4 May How Should You Handle Price Shoppers? May 4, 2021 By sma Business Tips, Marketing client satisfaction, entrepreneur, inspection industry, small business 0 HOW SHOULD YOU HANDLE PRICE SHOPPERS? May 4, 2021 | Business Tips, Marketing | client satisfaction, inspection industry, small business, entrepreneur By Roland Bates, NPI, Inc.'s Founder & CEO Everyone loves to save money where they can. We clip coupons, pinch pennies, and always keep an eye out for a great deal. As a business owner, you’ll more than likely deal with this situation regularly. At first it can be a bit of an annoyance, but as you encounter it more, it turns into frustration. It’s hard to find the right balance between helping clients out and completely undercutting your business. So how should you deal with super savers in your industry? Don’t completely shut them off at first. While you can definitely walk away from a deal that isn’t in your best interest, don’t turn away shoppers right away. Success as a home inspector relies largely on how you treat longtime and prospective clients. Being too brash can give you a negative reputation that could make future clients look somewhere else. Although you may be dealing with your umpteenth price shopper of the day, repeating the same information, it could be their first time speaking directly with an inspector. Keep them talking to understand what their situation is and what they’re looking for. Even if you don’t reach an agreement, you’ll feel better knowing that you parted ways on a positive note. Sell yourself through educating callers. When looking to hire someone, most prospective clients head straight to the internet to do a little research. Yet we all know that information online doesn’t always paint the full picture, especially when it comes to the value of your services. Remember that you’re a professional in your field with intricate knowledge of the importance of what you do. Talking with your prospective client is the perfect opportunity to educate them! Explain why a home inspection is crucial and how what you offer may differ from what a competitor is doing. Remind them that buying a property is a major investment, and paying a bit now is much better than paying a lot when something goes wrong. They’ll walk away more knowledgeable and ideally see the advantages of not cutting corners. Direct them to additional information. If a caller wants to know more than you have time for, or if you want to cut down the amount of shopping inquiries you get, send them to any additional resources you have. This could be something as simple as an FAQ sheet you email to them or have posted on your website. Instead of spending time responding to multiple calls and emails, you have one central place to refer them to. It’ll make your day less hectic and give your customers good first-hand knowledge about your business. Always know when to walk away. As painful as it is to turn down business, you have to know when to say no. After negotiating, if you don’t think you can reach common ground, then it’s time to walk away. You don’t want to devalue what you offer by making an extreme exception for one person. Accommodate customers as best as you can, but above all, don’t sacrifice your business. Competitive pricing is a general business practice, so long as you aren’t cheapening yourself. If you decide that you have to turn someone down, do it politely and leave them with the message that they can always come back. Your attitude towards them is sure to stick out and might even get you business in the future! Interested in starting your own NPI franchise? Contact us today. National Property Inspections has the tools to help you succeed in the property inspection business. Give us a call today at 402-333-9807 to learn more! About the Author Roland Bates, Founder & CEO Roland Bates assists in managing the day-to-day operations of National Property Inspections, Inc. and devotes his time to planning long-term goals for the business. He also works hands-on with new franchise owners, training them on industry practices and business management. Roland’s high energy, willingness to work hard and optimistic outlook are the cornerstones of NPI’s success. His easy manner and family attitude inspire a friendly, upbeat atmosphere within the company. Comments are closed.