Considering What the House, Not the Homeowner, Needs
Remodeling Hall of Fame member Mark Richardson of Case Design & Remodeling recently offered a new approach to sales in the current housing slump. He noted that the best responses sales teams at his firm received occurred when the project focused less on homeowner wants and more on what the house needed to best perform.
How could eliminating the desires of homeowners from sales pitch succeed? For a few reasons, said Richardson:
- People are conserving their cash right now,
- But they are also motivated to protect their most worthwhile asset: their house.
- The average U.S. home is at least 32 years old and coming due for repairs or upgrades.
Essentially, in tough economic times, with less money and higher energy costs, recreating a home to perform better for its owners is a wise sales approach. Sure the homeowner may want a new bathroom or kitchen, but that’s just not in the cards right now. But efficiency upgrades — insulation, windows, doors, passive solar design, and other remodeling projects that could in fact save money and preserve the home in the long run — these are winning points.
Tags: approach, contractor, efficiency, home, homeowner, Interviews, marketing, motivation, pitch, upgrades
May 29th, 2009 at 10:03 am
[...] What if the art of soliciting work was less about what you say but more about what you ask? Instead of always focusing on what to say next — talking to yourself rather than truly listening to the prospective client — you would be actively engaged in the process by focusing on client needs. [...]