Contractors' Guide to Mastering Sales with the Yes Staircase
In this week's Hammer and Grind podcast, we explore the idea of the "Yes Staircase," a powerful sales tactic that helps contractors secure more contracts by speaking to the real concerns and expectations of their clients.
Understanding the Yes Staircase
The Yes Staircase is a metaphorical representation of the sales process, where each step represents addressing a client's concern or expectation. The goal is to build a complete staircase that leads the client to confidently say "yes" to your services. Here are the key takeaways from the episode:
Quality Alone Doesn't Sell: Many contractors believe that showcasing high-quality work is enough to secure jobs. However, quality is often just a baseline expectation for clients. It's not a unique selling point that will differentiate you from competitors.
Addressing Concerns and Expectations: Clients have a myriad of concerns and expectations beyond price, time, and quality. These can include worries about theft, communication, subcontractor behavior, and more. It's crucial to uncover and address these concerns during the sales process.
Emotional Selling: Sales is more about emotional intelligence (EQ) than product knowledge. Clients make purchasing decisions based on emotions and then justify them with logic. Understanding and addressing their emotional concerns can significantly increase your closing rate.
Action Steps to Implement the Yes Staircase
Use these practical steps to ensure that your sales process makes the most of the Yes Staircase:
1. Conduct a Thorough Discovery Call
Goal: Learn about all the worries and expectations that your client might have.
How to Do It:
Ask Open-Ended Questions: Start with questions like, "Have you ever worked with a contractor before?" or "What are your main concerns about this project?" These questions will help you understand their past experiences and current worries.
Listen Actively: Pay close attention to their responses. Clients may not always directly state their concerns, so it's important to read between the lines and ask follow-up questions.
2. Address Each Concern and Expectation
Goal: Gain their trust by demonstrating your understanding of and ability to allay their worries.
How to Do It:
Provide Reassurance: If a client is worried about theft, explain your vetting process for subcontractors and any security measures you take.
Set Clear Expectations: If communication is a concern, outline how often and through what channels you will provide updates.
Be Transparent: Discuss your licensing, insurance, and permitting processes to alleviate any legal or compliance worries.
3. Focus on Emotional Connection
Goal: Give the customer a sense of understanding and value so that they are more inclined to select your services.
How to Do It:
Empathize with Their Situation: Show genuine concern for their worries and validate their feelings. For example, if they are worried about project delays, acknowledge that their time is valuable and explain how you will ensure timely completion.
Establish rapport by telling tales or providing examples of how you've previously addressed issues of a similar nature. This not only shows your experience and dependability but also fosters trust.
Conclusion
You can change the way you communicate with prospective customers by incorporating the Yes Staircase into your sales process. You provide a solid foundation for them to choose your services with confidence by attending to their expectations and worries. Recall that emotional intelligence has a bigger role in sales than simply displaying high-caliber work. Your closing rates and overall profitability will rise significantly if you start addressing issues, posing the proper questions, and developing strong emotional bonds with potential customers.
Resources
Join my free Facebook group for Contractors: https://www.facebook.com/groups/contractorprofitblueprint
Free Sales Guide: https://theprofitclub.hammerandgrindpodcast.com/sales-training-optin
Profit Journal: https://www.lulu.com/shop/brad-huebner/profit-journal/paperback/product-ype4j9.html?q=profit+journal&page=1&pageSize=4
