Ed. Note: Thanks to Charlie for providing this article. And remember, this isn't about racing to the finish. It's about allocating time in such a way that you maintain control over the sales closing meeting.
Unless the customer wants a lot of small talk, my entire sales call process takes about 90 minutes.
The Confirming Phone Call (1 minute)
This should be kept very short. You’re not trying to get to know each other or learn more about the job.
The Greeting at the Door (2 minutes)
Keep this short and simple. Introduce yourself and hand them two of your business cards. Don’t dawdle. Don’t try to “warm them up.”
The Thermostat (2 minutes)
They usually ask you where you need to go first, and I usually start at the thermostat. Be decisive. While I’m at the thermostat, I ask the first few questions on my questionnaire, then transition over to the kitchen table to complete the questionnaire. Turn the fan to the “on” position.
The Questionnaire (5 minutes)
Have a pre-printed questionnaire, and make sure your customers see it. Don’t do any little mini-sales pitches as they answer the questions. This time at the kitchen table can stretch beyond five minutes. Some people like to chat and get to know you a little better, and some don’t. If they want to chat, then go ahead and chat. If they don’t, then don’t.
The Room-by-room Inspection (5 minutes)
I go to every supply vent in the home and put my hand up to it to check the airflow. This is another part of the sales call that can stretch way beyond five minutes. While you’re going through their home, you may spot an area of common interest, or at least something that they’re interested in, such as collections or trophies. If they want to talk about it, then go ahead and do so.
The Equipment Inspection (15 minutes)
It’s normally accepted that a service technician has more credibility than a salesman. It seemed to me that when I pulled out my nut driver and opened a few access panels on their furnace and condensing unit that I converted in their eyes from salesman to service technician. Leave the access panels off for the time being.
Measure and Draw the Home (10 minutes)
Measure and draw, to scale, on graph paper, every home, every time. Countless graduates of my training have informed me that their customers have told them that they bought from them because they were the only person who measured their home.
When pricing the job, have a standardized price guide to expedite this process. AKA Flat Rate!
Load Calculation (10 minutes)
This is another thing that if you do it on every call you get really fast at it. Running a load calculation puts to bed all the debates on whether or not you’re properly sizing the system.
Determine Energy Savings (2 minutes)
Using www.hvacpcost.com is accurate and quick. While I’m at it, I divide the annual operating cost by the number of hours of operation and get and hourly operating cost. While some customers may not completely agree with the annual operating cost, they’re usually pretty pleased (and impressed) when I tell them the hourly operating cost of their existing system versus the system I’m recommending.
Price the Job (8 minutes)
Have a standardized price guide to expedite this process.
Write Up a Paper Towel Close (5 minutes)
I show them the prices on a plain piece of paper first. Once they’ve got a formal, written proposal, you are no longer needed and it’s just about time for you to leave.
By holding off on providing them with a formal proposal, I can buy a little time if they want to put off making a decision while I write one up.
Presentation (10 minutes)
I tell them a few things about the system I’m recommending and why it fits their individual needs, and I do the same with my company.
Close (5 minutes)
This can stretch way beyond five minutes, depending on how much they want to talk. A couple may want a few minutes alone to talk about it. This is when I excuse myself to go reassemble their equipment.
Post-close (10 minutes)
Usually, people want to engage in a little small talk after they’ve made their decision.
Find Charlie Greer's new article on Processes, HERE.