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Quick Tips Newsletter Sample

[Quick Tips] Overcoming Objections ---------------------------------------------------------------- NEWSBYTES: NEW ITEM: "ConcreteCalc PRO" Advanced yard, feet/inch/fraction concrete construction math calculator. A lifesaver of a gadget! http://www.contractor-city.com/cocapro.html?list50708 --- TODAY'S FEATURE: Get "Business Letters for the Construction Industry: A Guide to Construction Communication" on sale at http://www.contractor-city.com/builofmanrev.html?list50708 No more struggling to find the right words! This book presents a practical and invaluable arsenal of professionally-written model letters tailored specifically to the construction industry. Use this book to make your business stand out from the crowd and get your message across more effectively than ever before! The organized format lets you pinpoint exactly what you need through realistic scenarios that explain when to use each letter. A company letterhead field makes it easy to customize the look of your letters, and a simple generic model gives you a clear, professional letter every time. "Business Letters for the Construction Industry" also features: - Record-keeping tips - Standard communication protocol - Standard industry form references - Easy-to-use CD-ROM containing all letters in Microsoft Word - Format-ready with E-Z Search "Quick finder" index - Clear definitions of common industry terms - Appendix of industry organizations You get over 100 professionally written model letters for virtually every difficult situation. Nothing puts your business in the best possible light better than a well-written letter - especially when you can use that letter to help a bad situation become better. You'll use these proven letters over and over again to resolve disputes, win new clients, clarify proposals, coordinate with architects, subcontractors and owners, and insurers, schedule meetings and inspections, respond to complaints and situations that may be difficult to deal with. "Business Letters for the Construction Industry" includes: letters responding to threats of legal action, letters of commendation to workers, letters of apology for defective or delayed work, letters for justification of change orders and price increases, letters explaining your insurance liability, letters explaining drug testing, injury at work, overtime, equipment use, job performance, and more. Practically every difficult letter you'll ever have to write is in this book, already written, and available on MS-Word on the CD-ROM enclosed. Just load the letter you need, change a few phrases, print out, or e-mail and you are free to spend your time on more productive endeavors. Get "Business Letters for the Construction Industry: A Guide to Construction Communication" on sale at http://www.contractor-city.com/builofmanrev.html?list50708 ---------------------------------------------------------------- Quick Contractor's Tip: Overcoming Objections Objections are terrific opportunities to nail down the job. You heard right, and I'll say it again: objections are terrific opportunities. You can get more jobs, and make better profits, by using the power of a customer's objections to your advantage. If a customer is truly not interested, the answer will almost always be a flat, straight-out "no". That's it, just "no", with maybe a "thank you" and "goodbye" thrown in. It will be very clear the conversation is over. When a customer makes an objection, several important things are in play: - the customer is listening to you. - the customer is interested in what you have to offer. - the customer is willing to allow you to discover his true needs. - the customer is willing to let you provide him with the solution he seeks. If you are making your presentation and the customer raises an objection, welcome it - grab it and use it! They are not only listening to you, they are telling you what they want. Listen to them, answer their questions, give them the reasons they need to give you the job. Summarize what you believe the objection is. If you are unsure, ask the customer to clarify: "Okay, Mr. Jones, what I'm hearing is (whatever they just told you). Is that right?". If you get a no, go back and forth this way until the correct problem is identified. Once you identify the problem, you can address it. Sometimes, it may take several go-arounds to discover what the real objection is. Test each objection by offering a solution. If the objection isn't the real problem, a new objection will pop up when you address the first one. You may have to peel back a few layers, allowing each objection/solution to reveal the one underneath until you get to the core problem. For example, let's say Mr. Jones really needs a new roof. When you come down the ladder after your inspection and give him the bad news, his reaction is "No, no, I can't afford a new roof. Thanks for coming by."  You don't shake Mr. Jones' hand and walk back to your truck, you say, "well, Mr. Jones, I can understand that. We can patch it up for you, but patches are a temporary fix, and you'll just need another patch before too long, then another and another. In the end, it will be lots cheaper if we go ahead and put a new roof on now. I'm hearing you say that money is a concern, is that right?" Now, money may or may not be Mr. Jones' real concern, but he's listening and he's talking, which means he's still interested. You might find out that a payment schedule is what he wants, or that he's worried that all the noise and mess of a new roof will disrupt his peaceful home life, and what he really "can't afford" is construction work racket during his noon naptime. Keep digging until you find the real problem. Be sure to use all the tools available to you. A clean, detailed, professional-looking bid is usually enough to sell most customers. If not, be sure to follow through with a professional follow-up letter (http://contractor-city.com/biandprfo.html). Showing the customer what their construction contract will look like can help get them over many unspoken objections, as they see that you are ready to perform the work in an above-board and straight-forward manner (http://contractor-city.com/cocofo.html). Something to watch out for is the difference between a real objection and a delay tactic. Phrases that come up often and are disguised as objections are things like, "I want to think it over", "your price is too high", "I want to get more quotes", "I have to speak to my wife/husband/partner", "I'm over budget", "call me back in a few months", etc. These kinds of phrases are used to give the customer time to delay making a decision. If you think this might be the case, go ahead and ask if they want time to make their decision. If the answer is yes, ask if there is any other information they need in order to make this decision. Then give them examples: the type of materials, the type of contract, the time-frame, etc. Then follow up by saying you'll check back in with them in 1 or 2 days. Follow through with that timeframe. Always consider your customer's budget, show them the value of your services, and show them the direct benefits of those services to them. "Mr. Jones, you can keep patching that roof and pouring your money down the drainspout, or you can go fishing for the weekend and let me and my crew put on a solid new roof that you won't have to think about for the next thirty years." Let your customer know you are available to answer any and all questions. If you absolutely can't get them to sign the first time, follow up with them, keep in touch. Their circumstances might change and allow you to close the deal at a later date. To recap: - Actively listen to you customer - Summarize each objection - If unsure, ask the customer to Clarify their objection - Test the objection by providing a Solution - Once a real objection has been identified, address it Directly - Ask for the Sale with each solution you offer Don't take the word 'no' personally. 'No' often means 'not now' or 'yes, if this or that'. In business, it takes an average of seven no's before a sale is made. You can walk away, or you can thoughtfully answer each "no" all the way to a fat, profitable "YES!". To your success! http://www.ContractorCity.com http://www.BuildersBookshop.com Have a tip you'd like to share with other Contractor City members? Email it to us at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ---------------------------------------------------------------- Get all your professional construction contracts and forms at http://www.contractor-city.com/cofo.html?list50708 Chat free with other Contractor City members from across the United States and around the world in our Contractor Forums: http://www.contractorcity.com/contractor-forums.html Dude, we're on MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/contractorcity ----------------------------------------------------------------

 

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