Hey do you guys know of any resources regarding tree service sales training? I'd love to study more and up my game this year during the winter lull. Looking for books, websites, webinars, videos etc.
Sales Training
- Thread starter mikewhite85
- Start date
Help Support Arborist Forum:
Or perhaps you have advice and tips from practices you personally utilize and find helpful.
My sales training:
1) know what you are doing
2) treat people nice
3) offer a reasonable price
4) do great work
5) be respectful to the neighbors when you are doing the work
6) clean up well
7) return phone calls
I've had no formal sales training. We do almost no advertising. Most of our calls are referrals. All I need to do is show up and give a reasonable quote and the job is mine. We end up with work from about 75-85% of visits.
No "sales techniques" or phrases like:
*This is special price I can only give you if you sign now
*When can we begin?
*I'm sure you'll agree this is your best option
1) know what you are doing
2) treat people nice
3) offer a reasonable price
4) do great work
5) be respectful to the neighbors when you are doing the work
6) clean up well
7) return phone calls
I've had no formal sales training. We do almost no advertising. Most of our calls are referrals. All I need to do is show up and give a reasonable quote and the job is mine. We end up with work from about 75-85% of visits.
No "sales techniques" or phrases like:
*This is special price I can only give you if you sign now
*When can we begin?
*I'm sure you'll agree this is your best option
One more note: our goal isn't to "upsell" anything or add extra services. If I see something really noteworthy, I'll almost apologize "I know you didn't call me out to look at this, and I know nobody likes the call from a mechanic when you bring your car in for an oil change and they want to do another $1000 worth of work...but I'd be equally upset if my brakes fail next week because he didn't tell me they were in bad shape... So with that, I do want you to know that I noticed _________".
mike515
ArboristSite Operative
*Well, I just read everything I wrote in the post and it's quite long but I hope some of you can use some of what I've shared.
I don't want to pat myself on the back but I've been doing sales for a long time and my personality suits me very well for that job. I can tell you this.....I have no gimmicks. No tricks to get them to sign with me. I am just trying to be myself. I'm honest and they know it because, first of all, I have a reputation for that and secondly, I regularly talk people out of high dollar removal jobs and into much cheaper solutions to whatever is going on if that is appropriate. I'm trying to create a relationship, not sell a single tree job.
Next thing.....show up! Be at the appointment on time and prepared. Let them know what you're going to do, when you're going to do it and then follow through. I can't tell you how many easy sales I've got because someone else didn't show up or the customer has been waiting for another company for 3 or 4 months and they won't return their calls. Happens all the time. Easiest thing in the world....just show up when you say you will be there.
I also educate them without talking down to them. You don't need to tell them every single thing you know but be prepared to back up your advice with some easy-to-understand reasoning. I also emphasize our dedication to safety.
This next thing is probably one of the most effective things I do (which I don't think of as a gimmick because a gimmick doesn't seem genuine to me and I am 100% genuine while doing this). I never want to talk down the competition but I do want to separate myself and give reasons why we're different. So I when I show up, I have a binder that has copies of our insurance certificates and all of our licensing. I'm not going to say the guys down the street pay their guys cash and don't carry work comp but I'm going to prove to you that we do and tell you why it matters. I also tell them that whoever they hire should be able to prove to them that they have insurance, etc. Don't just take their word. I never say the other guys don't have much experience but I will tell them that my first job after graduating high school was working on a tree crew and I'm still doing it. I also tell them that they should get at least 3 estimates. I tell them what the most important questions are that they should be asking each company. I tell them if I think there is an obvious way that someone will try to up-sell them unnecessarily or screw them over some other way. This is the most important part......try to figure out your own way of saying something like this....and don't say it like a script....."You guys are about to spend a lot of money. It's important for you to get some estimates. Don't let anyone rush you into making a decision. Ask the questions that we talked about, take your time and talk it over and decide who you feel most comfortable working with. And if that person ins't me.....that's ok. It's your money and you should feel 100% comfortable with who your working with"
After everything I just said...how often do you think they trust someone else more than me? A lot of times, they will say something like "We don't need to talk to anyone else. We already know we want to hire you". This works because I am being completely honest with them and I'm willing to put what I say and do up against anyone else they call.
Here's a couple of little bonus nuggets...
Know when to shut up! It's ok if they are telling you about something they are passionate about and they are wrong. Just let them say whatever they want to say and then get to your estimate.
If you're looking for an easy ice breaker.....I look for things we have in common. I might go into the back yard with them and say "Oh....that's a sweet kayak! Where do you guys like to boat at?" It's not a gimmick. I like kayaking and it's a connection. Let them talk about it if they want to. It's an honest way of making them see you as a little bit more of a person and not just some salesman.
So all of that was pretty long but it's what I do all the time. There are plenty of different ways to do this but this is just how I do it. It works for me because it's never scripted or fake. It's fluid and always different. I've never had any formal training in sales. Just years of doing it. It's just my personality and me just having an easy conversation with you.
I don't want to pat myself on the back but I've been doing sales for a long time and my personality suits me very well for that job. I can tell you this.....I have no gimmicks. No tricks to get them to sign with me. I am just trying to be myself. I'm honest and they know it because, first of all, I have a reputation for that and secondly, I regularly talk people out of high dollar removal jobs and into much cheaper solutions to whatever is going on if that is appropriate. I'm trying to create a relationship, not sell a single tree job.
Next thing.....show up! Be at the appointment on time and prepared. Let them know what you're going to do, when you're going to do it and then follow through. I can't tell you how many easy sales I've got because someone else didn't show up or the customer has been waiting for another company for 3 or 4 months and they won't return their calls. Happens all the time. Easiest thing in the world....just show up when you say you will be there.
I also educate them without talking down to them. You don't need to tell them every single thing you know but be prepared to back up your advice with some easy-to-understand reasoning. I also emphasize our dedication to safety.
This next thing is probably one of the most effective things I do (which I don't think of as a gimmick because a gimmick doesn't seem genuine to me and I am 100% genuine while doing this). I never want to talk down the competition but I do want to separate myself and give reasons why we're different. So I when I show up, I have a binder that has copies of our insurance certificates and all of our licensing. I'm not going to say the guys down the street pay their guys cash and don't carry work comp but I'm going to prove to you that we do and tell you why it matters. I also tell them that whoever they hire should be able to prove to them that they have insurance, etc. Don't just take their word. I never say the other guys don't have much experience but I will tell them that my first job after graduating high school was working on a tree crew and I'm still doing it. I also tell them that they should get at least 3 estimates. I tell them what the most important questions are that they should be asking each company. I tell them if I think there is an obvious way that someone will try to up-sell them unnecessarily or screw them over some other way. This is the most important part......try to figure out your own way of saying something like this....and don't say it like a script....."You guys are about to spend a lot of money. It's important for you to get some estimates. Don't let anyone rush you into making a decision. Ask the questions that we talked about, take your time and talk it over and decide who you feel most comfortable working with. And if that person ins't me.....that's ok. It's your money and you should feel 100% comfortable with who your working with"
After everything I just said...how often do you think they trust someone else more than me? A lot of times, they will say something like "We don't need to talk to anyone else. We already know we want to hire you". This works because I am being completely honest with them and I'm willing to put what I say and do up against anyone else they call.
Here's a couple of little bonus nuggets...
Know when to shut up! It's ok if they are telling you about something they are passionate about and they are wrong. Just let them say whatever they want to say and then get to your estimate.
If you're looking for an easy ice breaker.....I look for things we have in common. I might go into the back yard with them and say "Oh....that's a sweet kayak! Where do you guys like to boat at?" It's not a gimmick. I like kayaking and it's a connection. Let them talk about it if they want to. It's an honest way of making them see you as a little bit more of a person and not just some salesman.
So all of that was pretty long but it's what I do all the time. There are plenty of different ways to do this but this is just how I do it. It works for me because it's never scripted or fake. It's fluid and always different. I've never had any formal training in sales. Just years of doing it. It's just my personality and me just having an easy conversation with you.
In Yeah, that’s pretty much what I do, just my natural thing- while telling them what I think needs to be done with their trees.
“Are those cross country skis”!!?? The MDS loves to cross country ski”!!
“Are those cross country skis”!!?? The MDS loves to cross country ski”!!
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