# One Call Close Opinion



## OneCallClose (Sep 15, 2014)

Libby, This thread is all over the place as far as understanding my intentions, so my apologies on that front, as some threads go it seems to have led to some good discussion on sales in this field, but it was more on posts like yours then on my account. 

I was sitting around last night and I started thinking more about my alternative field I mentioned. How much consumer trust impacts that field. How much it frustrates me as I conduct myself on an extremely professional level. Which was really the strongest impacting feeling I ever had regarding this job. In my head I made the analogy of this company being the businesses I despise, while normal contractors were like me, just fighting for a chance for success in a field with low consumer confidence/shady competition. So I abruptly posted, I wanted to see how actual contractors felt. I know how I feel, obviously, I made the analogy as it relates to me, but I didn't know if contractors felt the loathing hatred of these companies similar to my feelings. Which, if true, yes, it does leave me with a wee bit of a moral conundrum pertaining to my work. 

As the thread progressed, I started thinking how can this company be so successful? As you have said, excessive complaints, eventually they tend to shut down? I would agree with that theory, but like I said, straight uphill ever year. This company is successful because it takes the absolute extreme side of aggressiveness, it persuades on the basis of emotion, while the normal contractor tends to fall on the extreme side of passiveness, while persuading with logic. Consumers buy on emotions not on logic. Certainly the most aggressive company will always win. 

So I started thinking more. How can normal contractors bridge the gap while still be exceptional in reputation. I think that's accomplished by employing some of what I know and some of what most you know. It also depends heavily on the product and service, I know what I know within what we do. But this isn't a commercial or industrial contractor. My knowledge is only functional across some platforms. So for people in those platforms, I hope I can just be an asset for them. I already noticed the marketing section, which has threads about lead generation, calling, etc, so trust me, I'm an asset in that regard. 

So I guess I'm just willing to help people with information if they want to bridge the gap. I think that helps me feel a little better and it helps out this community. Down the road, it might even spawn a potential business idea. Not for promotion here, I just don't see how it could hurt contractors to have somebody like myself book a lead for them or help in lead generation. Takes time off them, customers screened, it would seem to make sense. I would probably have to book for 10+ contractors to consider something like that, but now maybe I can put my background to better use. 

Good luck to you, sorry if my post sounded on the aggressive side. I'm ethnic, so pretty much everything is always in caps.


----------



## libbycop (Dec 5, 2011)

One Call

I agree-there are guys on this forum who could always use sales help, advice, etc and if this is what you seek thats great

I also think that there are alot of successful contractors here who know how to ask for the sale, overcome objections in a more ethical way than you described

regarding how contractors feel about companies and systems that you work(ed) for- I think most contractors merely shrug their shoulders- i know i do


----------



## OneCallClose (Sep 15, 2014)

Patrick said:


> One call
> 
> How do you perfectly insure you will not have one leggers? Thats our biggest problem. Our lead setter trys very hard but a lot of times when we get to the house someone is missing or takes off. Because we are so busy and our competition, we will pitch one leggers as we do not have time for a reset. Sell maybe 1 out of 10 one leggers


I work with a 3-5 hour demo time, no one leg's are valid leads. A lead is dead if it's a one leg, period. It is impossible to ensure you will have no one legs, but I'm typically at 95% or higher in avoiding them. It would help to have better information with lead type, NP/TV/COLD CALL/CANVASS. But all have the same general structure. 

When you get into the scheduling you focus on the party you're speaking too. Usually the Mr, who is also most likely to object on wife. Rarely does Mrs object on Mr. In any event, say you're speaking to the Mr. "Ok, so I can work out an appropriate time for you, do you happen to have any particular hours with work? Some will try and force you into a lunch break window which is death, why? Still don't know the hours of the other party, you schedule that time, even if the Mrs is home, you risk running way short on demo with another major risk of not having the Mrs. So I generally eliminate that option by saying we only do day or evening appointments, it forces them into a subset of hours that follows normal work schedules. 

So the Mr says days, "ok great", so HB usually 5pm or so? Onto the Mrs.... "We don't charge for this estimate, but we do have a lot of styles and options to consider, so the only thing we ask is just that we can review the different options with all the homeowners, did you happen to have a spouse or significant other as well? Some give you resistance and others won't. If they don't give resistance you just schedule the time appropriately, " so does the Mrs work days as well?" Great. NOW YOU BOOK IT. Never before both hours are attained. "It's good to wrap up the call by using both parties first names and saying you will look forward to seeing them tomorrow evening, etc, etc. 

If you do get resistance, you have to follow a series of rebuttals that get more stern in progression. "Mr. Jones, I understand this is your decision, my wife doesn't care about construction, but she does care a lot about the way the house looks and she's pretty good with colors, again I just ask that you two could both be around to see the samples...."

Much more resistance past that and I reverse the customer. "Mr Jones, we provide the highest quality materials in the area, if it's going to be this difficult to just schedule an appointment I don't think you're the right customer for us" Usually they pause and then will comply with your requests. 

The more leverage you have as far as incentives, tying incentives in, just as far as both parties being available, removing incentives, if only one party is available, the more leverage you have on the difficult calls.


----------



## Patrick (Apr 12, 2006)

OneCallClose said:


> I work with a 3-5 hour demo time, no one leg's are valid leads. A lead is dead if it's a one leg, period. It is impossible to ensure you will have no one legs, but I'm typically at 95% or higher in avoiding them. It would help to have better information with lead type, NP/TV/COLD CALL/CANVASS. But all have the same general structure.
> 
> When you get into the scheduling you focus on the party you're speaking too. Usually the Mr, who is also most likely to object on wife. Rarely does Mrs object on Mr. In any event, say you're speaking to the Mr. "Ok, so I can work out an appropriate time for you, do you happen to have any particular hours with work? Some will try and force you into a lunch break window which is death, why? Still don't know the hours of the other party, you schedule that time, even if the Mrs is home, you risk running way short on demo with another major risk of not having the Mrs. So I generally eliminate that option by saying we only do day or evening appointments, it forces them into a subset of hours that follows normal work schedules.
> 
> ...


Good stuff there almost better off scheduling via the wife. Id say 97% of the one leggers i closed were with the wife lol

Modern relationships make some of the phone scripting awkward


----------



## OneCallClose (Sep 15, 2014)

Patrick said:


> Good stuff there almost better off scheduling via the wife. Id say 97% of the one leggers i closed were with the wife lol
> 
> Modern relationships make some of the phone scripting awkward


Ya, I mean as far as set rates, women roll over, but they tend to make "inquiries" so you often run into, well let me ask my husband, essentially, you get one legged setting it. I try to at least force those calls into "penciled in times" it's not just beneficial to one call close leads but also calls. On those one leg closes that were women how high was the CXL rate? That would seem like death.


----------



## Patrick (Apr 12, 2006)

I can only think of 1 and it was 100% my fault. She wanted her $700,000 house vinyl sided and not a bit of the peeling paint trim wrapped windows corners soffits etc. i sold her a complete job trim and all. She came back the next day wanting to revert back to a crappy job and i never followed up we had no money down she went with another company that did the crap job she wanted 

Usually the one leg woman that i sell runs runs the show and just tells the husband how much to write the check for

And i did actually once sell a roof to a lady that only had one leg!!!!!!


----------



## OneCallClose (Sep 15, 2014)

lmao...my god, that's great and I know the type of customer you're referencing. We lose sales on those people on account of promising our rep no one legs. I'm probably the only person that can convert those into non one legs. It's difficult because they really do run the show and when you broach the fact that you also require "the man" to be at the apt, it's combination ripe to offend. I just sense it before it happens, inflate the hell out of them, while simultaneously saying trust me, this appointment would not be scheduled with your husband if you weren't at that appointment either.


----------



## hdavis (Feb 14, 2012)

I like this thread - good discussion.:thumbsup:


----------



## Sabagley (Dec 31, 2012)

Step right up!!!


http://youtu.be/Rdqh0GsXMII

The large print giveth, and the small print taketh away!


----------



## Kowboy (May 7, 2009)

Patrick said:


> Problem i have is we have a competitor that will pitch a rock and he will get the job. I hate losing jobs to them. Were not talking due to price.
> 
> But seriously how do you instill it in the owners minds when setting it?


Patrick:

Harvey Mackay, the author of "Swim With the Sharks Without Being Eaten" recommends taking care of the customers and letting the customers take care of the competition. I agree. 

http://www.amazon.com/Sharks-Without-Being-Eaten-Alive/dp/006074281X


----------



## hdavis (Feb 14, 2012)

I think there's a lot to be learned from one call close. We've had some branding discussions, lead generation and qualification, and so on. 

The whole approach to getting a customer to value your services in 3-5 hours is something to pay attention to, IMO. While the OP may or may not devalue their brand by their overall approach, there is nothing to say you can't spend the 3-5 hours getting the potential customer to value your services, and use the whole customer experience to get them to value your brand. Build respect for the industry, value for your brand, and your bank account, and have happy customers.

Getting the customer to value your services is big deal, I'd like to hear more about it.


----------



## OneCallClose (Sep 15, 2014)

hdavis said:


> I think there's a lot to be learned from one call close. We've had some branding discussions, lead generation and qualification, and so on.
> 
> The whole approach to getting a customer to value your services in 3-5 hours is something to pay attention to, IMO. While the OP may or may not devalue their brand by their overall approach, there is nothing to say you can't spend the 3-5 hours getting the potential customer to *value your services, and use the whole customer experience to get them to value your brand. Build respect for the industry, value for your brand, and your bank account, and have happy customers.*
> 
> Getting the customer to value your services is big deal, I'd like to hear more about it.


That's why I feel the one call close is a very effective technique. I really don't think it's beneficial or possible for most contractors to go at it like the company I work for does. They just don't have that type of infrastructure, nor the marketing money, nor the training. Even if they did, our people basically need to get kicked out of a house before the appointment is over. 

I don't suggest a good company to go to such measures, as for a normal structured contractor, referrals, reputation, return sales, all will play a major role. For a company like the one I work for it doesn't matter if we get kicked out of a house, it's going to be a one and done situation (in most situations, we do get return customers). If our rep gets dinged a little it doesn't matter, we have commercials and NP adds generating leads all the time. But pushing customers as hard as we do would hurt a normal contractor more then it's worth.

That said a bridge exists between the two models. I would look at a 1:30-2:00 hour demo. The demo will consist of your background, the work you have done, the happy customers you have, the industry, the future of the industry, the products you carry, the product features, the techniques on install, the style and color options, the average industry pricing, etc etc. A lot of companies build value just focusing on subtle things some don't do. I do this, most people do this, do you see the difference in how this provides you a better _____. I oversee all my projects directly, I have my own installers that work directly for me. I make sure the work is done correctly, because you could encase your house in gold if you wanted, but if it wasn't done correctly it wouldn't matter. The point is the options to build value are endless.

As for the one call specifically, as has been mentioned in this thread, leverage is critical. I'm not going to discuss anything that the company I work for does specifically to create that leverage, but you obviously need some leverage on why the deal is going down tonight. I suggest using time to your advantage and giving yourself a little additional room to work with on numbers. 

It's obvious why it's advantageous for a contractor to close a deal that same day, I'm speaking in terms of both reality, but more from the disposition you must have. This visit takes time, time for you away from your normal responsibilities, time away from your family, and if it doesn't go down tonight, potentially time on follow up calls, time on return trips. I doubt you charge to provide a customer with a good evaluation. Time is money, people understand that and respect that, and most are just thankful to meet a person who can help them out, because they have a problem and they hope you have the solution. So is it really that hard to come to an agreement after an initial warm up with a customer that if you can provide the solution they want at the price they wan't, that they will be willing to do business with you today? Why wouldn't they? They have a problem, if you can prove you can be the one to fix it with the best profile, you can save them time by avoiding 50 estimates and can get to work on helping them solve the problem as fast as possible.

As far as leverage, yes, it has to become a situation of it's this price today or that price tomorrow and it's best to have both numbers inflated slightly, as the more the price changes within a realistic margin the more pressure is applied. You can justify that with the cost of doing business as I discussed earlier. Giving a quote on a job with an unknown outcome is taking your time and your time is valuable. Time is not the strongest hook, but it's strong enough. The hook my company has is probably why it's so strong. You can create incentives for hooks and make no mistake, even if it's cheesy, even if everybody has done it, every customer wants to save money, it's programmed into our wiring. 

The demo process the company I work for is 80 pages long. It's highly based on psychological principles. So I couldn't ever get that in depth in describing the process, but if you do some research on one call technique online, many have similar profiles, of which you could edit or adjust to fit your model, and no the lead is not dead if it's not closed. Also, practically no one will call your this price today vs this price tomorrow as a bluff. If that's the perception, it doesn't really happen. Most one calls, at worst, if given a proper demo, can extend into the following day with a gentlemanly agreement. I mean you NEVER try to have this happen, but if it's clearly not happening, saying I tell you what, I'll give you 24 hours to think about it...not the end of the world. Further, if you can't come to a 24 hour agreement, you could follow up in a month, discuss a price just under your lowest offer before, based on an incentive you have or random situation occurring. 

"YOU WOULDN'T BELIEVE IT MR JONES, I BOUGHT THE EXACT COLOR SHINGLES WE DISCUSSED ON ANOTHER JOB I HAD, THE CUSTOMER DECIDED THEY WANTED A DIFFERENT COLOR, I COULDN'T RETURN THEM, AND I'M BEING REIMBURSED FOR THEM, SO IF YOU STILL WERE INTERESTED, I'M WILLING TO DO IT FOR (BOTTOM OUT) IF THE WORK ISN'T DONE YET?"

Sounds like complete craziness, but how the heck does a customer know this didn't actually happen? Is it a lie, sure. More honest contractors should be lying. Sounds like an oxymoron, but if the lie results in a that contractor getting the job and it's a good contractor how is that hurting the consumer? A million reasons exist why all off a sudden you're in a position to call an old lead and make a deal. Just be creative.


----------



## Patrick (Apr 12, 2006)

We just so happen to overbuy just about every color of every product !


----------



## hdavis (Feb 14, 2012)

One thing I learned back in the 70s - if you do something like tell what the average cost would be, and then tell them you're more expensive, it gives you a chance to explain how you add more value than the average guy. The average contractor isn't using the very best materials, the very best tools, the very best workmen, the very best techniques, so they can't get the same quality you can... Whatever your pitch is.


----------



## Metro M & L (Jun 3, 2009)

OneCallClose said:


> That's why I feel the one call close is a very effective technique. I really don't think it's beneficial or possible for most contractors to go at it like the company I work for does. They just don't have that type of infrastructure, nor the marketing money, nor the training. Even if they did, our people basically need to get kicked out of a house before the appointment is over.
> 
> I don't suggest a good company to go to such measures, as for a normal structured contractor, referrals, reputation, return sales, all will play a major role. For a company like the one I work for it doesn't matter if we get kicked out of a house, it's going to be a one and done situation (in most situations, we do get return customers). If our rep gets dinged a little it doesn't matter, we have commercials and NP adds generating leads all the time. But pushing customers as hard as we do would hurt a normal contractor more then it's worth.
> 
> ...


Only problem with that is youre a liar. Personally thats the primary reason I do what I do. I dont have to sit in a cube or go to peoples homes and lie to their faces all day long in order to make a living. The lies start to sneak in everywhere else and pretty soon your a divorced alcoholic selling used cars to ex cons.

Im not going to pretend that I always tell the truth, but as a rule, my sales pitch works because Im sincere and honest, instead of acting like Im sincere and honest.


----------



## OneCallClose (Sep 15, 2014)

Metro M & L said:


> Only problem with that is youre a liar. Personally thats the primary reason I do what I do. I dont have to sit in a cube or go to peoples homes and lie to their faces all day long in order to make a living. The lies start to sneak in everywhere else and pretty soon your a divorced alcoholic selling used cars to ex cons.
> 
> Im not going to pretend that I always tell the truth, but as a rule, my sales pitch works because Im sincere and honest, instead of acting like Im sincere and honest.


Do you provide sincere and honest work at a fair price? Most contractors don't. So sincerely and honestly, is it in the customers best interests for you to tell and incentive based lie in order to earn a job or is better for a shady competitor who will lie about everything (work performed specifically) to do it?


----------



## Tinstaafl (Jan 6, 2008)

OneCallClose said:


> Do you provide sincere and honest work at a fair price? Most contractors don't.


I would posit that most _reputable_ contractors do. Where is your documentation to the contrary?


----------



## OneCallClose (Sep 15, 2014)

hdavis said:


> One thing I learned back in the 70s - if you do something like tell what the average cost would be, and then tell them you're more expensive, it gives you a chance to explain how you add more value than the average guy. The average contractor isn't using the very best materials, the very best tools, the very best workmen, the very best techniques, so they can't get the same quality you can... Whatever your pitch is.


We do this on our demo, average cost and then value building. As to the bold comments, yes they're, why wouldn't you be using the best of the best as you understand it and can explain it? The problem I have with my company isn't that we price at outrageous levels, lies, one call, all are very ethically shady, but that's not why I have a problem with them. Truth is, if my company could actually deliver on the pot of gold they promise, they would actually be a good value. Even at 1,300 a square, but the work performed is all subbed, lots of times by crews who install it for the first time. Bottom dollar crews. So this company can't perform on any level at what it's saying. I assume most people on this board can perform at a very high level, much higher then a pieced together group of subs. So compared to what actually exists in the industry, I bet you do have some of the best, of the best, of the best.


----------



## OneCallClose (Sep 15, 2014)

Tinstaafl said:


> I would posit that most _reputable_ contractors do. Where is your documentation to the contrary?


My documentation is just removing the word reputable from the sentence you just wrote.


----------



## Tinstaafl (Jan 6, 2008)

So you feel that most contractors are disreputable. Thanks.


----------



## Tinstaafl (Jan 6, 2008)

A one call close isn't necessarily a bad thing at all. But the tactics you use to achieve it can be morally and ethically questionable, to say the least. If you're not guilty of that, more power to you. :thumbsup:


----------



## CarpenterSFO (Dec 12, 2012)

Tinstaafl said:


> A one call close isn't necessarily a bad thing at all. But the tactics you use to achieve it can be morally and ethically questionable, to say the least. If you're not guilty of that, more power to you. :thumbsup:


I've been settling in on the 5 call close, myself.


----------



## Kowboy (May 7, 2009)

Californiadecks said:


> If doesn't surprise me that you see his tactics as a good business model.


What is wrong with a one call close?


----------



## hdavis (Feb 14, 2012)

CarpenterSFO said:


> I've been settling in on the 5 call close, myself.


On purpose, or that's just how it's turning out?


----------



## CarpenterSFO (Dec 12, 2012)

hdavis said:


> On purpose, or that's just how it's turning out?


Three to five calls usually. I'm not that aggressive about closing - prospective customers usually get nervous about the lack of close before I do, interpreting it as a lack of interest or commitment on my part. I often get aggressive about closing as a means to force a resolution, when I don't have a good feeling about the project and I want to move on. That doesn't really sound like good salesmanship, I realize.

I have no problem at all about one call closing, if it works for the business. A lot of businesses, I can see it making complete sense, and of course people should study all aspects of how to do it successfully.


----------



## Unger.const (Jun 3, 2012)

Pretty interesting thread........I can understand the passion on both sides of the equation. For mr one call after a while when he clocks into his workday. The stage curtain rises and it's show time ! The actor must know his lines play on cue and knows he did a great show when the applause happens. (the sale sold, wether the sale is $100 a square or $1300)

For us on the other side our energy spikes when we stretch the tape measure out or the tap of the hammer to align something up. And we feel the show went well when we stand back and look to see how the scene has changed (the new walls up, the tile that changed the look of the room, the siding that wasn't there this morning) 

The problems are everywhere that involve people. Snake oil salesmen on the phone, hacks under biding and not constructing the job correctly. The doctor who just improved someone's life through a procedure just turned around and sweet talked a different patient into an un needed surgery so he can fill his schedule and so on.

Would you acquire the ability of smooth talking a customer into choosing your company into doing the work like the OP can? After all you wouldn't you do the best job for the customer that you could, the best quality work and the safest you could for them? 

We think homeowners are more informed (Internet research and home improvement shows ) but like one call said .......their really not. I had one homeowner the other day (computer guy) keep arguing with me about the issue with his house was because of some logic that worked in his head. Short of tearing up his house to show him how it worked and his logic was not all true. I decided I had better things to do then waste his time helping him understand.


----------



## Ronald Cruse (Sep 25, 2014)

Yes, I agree...


----------



## Unger.const (Jun 3, 2012)

Ronald Cruse said:


> Yes, I agree...


With.....?


----------



## BamBamm5144 (Jul 12, 2008)

I had a one call close last night. Don't know how but they cancelled all other appointments. I'll take it.


----------



## Unger.const (Jun 3, 2012)

So I'm more interested in what the original poster has to say.

Like when we (contractors) don't connect the dots with what homeowners thinks. For instance customer calls contractor and says your bid was too high (I get it that it's just an excuse) so logically the contractor might lower his price to get the job. But the customer has already committed to spending triple the amount for the same thing. But the customer even presented with yet a lower offer (let's just say for giggles that the customer is presented by the contractor to do the job at 1/4 the price of and give a better warranty) why on earth would the customer stick to paying 4x more money to a company that the only way to get a hold of them is some 800 phone number. Verses someone here that if there was a problem could go over and knock on the front door of a business and say fix my roof!

Does the customer interpret it as a better product? Is it some easy payment plan financing (like in the car business they get the customer focused only on how much a month and try to take the focus away from interest rate/length of loan/amount of trade in/amount for new car) what am I missing?

I know of a couple that paid over $12k for some vinyl siding on a small house like over 10 years ago. His big reason was that he didn't want to have to keep up on painting it every 10 years. And now all the vinyl is breaking down and is half the color it use to be.


----------

