Confidence in Selling

Painting contractors often complain about a customer's unwillingness to pay for quality work. Many contractors believe that they must drive their price as low as possible in order to secure work. But this is a road to disaster. More importantly, it isn't necessary.

One of the biggest obstacles to getting the right price is the contractor himself. When he believes that price wins jobs, he acts accordingly. And in our current economic climate, the pressure seems to be even higher.

Successful sales is largely about confidence. That confidence extends beyond just the ability to deliver the product or service. It includes one's ability to communicate the value offered.

Customers will pay more money if they perceive a greater value. But if he does not see a greater value, he sees no reason to spend more money. Because customers do not buy paint jobs regularly, they are not always aware of the many factors that go into a professional paint job. As a salesman, it is your job to communicate these factors and how they benefit the customer.

Sales does not need to be a slick, high pressure process. It should be an educational process. Learn what your customer wants and needs, and then teach him why your solution and company can satisfy him.

 

Sales is largely an issue of confidence—in our service or product, in our ability to deliver, and in our price. If we lack confidence in any area, our sales suffer. That lack of confidence is communicated in subtle ways.

Our goal as a salesman (and we are all salesmen if we sell paint jobs) is to create a win- win. I think it is easy to forget this, and allow ourselves to be trapped into a win- lose. And in that case, we are the loser.

We are in business to make a profit. We shouldn’t be afraid to address that with our customers. If we don’t make a profit, we probably won’t be around to service them in the future. Does the customer really want that? I don’t think so.

There is nothing wrong with stating the benefit we gain from a particular deal. In fact, I think that honesty goes a long way to winning over a customer (if it is done with some tact). But that takes confidence. That requires that we truly believe that we are creating a win- win, and that we have a right to win.

 

Out of the Bucket.com is proud to announce our latest E-Book, Estimating for Success.
 

Many painting contractors are worried about the slowing economy. With new construction decreasing, contractors who specialize in that area are entering the repaint market. Tighter credit and other concerns are causing many home owners to delay painting projects.

For many contractors, their concern focuses on surviving this slow down. But a savvy contractor can use this time to do more than merely survive—he can actually thrive.

It’s fairly easy to thrive in a booming economy. Jobs seem to fall into our lap. However, these situations are always temporary, and they can instill a false sense of confidence. Solid business practices however, work in any kind of economy.

Leads are the life blood of a contracting company. Leads create sales. And marketing creates leads.

The key to thriving in a slower economy is marketing. A solid marketing plan—one that is carefully thought out and executed—will generate leads. It is never too late to start marketing, unless of course, you are out of business. And one way to avoid that tragic fate is to market.