KickStart: Help your prospects to focus on the end result of your pre-inspection quote and NOT on how you got there!
You (hopefully) price your residential services based on your specific “profit metrics”. After all, if you know your production rates, you can set prices to actually turn a profit. (This is a whole ‘nother KickStart!) 🙄
But here is the reality: Your average residential customer is completely clueless about what you will be doing in their home OR how you calculate their job numbers to arrive at your final price.
Because homeowners don’t understand your business, they get anxious. This insecurity leads to micromanaging your entire “pre-inspection” process. NOTE: Click HERE to see why I hate and despise the word “estimate”!
Next thing you know, a homeowner is hovering over you, asking, “Are you going to deduct the square footage for the kitchen island?” or “Do you really need to include the space behind the furnace?” Sound familiar? 🤔
NOTE: The above scenarios do NOT mean you’re necessarily dealing with a so-called “price shopper”. Assuming you are marketing correctly (yet another KickStart topic!) your residential prospects can easily afford your services. BUT even wealthy people don’t enjoy feeling taken advantage of! 😠
CORE CONCEPT: Never, ever bicker with a client over how you measure or calculate a job. Instead, smoothly take control of the Emotional Dynamics of the visit. Here’s how to do it…
Simply redirect (detour) the homeowner’s anxiety into “productive action”.
This is how my home services company handled the initial pre-inspection to create Raving Fan clients that trusted our skills and (more importantly) our ethics…
1. The Guided Tour
After introducing yourself and reviewing the purpose of your visit subtly put the homeowner to work by saying, “Could you please give me a tour and point out any areas of special concern.”
ProTIP: If your “walk through” is inside the home slip on some shoe covers before you step in. This simple action sends the silent message that your crew will care for their home and is a huge positive Moment of Truth!
Whether you are inspecting a struggling HVAC unit or tracking down a pest control entry point you have one goal: Get the homeowner talking about THEIR concerns AND the specific results they want from this transaction.
The result? When you focus the homeowner on the end goal of this process (for example a comfortable house or a bug-free kitchen) they won’t fixate on your tape measure!
2. The “Polite Deflection”
If a homeowner still tries to nitpick your material costs or asks if you subtract pricing for areas you aren’t touching, don’t get defensive. Instead, with a smile give them a calm, professional, and final response:
“Understood. Let me make a note of that (jot it on your clipboard) and I’ll factor this into my final recommendations.” (Be sure to bring their concern up when you review your proposal.)
3. Sell the Result, Not the Method
When you hand over the proposal, focus on outcomes.
HINT: Do not itemize every single square foot, linear inch, or specific technical method. (The only thing worse than arguing over square footage is debating with a homeowner about which plumbing snake or chemical treatment you plan to use!) 🙄
Instead, simply list the areas covered, the frequency, and the solutions provided. Focusing on the results your solutions will provide (and consistently delivering them) is what turns one-time customers into loyal, raving fans.
🗝️ ProTIP: Want to instantly eliminate measurement bickering? Ditch the manual tape measure and use a Laser Distance Meter. Measure quickly, quietly, and authoritatively. Write down your measurements on a separate calculation sheet or tablet screen. When you look and act like the professional you are, your customers will treat you like one. 👍
HINT for B2B and/or Adjusters: If you work with insurance adjusters or commercial property managers, almost all pricing disagreements stem from poor upfront communication. Or your contact may feel insecure, out of control or simply ambushed by complaining tenants. Here is my solution…
With larger jobs and/or ongoing accounts set up a “shared cloud folder” for each client. Load it with for-their-eyes-only photos, measurements, and equipment plans. Then keep it updated with a heads-up about any potential concerns coming at them! They’ll love you forever! 💖
Want more referrals in property damage restoration? We just re-released our updated Healing the Loss! MP3 program. This 5-hour audio course teaches restoration soft skills for the entire company. Unlimited training use!
Next Week: Winning Over a Panicked Customer (And Their Adjuster too!)