“If I had six hours to cut down a tree, I would spend the first four hours sharpening my ax.”
Sensible advice from Abe Lincoln. But if you’re reading this blog, there’s a better than even chance you’re in the HVAC or service provider industry – certainly a better chance than you being a lumberjack, anyways.
So what’s honest Abe getting at? And why is it important?
He’s talking about sharpening your skills so that when opportunity arises, you are prepared to meet the challenge.
Inbound sales calls to your service organization are a precious commodity. In an earlier post I discussed an eye-opening study concerning how quickly you must respond to email leads to create an appointment.
This article will discuss the proper handling of inbound sales calls that result from your HVAC marketing and advertising efforts.
Doing it correctly is the make-or-break factor in whether you get a shot to earn the customer’s business or experience yet another lost opportunity.
I’ve had the pleasure of personally fielding and scheduling thousands of in-bound sales leads for replacement installations and have discovered a thing or two about getting in the door:
1. Booking appointments is always the goal
Be certain your customer service rep (CSR) focuses on the goal and actively participates in earning the customers trust. This is accomplished with informative answers and by proactively addressing customer concerns. Guide the potential customer down a path that makes allowing you into their home feel natural and inviting.
Provide the customer with direction and guidance but always try to keep them on a guided path.
2. Provide a script to your CSR’s
This call script is a guide and is NOT intended to be robotically read to the customer. Keep the script right in front of your CSR but insist that they memorize it and speak in a natural, unscripted manner.
This script is intended to keep your CSR on course and help improve your call-to-appointment ratio. A well-rehearsed, uniform practice will increase your conversions dramatically.
The script format should be followed on every sales call, every time.
3. Assign 2 CRS’s within your organization to handle all sales calls.
These are the 2 friendliest, most conversational members of your team. I would make your best CSR the primary and assign a secondary CSR when the primary is unavailable. They should be friendly, engaging and enthusiastic.
Conversions and closing rates of the booked appointments escalate tremendously when the initial exposure to your company is memorable and outstanding.
The right person(s) in this role will have a tremendous impact on your bottom line.
4. Provide compensation to your CSR’s.
Obtain CSR buy-in and reward great performance with a spiff on every sale that results from each appointment they book. At first glance it may seem as though they have no way to provide value-based performance once the lead leaves their desk but nothing could be further from the truth.
My experience has been that when a professional and friendly CSR is the potential customer’s first experience with your HVAC organization, the closing rates on these appointments skyrocket.
The customer will actually look forward to the arrival of their personal advisor from your company.
5. Provide exceptional value right from the start
An appointment is our goal but don’t be so self-serving that you forget the real reason they called in the first place – to fulfill their need, not yours.
Don’t be afraid to ask the nature of their problem and how it has affected their comfort or how it has inconvenienced them. Ask if they have had a service call to try and resolve the problem and then offer alternatives.
Customers will appreciate your concern for them and will begin to believe they can trust you to be fair and honest.
Chances are the customer has already determined they need a new system, but allow them to feel that they are making the decision, not some stranger on the phone.
6. Give honest and insightful answers to their questions.
Provide expert insight as to the common reasons they are facing the problem they have. Use phrases like “when faced with the same problem you are experiencing now, many of our customers choose to….” Then tell them how others have solved this very same problem.
Show them you’re a skilled professional and care about their needs. This will provide you an edge in setting more appointments. Ask if it is possible that their existing system is still under warranty.
This is almost never the case but checking for them really escalates their trust level.
7. Don’t evade questions you know the answers to
If a customer provides you with the details of their existing system and asks how much you will charge, I would let them know that there are many variables involved and that’s why you offer a free job-site survey prior to your proposal.
Explain the value-building steps involved in this survey and use this value to book the appointment.
However, if they still insist that you provide a price range I would say this:
I certainly understand that budgeting for an unexpected expense of this nature can be unsettling. I know that when I make a major purchase the budget is always a major consideration. I want to know exactly how much I’m investing and to completely understand the details. I can tell you that most customers with your type of equipment spend from $XXXX to as much as $XXXX.
The final total investment is determined by the system efficiency and features along with updates we are required to make to comply with current codes. But don’t worry, after we complete our free survey you’ll get a complete, detailed written estimate that will include our most popular options, customized to your lifestyle and budget.
Always empathize when a customer shares a concern they have with you. Assure them that their concern is justified and you feel exactly as they do when making a major purchase.
This way you have resolved the concern and answered their question. All without locking yourself into a specific price.
Then go on to say:
I will make your personal advisor aware of our discussion today so he can offer the best solutions for your budget and lifestyle. Mrs. XXXXXX, Is a morning or afternoon appointment more convenient for you?
Normally, they will thank you and book the appointment.
8. Customize the experience
Make sure that you communicate the details of their concerns or any important aspects of your conversation with their sales rep. If the customer asked for a special service or you promised something unusual always communicate this directly to their rep.
Actually, if your CSR is doing their job properly, there should many occasions where special needs are uncovered and discussed. This proves to the customer that you truly care and want their experience with your company to be customized to their individual need.
Send the rep your conversation notes so when they arrive at the customer’s jobsite, they can begin with those discussion points.
Customer’s rarely experience this sort of “tailored experience” and will appreciate the extra effort.
9. Build the value of your estimating process
Explain to the caller that “Our customers really appreciate our free home survey process that provides real quality and value.” Then, share a few of the unique aspects of your value-building (be sure they are truly unique) estimating processes that are thoroughly and exceptional.
Discuss how their personal advisor (never use the term sales rep or salesman) will respect their home by using “floor savers” over their shoes, how he/she will inspect all important elements of the jobsite, provide them a copy of your insurance certificate and contractor’s license, perform a precise load calculation, etc.
Once this is properly communicated, simply offer the customer 2 appointment options to move the process forward and book a time.
10. Set the bar so high that the competition pales in comparison
The secondary benefit of this initial experience with your company is that any previous or subsequent calls your customer makes will seem very ordinary in comparison. Your company will “sparkle” compared to the competition, placing all potential bidders at a substantial disadvantage even before you arrive in the customers home.
You will also find that appointment cancellation rates will plummet when you follow these critical steps.
11. Ask a few qualifying questions
Nothing is more demoralizing for a sales rep than to drive across town to a 6PM appointment and find out the buyer is totally unqualified. These include non-owners such as tenants, a customer who has only “30 minutes before they have to leave”, or, worst of all, a “no show”.
Be sure to include the qualifiers in the in-bound call script. Ensure that the property owner is present and help the customer select a time where they can devote the proper time allotted to the survey.
Also, ensure that they have marked the exact time and date down on their calendar. Explain that the rep is committed to this appointment and will be on time but if anything changes please contact you to re-schedule the appointment.
Time is money as they say. Be careful about asking too many questions as you can easily over-qualify a customer that is perfectly suited for an appointment.
When in doubt, always set the appointment. You can go back later if you have concerns about a particular customer.
12. The last 20 seconds of the call are the most important
I always closed the call by leaving the customer with this last critically important thought:
“I am SO glad you called today (Inflection is very important in that statement). We are really looking forward to meeting with you. Don’t forget to ask (your rep’s name) about our _____________________. (Fill this in with your lifetime workmanship warranty, your one year risk-free money back guarantee, your E-Z Pay Zero Interest Payment Program, or some other super compelling and outstanding aspect of your service).
Do you mind if I follow up with you after your appointment to make sure (your rep’s name) met all your needs?
Leave on a positive note and reinforce the fact that they made a great decision. Of course, make absolutely certain you do follow up within 24 hours of the appointment.
13. Tracking for success
Formulate a plan to track your call performance. Monitor call conversion rates and average sales revenue for all CSR’s via a spreadsheet or call tracking software. Don’t forget to reward your CSR’s for great performance. Set your conversion rate goal for calls-to-appointments at 80%.
This is about the best you can expect to achieve as some of your callers are inevitably in various stages of the purchase funnel and may simply be testing the professionalism of a number of potential contractors for an upcoming need.
P.S. Get your free copy of https://tripleyourclicks.com/when-it-comes-to-email-leads-dont-take-five/ You need to read this eye-opening article before you respond to your next email lead. They have a crazy-short shelf life.
Question: Would your customers respond better using this method rather than your typical approach? What else works well for you? Share your comments now