Biggest sales problem.

[Roo]

Here's one:

Windshield install requires more vehicle down time due to the urethane requiring hours to cure before driving. Windshield repair the truck is driveable the minute the repair is completed.

[SGT]

When you get met with a "I can get a new windshield for that price" type response, remember a lot of these guys are rough. What I mean by that is that the are not polished executives. More than likey worked there way up the ranks and sometimes dont care about the anything but the bottom line. That is okay just make them think a little harder! So when you get a response like that hit them with "Does that price include labor, vehicle downtime and operations impact?" They may care more about those things more than the green thing or any of the other many importantant reasons we know are valid. Try to size up who you are selling to and pitch them accordingly.

[SGT]

Roo,

Great minds think alike. We must have been typing at the same time!

[Frank EU]

Unbelievable. Allow me to vent my thoughts.
It started out being a good topic, but now people are already asking the author to come up with a list of the benefits/features. Think about it. Do you newbies want us, experienced guys, to compose a manual how to start, expand and manage your own local business? How to do sales? All for free of course.
I have those manuals, but there's no way that I will be publishing all the know how here, for free. Come on folks.

Some people don't want to know and hear, but many people in this trade FAIL because this is NOT just about performing superb repairs, it is ALL about sales.
Marketing is extremely important. But THAT is not what you we're told when you purchased the kit right?

If you cannot close the sale, it is pretty useless to start or stay in this business, leave and find something else. If you already started, and you need basic help because you cannot sell, don't feel silly or stupid, let's just hope you've learned something. Not everything is all that easy as it appears.

Many, many people don't want to, for several reasons, or just never thought about it, but they would do so much better if they joined a franchise network,
especially if you need all that simple sort of basic help. I mean, if people not even are able to come up with a list of benefits .....
Join a franchise and PAY for the various types of support, be succesfull and make money. Life is good. If you can close the deals.

[D2D]

And the thing is Frank, all that know how is already here, for free.

When I trained with David Coit a few years back, he said that I was one of only a couple guys that he had trained that really "got it". I was able to understand and put to use what I saw him do.

That said, it bears out that you could reveal the secrets of the universe on this forum or anywhere else, and sadly, hardly anyone would "get it".

I've struggled with the issue of telling people what I've worked hard to master, First, because like you, I "paid" for it so noone deserves it for nothing. Second, it bears out that people aren't going to "get" anything that they haven't paid for. either with dollars or sweat.

In the end, I've decided to just put it all out there. I know several people that work as "motivational speakers" and, one interesting fact about their trade parallels what we're discussing here is that, if you have 100 people in a seminar and the topic is "how to be successful", only 10% are going to "get it" and, only 2 out of the entire 100 are going to take that information out into the real world and use it and be successful.

[Roo]

Excellent point D2D! All those benefits are in this forum somewhere because I have read them too and it may not be all in one post. Also, I have read many many books on selling but you know what? If I don't go out and apply what I learned it doesn't make me one red cent and that my friends is my biggest struggle.

[screenman]

Oh boy have I opened a can of worms, I just thought this may be a helpful topic. Whilst I feel that a lot of guys do not or cannot take on board simple information and run with it, if only one can I feel it worth while posting.

[Glasseye]

My 2 biggest sales problems at the moment are:-
1) Customer perception - yesterday, I cold called a garage/van sales and handed him my information. His response was " there's a lot of you lot about " meaning that he considered my service is the same as Windscreen Replacement companies. His reasoning being that why should he use me when he already has a WR supplier who does repairs as well. To counter this argument I emphasise that my total focus is on REPAIRING that damage and asked him how many times that windscreen company had said that they could repair rather than replace without him specifically asking for it. I bet you all think he saw the light and he will start to use me, he hasn't, not yet, but I've got my foot in the door and I ain't gonna take it out.

2) Repair standards- as I have mentioned in a previous post, I am asked more and more to repair damage that has already had a repair attempt done to it, with varying degrees of finish but all not up to standard or the customer would not be asking me to repair it. While I can improve some, customers are questioning the standards of repairing glass. I have a good idea of where the repairs are coming from but the tendency is for us all to get tarred with same brush. Long term, this is a serious risk to the repair business. A Glass Repair Specialist needs to be put on a formal footing with a recognised unique national qualification. Currently, in the UK, it is only a part of a national qualification in Automotive Glazing.

[screenman]

When I come up against a replacement company objection I point out that the said company will possibly make £200 for replacing as against the £50 they would get for a repair.

[bill lambeth]

Screenman I use that everyday!I also tell them would you let yet your plumber fix your light switch at your house(talking about a replacement co. doing repairs)You rookies need to stress to your customers that this is what you do all day.I here all the time well my replacement company does my repairs for FREE (really nothing is for free).Will Mr.Manager how many times a week does your replacemnt company come out and look for chips?Well to think they really have not done many repairs(go figure).The next thing you know you have his wheels turning.There is more than one way to skin a cat!That is my 2 cents!