Sales Coach

Drill 5 · 3 min

Three options tied to what they told you

Start the drill

Why it matters

This is the moment you present the customer's choices. Most techs get it wrong in one of two ways. Some give one option and nothing else.

Others read three options off the tablet, cheapest to most expensive, with the same speech they give everyone. Either way, the customer can't tell which choice fits them. Here's what the customer wants at this point.

They want a real choice, and they want to know which one you would pick for them. Options only mean something when they're tied to what the customer told you. So think back to discovery.

Give each option in a sentence or two, and connect it to something they said: who lives there, how long they're staying, what worries them. Be honest about who each option is not for. Then recommend one, the honest best fit, and give the reason in their words.

In this drill, Margaret asks about her choices. Give her three, and recommend one.

How it sounds

  1. Customer

    Well, I suppose if it has to be replaced, what are my choices?

  2. Tech

    There are three. The first is a standard tank like the one you have, with a six-year warranty. For one person who plans to stay, it does the job well.

  3. Customer

    And what about the other two?

  4. Tech

    The second is the same size with a ten-year warranty, and it heats back up faster. The third is tankless. It never runs out, but for one shower a day, you'd be paying for more than you need.

  5. Customer

    Oh my. So which one makes the most sense for me?

  6. Tech

    The standard one. You told me you want something reliable without spending more than you have to. That's the one that fits.

To pass

  • Present all three options as real choices, each in a sentence or two
  • Connect at least two of them to something Margaret said
  • Recommend one option with a reason that fits her
  • Do not describe tankless or the premium option as required

Your customer

Margaret Ellis

Retiree on a fixed income

Present the three options. Tie each one to something Margaret told you, and recommend the one that fits her best.

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