He adds that, in switching from his own system to the Sandler System, Kozuch violated Sandler’s No. 1 rule: If something works, don’t stop using it. “For a salesperson who’s doing $1 million one way and throws that whole process out the window and thinks they’re using Sandler — which I would even question — is very difficult to understand.”
Helfman says he still sees value in the system. What he likes about Sandler is that when you leave a customer, both parties know what happens next. But coming from a philosophic base of relationship-building, and being the most expensive, most experienced remodeler in town, Helfman says, his sales staff found it difficult to “leave their ammo in the car,” as Sandler teaches. They didn’t feel they could compete while other remodelers showed pictures of jobs in progress or generated excitement by sketching possibilities on napkins.
During Sandler training, Fairway’s overall closing ratios fell to 1 in 10. After dropping the system, Helfman says ratios zoomed to 1 in 6.
Kozuch’s sales are back at $1.2 million, and he’s happy he’s on straight commission — although that wasn’t true when his sales nose-dived. He says he’s done with sales systems. “I’ll listen to tapes and hear what people will say, but I’m not going to spend money on them.”
Selling Without A Formal System Max Isley sells $1.2 million in remodeling annually, mostly from his North Carolina showroom. His Hampton Kitchens of Raleigh closes 6 out of every 10 qualified customers.
In business for 27 years, Isley took a Dale Carnegie sales course early on, and has listened to Dave Yoho’s tapes, but he calls his sales system his own.
He used to sell by building excitement for features and benefits of products. He ditched that approach 12 years ago.
Now, he quickly establishes rapport with prospects and determines if they have money to spend after using a quick estimating system and sharing average kitchen remodel costs. If they have a realistic idea of budget and are ready to move ahead, he then seeks a 10% design retainer.
The retainer nearly always closes the sale, but after the design has been drafted and presented to the client, Isley uses a technique — the trial close — asking, “What do you think?” If the client’s ready, the construction contract is signed then.
Isley says the influx of home centers a decade ago made him realize he held the most expertise in his region. The certified kitchen designer began selling himself as an expert. He insists that prospects come to his showroom; otherwise he charges a $275 consulting fee for a 90-minute visit. Isley admits that the first time he told a customer to visit or opt for a consultation, it “scared him to death.” Since then, he’s followed his disciplined sales process, a key factor in his success — along with his exuberant, amiable personality.
“Your personality is what’s going to make these things work,” he says of formal sales systems. “If it’s false, the client’s going to be able to tell.” He suggests extracting the best from systems and having the guts to follow your amalgamated method — every time. “The thing is, it’s not a system, it’s an attitude. And that’s the problem in trying to teach sales systems. It’s really an attitude.”
Three Popular Sales Systems: A Side-By-Side Comparison
| Sandler Systems www.sandler.com | Phil Rea & Associates www.phil-rea.com | Dave Yoho Associates www.daveyoho.com | |
| Cost and materials | $15 for book, $85 for tapes, up to $9,000 for training membership. | $25 for book, $79 for newsletter subscription, $2,500 for a one-day consult, $2,000 a month for ongoing contracts. | From $99 for cassettes up to $350 per day for sales management training sessions. |
| Length of training | 90-minute, 4-hour, and 8-hour seminars; three-year program. | 5-hour cassette tapes; one-to-two-day or yearlong consultations. | Hours-long video and audio tapes; day-long training sessions; custom training. |
| Main philosophy | Based on a “discovery process” of “up-front selling” where the salesperson helps the client come to conclusions on whether to continue. It avoids surprises. | A remodeling professional leaves nothing to chance, uses a recipe to sell, and assumes the prospect is buying. | The customer is key. How the prospect thinks or feels drives the sale. |
| System’s promises | No guarantees, although most President’s Club members see a 20% increase in “personal productivity.” | Guarantee is on products. If the user thinks they’re not worth what they paid, money is refunded. | Considerations include buying habits, needs, and values. Increased volume, profitability, and customer satisfaction. |
| Closing technique | Establishes rapport, then sets expectations through the process to arrive at decisions. Because decisions are made on the way, there’s no hard close. | Offers 17 options to close a sale and asks prospects for their business. | Via a six-step system that leads to asking for the job, and to do it now. |
| Time to results | Immediately from specific techniques, longer from behavioral and attitude changes the system reinforces. | Instantly — the next appointment. | Within the first two or three days of a seminar, more consistently with reinforcement training. |
| History | Offered since 1967. | Rea has used his system for 31 years and has offered it for 13. | Offered since 1963. |
| Participants | Tens of thousands, including more than 100 remodelers. | Between 5,000 and 10,000. | An estimated 100,000+ salespeople. |