How do you breakdown roadblocks when qualifying prospects over the phone?
![AK Complete Home Renovations](https://cdn-fastly.hometalk.com/media/profile/2021/08/22/19254_1.jpg?size=91x91)
A business coach once told me that 60% of all people are visual and 20% are kinesthetic. That means 80% of all of our prospects are not comfortable with an over-the-phone pre-qualifying interview. Big challenge – how do we break down that roadblock? As remodelers we have to pre-qualify or we will be spinning our wheels on a lot of unnecessary appointments. Just the other day a man called wanting help on a complete interior/exterior home remodel and his budget was $40,000. We have to know this upfront to save the prospect frustration and time. And, we remodelers don't want to waste our time or money either.
So, how do we approach the average person who is not going to want to take time to talk over the phone? The same business coach suggested we make the process extremely concise. People who call are not expecting to stay on the phone. They are busy so explain the process fast. Tell them you need to gather some information over the phone and that it will take 5 to 7 minutes. Ask if it is a good time to talk or if they prefer you call back when it's more convenient. That way the ball is in their court. When you do the interview, get to the point - ask the pertinent questions. When I reschedule a call, I often find that folks are relaxed expecting to take a little time. Often they don't seem like the same stressed individual who first called me.
Talking about money is never easy but it is critical as shown by the example above. Using bracketing can help a prospect who has not consciously nailed down their budget. Example: Do you want to spend between $100,000 to $125,000? Answer: No, I really don't want to go over $95,000. It's a good way to discover their budget since many folks will say, "I don't even know what something like this should cost." They may not, but they always have an investment limit in mind. If the prospect is unfamiliar with remodeling costs in the area, I often refer them to costvsvalue.com. This is an invaluable, unbiased tool from Remodeling. This impartial website informs potential clients what similar projects cost in their area of the country. They are educated on what to expect to spend in a very non-threatening way.
If all goes well and we proceed to setting the appointment, I provide a copy of my notes for them via email. This gives the prospects a chance to add to the notes or to correct any misperceptions before the onsite meeting.
(Kathy Shertzer: Navigating the Pre-qualifying Roadblocks)
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Woodbridge Environmental Tiptophouse.com on May 04, 2012
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