One of the most sought-after, yet least used, commodities available to home improvement customers is the REFERENCE.
Contractors love to collect them. Customers love to ask for them. No one ever actually calls them. Being listed as a reference for a contractor is the next best thing to being listed on the national "Do Not Call List."
As a customer, you need to call them. You need to call them like your life depended on it. You need to drop everything you're doing, cancel your doctor's appointment, skip your son's soccer game and just pick up the phone and call the references provided by your contractor before you sign a contract.
Contractors will cherry-pick the references they give their customers, that's just common sense. However, most people never actually level with their contractor. The same folks who say they'd recommend Jimmy's Windows to the Pope will turn around and plunge a 10" blade into Jimmy's back if you ask the right questions.
Your contractor is most likely not going to treat you better than anyone on his reference list. You owe it to yourself to get that person's perspective. If Jimmy offers someone as a reference and they tell you that Jimmy is a flake, you need to know that before you sign a contract.
If a contractor doesn't have a list of references for you, you need to run like the wind. Speaking as a "good" contractor, I have dozens of folks who love being able to recommend me to their pals at cocktail parties. People like to recommend good contractors to their friends the same way they like recommending good restaurants.
Most of the time, if you actually call them, references will be able to give you a realistic picture of the contractor you are about to hire. In the end, that's all you can ask for.
Friday, March 6, 2009
Monday, March 2, 2009
In-Home Sales Etiquette, Part I
When you are a home-improvement salesman, you are going to be visiting a lot of homes and getting your crotch smelled by a lot of dogs. If you are a potential customer getting a few bids, you are going to be inviting some pretty strange people into your home. There are some things to keep in mind during this procedure on both sides of the coin.
Let's start with the customers:
Ok, the first thing you're going to want to do is remember the appointment and answer the door fully clothed and sober. Once you've accomplished this, you're pretty much done. Seriously though, the most important thing to do as the customer is to know what you want. You need to be able to clearly communicate what it is you are looking for to the salesman. If you feel strongly about any particular point, you need to voice it from the beginning. The more information you give the salesman, the more accurate your estimate will be. Be honest and upfront with the salesman. If he is interested in going into some ridiculous sales soliloquy and you don't want to hear it, say so! Make sure your requests are heard. Ask for references and suggestions.
Seasoned salespeople have seen it all. Most times they know what you need better than you do. Take advantage of their experience. Another important thing to remember is to give your salesperson your complete attention. It is very rude to be doing 15 different things while trying to convey your home-improvement wishes. Your salesman is only going to care as much as you do about what you want done... not more.
Don't vanish. If the estimate is more than you thought it would be, say so. If you get a follow-up e-mail asking you if you are still interested or not, answer it. Most good salespeople will keep calling on you until you give a definate yes or no. Don't be wishy-washy or play opossum. Just be honest and up front.
Don't promise future work in exchange for a good price today. Customers think this is a good thing to say, but in reality it's a horrible thing to propose to a contractor. "I'd gladly pay you tomorrow for a burger today!" Customers who say this never follow through.
Now for the salespeople:
When the customer answers the door, be fully clothed and sober. The next most important thing is TO BE ON TIME. BE ON TIME. BE ON TIME. ON TIME, BE IT. DON'T BE LATE. BE ON TIME.
If you can't be on time, than call to let the customer know. Ok, so you're on time, fully clothed and sober... what's next?
If the customer asks you if you'd like a glass of water or Coca-Cola, the correct answer is always "yes." People like to be polite hosts. Allow them to be polite hosts. Take a quick look around at the house and try to get a feeling for who you are dealing with. If you can eat off the floors and yet the customer tells you how ashamed they are of the "mess," you need to keep that in mind when it comes time to estimate final cleaning costs on your estimate. Another thing that many people don't think about is shoes. If you walk into someone's home and there are 16 pairs of shoes piled up in the foyer, it's probably a good idea for you to discard yours as well. Take measurements... Customers can't stand someone who just looks at a room and immediately comes up with a price to renovate it. Wear a tape measure... use it. Write some numbers down on a clipboard. A customer will give as much respect to an estimate as you do.
Don't answer your phone if it rings. It's cool to have it ring, but don't answer it.
Acknowledge the jumping, barking, sniffing dog. If you take 20 seconds and offer your hand for the mutt to smell, you will be in like Flynn. If you stroll past Spot like he isn't there, you will be dealing with him in your lap for the entire visit.
If you are meeting with a couple, talk to both of them. Nothing makes people more upset than being ignored. Don't try to decifer who the decision maker is or anything... that is a ridiculous and horrible technique. Look everyone in the eye and listen closely to what everyone has to say.
Park in the street, not the driveway. This seems like a silly point, but there's always some aunt or basement-dwelling son who needs to leave the house while you're there. Nothing is more annoying than having to run outside and move your truck out of the way. Just park in the street... Driveways are for family and UPS only.
Be complimentary, be cordial, be social. Remember that in addition to being a salesman, you are a guest in someone's home. Act like it.
::
Let's start with the customers:
Ok, the first thing you're going to want to do is remember the appointment and answer the door fully clothed and sober. Once you've accomplished this, you're pretty much done. Seriously though, the most important thing to do as the customer is to know what you want. You need to be able to clearly communicate what it is you are looking for to the salesman. If you feel strongly about any particular point, you need to voice it from the beginning. The more information you give the salesman, the more accurate your estimate will be. Be honest and upfront with the salesman. If he is interested in going into some ridiculous sales soliloquy and you don't want to hear it, say so! Make sure your requests are heard. Ask for references and suggestions.
Seasoned salespeople have seen it all. Most times they know what you need better than you do. Take advantage of their experience. Another important thing to remember is to give your salesperson your complete attention. It is very rude to be doing 15 different things while trying to convey your home-improvement wishes. Your salesman is only going to care as much as you do about what you want done... not more.
Don't vanish. If the estimate is more than you thought it would be, say so. If you get a follow-up e-mail asking you if you are still interested or not, answer it. Most good salespeople will keep calling on you until you give a definate yes or no. Don't be wishy-washy or play opossum. Just be honest and up front.
Don't promise future work in exchange for a good price today. Customers think this is a good thing to say, but in reality it's a horrible thing to propose to a contractor. "I'd gladly pay you tomorrow for a burger today!" Customers who say this never follow through.
Now for the salespeople:
When the customer answers the door, be fully clothed and sober. The next most important thing is TO BE ON TIME. BE ON TIME. BE ON TIME. ON TIME, BE IT. DON'T BE LATE. BE ON TIME.
If you can't be on time, than call to let the customer know. Ok, so you're on time, fully clothed and sober... what's next?
If the customer asks you if you'd like a glass of water or Coca-Cola, the correct answer is always "yes." People like to be polite hosts. Allow them to be polite hosts. Take a quick look around at the house and try to get a feeling for who you are dealing with. If you can eat off the floors and yet the customer tells you how ashamed they are of the "mess," you need to keep that in mind when it comes time to estimate final cleaning costs on your estimate. Another thing that many people don't think about is shoes. If you walk into someone's home and there are 16 pairs of shoes piled up in the foyer, it's probably a good idea for you to discard yours as well. Take measurements... Customers can't stand someone who just looks at a room and immediately comes up with a price to renovate it. Wear a tape measure... use it. Write some numbers down on a clipboard. A customer will give as much respect to an estimate as you do.
Don't answer your phone if it rings. It's cool to have it ring, but don't answer it.
Acknowledge the jumping, barking, sniffing dog. If you take 20 seconds and offer your hand for the mutt to smell, you will be in like Flynn. If you stroll past Spot like he isn't there, you will be dealing with him in your lap for the entire visit.
If you are meeting with a couple, talk to both of them. Nothing makes people more upset than being ignored. Don't try to decifer who the decision maker is or anything... that is a ridiculous and horrible technique. Look everyone in the eye and listen closely to what everyone has to say.
Park in the street, not the driveway. This seems like a silly point, but there's always some aunt or basement-dwelling son who needs to leave the house while you're there. Nothing is more annoying than having to run outside and move your truck out of the way. Just park in the street... Driveways are for family and UPS only.
Be complimentary, be cordial, be social. Remember that in addition to being a salesman, you are a guest in someone's home. Act like it.
::
Customer Fatigue
"Fish and visitors stink after three days."
-Benjamin Franklin
For most customers, the only thing better than meeting a great contractor is saying goodbye to one. For most contractors, the same holds true for customers.
Over the years I've coined the term "Customer Fatigue" to describe the inevitable circumstance that develops when, as a contractor, you've allowed a project to drag on too long. Even the most reasonable and polite customer will turn into a rabid and deranged maniac when you've overstayed your welcome. Now, there may be many justifiable reasons for the project to have been delayed: Weather, bad special orders, change-orders, unforeseen circumstances, etc...
None of that matters once Customer Fatigue sets in. What's important to remember as the contractor is that it doesn't matter why you didn't hit your target date for completion, the only thing that matters is that you didn't hit it.
People are reasonable, but they don't have endless patience... especially when you are invading their homes everyday and playing loud music while you work. Now, you may think Eminem is the greatest rap artist since The Sugar Hill Gang, but your customer doesn't like Eminem... I can pretty much guarantee that. They may look the other way when your truck dumps quart after quart of oil in front of their house, but once the EPA shows up you have to understand where they're coming from.
Now, this whole thing works both ways, BELIEVE ME. The customer that chews your ear off every morning while you're setting up is the same one that will wonder why it takes you so long to set up every morning. Unfortunately, they are the ones signing the checks, so reasonable consideration pretty much doesn't exist. I am constantly amazed at customers who ask me why something looks "unfinished." Usually I point out that it's not finished yet... Sometimes that's enough to satisfy them, but not always.
The point to this rambling entry is this:
You can't control things that are out of your control, but you can control how you deal with them. Do not under-estimate the time of construction on the contract. Be upfront and attentive during the entire project. If a special order comes in wrong, be honest about it and don't make excuses. At the same time, don't lose control of the situation. If you've ever ridden a horse, it's the same thing. If that customer bucks and whines on day two, you've gotta crack the whip and let them know what's going on. If you allow unreasonable expectations to take root at the beginning of the project, things will be completely out of control before you finish. At the end of the day, everyone involved wants the same thing. They want the job done.
::
-Benjamin Franklin
For most customers, the only thing better than meeting a great contractor is saying goodbye to one. For most contractors, the same holds true for customers.
Over the years I've coined the term "Customer Fatigue" to describe the inevitable circumstance that develops when, as a contractor, you've allowed a project to drag on too long. Even the most reasonable and polite customer will turn into a rabid and deranged maniac when you've overstayed your welcome. Now, there may be many justifiable reasons for the project to have been delayed: Weather, bad special orders, change-orders, unforeseen circumstances, etc...
None of that matters once Customer Fatigue sets in. What's important to remember as the contractor is that it doesn't matter why you didn't hit your target date for completion, the only thing that matters is that you didn't hit it.
People are reasonable, but they don't have endless patience... especially when you are invading their homes everyday and playing loud music while you work. Now, you may think Eminem is the greatest rap artist since The Sugar Hill Gang, but your customer doesn't like Eminem... I can pretty much guarantee that. They may look the other way when your truck dumps quart after quart of oil in front of their house, but once the EPA shows up you have to understand where they're coming from.
Now, this whole thing works both ways, BELIEVE ME. The customer that chews your ear off every morning while you're setting up is the same one that will wonder why it takes you so long to set up every morning. Unfortunately, they are the ones signing the checks, so reasonable consideration pretty much doesn't exist. I am constantly amazed at customers who ask me why something looks "unfinished." Usually I point out that it's not finished yet... Sometimes that's enough to satisfy them, but not always.
The point to this rambling entry is this:
You can't control things that are out of your control, but you can control how you deal with them. Do not under-estimate the time of construction on the contract. Be upfront and attentive during the entire project. If a special order comes in wrong, be honest about it and don't make excuses. At the same time, don't lose control of the situation. If you've ever ridden a horse, it's the same thing. If that customer bucks and whines on day two, you've gotta crack the whip and let them know what's going on. If you allow unreasonable expectations to take root at the beginning of the project, things will be completely out of control before you finish. At the end of the day, everyone involved wants the same thing. They want the job done.
::
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