Have you ever been wandering around a vendor show, avoiding eye contact with the booth workers to avoid being drug into an unwanted sales pitch?
Even worse, have you been cornered into a 2+ hour sales presentation and knew 10 minutes in that this service/product wasn’t for you?
Many industries, including the home remodeling industry, use a selling method called the one-call-close approach. One-call-close selling attempts to turn a prospective customer into a buyer in one meeting. If accomplished effectively, it can be a great way to grow a business. More often than not, it is poorly executed and leaves both the prospective customer and salesperson with a dirty, sleazy feeling.
The people here at JSB Home Solutions have been a part of the remodeling industry for 46 years. We have used one-call-close selling in the past and found many problems, emotionally and practically, with the method. Our company culture did not fit with the tactics of the one-call-close so we found ourselves yelling “PIVOT!”
We implemented a low-pressure sales approach and saw it ease many of the problems associated with one-call-close selling, as we put homeowners' needs as the primary focus.
Table of Contents:
- Problem #1: High-pressure, Fast-paced, Uncomfortable Atmosphere
- Problem #2: High Likelihood of Mistakes and Miscommunication
- Problem #3: Focus on Business/Profit/Getting the Sale
- Problem #4: Questionable Ethics
Problem #1: High-pressure, Fast-Paced, Uncomfortable Atmosphere
This problem is pretty self-explanatory. The salesperson is focused on closing the sale and getting you as the prospective customer to sign the contract as quickly as possible. It is very common for you to feel the high-pressure and uncomfortable atmosphere when you encounter one-call-close selling.
Solution #1
Low-pressure selling often begins with a shorter initial conversation before the bulk of the information is presented. This conversation allows the customer and the business to determine if they are good fits for each other.
While we can’t speak for everyone in the home remodeling industry, here at JSB Home Solutions the conversation starts with a 45-minute in-home consultation. We seek to understand your goals and vision for your home project and make sure that we offer the services that would help you reach your goal.
Problem #2: High Likelihood of Mistakes and Miscommunication
The fast-paced nature of one-call-close selling in home remodeling requires that the salesperson do 5 tasks on the spot.
- Present all the necessary pieces of their pitch
- Hear your ideas
- Sell you on some products
- Build out your project in their software
- Write up a contract for you to sign
That is a lot for one person to do with any amount of accuracy. It also leaves little room for you, as the homeowner to process information and plan questions.
Solution #2
Low-pressure sales allows time between conversations for you to process the information you have been given. You can meet with other companies and compare bids between contractors. It also gives the sales representative time to build your project and contract and double-check that everything is accurate before presenting the final results to you.
As an example, here at JSB, our sales process takes an average of 8 days from the in-home consultation to presenting the proposal and signing the contract. This setup allows you time to process information and ask questions. And it allows time for the design consultant to ensure they have accurately and completely put together your proposal, greatly reducing mistakes, miscommunication, and buyer’s remorse.
Problem #3: Focus on Business/Profit/Getting the Sale
One-call-close selling seeks to have a signed contract as quickly and efficiently as possible. The focus has to remain on the business’s ability to make a profit and rake in the contracts. Usually, you might have 3-4 reasons you are ready to renovate a space in your home but a one-call-close salesperson will tend to focus on the most painful point to drive the sale.
Solution #3
Low-pressure selling allows time for the prospective customer and the salesperson to discuss all goals and ideas with the intent of finding a solution that reaches as many of those goals as possible. This takes building a relationship and understanding your lifestyle and needs which just can’t happen in the timeline of one-call-close selling.
Problem #4: Questionable Ethics
Ethics here revolves around the presented costs of your home remodel project. Many one-call-close processes will tell you that if you buy today, you get the best price. But if you wait until tomorrow, the price will go up. And if you wait a week or longer, the price will go up even more. They will have some explanation prepared. In the home remodeling industry, it might sound like, “We can’t guarantee the cost of materials, gas, or labor in the future. So we have to make sure our expenses are covered in case prices go up.” But will the price really change by thousands of dollars in one day? No…
Solution #4
Low-pressure selling will not give you multiple prices if you buy today versus a few days from now. The price to complete the job is set. Your mind needs time to process all the information, weigh the pros and cons, and check in with your goals and values before making a multi-thousand-dollar decision, like a home renovation project. Low-pressure sales processes will not try to convince you to buy today to save some money. The cost will stay the same, regardless of how quickly you are willing to sign a contract.
How do you avoid high-pressure sales environments in the home remodeling industry?
No one enjoys feeling pressured into buying products or services they aren’t sure they need, especially on an investment as costly as home renovations. Life has enough worry every day without high-pressure sales tactics causing your stress to spike.
At the heart, JSB believes that selling is about teaching. By providing resources and information about the home remodeling industry, we pull back the curtain and help you make the most informed decisions for your home, family, and budget through every step of the process. Even during an in-home consultation, our goal is to help you identify your goals and understand the solutions you need to achieve them. We value building relationships with our customers. Our goal is to partner with you in designing and building your dream space, not pressuring you into buying our products and services.
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