Written By: Brendan Reid
Discovering what homeowners don’t like about their homes’ comfort is essential.
You can use this pain to create trust & rapport. Then, you can create a custom solution that differentiates you from the other guys and increases revenue.
Probably the worst way to ask is the way I hear used most often: “Do you have any hot or cold spots in your house?”
Are you using it too?
It’s amazing how often the homeowner comes back with “Not really, everything’s fine.” When in fact, they really do have issues.
Tip #1: Ask “WHICH ROOM” not “DO YOU HAVE”
“Say Mary, how’s the house doing comfort-wise? … On the hottest summer days, which is the hottest room in the house?”
Asking “which room” focuses their mind and usually gets a clear answer. Prefacing it with a gradual lead-in primes the pump for the question. It helps them visualize and remember their pain.
Tip #2: Ask About Summer and Winter Separately
“And in the winter, is the coldest and draftiest room the same one, or is it a different room?”
You’ll always get more engagement by asking these 2 questions back to back than by blending them. It’s easier for them to visualize and “re-wallow” in their pain. And in many homes, the uncomfortable room is different in different seasons.
Tip #3: Expand Using The “I NOTICE” Technique
“Mary, I notice you have a two-story home. A lot of my other customers tell me their upstairs is always too hot in the summer. Is that the case for you too?”
This approach builds your credibility as an expert who has been in hundreds of homes and is keeping his eyes open and noticing what’s specific about the customer’s home. The phrasing uses the persuasion principle of “social proof”. People will more readily admit to a pain when they find out they too are a card-carrying member of the “people who have a hot second floor” club!
Here are a couple variations of this technique you can use:
- “We’re over the garage, right? A lot of my other customers tell me bonus rooms like this are a really tough area to cool. Is that the case for you too?”
- “I notice your TV room is at the far end of the house from the furnace. A lot of my other customers tell me this is a really tough area to heat. Is that the case for you too?”
Try these approaches next time you are interviewing a client. Always pinpoint their pain before promoting your product.
For more information on how CI can help you improve your customers’ home comfort and your sales and profits, visit www.comfortinstitute.org/business