Note:

• Before doing the steps, be sure that you get yourself at the moment and be present for your business.

Step 1: First impressions.

• How do you make the best impression on your customers?
  • Look like a professional.
     
  • Check how you look before you leave home.
     
• Give your customers time to prepare for you.
   
• There is a correlation between how you care for yourself and how your customers perceive you.
   
• Remember that the accumulation of small things like this provides better results.

Step 2: Gathering information.

• Listen to your customers.
   
• Know about their needs and wants.
   
• Know their fears.
  • Have they experienced a bad service before from a competitor in your industry?
     
• Understand that your customers don't need to talk to you to communicate.
   
• Their body language will leave some hints about them.
   
• When you're at this stage, you need to drop all your filters and be present.
  • Absorb what your customers are telling you.
     
  • Keep the information in mind, or even take some notes so you can loop back to it when needed.
     
• Start with asking rapport-building questions followed by business-focused/problem-focused questions.
   
• Rapport-building question examples:
  • Ask about something in their property that you like, and you think has value to them.

Step 3: Building up your options sheet.

• This step is also about dropping down your filters and putting your clients' shoes to be able to see things as they see them.
  • With this, you can create an options sheet that is tailored for their needs and wants.
     
• Think of it as crafting multiple solutions for your customer's one problem and letting them choose among these solutions (good, better, best).
  • Otherwise, if you only create one solution for them, it might lead to a "yes or no" situation.
     
  • Having these options also lets you secure your profit while providing better services to your clients.

Step 4: Presenting your options.

• Establish your database.
  • Have a membership, loyalty card, and other similar system in place to build your database.
     
  • While building your database, you also make your customers feel valued with this.
     
  • Use this to craft a "preferred-pricing tier" for customers who sign up for your program.
     
• When you bring your clients to sign up with your program, presenting your options naturally comes after.
   
• This also makes a great reason to be in touch with your customers as it adds value to your services.
   
• This step also ensures that you have a continuous relationship with your customers.

Step 5: Handling objections.

• Treat objections as customers showing interest in your business.
   
• Avoid escalating objections into arguments. Instead, learn the effective way of communication to turn the table.
   
• Few scripts in response to objections:
  • Why do you feel that way?
     
  • Why do you say that?
     
  • Compared to what?
     
• Be sure to have thorough follow-up answers and explanations.
   
• If the customer asks for you to break down your expenses, provide them with your labour, overhead, and material expenses. That would suffice if they are arguing about your pricing.

Step 6: Closing the sale.

• This step is your identifier whether you'll have a business transaction, or not.
   
• When you're trying to close a sale, make it seem like you're inviting them to buy instead of making it plainly sound like you're closing a sale.
  • Most people like to buy things but hate to be sold things.
     
  • Think of it as your way to open new relationships with your customers.
     
• Sample phrases:
  • "If everything makes sense to you so far, all I need is your signature here to get started."
     
  • "If I could do that, would you proceed straight away?" (Best for someone who's trying to negotiate a little bit).
     
• Deliver your product/service and make sure you do this to a world-class standard.

Step 7: Feedback, testimonials, and referrals.

• If you're serious about your business, you plan on its growth.
   
• Feedback, testimonials, and referrals fuel up this business growth.
   
• Having these will let you know what things you've done badly, and what things you've excellently delivered.
  • From there, self-correct to improve.
     
• Seek constructive feedback.
  • Do not simply ask your customers to rate you from one to ten.
     
  • Instead, ask them as well how they think you should do better to rank highest.
     
• If you're confident that you've delivered a world-class product/service to your customer, and you've asked for their feedback, you're totally entitled to ask for a referral.
   
• It is also a good move to sow seeds in your customers that you'll be asking for referral after you've delivered.
  • Start providing hints during the earlier steps.
     
  • This way, you'll have them expecting that you'll soon ask for referrals.
    • How did you hear about us?
       
    • Did you find us online or did someone refer you to us?

System Notes

• Keep in mind that sales are your business's way to provide help to your clients to solve their problems.
   
• It is always crucial to seek a win-win outcome.
   
• Know your worth. Don't undercharge and don't do your job for free.
  • The way you could help your customers is not by doing your job for free.
     
  • You're helping them by turning up on time, by communicating effectively, by cleaning up after you're done, by following up, and by offering labour warranties, to name a few.