The Kitchen Sales Coach Issue #2 - Prove Your Firm's Value, Not Its Price
By Robert Foltz, CKD
How many times can you heard "We'd love to go with you, but we found another supplier who's cheaper?" Don't blame the prospects, they're doing exactly what they're supposed to do-get the most for the least amount of money.
As the prospect first comes into the door, you should have a method of asking questions, determining the need, and having him explain the "problem." Then, step by step, you should show the prospect how your firm best solves the problem. Once the prospect realizes that your firm can solve the problem, the price becomes secondary.
At this point, some of you are saying, "Well my firm is different. Our customers want to know the price right away." Read any sales survey, Price is the third or fourth reason people choose a company, even through it's the #1 excuse they give you for why they didn't buy from you.
Prove the value of your services, then your products. All cabinets hold the clients' dishes; it's the fit and finish within the investment parameters of your prospect that you must determine for them. I never go to a dealer and start touting my cabinets without first trying to establish whether it's a good fit for them by asking questions first.
Using the Socratic Method, keep asking questions, getting your prospect to explain what they want, and simply show them, step by step, how you'll accomplish that. In each step, make sure the prospect not only understands, but appreciates, the value that your services and products add to their project. They don't give a hoot about you or your product; they only care about how you can help them achieve their goals.
Get an 'A' on Referrals through Project Management
When you go get your final check for a project, you pretty much know weather the job went well or not so well, right? Project management is the key to successful referrals.
No matter what size your dealership, whether you have a project manager or not, these systems will work for your business. Talk about them, promote them, and separate yourself from your competitors. Prove your value, not your price, remember?
The keys to project management systems are:
1. Have a list of the steps needed to complete the project, complete with whose responsibility each task is.
2. Hold a pre-construction meeting with all of the subcontractors. If you're not getting paid for this, that's your fault, and your client shouldn't suffer. This meeting is to review the kitchen plan, electrical layout, plumbing, and HVAC/ducting layouts before they're done.
3. Meet with your cabinet installer on the jobsite to review the rough in after it's completed. If he can't make it, You certainly should. Be sure to include a clause in your contract that states that you're not responsible for the locations chosen by subcontractors for fixtures and other components-only that you'll assist them in facilitating a smooth project by providing guidance on these locations, unless they've been specifically contracted, of course.
4. "Pop" by the jobsite after the drywall and floors are in to mark the location of the cabinets before they're delivered in order to see any problems that might have arisen, such as an electrical box in the wrong place.
5. Never, ever play the blame game. Stay professional and courteous. The client will know whose responsibility it is. If it's yours, fix it; if it's someone else's, help them fix it. You're the kitchen and bath professional.
About Robert Foltz, CKD
Robert Foltz, CKD is experienced in all areas of the retail kitchen and bath business. As a manufacturers' representative, his experience and expertise can help improve your business. He also works as a sales trainer, consultant, and personal coach.
With 23 years of experience in every area of the kitchen business, he has personally experienced the most common mistakes all business owners and sales people make. He has used that experience to develop a formula that will help you avoid those common mistakes and to dramatically accelerate your success.
Robert can be reached at and his work can be seen on www.KitchenSalesCoach.com.