Posts

Hold The Phone: How Do You Turn Price-Shoppers Into Paying Clients?

HOLD THE PHONE: HOW DO YOU TURN PRICE-SHOPPERS INTO PAYING CLIENTS?
 November 28, 2023 |  Business Tips, Inspection Tips, Marketing |  client satisfaction, inspection industry, small business, business growth

By Kimberly Stevens, NPI, Inc.'s Marketing & Business Coach

As a small business owner, getting your phone line to start ringing can sometimes be a difficult task, but once those prospective clients’ calls begin to roll in, that doesn’t always mean you’ll be booking inspections right and left. Often, a lack of conversions can be due to the fact that while some people might make an inquiry, many would-be clients are likely to get a second, third, or even fourth opinion on their search for the best price (or in other words, the lowest price).

Marketing experts over at First Insight break it down by explaining that all businesses are battling the top two deciding factors for consumers: price and quality. The best business owners endeavor to offer a product that is uniquely valuable to their clients, something that goes above and beyond their competition, hoping to become the obvious preferred option. If an entrepreneur has confidence in their product but they aren’t closing the deal, then the problem lies in their ability to explain their product or service’s strengths, leaving potential clients to default to price as the deciding factor.

This situation can be incredibly frustrating for owners who are scratching and clawing, trying to find some way to gain traction. The good news is that turning price-shoppers into paying clients is a skill that can be improved with a bit of strategy and practice. To get started, let’s discuss a few things that are essential in instilling confidence in your future clients.

Introduce Yourself And Your Business
Once you answer a phone call, the timer has already started in your responsibility to earn your client’s trust. Hopefully, the caller has visited your business website already and has been impressed by your brand, knows your service offerings, and has a familiarity with your industry. But, entrepreneurs should never assume what a caller knows. The first step in earning a client’s trust, is to guide them through the information that they need to know with respect and professionalism.

Start with your business’ name first, then introduce yourself: “Hello, [Business Name], this is [Your Name]. How can I help you?”

Though this may seem to be a basic step, this simple procedure does wonders to establish an air of organization and professionalism, as well as to take control of the conversation. Odds are that callers know very little about your specific business and your specific background, so business owners who take the time to mention their unique qualifications, their experience, and their business differentiators throughout the conversation can build their credibility. A credible, experienced business owner is much more likely to earn a client’s trust, than someone who rushes to the quote during a phone call.

Ask Clarifying Questions
Every request for a quote should involve a level of clarifying questions if you want to give an accurate expectation, but asking the right questions can also contribute to booking the job. More details can reveal whether they’d be good candidates for additional services or if specific tools might be required to complete the job. In home inspections, learning the neighborhood can also tip off unique expectations if you’ve worked in that area in the past or are familiar with that builder’s tendencies.

From the client’s view point, needing to answer more robust questions to get to the quote reveals a knowledge base that they may not have been expecting. Simply showing that you are informed on the nuances of your profession here shows clients much more than a quick quote. Additionally, business owners would be wise to ask about how the caller found their number during the initial inquiry. Was it through a Google search? A referral from a friend? Somewhere else? Knowing what outlets are getting your name out there can help your business whether you book the job or not.

Discuss Your Process
After introductions and asking questions, offering to explain the full process of your services should be an essential step of every call. In residential inspections, homebuyers or sellers may look for an inspection simply because someone advised them to do so. Chances are actually pretty high that your explanation of the process could be the first time that the caller hears what your service is and why it is necessary.

If a caller still decides to get other quotes, that first clean and clear run-down of what the service actually is will stick with them and, in all likelihood, they will defer back to the person that took the time to explain it to them. Becoming an expert in your profession is one thing, but being able to describe the service to someone unfamiliar with the industry is often what separates successful businesses from the ones that are still finding their footing.

Note: Finding the right way to schedule a job can also be a time to encourage a caller to make a commitment. Rather than ask the caller for their preferred date, offer them a specific day and time that works in your schedule. It may be shocking, but taking this small decision off their plate with the assumption that they’ll book with you can have a massive impact on overall conversions.

Explain What Differentiates You From The Competition
The goal of many of the points mentioned in this article is basically to get a conversation going. In any service industry, people will tend to give business to anyone that they’ve developed a previous relationship with. Meeting someone new over the afford doesn’t allow for much time to build up a rapport, so business owners should take special consideration on what they can bring up in their limited window to help them stand out from their competition.

If you offer a special warranty or unique promotion, be sure to mention that during your conversation. If you are active in your community, or your business has a special relationship with another organization, it may be wise to bring that up as well. Anything that helps get your unique values across to the caller will result in you becoming the memorable, natural option.

Note: When discussing your values, bring up a story that exemplifies how your business specifically prioritizes these things. Stories are far more memorable in general, and are much more convincing than a simple claim, so rather than saying you value honesty or integrity, remember to bring up a specific example instead! Click here to learn more about how learning to tell stories can benefit your business.

Convert On The Conversion
Employing these strategies into your phone calls will surely help your ability to convert a price shopper into a paying client, but why stop there? Happy, satisfied clients can benefit your business beyond a single basic service, so consider bringing up your add-on services if they are relevant to the client. The key here is to be genuine about these additional services - if you don’t truly believe that you’re adding value to your client, then don’t force something on them that they don’t want or need.

Take time to describe future services that they might want to have on their radar, and check with them to see if they’d like a reminder email or follow-up phone call six months or a year down the line. If you’ve established a good rapport with the client, a single job could lead to another, and consistently requesting reviews further turns that client’s positive experience into a convincing endorsement for future business. Calls asking for quotes can seem tedious, and too many of them without booking is certainly discouraging. But with the right mindset and strategy in place, that first phone call can be a pathway for success!

Did you know that National Property Inspections offers training and opportunities for franchisees to practice and improve upon their public speaking and relationship building skills? Learn more about the benefits of franchising with NPI today with a free info packet.

About the Author
Kimberly Stevens, Marketing & Business Coach
The baby of eight children, Kimberly learned quickly to master the art of communication in order to be heard. She has been with NPI for more than 15 years and is passionate about getting to know our franchisees. Kimberly is a certified marketing and business coach, trainer and speaker, leading training seminars, one-to-one coaching and more. She's a high-energy, fiery red head and an eternal optimist. Her greatest joy is celebrating our franchisees’ victories!