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Why Customers Aren’t Buying Why You’re Not Selling By Shawn McCadden CR, CLC, CAPS www.shawnmccadden.com Brought To You By:
Why Customers Aren’t Buying
Why You’re Not Selling
By Shawn McCadden CR, CLC, CAPS www.shawnmccadden.com
Brought To You By:
www.shawnmccadden.com Shawn McCadden, CR, CLC, CAPS [email protected]
Shawn McCadden is a nationally-known columnist, speaker, business trainer and award-winning remodeler. As a Certified Remodeler, Certified Lead Carpenter, and RRP Certified Renovator McCadden has more than 30 years of personal experience in the remodeling and new home construction industry. He was the owner of his own multi-million-dollar design/build remodeling business, Custom Contracting, Inc., in Arlington, Massachusetts until he sold that business in May 2004, was the co-founder of the Residential Design/Build Institute, which trained best business practices to remodelers and contractors across the nation and served as Director of Business Innovations for DreamMaker Bath and Kitchen. Today, Shawn works with aspiring remodelers, helping them discover, identify and achieve their professional and personal goals. Some of the services he offers to serious remodelers include: Establishing company organization and procedures, planning and budgeting for business and personal profitability, starting a new business, and saving an existing business. Shawn has received many industry awards including several NARI CotY Awards, Remodeling Magazine’s BIG50, QR Magazines Top 500 and NARI’s Harold Hammerman Sprit of Education Award. An active member or the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI), McCadden has served as a Massachusetts local Board Representative and was a member of the NARI Certification Board. He writes an award winning monthly column and a weekly blog for Remodeling Magazine and speaks at industry trade shows and conventions throughout the year. McCadden makes his home in Massachusetts with his wife and daughters.
Why Customers Aren’t Buying and Why You’re Not Selling
Copyright Shawn McCadden, 2010 1 of 7
Why Customers Aren’t BuyingWhy Customers Aren’t BuyingWhy You’re Not SellingWhy You’re Not Selling
Presented By: Shawn McCadden CR, CLC, CAPSwww.shawnmccadden.com
Who Is Not Your Prospect?Who Is Not Your Prospect?
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Do you want to work for Doug?Do you want to work for Doug?
How Do We Make Money? $$$How Do We Make Money? $$$
Are you selling Are you selling 2x4’s or providing 2x4’s or providing solutions?solutions?
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solutions?solutions? Are you really a Are you really a
salesperson? salesperson? By default or on By default or on
purpose? purpose?
Why Customers Aren’t Buying and Why You’re Not Selling
Copyright Shawn McCadden, 2010 2 of 7
Sales:Sales:A hysterical activity on the way to the grave?A hysterical activity on the way to the grave?
Buyers are liars!Buyers are liars! You can lie to a You can lie to a
salesperson and still salesperson and still
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go to heaven!go to heaven! Advantages of a Advantages of a
sales system?sales system?
The Top Three Reasons Why The Top Three Reasons Why Salespeople Fail Salespeople Fail
1.1. Failure To Qualify:Failure To Qualify: Top producing Top producing salespeople are those who are able to get salespeople are those who are able to get themselves in front of qualified prospects themselves in front of qualified prospects more often more often
22 Poor Questioning Skills:Poor Questioning Skills: Effective Effective
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2.2. Poor Questioning Skills:Poor Questioning Skills: Effective Effective selling is all about establishing a selling is all about establishing a meaningful and honest dialogue. meaningful and honest dialogue.
3.3. Unable To Advance The Sales Unable To Advance The Sales Process:Process: Test the temperature of your Test the temperature of your prospect as you move through the prospect as you move through the processprocess
The Sales Game Has Changed!The Sales Game Has Changed!
For the salesperson and the For the salesperson and the customercustomer
Both must learn how to play in the Both must learn how to play in the new environmentnew environmentnew environmentnew environment
He who figures it He who figures it our first, wins!our first, wins!
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Why Customers Aren’t Buying and Why You’re Not Selling
Copyright Shawn McCadden, 2010 3 of 7
Home Owners Need A New Home Owners Need A New Process For Making DecisionsProcess For Making Decisions
Might be falling back on price because it’s Might be falling back on price because it’s the only thing they know to dothe only thing they know to do
Your reasons are probably not their Your reasons are probably not their reasonsreasons
Due diligence will be Due diligence will be personal to thempersonal to them
They need a trusted They need a trusted advisoradvisor
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Buyers Need ConfidenceBuyers Need Confidence
In themselvesIn themselves•• ROI is riskyROI is risky•• Bad news is the newsBad news is the news•• Oprah is helping themOprah is helping them
In you!In you!•• You must be empatheticYou must be empathetic•• Want options to considerWant options to consider•• Need to trust to buyNeed to trust to buy
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Buyers Will Need Proof!Buyers Will Need Proof!
Strong referrals and referencesStrong referrals and references Good specificationsGood specifications Payment schedule should show valuePayment schedule should show value Payment schedule should show valuePayment schedule should show value Let them know you have a processLet them know you have a process
•• Established milestonesEstablished milestones•• Meetings and their purposesMeetings and their purposes•• Inspections, checklists and auditsInspections, checklists and audits•• Updates and visibilityUpdates and visibility
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Why Customers Aren’t Buying and Why You’re Not Selling
Copyright Shawn McCadden, 2010 4 of 7
Becoming a Decision EngineerBecoming a Decision Engineer
“The only person who can “The only person who can convince a prospect to buy convince a prospect to buy your solution is the your solution is the prospect”prospect”“Never commit to a sales “Never commit to a sales
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Never commit to a sales Never commit to a sales call unless you know why call unless you know why you are going there”you are going there”
“Never leave a sales call “Never leave a sales call without knowing what will without knowing what will happen next”happen next”
Get the Prospect to Get the Prospect to Close the DealClose the Deal
Who must make the decision about your Who must make the decision about your suggested solution?suggested solution?
“What do you suggest should happen “What do you suggest should happen next?” next?”
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“What do you think I should do next?”“What do you think I should do next?” A signed proposal and a check are A signed proposal and a check are
required to close the sale.required to close the sale. Have a Have a Clear FutureClear Future before you leave before you leave
the sales call!the sales call!
Thanks for the Thanks for the Opportunity!Opportunity!
Shawn McCadden CR/CLCShawn McCadden CR/CLC
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www.shawnmccadden.comwww.shawnmccadden.com
“You do not merely want to be “You do not merely want to be considered just the best of the best. You considered just the best of the best. You want to be considered the only one who want to be considered the only one who
does what you do."does what you do."-- Jerry Garcia Jerry Garcia
Why Customers Aren’t Buying and Why You’re Not Selling
Copyright Shawn McCadden, 2010 5 of 7
Confidence Game A three-part solution to an insecure consumer mindset Published in Remodeling Magazine, August 2009 By: Shawn McCadden, CR, CLC, CAPS [email protected] www.shawnmccadden.com As my dad used to say; “Yesterday’s score doesn’t count in today’s game.” What are the rules of the new remodeling game, and how will we keep score? Your first challenge is either to find buyers who need to play the game – whose remodeling needs are of an urgent or timely nature – or to provide enough interest that buyers will want to play. The second and bigger challenge, in my opinion, is to help buyers understand the new rules, so that they feel that the game is safe, fair, and worthy of playing through. Help buyers, I said. If you wait for them to figure out the new rules themselves, you will either need to sell on price or connect with them too late. Either result could put you out of business. Be proactive. Inspire a Process Homeowners need a new process for reaching remodeling decisions. They can no longer assume that remodeling will increase their home’s value, and they might not find low price a compelling reason either. It becomes your job, as salesperson, to help them find new reasons to go forward, to walk them through the due diligence that they feel they need, and to show them how and where to start. Be a decision engineer, methodically guiding buyers through their emotional and intellectual considerations relative to deciding with confidence. Notice I said guide them. Buyers must feel that their decision and process for reaching it are their own, and that they are overlooking no details. After the buyer identifies their process, become their trusted advisor, with the knowledge and ability to offer appropriate options for design, product, and project delivery. Instill Confidence Bad news sells better than good news, and the fact that there is plenty of it – financial scandals, credit crunches, job losses – has left buyers with a low confidence level. To feel good about committing to remodeling or any other big purchase, they need confidence in their decisions, their choices, and their salesperson. In the sales process, find time to understand your buyers’ concerns. Help them see that you understand what they are up against. They want options, but merely throwing options at them will add to their confusion. Become their trusted expert not by what you say but the intuitive questions you ask – questions that show you know what you’re talking about, and that crystallize why they want to remodel and their concerns about doing so. Be purposeful and sincere.
Why Customers Aren’t Buying and Why You’re Not Selling
Copyright Shawn McCadden, 2010 6 of 7
Provide Proof Establish proof of your offer and your claims. You want your buyers to stay confident after closing the deal. For example, to lend credence to your abilities and promises, provide strong personal references. To show that you truly listened and captured important details, provide professionally prepared project specifications and agreements. To instill confidence that they are receiving incremental value, establish a payment schedule based on project milestones. Describe your production process. Explain your preconstruction and precompletion meetings and reasons for them. Tie several benefits of these meetings to concerns they expressed during your discussions. If you already take these steps and you’re still not seeing results, scrutinize your process. Do you present your solutions in ways that directly address your clients’ goals and concerns? Make no assumptions. People remember 10% of what you say, but 90% of what they say. If a buyer says he or she likes your solution, ask why, and seek a detailed answer. In her response, she will hear herself justify her decisions, and you can double-check her expectations against your understanding. There is a saying that in business, nothing happens until there is a sale. Embark on these strategies, and I can almost guarantee that you will stand out in your marketplace. If that doesn’t motivate you, remember this other saying: Timid salespeople have skinny kids.
Why Customers Aren’t Buying and Why You’re Not Selling
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