Why Buy Replacement Windows?

My book Why Buy Replacement Windows? was recently featured on the Home Remodeling Ideas blog from FixTheHome.com. Visit their blog to read an excerpt from my book and order your free copy.

Fix the Home is a website that matches homeowners with local contractors in order to get remodeling estimates, replacement window quotes and bids on other home improvement projects. Check out their site to get several estimates from local contractors.

Your Salespeople Do Not Like to Sell

At seminars this statement attracts flak like a magnet held over iron filings. Salespeople and their managers protest; they evoke their love of selling. Then I ask pointed questions and request that participants raise their hands.

I ask, Have you ever . . .

• Had an appointment where the prospect was an hour late?
• Had a lead where the prospects didn’t show at all?
• Been allotted half the time you anticipated to make your presentation?
• Been promised an order and didn’t get it?
• Lost an order to lower prices?
• Had the contract turned down by the bank/finance company?
• Had a contract canceled by your customer?
• Been required to work (solicit) around an installation?
• Made a call in temperatures over 95 or under 30 degrees, or when it was raining or snowing?

Then I ask, How many of you like or enjoy these tasks or circumstances?

None of these are fun, yet they constitute a major portion of sales responsibility. Why would salespeople enjoy that part of the role? They don’t.

Getting an order, receiving kudos for performance, getting paid sizable commissions, or winning a sales contest are the enjoyable parts of selling, yet they represent a relatively small part of a salesperson’s time and activity. Once a manager recognizes the indisputable truth that most salespeople do not like to perform these tasks, there is a greater possibility of creating advanced training and motivational techniques.

Disciplined salespeople achieve the greatest earnings because they recognize that calling on prospects, staying organized, having appointments or orders canceled, facing the possibility of rejection, and overcoming objections are simply steps in the process that leads to sale success.

In this changing economy, what changes have you made in training your salespeople and/or stimulating their thinking and understanding of the sales role?

The High Cost of Negativity

You’ve got a lead in your hand. An appointment has been set and confirmed by your office. You’re an experienced salesperson. You know your product and you’ve been trained how to present it. If this is a successful sales call, you stand to earn a sizable commission. You believe you’re in the right frame of mind and you hope the customer is also.

But wait. This morning when you arose, you tuned into the local news. They explained how the economy was erratic, the stock market lost some points, unemployment hit a new high and the big box stores weren’t making the amount of money they projected earlier this year. However, you fluffed that off, had breakfast, met with those in your office and discussed last evening’s sales call and the reasons why prospects aren’t buying now.

Before your sales call, you pick up the local newspaper. You receive the same implants that you heard on television: stories of rapes, murders, assaults, robberies, state and local budget problems, potential tax increases and more.

You have been infected. Like it or not, unless you know how to counter this information, it may well affect your ability to sell the lead tonight – why, you ask?

Because whether the information is true or not, it is negative. Psychological studies show that as little as five or ten minutes of negative input can affect your central nervous system for up to twenty hours – reducing your energy and depleting your positivity.

Stay centered. The majority of homeowners are not facing foreclosure or unemployment. The majority of people want to keep their houses in good shape. Concentrate on the sales system. Ask for the order one more time. If they’re not buying, ask “why?” one more time. Don’t buy into the media negativity. Remind yourself, when people retrench, the majority of their spendable income still goes to their homes – and – stop reading the front page of the newspaper, spend less time on television news and spend more time with positivity.

The Prescription. Listen to and read about successful issues. Examine the positives in your life and in your business. Start giving your time to others and work harder on the continuing development of your professionalism.

Some years ago I made a speech to over 4,000 people entitled Yes You Can (Thriving in a Changing Economy). Now, this and other inexpensive recordings are being made available to bring the powerful forces of positive thinking into your life and your business today.

American Clean Energy And Security Act of 2009

The American Clean Energy and Security Act passed through congress without much fanfare over the weekend. After all with Michael Jackson's passing, it was difficult to find any news coverage devoted to another topic.

However, the ramifications of this act if it passes in the Senate will be felt throughout both the home improvement industry and the United States as a whole.

The 1300+ page act passed by a scant 7 votes, and while the stated goal is to: "Cut down on carbon emissions and create 1.7 million jobs in the clean energy industry" - - the true purpose of the act is to standardize energy and emissions laws across the U.S. In effect, the government would have control over these regulations instead of them varying from state to state.

What the act does not present (at least directly) is that this will force homeowners to change the way that they both maintain and sell their homes. A "national standard" similar to the one that currently exists in California will require homeowners to replace outdated windows and other energy-related home products even if they are still in good standing.

As a representative of the home improvement industry, I am excited about the positive impact that this may have on many businesses. However, like most of you I am also a homeowner and I see a problem with the government trying to regulate the maintenance of our homes to this degree.

While there are many homes that are in need of energy efficient products, a large majority of the populous lives in homes that are not that old, and have windows which while they are relatively new, will not meet the requirements under this new act. So if they cannot afford to replace these windows before they put the house on the market, this act puts them in very bad situation.

Furthermore, the cap and trade act will likely lead to a sharp increase in the cost per household.

I encourage home improvement businesses throughout the industry to monitor this act closely, because the ramifications on your company could be tremendous if this is passed.

Regardless, for homeowners and businesses alike this complimentary e-book on replacement windows will be a huge asset moving forward.