Crush Objections and Convert Like A King
Geez, that’s a bit more than what I was expecting to pay…
Thanks, but I think I’m going to have a little shop around for other quotes before I decide…
That sounds alright, but I’ve got to ask the missus first...
If you’ve been in the trade business, you’ll be familiar with these objections, and many others.
And if you’re like most tradies, you’ll dread these moments.
When you pitch your price, sweaty-palmed and looking at the ground, you open yourself up to rejection - and that’s an uncomfortable situation.
So maybe you’re polite and you leave the ball in their court - No worries, sweet as, just let me know.
If you don’t hear back, so be it.
You’re probably so eager to avoid an awkward situation that you’ll quote over the phone, or via email, whenever you can. Following up from the comfort of your office, nice and safe behind your keyboard or mobile.
That way you don’t have to look at their face - you don’t have to open yourself up to the possibility of being rejected head on.
Even though the likelihood of converting skyrockets if you’re face-to-face - we still bullshit ourselves into believing there are good reasons to quote from the office.
Tradies tend to spend a lot of time thinking about how to get their names out there and generate leads, but not nearly enough time thinking about how to better convert the ones they’ve already got.
What they don’t realise is that by improving their conversion ratio even slightly, they can add thousands to their bottom line - every single month.
That’s why this article is going to help you understand how to take command of your dialogue during quoting, provide tips for quoting face to face, and reveal a couple of Academy secrets for crushing objections so you can push your conversion ratio through the roof.
We’ll start with the basics.
But first, we’ve got to drop a truth bomb on you;
When it comes to pricing, there’s absolutely nothing that you can’t do on site.
You don’t have to sit in your office to generate a quote.
The real reason you don’t deliver price on site is the fear of rejection.
If you need to call the wholesaler, calculate figures or do anything else, guess what? You can do it all in your van.
Another really important concept to wrap your head around is the need for speed.
Ask yourself two really basic questions;
1/ Does your client want their quote in 30 minutes, or 3 days?
2/ Do you want to know whether you’ve got the job right away, or have it hanging over your head for a week?
Speed benefits all parties.
You’ll improve the customer experience, ramp up your efficiency, and increase the chance of actually winning the business by quoting on-site.
So cut the bullshit and get your answer as soon as you can.
It’s a win-win for everyone.
We get that it’s uncomfortable for a lot of tradies to put themselves out there like this.
That’s why the very first shift you need to make is in your mindset.
Start embracing the awkwardness of delivering price.
Don’t avoid it, don’t dread it, instead start looking forward to it. Think of it as an opportunity, and a challenge.
If you’re confident in the quality and value of your work, which you should be, then what’s stopping you from delivering your price with certainty?
So how can you actually take command of the situation?
You need to reframe your approach to all of these conversations, so that you’re always in a position of control.
We’re going to provide some specific examples below.
But when it comes to the actual quote, you NEVER want to pause on price.
So the total for the work comes to $3250…
We’re not going to get too deep into the consumer psychology here, but if you pause immediately after the price, and wait for your client’s response, you’ll be shooting yourself in the foot.
And your conversion ratio will plummet.
Instead, you should immediately follow it up with what we call a “yes-yes” scenario.
So the total for the work comes to $3250, I’ve got an availability tomorrow at 12pm, and one on Monday morning at 9am - which one works for you?
We can’t stress enough how powerful this technique is at blunting the impact of the price you’re presenting.
If you don’t believe us, try it out.
Now how to “reframe” some common objections…
1/ I think I’m going to shop around first OR I’m waiting on other quotes
What you shouldn’t say;
Alright, let me know how you go.
What you need to do is dig deeper with the right questions, align yourself with the customer, and take control.
Awesome, when do you expect those quotes in? Thursday, okay can I give you a call on Friday morning and we can go through those quotes together, to make sure they’re comparable solutions.
I want you to get the best solution, at the most competitive price.
Firstly, this approach puts you firmly in control - instead of just crossing your fingers and hoping the client gets back to you.
Secondly, it aligns you with the customer so you’re a “team” - you just want to help them get the best outcome.
And thirdly, if your competitor has come up with a different solution at a lower price, don’t you want the chance to quote on that?
2/ It’s more expensive than what I thought...
Don’t crumble here. Challenge them.
Ask them; what was your budget to start with?
You might be able to tailor a less ideal solution which works within their budget.
3/ I’ve got to check with the wife or hubby first
This is a really common one, but again you’ve just got to take command of the conversation.
No problems, would you have time to have that discussion tonight?
How about I give you a call tomorrow, and if your partner didn’t understand anything, I’ll be able to answer any questions for both of you and we can go from there.
Get them to COMMIT to having the DISCUSSION so you can get an ANSWER.
And make sure YOU are following up with them. Don’t just sit back and hope they get back to you.
There are plenty of other common, and very frustrating, objections;
I can’t afford it
I’ve found a cheaper quote, which I’m going with
We go into depth on all these scenarios and more in our Academy programs. Our coaching programs are designed to boost your communication skills and ensure you’re delivering quotes, and handling objections, to the best of your ability.
Fresh leads are awesome, and they’re important for any trade business.
But don’t underestimate the impact of crushing objections and taking your conversion ratio to the next level.