Setting the proper environment and ‘sales mood’ is critical to the success of any in-home selling situation. Unfortunately though, many sales people miss these critical steps when they are sitting down with a family or customer because they do not fully recognize and appreciate the power of creating a proper sales environment. The following are 5 tips I’ve used successfully over the years to create an in-home sales atmosphere and I strongly recommend them to anyone serious about maximizing their in-home sales success.
- 1. Set expectations on the phone beforehand
I’ve spoken extensively regarding this subject on previous posts but the idea of a proper telephone qualifying conversation with a homeowner cannot be emphasized enough. As the salesperson, you must take advantage of this conversation to find out the customer’s currently knowledge of the product, interests, time frames, budget, etc. You should also make it very clear to the customer what your goals are when you come out.
- 2. Sit at the kitchen or dining room table
A salesman's best friend...
Homeowners will at times ask you to sit with them in the living room. Do not allow this to happen. This means that you’ll be sitting in some type of couch or recliner and bodes poorly for two main reasons:
-It’s harder to deliver a powerful presentation and message when not sitting upright. The brain, for whatever reason, is not as alert and thought does not flow as smoothly. It’s also harder to keep the attention of your listeners because your body language does not demand such attention.
-It’s much more difficult to focus on something when not seated in an upright position. Why do you think classrooms use desks and not couches? The answer is simple. The body works best in an upright position when receiving information. This fact will certainly hold true for your listeners.
Also, for obvious reasons, kitchen tables are better for spreading out materials and visual aids due to their larger surface area.
- 3. Never sit between couples.
Just about every time I go into a home and sit down at the kitchen table, homeowners will try and have me sit on the end while the husband sits on one side of the table and the wife sits on the other. This is understandable and is only a kind gesture on their part, but it’s terribly less-effective for a sales person. A key to sales in any environment is being able to look in the eyes, and also read the body language, of your customers. When a couple is on both sides of you and your trying to look at them directly, you’ll find your head going back and forth and you’ll likely miss moments of communication between the two because you’re only able to see one at a time. Do you see just how damaging this could be in your ability to properly read a customer? Never, never allow this to happen. Put yourself in the position of authority and whenever possible make sure you can look your clients in the eyes at the same time.
- 4. Turn off any TV, Radio, Etc.
Although most homeowners are kind and aware enough to turn off the TV, occasionally there are still people who, out of habit, simply turn the TV down but do not turn it off. In such occasions as these, I usually say something to the effect of, “I’m sorry, do you think we could turn the TV off, I get distracted so easily and I want to be able to give you all my best attention and product presentation.” Also, keep in mind that if kids are in the room, TV or other distractions can be quite helpful.
- 5. Remind the Customer of Your Purpose
After some light chit-chat with the homeowner but before you start talking about your product and asking the homeowner a bunch of questions, make sure you take a moment to remind everyone the purpose of your visit. This should be a powerful attention statement and one that will set the homeowner in an attentive/focused mindset. Let me give you an example of one I use with inground swimming pools.
Mr. and Mrs. Jones, I want to thank you again for having me here in your home tonight. As I mentioned to you on the phone, this meeting will likely take between 1-2 hours. First, we will choose a pool that will fit your needs and then we’ll look at options. Throughout this process, don’t hesitate to ask me any questions. Once we’ve covered all your options, I will then give you my best pricing, because as I told you on the phone, it is my goal to earn your business tonight. How does that sound?”
As you can see, this is a bold introduction, as it should be. It sets the tone for a very productive meeting. It also puts the homeowner(s) in the mindset that I expect them to be able to make a decision.
So there are my top 5 ways to create a selling atmosphere in someone’s home. As I mentioned earlier, don’t allow yourself to underestimate their importance. Simply put, missing just one can cause you to miss the sale. It can literally be the wall between you and a new client. Eliminate all walls, and success will follow.
Marcus Sheridan
So what are your thoughts? What do you do to create a selling atmosphere in the home? Don’t hesitate to leave your thoughts and comments below!
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Marcus,
Interesting post on “in home” selling. Now I understand some of the machinations of the “in home” seller. I found the seating arrangement explanation especially interesting. This could have implications in a B2B selling environment as well (i.e. sitting in a conference room for example making a sales call).
Scott
Scott, great to have such an established blogger and sales professional like yourself on here adding quality feedback. Yes, I think you’re absolutely right in terms of how seat positioning can impact B2B in a conference room setting. I’d also venture to say that when the sales professional dictates where he sits, versus allowing someone to tell him where to sit, it establishes the underlying leader of the discussion/presentation. …Again, great to have you on here Scott.