telephone sales – Home Front Success

Why (and How) to Not Be on Your Phone 24-7!

KickStart: Develop remote workers to answer your service business lines when you (or your office staff) aren’t available. Read on to review the four simple steps to “git ‘er done”…

I’ve been (unjustly) accused of being a bit OCD in my Home Services business!🙄 And yes, too often I was guilty as charged when it came to me personally answering incoming calls on my business line(s)… 24-7!

Steve’s Embarrassing Confession: Even after we were grossing almost $2,000,000.00+ yearly I STILL was answering my business lines… even at home 24-7! In fact, (GULP!😲) I STILL kept on doing this AFTER I sold our company. That’s when my dear wife Sioux blew up! (Hopefully she won’t get mad again reading this- 30 years later!)😡

Sure, you should focus on your business phone. After all, every missed/mishandled call can literally cost you many 1,000’s of dollars in downstream income. But eventually I realized that not every call needed to be answered by me (or any business owner) personally! Instead…

FOCUS on Service Prospects Incoming Phone Calls!

by Steve Toburen

KickStart: Stop treating your business phone as a distraction. Instead, obsess over each and every service inquiry!

When your business phone rings do you: A) ecstatically scream with delight?👍💪💖 B) fall into an anxiety attack?😬 or C) collapse in panicked dread?😨 For all you “B” and “C” folks, let’s move you into the delighted “A” category with a ringing phone!

First, reflect on the HUGE stakes with this caller. I know, you’re thinking, “Ummmm, Steve, I thought you were going to cheer me up. I’m even more freaked out now!” My reply?

Never “Price Match” What Your Service Competitor Charges!

by Steve Toburen

KickStart: Maintain your prices high enough that homeowners routinely wince… and then book the job anyway!

True Confession Time: Steve Toburen is not remotely an accountant and/or a financial planner. In fact, Steve HATES and despises “number crunching” of any type!😡

In fact, I tell each client and every online class I teach: “I’ve always been good at MAKING money. But I’m terrible at counting, tracking or even investing this money!”

And yet, even with this major financial disability I’ve enjoyed a very successful career as the owner of multiple Home Service businesses! I’ve built my (very profitable) success on one informal pricing concept I call…

“PMOT’s” for a Confused Homeowner

by Steve Toburen

KickStart: Pre-orient a confused new residential client on what will you’ll be doing in their home. (#2 in an “intermittent series”- Click HERE for #1.)

“Bewitched, bothered and BEWILDERED?” Folks, it’s not just Ella way back in 1956 that was ““Bewitched, bothered and BEWILDERED”! As a new homeowner nervously awaits your company to service their home they too are “bewildered”! (And very, very CONFUSED!) Think about it…

How to Win Over a ‘Price-Hesitant Residential Caller’

by Steve Toburen

KickStart: When your home service caller says, “Let me think about it…” tactfully respond with a sneaky question to ‘smoke out’ their real concern!

It’s just so darned frustrating! You answered the phone cheerfully, the ‘chemistry’ with your caller was great and they seemed ready to schedule. So, you tried to close the sale and…

Your prospect replied, “Well, let me think about it and I’ll call you back…”

AARGH! Your caller is lying!😡 She’s NOT going to “call you back”!😥 In fact, she’s already checking your competitor’s website while ‘bailing out’ on you! What’s going on?

Get New Residential Customer’s Emails (almost) Every Time!

by Steve Toburen

KickStart: Give a Valid Business Reason for needing a home services caller’s email and your ‘Lead Conversions’ will soar!

Few marketing channels are better than email for staying in touch with your customer base. After all, what’s not to love? Email is easy, immediate, VERY targeted and FREE to you!

I used targeted emails to thank my clients, get their comments on our service and ask (beg?) for online reviews. Even better, I could email my homeowners a reminder that it was time for another service. And have I mentioned all this targeted marketing is FREE?💖 WOO-HOO!

3 phrases to win over an unhappy homeowner!

by Steve Toburen

KickStart: Convert an angry residential client into a Cheerleader by 1) saying “Thank you”, 2) apologizing, and 3) reassuring them. Shocked? Then read on…

You’ve started making the Immediate Quality Check Calls I recently suggested? I’m honored! (And always a bit surprised when clients actually implement what I recommend!) But wait!

UH-OH! You’ve dug up an unhappy customer.😲 However, instead of panicking I want you first to say…

Stop communicating ‘intrusively’

by Steve Toburen

KickStart: When booking their work give your residential customer options on how you should contact them.

All of us (including you, me AND your residential clients) are more stressed (and OUT of control) than ever before!😲 This is why you must help your customers FEEL ‘in control’. (Including on their first nervous phone call inquiring about your services.)

But remember, no customer wants to completely control your work on their home. If they did, the home owner wouldn’t be calling your company. They’d just do the work themselves!

Why (and HOW) you should raise your service prices NOW!

by Steve Toburen

KickStart: ‘Charging more’ let’s you pay more to attract better applicants! (And keep the great team you’ve already built.)

I’ve always pushed my students to “charge more”! Why? After almost 50 years in this industry (I started young!) I’m convinced the vast majority of residential service contractors do not remotely understand the TRUE COST of daily business.

But hey, I’m not really a ‘number crunching accountant’ type of guy! So instead, I just preach to my students:

1) “All other things being equal… its better to have LOTS of money instead of having NO money!!”

How to convert ‘How much…?’ texts into booked jobs!

by Steve Toburen

KickStart: Quickly involve your texting prospects when you interview them using ‘Valid Business Questions’!

Sigh…!👎 Thanks to smartphones the venerable over-the-phone text question “How much do you charge?” can be texted to you… 24-7!🙄 GRRRR!😡

So, ya suck it up, carefully text back with an estimated price and… NO REPLY!😖 So, how can you convert this potentially great lead that texted you? (Without being ‘ghosted’ once you quote a price!)

IMPORTANT: Please do not assume that a “How much…? text means they are a dirty, rotten ‘Price Shopper’! Instead, many wealthy homeowners simply don’t know what else to ask! So they fall back to asking about your pricing!