Selling hot tubs

by Sally Bouorm | March 1, 2010 9:30 am

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By Marco Longley

“We want to go home and think about it.” Does this phrase sound familiar? It probably does, as it is the number one response a salesperson will receive from a prospect when asked if they are ready to buy a product.

Successfully dealing with objections and stalls is an area salespeople must master to improve closing averages. There are many crucial steps leading to a sale, and if they are not addressed at the right time—and in the correct order—the sale will most likely be lost, rather than closed. The steps of closing a sale are essential to move a prospect towards making a buying decision, whether they are buying a hot tub, swimming pool or a million-dollar piece of real estate.

A successful sales professional must understand the different steps of selling and how to transition from one to the next. These should include:

• Greeting;
• Establishing credibility;
• Discovery;
• Product presentation;
• Creating urgency;
• Closing the sale;
• Addressing objections; and
• Followup.

How well do you follow these steps? Do you feel they are not important, and simply gloss over them? Do you rush into giving the price without building enough value first? If the prospect was not effectively ‘walked’ through these important steps, you may run into objections that could have been easily dealt with earlier in the presentation.

Addressing and overcoming objections

The majority of salespeople are proficient at understanding and adhering to the steps of a sale—until they finally ask for the sale and receive objections. When a prospect says, “We need to think about it,” they are not objecting to the sale. In reality, it is simply a stall tactic used to avoid making a final purchase decision. If the steps of the sale were followed and a good rapport with the customer was established, a true objection will be more tangible and specific at this point in the sale.

In using this stall tactic, the prospect may be hiding the real reason they do not wish to proceed with the sale, for fear it may be addressed. These reasons can be varied; it is up to a salesperson to find out what the true objection is and why it has arisen. Here are some common causes for objection and tips on how to address them.

Lack of trust

Establishing the prospect’s trust—in yourself, your store and your products—is vital. Put simply, a lack of trust can easily translate into a lost sale. Consider the message your image sends to prospects about the quality of your product, followup and customer service. If a prospect feels uncomfortable with you or your store, they will likely conduct their business elsewhere. Conversely, trust and credibility can be established immediately with a professional looking staff and stunning showroom.

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For example, imagine you are an affluent prospect considering the purchase of a $200,000 sports car. You walk into the dealership and are greeted by a salesperson with an untamed beard and messy hair, wearing wrinkled jeans and a rumpled shirt. The salesperson presents you with your dream car—the custom paint job is covered in mud, the dashboard is dusty, the windows are hazy and the seats are stained. Beneath all of this filth is an amazing machine, but you cannot see past the dirt and grime. As a prospect looking at this car, what would your first impression be? How much trust would you have in the salesperson, their products and their store?

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Think of your hot tubs and showroom as that fine automobile. Is your store clean and presentable? Are your floors vacuumed, windows clear and sales counters free from debris? Are the bathrooms cleaned daily? Are your display hot tubs immaculate and operating properly, with clean, sanitized water free from any strong chemical odours? Is your signage fresh, crisp and clean? Did you put your best foot forward in your physical presentation by looking and acting like a professional?

Even the smallest details require attention. A storeowner in British Columbia approached me a few years ago looking to improve her sales presentation. She was a lovely young lady; every time I met her, she was dressed immaculately and carried herself with class and grace. She told me one of her biggest challenges was getting people to sit in the dry hot tub to try it out.

[4]I explained some techniques that worked for me in the past, and suggested she lead by example by getting into the hot tub first. When I suggested we both get into one of her hot tubs and continue our discussion, she looked at me with a squinted brow and said, “Marco, you want me to get in the hot tub? It’s dusty and I’m wearing black.” At that moment, the problem was clear.

To avoid problems like these, take 30 minutes to look at your store with a critical eye. Does it look like a professional establishment where people will want to spend thousands of dollars? Even a small retail store, which might not have the budget to make many major improvements, can enhance the look of their showroom. A mere 20 minutes a day spent cleaning display hot tubs and other items in the showroom can make a big difference.

No perceived urgency

In some cases, your prospect may not have a need or may not acknowledge a need you have created. Since they don’t acknowledge it, they feel no urgency to do anything to address it. The urgency to own a hot tub may not be at the top of your prospect’s list, as they will have other things that may take precedence. How many times have you heard, “I have been thinking about it for years?”

This type of prospect is frustrating because you may get complete agreement on many issues, including his or her desire to own a hot tub, but the timing is never right. It is up to you to build their urgency.

A competing offer

A prospect may never tell you up front, but if they just received an effective presentation from a competitor it may be lingering in the back of their minds, impacting on your pitch. It is up to you to find out if they are leaning towards a competitor’s product. What did they like? What did they dislike? Why didn’t they buy when they saw the competitor’s offering? At the very least, you should be able to figure out which competitor they visited and be able to highlight the benefits of dealing with your store.

Explain to the prospect how long your company has been in business, discuss the background of the hot tub manufacturer they are considering (e.g. how long they have been manufacturing hot tubs) and explain your own approach to business. This is a good chance to outline the add-ons you can offer should they decide to make a purchase (e.g. delivery, startup and ongoing support, free water testing with hot tub purchase).

No perceived value

When it comes to a market as specific as hot tubs, this is rarely the case. You have a destination store, which the prospect seeks out when they are interested in your product. Odds are your store is not just another outlet in a major shopping mall people happen to wander into while shopping for other items.

However, if prospects do not recognize the value in your product or place high priority on taking action, they will only be moved closer to the buying decision through learning about powerful benefits. They first need to be sold on the merits of owning a hot tub before a sale can be made. You need to have a great discovery session and suggest uses for and reasons to own a hot tub that the customer may have never considered.

Lack of funds

If a prospect is in your store, they are likely genuinely interested in purchasing a hot tub, whether it is one you carry or one carried by a competitor. It will all come down to perceived affordability.

It is up to you to understand the prospect’s unique financial concerns and work within their budgets to get them the right hot tub for the right price. There will always be the odd exception, such as someone simply browsing the store to kill time. However, don’t look at this as time wasted. This is a great opportunity to practice all of the new sales techniques you have learned (and perhaps plant the seeds for a future sale).

If pricing is still an issue, make sure you have mentioned your various financing programs. Over half the hot tub purchases in North America are financed. Some prospects may not ask about financing packages out of pride. Instead, they will tell you they need to think about the purchase further.

Offering financing and having suitable signage advertising credit card options can result in more sales. Carefully consider the wording used on any signage. A prospect on a tight budget might not find a sign listing the price of $6,999 as attractive as a similar sign that says, ‘Own this spa for as little as $82 per month.’

Financing packages also make it easier to get a prospect to upgrade or add features, such as a stereo. This can be achieved by adding another small sign saying, ‘Add a stereo for only $9.99 per month.’ Of course, the prices you quote will need to reflect your individual financing packages and stereo upgrade options.

False perception or fear of commitment

To close a sale you will have to help the prospect over the hump of indecision. False perception is your prospect’s inability to make a decision for fear it could be the wrong one. Try to fully understand customers’ fears and buying motives by asking them questions, and assure them their concerns are respected and understood. Ask questions like:

• Have I answered every question to your satisfaction?
• Is there anything else we can do for you at this time to help you with your decision?
• From what you told me about the hot tub you wanted, I believe we found the model with the features that would best suit your needs. Is there something about the hot tub you are unsure of, or something I did not explain?

Remember, in many cases, all the prospect lacks is the knowledge and confidence to move forward with their investment. Only you can reduce those fears and provide them with justifications for their purchase. Acknowledge each response, re-qualify the prospect and sell. Eliminate any potential buyer’s remorse before it occurs. If you still encounter resistance, try offering a limited-time, at-home trial (e.g. 30 days) to allow the customer to see the benefits of the purchase first-hand.

MAKING A GOOD FIRST IMPRESSION

[5] First impressions are everything—in life and in retail. If you are wondering why a prospect is hesitant or exhibits a lack of trust in you and your store, a poor image could be to blame. When you start talking about warranty, quality and fine craftsmanship in a messy store staffed with poorly dressed employees, the customer will surely have second thoughts about doing business with you. Here are some tips to maintain a clean, polished and professional showroom: 1. Keep it clean: Ensure bathrooms are clean and tidy, remove coffee cups or coffee rings from display hot tubs, keep the showroom dust-free and eliminate any cobwebs and water stains from store windows. 2. Sign of the times: Avoid using sloppy handwritten signs or cheap ‘stick-on’ letters on store windows. Replace old, faded or outdated signs in a timely fashion and ensure all signs are spelled correctly. 3. Staff stays sharp: Employees should be well-groomed, wearing professional, unwrinkled clothing. Keep a supply of mints on hand to avoid breath issues. 4. No troubled waters: Operate display models with properly treated water. Watch for foam buildup or a strong chemical odour.

 

Marco Longley is president of Top 10 Sales and Consulting in Langley, B.C. He is a seasoned hot tub sales professional who has been involved in many aspects of the business—from retail to senior sales management with several major hot tub manufacturers. Longley provides swimming pool and hot tub sales/marketing training seminars and has authored a book titled The Ultimate Hot Tub and Pool $ales Book—a guide on how to increase sales. He can be reached at marco@top10salesandconsulting.com[6].

Source URL: https://www.poolspamarketing.com/trade/selling-hot-tubs/

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