Wood Flooring Salesmanship: How I Make My Customers Money
If you are with your client in their home and you are both looking down on a worn-out carpet or bare subfloor, they have a decision to make, and you have vital information to convey to them regarding the importance of the decision they are about to make.
Purchasing floor coverings can be up there as the third-biggest purchase behind the house and car that a lot of people will make in their lives. We as timber floor professionals do have a responsibility to give truthful and correct information, and the best part? Timber floors are usually the right choice. Here’s why.
If the client needs new carpet for their $400K home, they may spend $8-$10K on a nice carpet, but their home will still be worth only $400K. They are now $8-10K worse off. Simple math.
If you do a nice timber floor, they may spend double that: $16-20K. Now the first thing to explain to your customer is that they are not spending $16-20K with you, they are spending up to $10K anyhow. So all you are asking for is the DIFFERENCE between the carpet/tiles/vinyl or whatever they need as upkeep of their home. I’ve often been with clients and they’ve gone, “Man, $30K is so much money!” The first thing to remind them? “You’re spending $15K; that’s gone out of your bank account already. The only question to ask yourself is, “Should you spend the extra $15K on this timber floor?” It’s a lot easier to get someone to spend $15K than $30K. They need something on their floor; I’ve never sold a $30K floor, just a $15K upgrade. Much easier!
The next thing to explain is that if they get one of your floors, their home will be worth more after it’s done. The end. No questions asked.
Once that’s out of the way and your client understands it, the next thing to explain is that if they get one of your floors, their home will be worth more after it’s done. The end. No questions asked. This is not a new theory. This is a fact.
I would go as far as to say that most of my customers have more money after I’m done, after they have given me 20, 30, 50 or 80 thousand dollars. I know the job I do I will add more equity to their home than what they have spent.
Think about that, let it sink in. Your client buys carpet. They are worse off after the transaction. If they buy from you, it’s just the extra you’re asking for. Then once you’re done, they will be financially better off.
On the above example there are two options:
1 – $400K home with carpet. They are $8K worse off.
2 – $400K home with timber. Now that’s a $420K+ home.
Selling your timber floor is easy. Just have the clients’ best interests at heart, and you will continue to successfully—and ethically—help people and get paid handsomely for it.
Check out the original article here.