There are solutions that work such as justifying the value and showing the customer he’ll be dollars ahead. What follows is a list of questions for the customer and then various scenerios that will refer you back to them.
What if it Cost Less Than Zero?
Before your demonstration, create a list of questions that will prove to the customer an RO is affordable. (It’s more powerful to write things down and refer to them later.) Then ask the questions for which I have provided some typical answers.
- How many people live in your home?
Typical Answer: 4 - How many commercial beverages per day including coffee, soft drinks, bottled water, Kool Aid, beer, tea, etc., does the average person in your family drink?
Answer: 3 - That means your family drinks how many commercial beverages per day?
Answer: 4 x 3 = 12 - How many commercial beverages is that per 30-day month?
Answer: 12 x 30 = 360 - An average beverage costs how much?
Answer: $0.35 - Then how much do you spend each month on commercial beverages?
Answer: 360 x .35 = $126 - I’m not saying your family will never want a soft drink, but if you had delicious healthy water to drink, what percentage of the time would they reach for water instead of a commercial beverage?
Answer: 30 percent - Then how much would pure water save you per month on commercial beverages?
Answer: $126 x .30 = $37.80
After that, every time the family tries to put off the purchase you can rightly state that there is no point in wasting that $9.80 per month. You can then say, "Let’s go get that RO installed right away."
Now, look at some scenarios that will refer you back to the questions and answers.
RO Cleans Up Against Carbon Filters
Salespeople may have trouble selling against less expensive carbon filters. Customers say, "No thanks, we like our counter top filter." Here is an analogy.
"Do you put on a clean pair of socks or put fresh socks over yesterday’s?" you ask him. The customer usually replies that he puts on clean socks. You go on. "A carbon filter is like covering old socks every day for six or nine months. You see, carbon filters filter things out of water and trap it in the filter. It stays there and tomorrow’s water is dragged through the filter and yesterday’s trapped effluent, trapping today’s removal. By tomorrow, you are dragging water through two days of trash and adding a third. By the end of 60 days, you are dragging your drinking water through 60 days of trash. So you see, it is like putting socks on top of yesterday’s socks instead of putting on a fresh pair. The RO uses water to constantly wash the membrane, flush it down the drain and keep the membrane clean and fresh."
Then, refer to their answers about the cost of this product they need.
Now You’re Cooking
Always ask if bottled water is used for cooking, because most people will answer that it’s too expensive. Answer them with, "Do you want to cook chicken, rice and other foods in water not considered tasty or healthy enough to drink? What if you could get that water for drinking and cooking for less than you spend right now?" Then refer to your list of questions.
Enthusiasm is the Glue That Seals the Sale
Unbridled enthusiasm improves RO sales. Refer to ROs as a miracle and military secret. Get excited while explaining how the technology was developed. Say what a miracle it is that water is pushed through a membrane with holes designed to trap virtually everything but water. Remind them that this miraculous technology is so unbelievably priced that they can still save $9.80 over current expenses (refering back to their prevous answers).
Try these suggestions for a smooth sale.
About the Author
Carl Davidson is president of Sales & Management Solutions, which provides sales and management training designed exclusively for the water equipment industry. For more than 13 years, he has helped more than 1,400 companies in seven countries. For a free demonstration tape and catalog, contact the company at 800-941-0068; www.salesco.net.
