But you said...
Three of the worst words you will ever hear coming out of your customers mouth. But you said... (fill in the complaint) In new home sales it is not uncommon to start with an enthusiastic customer at paperwork signing, and end with a bitter disgruntled customer at closing. How and why does this happen?
How? - It is because we as sales people have not lived up to our customers expectations.
Why? - Because we did not help our customer to set expectations we can meet or exceed.
This sounds simple, but most of the time difficult to execute. When sales are down we become timid and scared. So desperate to make a sale, our self confidence is down. We are afraid to give our customers any reason to not want to buy from us. So we try to build ourselves and our company up as much as possible. This may work in the short run to get a few extra sales, but in the long run your customer needs more attention because you are spending your time convincing them that they made the right decision. You may miss out on other opportunities by spending your time with an unhappy customer, and your prospects of getting a referral are next to nil.
An oldie but a goodie
One of my last sales managers, a man by the name of Jose Martinez, was so good at making difficult ideas simple. He had a time tested method for managing peoples expectations. He would always say "Remember to under promise and over deliver."
Stick to the plan
If you can follow that simple rule;
1. You will spend less time keeping your customers happy.
2. You will have more time to make more sales.
3 You will receive more referrals from satisfied customers
4. You will make more money
Who doesn't love #4!
Managing your customer's expectations is huge in every profession! Great post.
Yea! #4 is always a favorite of mine too!
Rarely have I ever gone to a closing where the buyers were dissatisfied.....but that has to do with the quality of the builder I represent.....if the builder follow this philosophy and handle after the closing issues, I cannot represent them. Great post.
Rob,
You're right on (or Jose was) with under promise and over deliver...it's about exceeding expectations!
Good post. Thanks for sharing.
I agree with Lynda:
"Under promise.....Over deliver"
Works very well
Rob, people may not always appreciate your candor up front, but it totally pays off long term!
We are in the business of building relationships ... and then new homes.