Ed The Roofer Got Busted.....

Ed the Roofer

You just had to peak, didn't you?

Well, what I got busted on relates to my recent post in the; "Price Difference Between Quality And Mediocrity Is Just The Cost Of A Cup Of Coffee", Thread.

Read that thread here:

http://www.contractortalk.com/f12/pr...st-cost-57587/






Go ahead.....Click back to that and read it and get caught up.....














Don't worry, I will wait until you get back.














Uhhhhhh, Why haven't you gone and read that yet?














What the heck do you think I am waiting for? Why are you still reading this thread? Now get a move on, or else no punch line. Comprende"?














Let me know when you are ready, okay.




Ed

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nEighter

what line was it? the coffee line? Or the one where you mention you give free happy endings?! Good vibes being sent your way

Ed the Roofer

Thank you for asking and participating in my tomfoolery and self induced shenanigans.



Okay, it's really not all that exciting or anything, but the situation made me laugh out loud when I was doing some suggestive contra-selling questions, regarding the other contractors who were supposed to show up and provide the married Doctor couple their new proposals.

I usually try to drop in this one liner at almost every presentation that I make during my face to face sit downs with the home owners.

I know that my proposal is very well written and extremely detailed, but I also realize that it is very rare indeed, that any other roofing contractor actually sits down at any great length with the prospective customers and goes over all of the options available and shows samples of the products that we do use and why we use them. Then I pull out samples of the opposing products and show the flaws and inferiority in their design and functionality.

Somewheres around the end of the show and tell and touchy feely portion of the discussion, I casually ask if the other contractor that they sat down with and interviewed had anything to say about the products that they were going to be installing on their home and how they demonstrated their products suggested, or ask if they even identified which brands or quality level of accessory materials that they were going to use.

BOOM!!!

As soon as I asked how things went during their other interviews, she told me, "Now Ed, you already knew that we didn't ever talk to anyone else in person, don't you?"

BUSTED!!!

She knew right away that it was a trap question and that I was sort of baiting them into wondering why I was the only one that was dedicated enough to take out the time to actually do a face to face sit down presentation.

I don't know if you guys got a chuckle out of this, but I had to admit to her, that Yes, I pretty much know what everyone of the other guys would say that they would do in advance and even knew where their prices would wind up being.

Like that other guy, who was just under $14,000.00 while I was just under $19,000.00

So, I told her that even though I know in advance what other peoples prices are going to be, I won't let their lack of committing to quality deter me from what I passionately believe in.

Blah, Blah, Blah, .....

I have a very good feeling about this one after todays meeting.

Ed

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nEighter

you outsold yourself! I have done that too. You played it off though that is awesome! I hope you land it man. That would be a nice crowd to cater too!

Ed the Roofer

I walked out of there feeling pretty darn good, but I have learned to never count my chickens before they are hatched.

They were really nice Doctors.

What was really unpretentious about them, is that when the wife called in, she did not divulge their occupations, as most Doctors tend to do.

I could very well envision how smoothly this project could roll along and with them choosing the one or two upgrade options that are available to boot.

Ed

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Double-A

Wait, I thought this was the story about the Gentleman's club and the vice squad?

I heard that Shan Tillie is doing 2-4 on a soliciting charge.

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MattCoops

I can't believe that contractors aren't selling their services. How can you not make a presentation. With a $14,000 sticker price, I would want some kind of communication in helping me make a decision. When somebody emails me that or tells me over the phone I would just say no thanks and call someone who would take time to actually work with me.
If you're competition isn't even actually selling their service it should be easy for you to make sales. Even if you're $5k more than the rest.

I think any purchase over $500 demands a face to face demonstration and question-answer to help the customer decide.

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Mr. Mike

Let me get this right, you had them and did not close them while you were there?

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Ed the Roofer

Show me how?

Seriously, I would like to know where that point of being "TOO PUSHY" and being the guy that deserves to get the job is.

From my view-point, if I had "Pushed" a little harder and seemed overly aggressive, even if I had gotten them to sign, with another closing technique I sometimes use, which relies on the essence of the "3 Day Right Of Rescission" Law, I would have a potential customer second guessing there decision.

Or, I would have a customer feeling that they were bullied into making an instant decision.

If their is a method I could have used, I am all ears.

But from my perspective, although I admire and learn from your one call closings, I get the feeling that for me, my customers would get a different opinion about our business itself and it's regard and demeanor towards our customers.

Sometimes the best one call close actually takes two visits, especially if you do the follow ups on time and provide them "Some Space" to think about things without you around.

I even did my daytime version of the "Porch-Light" close, which was to excuse myself and my, foreman/estimator trainee, for about 10-15 minutes to go outside and make some phone calls.

Ed

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KitchenSync

I agree with you, Ed. You have the skills that I'm guessing with the couple of soft-closes, you spotted something in the feel of it to hold off.

Double-A

If it works for you, do it. If it don't, don't.

Contrary to popular belief, you won't go to hell or suffer erectile dysfunction if you don't close on the first call.

Yeah, yeah, I know.... Been there, done that, got the purty little papers on the wall and the umpteen thousands in canceled checks to show for it, but I've never liked anything "gangsta style". Hit and run ain't the only way to do business. Believe or not, its OK not to close on the first call. Really, it is. No, I'm serious, its OK. You'll live over it just fine. Really, Really.

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"My clients’ wishes are the center of my attention." -- David Guido, a contractor in Woodstock, N.Y.
New York Times, July 20, 2006

buildenterprise

Speaking of "hard closing", I HATE IT!! I will lose a job rather than stiff-arm a potential customer into signing on the dotted line right then and there. Personally I abhor anyone who tries to use the tactic on me, such as the door-to-door cable TV salesman, car dealers etc. I've actually had homeowners tell me that was one of the reasons they chose me, because there was no pressure and they felt like the ball was in their court.
When meeting with a customer I will lay out the details, outline how the materials I use are superior to the competition, and all that warm-fuzzy stuff. During the meeting I usually get a feel for their timeframe and find out where my bid comes in relative to the others. At the end it's a "thank you, I'll be in touch if you have any more questions" closing. I will usually wait 48 hours or so before giving the follow-up phone call, if I haven't heard from them by then.
That's just how I roll, seems to work about 80% of the time.

MattCoops

You can be a persistant "soft sale" closer without being pushy.

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Home Services

In my sales career (36 years), I have found that there is no "one size fits all" close. I consider myself a very, very seasoned sales professional.

Many years ago, I was fortunate enough to be taught how to recognize a prospects personality type. Once you learn how to recognize someones personality type (we are all basically 1 of 4 types, some of us have a "back-up" 2nd type) & then learn how to "deal" with their specific type, your sales will increase dramatically.

A real pro becomes a chameleon, and is able to adapt to whatever personality type they are trying to sell.

One Note: I have learned in this business that there are some prospects/jobs that are better to walk away from. Every contractor should read the book "Firing Customers"...

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Ed the Roofer

That would make a REALLY Great topic.

"Recognizing A Customers Personality Type And How To Deal With All Four Variations Of Them"

Ed

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Century Man

I don't want to miss that thread. What do you think Home Services, want to enlighten us?

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Home Services

Ed The Roofer & Century Man,

I will start a new post called "Dramatically Increase Your Sales". I don't want to hijack this thread.

It will be extreamly long & will take some time...

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MattCoops

< gets the popcorn started and waits with anticipation

Ed the Roofer

Welllllllll.....?????

Says Ed, anxiously tapping his foot on the floor, while looking at his wrist watch for the tenth time in the past 5 minutes.....

Ed

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Home Services

Sorry guys,

I have (twice) spent over an hour typing this new post - both times when I posted it, for some reason I was kicked out of CT & lost everything.

I am re-typing it - one more time - this time in a MS Word file so I can copy & paste without losing everything I did.

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