Description

Michael Stone’s 30+ years of experience in residential remodeling sales and residential specialty sales is shared in his book, “Profitable Sales: A Contractor’s Guide”.

“This is a powerful, practical book – loaded with great ideas to increase your sales and your profits! ” – Brian Tracy

Michael explains how to:

• professionally represent your company
• determine if a lead is worth your time
• establish ground rules with a potential client
• address the fears of every potential client
• successfully ask the questions you need answered, and understand how they relate to those fears
• navigate through design agreements, letters of intent, and other documents
• help clients make selections
• turn a cancellation into a positive event
• find, train, motivate and compensate sales staff
• and much more

What about forms?
Sample forms are included, along with access to downloads allowing you to save many of these forms on your computer for easy use. If you own the book, info on how to download is found on the first page of Appendix II, Forms).

Specifications

The printed book is softcover, autographed, 8-1/2″ x 11″, 300 pages.

FAQ’s

Are real life issues discussed?
A significant portion of the book is devoted to “What if” scenarios. What if the customer wants you to fix something in their home during the appointment? What if they are distracted by the TV, by unruly kids, by neighbors who stop by?  Michael discusses insurance calls, dealing with other professionals (attorneys, architects and designers, realtors, engineers, lenders) and issues that can arise after the contract is signed. The scenarios range from mildly humorous (arriving at a home to find homeowners inappropriately dressed) to serious (what if the customer is handling firearms on a sales call?)

What about forms?
Sample forms are included, along with access to downloads allowing you to save many of these forms on your computer for easy use. If you own the book, info is found on the first page of Appendix II, Forms).

Who is the target audience?
The information provided is valuable for both the construction-related business owner and their sales staff.

What If’s – Scenarios Covered in the Book

Below is a partial list of over 225 scenarios that can happen in sales, with a recommendation on how to handle them.  These are covered in Chapter 16, with this introduction (you can download the entire list here):

“The following ‘opportunities’ may come up before or during a sales call. The approaches I suggest are by no means the only way to deal with them, they are just a starting point.”

“Most of these are situations I’ve experienced over the years, and you will experience many as well. Some are humorous, most are not. Many are simply attempts by the customer to waste your time or gain your expertise without paying for it. Remember, you are on a sales call for one reason only and that is to make a sale. You should be prepared to deal, almost instinctively, with anything that arises, and reading this chapter will help you prepare.”

“Most of these scenarios assume that you are dealing with a husband and wife combo, but that’s not always what you’ll see. Be prepared to modify the responses to fit the situation.”

THE FOUR BASIC QUESTIONS

• Customer won’t give straight answers to your questions
• Customer claims they don’t know what they want
• Second party is out of town and can’t/won’t meet with you to review job
• Their budget is unrealistic

THE SALES CALL

Attendance
• Customer not at home at the appointment time (or shows up late)
• Customer wants to exclude spouse from sales call
• Customer continually uses phone during appointment
• Customer dealing with “crisis” during sales call

Family Relationships
• Customer keeps interrupting their spouse when they are talking
• Adult children bad mouthing you or your company to parents
• Family member is in construction, but not doing the job

Customer “Wants”
• Customer asks you for the names, addresses and phone numbers of the specialty contractors and suppliers you will use on the job
• Customer wants to be their own general contractor
• Customer wants you to fix something during the appointment
• Customer doesn’t want any plans for the job
• Customer wants you to look at other company’s quotes, paperwork or plans
• Customer wants to put their “side job” on your permit

IRRITATIONS

• Customer keeps interrupting while you are answering a previous question
• Customer tells you how another contractor mistreated them
• Customer or spouse is drunk when you arrive on sales call
• Customer won’t make good eye contact with you during the conversation
• Customer tells you they are getting several bids
• Customer asks you when you can start the job

Misrepresentations
• Customer has used deception to gain appointment
• Customer “springs” something on you after quote

Pricing
• Customer wants their CPA to audit your books to ensure fair pricing
• Customer wants their CPA to audit your books to be sure bills are paid on time
• Customer wants to do a Cost Plus management job with a “not to exceed” clause or a fixed fee
• Customer promises more work if you give them good price for this job
• Customer wants a price “today” for the job
• Customer wants a “ballpark” price
• Customer says your price is much lower than other bid
• Customer tells you what they think your price should be
• Customer wants to pay cash for the job to get a better deal

Dodges
• Customer says they are too busy to set a callback, so mail your proposal
• We have to sleep on this proposal
• We won’t sign a contract unless you agree to work on the job

Competitors
• Another salesman shows up on your call
• Other company tries to get customer to cancel your sale

BUILDING ISSUES

• Home or building smells extremely bad
• Customer makes claims about the building that you know are not true

DEALING WITH OTHER PROFESSIONALS

Architects
• Customer is an architect
• Architect says they will draw the plans for their own job
• Architect wants to hire your employees and subcontractors through your company
• Architect or owner asks for the names, addresses and phone numbers of the specialty contractors and suppliers you will use on the job
• Architect wants you to furnish a quote for labor only
• Architect has incomplete plans for the job, or wants you to start job before the plans are complete or approved for permit
• Architect has plans with no schedules or missing details

Attorneys
• Attorney insists that you use an AIA document to write the contract for the job
• Attorney wants to write the contract for the job
• Customer’s spouse, son or daughter is an attorney

Engineers
• Customer is an engineer and thinks that houses are built like airplanes, to a tolerance to 1/1,000ths of an inch
• Engineer has to check with architect or designer to modify plans

Realtors
• Realtor wants quote for their customer
• Realtor wants a square foot price for an addition, kitchen or bath for an out-of-town customer or a customer who’s just considering a purchase
• Realtor needs a price today for some repair work
• Realtor wants you to provide a bid to replace a roof or do other repairs

INSURANCE WORK

• You were not told that it was an insurance job when you set the lead
• Insurance adjuster asks for written quote
• After you have scoped the damage, the customer asks if you would fix something
• Customer says: “You fix the first six items on the scope of repairs; I’ll fix the rest”
• Customer says: “The adjuster said you could include this in your scope and they would pay for it”
• Customer says: “I’ve been paying insurance all of my life and this is the first claim that I have ever made”

FINANCING
• Lender has told the customer that retainage is normal for 30, 60 or 90 days
• Lender tells you they want a performance bond after you sign the contract
• Lender pushes owner to use a different contractor
• If requested, customer refuses to put money in escrow for the job (normally applies only to larger jobs)

CONTRACTS
• Customer wants penalties in contract for failure to meet completion dates
• Customer wants retainage in contract
• Customer wants the finance charge clause for final payment (if not made on time) removed from contract
• Customer objects to your 2% final payment

AFTER CONTRACT
• Customer wants to cancel the job after the job has started
• Customer presents themselves as one personality type and turns out to be something completely different
• Architect or designer tells you to make a change on the job, and later denies it
• Customer wants to “borrow” your tools to do their side project
• Customer keeps getting in the work crew’s way
• Customer tries to get the workmen to change things on the job
• Customer wants credit for material left over
• Customer wants to use your subcontractors for work in another part of the home or building while you are doing your job