Sure, when you go out to do a walk through of a building, you’ll be getting the measurements of the rooms and restroom fixture counts….
but the main reason you’re there is to find out what the prospective customer WANTS.
Think about it.
You’re there to ask the questions ranging from basic things such as “How often do you need cleaning?” and “When can we get access to the building to clean”….
to more in-depth ones such as “What cleaning problems have you had in the past you WANT fixed” and “What do you really WANT from a cleaning service?”
Simply put, you’re trying to learn what they WANT.
And the more you ask, the better off you’ll be as long as you do one thing – listen to the answer.
Carefully listen.
Take notes.
Ask follow up questions – to learn even more about their answer, and the possible reasons behind it.
Listening to the full answer and asking follow up questions to learn the WHY behind their answers, will help you learn what this person and their company, is really looking for.
And that is why you’re there.
Because, it’s in learning what they WANT that you can begin to create a custom cleaning program that fits what they WANT best!
Here’s the tricky part.
You may think you know what they NEED!
That’s an easy trap to fall into. You’re experienced. You’re knowledgeable…probably more than they are when it comes to cleaning.
It’s tempting to fall into the “I know what’s best for you.” or “I know what you NEED.” syndrome.
Be careful.
Frankly, trying to convince prospects to buy what you think they NEED, rather than what they WANT, is a recipe for disaster.
The old saying that there’s a lot of struggling salesmen trying to sell what they think people NEED rather than what the customer WANTS – still rings true!
Now, if what a customer WANTS isn’t what you offer, isn’t what you’d like to offer, or isn’t what you’d be proud to offer, then, for crying out loud, don’t do it.
You can’t, and shouldn’t try to be everything to everybody.
For example, if someone wants you to clean their office during the day, one time every other week, and cares only about getting the lowest price possible… well, I don’t know about you, but our philosophy always was – we’re not the ‘right guys’ for them!
You don’t need to offer every possible type of cleaning, during every possible time of the day or night, and, last but not least; no account in the world is worth losing your reputation over.
However, if you do take the time to learn what the customer really WANTS, many times you’ll find you have an opportunity to create a custom program that really “hits the nail on the head!”
And when you do that, you take a big step forward in separating your company from your competition’s ‘one size fits all’ approach.
You Can Do This, You Really Can!
Dan
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