How to Sell Big Ticket Projects WITHOUT Stumbling on Price
Greetings!
Customers often have no clue what things cost. They have a long list of wants and needs, and don't often have a sense of how that adds up into a project cost.
Good salespeople know how to guide customers through "sticker shock" and get them to make the investments they want to make in their landscape.
Here are some tips to increase your success of making the sale:
Focus on Goals and Needs, Not a Budget Number. Find out as much as you can about what their goals are. How will the project enhance their enjoyment of the landscape and their home? Customers always have a sense of what they want and how they want it to look. Let them talk.
Make the Vision Tangible. The more that you can show samples, sketches, designs and other materials that bring the project to life, the more confidence you will build in the customers mind.
Be Up Front about the Investment. Great results come with a price. But they deliver satisfaction for years and years to come. Don't be shy about charging what you need to charge. Sell the results and the enjoyment they'll gain for years to come.
You Don't Need to Be the Low Price Guy. You never want to win the project purely by a low price. When the shock of needing to spend more than they expected comes (and many, many customers will spend more than they expected), they're more likely to turn to the contractor that they liked and trusted in the initial meetings.
Let us help you sell with confidence!
The Team at MPR Supply
Prepare to Sell More Landscape Lighting This Fall, Here's How
When the leaves fall, landscape lighting sales rise. As days get shorter, the need for proper lighting in outdoor areas becomes more obvious. With the growing season coming to a close, it's a great time to start promoting lighting. Here are three great ways to boost lighting sales: 1) Motivate current customers. You'll be surprised by how many inquiries you receive for professionally-installed lighting simply by letting your existing customers know you offer the service. Include stuffers in your fall invoices. Leave flyers behind when you do fall fertilization and irrigation winterization service visits. Send an email campaign to your clients.
2) Sell with show-and-tell. Demo installations are a great way for clients to experience the full impact of professional lighting in a portion of their landscape. Identify some key clients where you can set up a trial system using a demo kit. (If you need a demo kit, ask us.) The key to a good demo is to leave it in place for at least a week, so the customer can experience it for several nights. Use a photocell to switch the lights on and off automatically.
3) Always offer the lighting option. The contractors who do best with lighting are the ones who offer it with every project. Persistence and repetition pay off. Experienced pros know that even if only 2 out of 10 customers say yes, they've increased their sales up to 20%. Whether they're installing plantings, irrigation or performing lawn renovation, leading landscape lighting professionals never fail to propose lighting.
Remember, They Want to Buy!
Agonizing over a sales presentation? Don't. The prospect called you for a presentation. Assume they're going to buy and get on with it. Few consumers have time to make appointments with multiple companies and to sit through multiple boring presentations. They want to find someone who can take care of their need and get on with it.
Some customers have a tough time making decisions. Be a consultant and make recommendations. Help the customer choose the best options.
Use an assumptive close approach. Don't whip out the contract and ask for a signature. Instead, talk about "next steps" (when to start, where the workers should begin, where the materials might be staged when delivered).
You'll be surprised how often you get the order!
Let MPR Help You Be Ready for Holiday Decorating Success
It's time to implement your plan to maximize your profits from holiday decorating services. Here are three things to do to prepare for a great season:
1) Understand the opportunity. You need to only do a handful of holiday decor installations to make a substantial addition to your bottom line. Start planning ahead by asking your customers about their service needs when you visit this month.
2) Get familiar with products - and plan your needs. From light sets in all sizes, types and colors to greenery and wreaths, we have it all.
We select our products to be of the highest quality for professionals. No "homeowner grade" look-alikes here.
3) Order marketing materials. Let your customers know you will be offering holiday decorating services. Order stuffers for your fall invoices. Plan e-blasts and social media posts. Order yard signs and magnetic signs for your trucks.
Browse our early order program for holiday decorating supplies
LASCO Tip: Why Threads Fail
In this helpful technical article from LASCO Fittings, discover the forces that cause failure in threaded pipe connections and how to take steps to control them in your installations.Click here to download the full article PDF
Planning a Decoder System? We're The Experts!
We can provide the right wire, grounding supplies and splices Decoder systems bring today's contractor Many benefits:
Save wire and installation costs. Operate 99+ stations with only two wires instead of 100+ wires. Save connectors and labor associated with individual zone wire runs.
Increase system design and installation flexibility. Zones can be added later by inserting additional decoders into the path at any point, with minimum disruption of turf and landscape. Decoder wire runs can even be spliced and tee'd to follow pipe trenches and minimize wasted wire.
Caution: not following correct wiring, grounding and splicing procedures is often a cause of failure and nagging service issues. Use the wiring specifications provided by the manufacturer and select a cable that is compatible with their equipment.
It is never advised to use leftover wire from one project with another brand of system. Nor will it work to substitute plain wire for the specialized cable required for reliable communication within the system. There are many cases where the contractor had to go back and install the correct cable to make the system work properly.
We work closely with Regency Wire and Cable to provide you with manufacturer-approved wire, grounding equipment (plates, rods and grounding material) and 3M brand splices commonly required for your decoder project. Rely on us to get you the materials to make it work right!
Don't Forget the Artificial Grass Installation Checklist
Have you ever stepped back from a job just to see the newly installed lawn look like a patchwork quilt with the grass blades pointing in different directions? Hopefully, the answer is no. In cases where the answer is yes, an important part of the installation process - the planning phase, may have been overlooked.
So, as a friendly reminder to all the hard-working crews out there: before the work commences, check the pre-installation checklist. Things to include are: drainage, edging, heavy usage areas, and orientation of the grass blades. Watch this helpful video on things you and your crew will need before starting a new job.
Keep in mind that the artificial grass does have a grain, which means that the grass blades look different from different directions. Make sure to plan the direction of the grass before you start the job, or else you will end up with a mismatched lawn and a very unhappy customer.
To learn more about how to best pre-plan an installation and work with oddly shaped yards to minimize seams and transitions, watch this EasyTurf video
To learn more about EasyTurf, please visit ultimategrass.com
DryConn® DBR/Y-600: Best in Class for Irrigation, Golf and 2-Wire Applications
We know you take pride in your work, and strive to use high quality materials. It's the simplest way to reduce liability risk, decrease call backs, and improve relationships. When it comes to quality in wire connectors for golf and two wire applications, the DryConn® DBR/Y-600 is the leader. This UL 486D Listed waterproof wire connector far surpasses similar items in the marketplace. Here's why:- Waterproofing: The DBR/Y tube housing holds a whopping 74% more silicone than similar connectors-specifically, that's 14.75mL of fill versus a meager 8.5mL.
- Pullout Performance: During tedious testing, it was determined that the DBR/Y consistently performs 10% better in pullout testing than competing connectors.
- Connector Design: The Gorilla Nut inside each DBR/Y has a square cut spring to grip wires, and a cushioned exterior for comfortable grip.
- Made in the USA: DryConn connectors are carefully crafted at the King Innovation headquarters in O'Fallon, MO where quality processes + quality materials = superior products.
Check out the video for more info on how to make quality connections with the DBR/Y-600.