Too often, when a prospect calls in, remodelers use a blank sheet of paper and ask random questions, says remodeling consultant Kyle Hunt, president of Remodel Your Marketing and creator of the group-based consulting business The Excellence Club. But Hunt knows that the most successful remodelers use a more systematic approach and ask the questions they need to ask of clients sooner rather than later.
Hunt developed this project discovery sheet, a loose script, for responding to that initial call. “Your first contact with a homeowner is important,” he says. “You know the saying, ‘You never get a second chance to make a first impression.’ It’s true.”
The sheet is divided into four steps and a series of questions designed to help the listener learn about the prospect and his or her project, teach the prospect about the remodeling process, and guide him or her to a first meeting. “A good initial conversation is 70% them talking and only 30% you,” Hunt says.
Steps 1 and 2 are usually done by a receptionist and then, if the job is worth pursuing, steps 3 and 4 are done by the salesperson (although those two people could be one and the same). In time, the initial responder may be able to cull out worthless leads right away, say for a roofing job when that’s not your specialty.
The most important information gleaned from this document is actually what happens after it’s filled out. “Remodelers often don’t ask, ‘Is this a client I want to invest my time and energy in?’ Hunt says. “If it isn’t, turn it down respectfully.