Sales Coach

Drill 4 · 2 min

Showing what you found

Start the drill

Why it matters

This moment is about letting the customer see the problem. Most techs tell instead of show. When the customer says, "I'll take your word for it," they're glad to skip it.

Then the price comes, and all they have is your word. Here's what is really going on. Many homeowners have paid for work they didn't need.

When someone says they wouldn't know what they're looking at, they aren't saying they don't care. They're unsure, and a little embarrassed. Seeing the rust and the water for themselves answers the question they won't ask out loud: is this real?

So make it easy to say yes. Tell them it takes a minute, they don't need to know anything, and you'll point. Show them one or two things and say what each one means.

If they still say no, show them a photo on your phone. In this drill, Margaret says she doesn't need to see it. Make it easy for her to look.

How it sounds

  1. Customer

    Oh, you don't need to show me. I wouldn't know what I'm looking at anyway.

  2. Tech

    You don't need to know a thing. It's right inside the garage door, and I'll point. It takes a minute.

  3. Customer

    Well... all right, if you think I should.

  4. Tech

    See the rust around the bottom, and the water under it? That's coming out of the tank itself. That's why it can't be repaired.

  5. Customer

    Oh my. I had no idea it looked like that.

  6. Tech

    I took photos too, so you'll have them with the estimate. What questions do you have?

To pass

  • Offer again in a way that is easy to accept, and use a photo if she still says no
  • Point to the leak and the rust and say what each one means in plain words
  • Ask what questions she has before moving on

Your customer

Margaret Ellis

Retiree on a fixed income

Margaret says she doesn't need to see it. Make it easy for her to look, then show her the leak.

The drill picks up mid-call. Margaret already knows why you are there.