questions, they usually buy pretty easily. If the answer to any of these questions is no, then they won’t buy. Think about any purchase you make. You answered yes to these questions; there is nothing else. Any purchase you make fits this. You want it, you think it’s worth it, and you can afford it.
Where you make them want it and get them to see that it’s worth the price is in the sales presentation or before you deliver the price. By extension, where you make it affordable to them is in the close or after the price.
It's very rare that you give them the price, explain how to pay for it, assume the order, and they just say yes, write it up. If you have a good sales presentation, this will happen occasionally, but it's not common. When the close first starts, the first words out of their mouth are not usually “yes.” The more common scenario is that they usually start with some type of excuses such as, “We'll have to think about it,” or “Give me some time,” and then you start the closing process to get them to buy from you. Based on what we have been discussing, if you've done your presentation correctly, in most cases, the real objection should just be the money.
Isolating the Objection in Home Improvement Sales
Look at it this way: if your product was $10, how many people would buy? Hopefully, you said all of them. So, if you know the objection is really based on the money, and if you've done it correctly, the money is just about whether they can afford it. The first thing you have to do in a close is isolate the objection to the money. Narrow everything down to get the customer to agree that the real issue is just the price, not the product—that there are no other issues. You've heard people say you need to bring it to the money or isolate the objection to the money. You do this when, at one point in the close, you can say, “So, other than the money, is this something you definitely want?” Once you isolate the objection to the money, then all you have to do is handle that, and they should buy.
See the link below for a video I made on what to do once you isolate the objection to the money, how to handle that, and a big mistake to look out for there.
You don't have to know 50 closes; just one or two very well. Ultimately, the main purpose of most closes is to isolate the objection to the money. The closes need to be rehearsed, just like how you rehearse explaining the company or selling your product. The unique aspect of our business is that you already know what the objections are going to be at the end. It's always the same things: they need to think about it, they need to shop around, or it’s too much money. If you do this for a living, there's no reason you shouldn't be rehearsed and prepared. I could understand if every day they told you something different, like, “I never buy when the moon is in Aquarius,” or, “I can’t buy because my psychic told me this is a bad thing to do.” You know what they are going to say, and there’s no excuse for not being ready. It's like being a prize fighter where you go into the ring knowing every day they’re going to start with a left hook, and yet every day you're not ready, and they knock you out. You need to be prepared and ready to handle the left hook.
If you are truly in the game, I should be able to say, “I need to think about it,” and you should go, “I want to get other estimates,” and you should go, “It’s too much money,” and you are able to handle these objections quickly and effectively. Take the time to learn how to be good at these. Once you do, your sales and income will skyrocket. Remember…it’s only your life. 😊
