Kitchen Bath Buyers Checklist

Buyers pass by many emotional mile-markers on their way to making their buying decision.

Some are conscious, and others are unconscious. Knowing what these mile-markers are can help you sell better, faster and easier.

Your sales process must include checking off all of the items on their buyer's checklist. Missing even One single item can result in a lost sale. Check ALL of their boxes and you'll be a sales superstar.

These are the Top 12 items on a Buyer's Checklist

#1 Fantastic 1st Impression

Buyers make instant impressions. They decide in 1/10th of a second whether or not they are open to buying from you. Making a great first impression is not an option. It's a necessity.

Master the Art of the Start. Otherwise you'll struggle in making sales.

#2 REAL Rapport

Most people in sales understand the importance of rapport. Buyers must like you. There needs to be a common bond. You must master the essentials of creating rapport with all types of buyers, even those who are not like you. Have you gotten Better at it lately?

What can you do to get even better at developing rapport with prospects? Are there little tips to help you quickly create rapport even with the toughest prospects? Seek them out.

#3 Clearly Different

In his book, "Differentiate or Die", author Jack Trout suggests that your job as a sales designer is to clearly differentiate your offering from everything else in the world. Are you masterfully making clear to every prospect how you are different and why that matters?

To the average buyer, most companies and offerings look pretty much the same.

#4 Ask Brilliant & Unique Questions

The questions you ask can set you apart or make you appear common. Average people ask average questions. Your questions must cause buyers to back up, think and reconsider pre-conceived, often mistaken notions of how to make their buying decisions.

The right questions can create credibility, establish trust and convey expert status.

#5 Be Seen as Industry Expert

You want to be seen as an industry expert. Clients need to feel safe in choosing YOU. Buyers will listen to a consultant but follow the advice of an expert. There are a hundred ways to establish your expertise with buyers even if only have a couple years experience.

Yes it takes time and thought to do this. And YES it's worth it!

#6 Eliminate FEARS

Author Stephen King understands fear more than anyone. He says that Fear has a paralyzing effect. It can stop people from moving forward. How does that relate to a kitchen or bath purchase?

It means we'd rather have that old busted kitchen than the fearful future of a bad decision made permanent for all to see. You must eliminate your prospect's fears.

Fear can take many forms, from bed design, poor product choices, choosing the wrong company and more. Know the most common homeowner fears and slay them.

#7 Social Proof

You must offer prospects social proof that you are a great choice. Testimonials are a powerful way to accomplish this.

Most people are lousy at this. Take the time to dovetail this powerful factor into your sales presentations. Show amazing photos of your past kitchen and bath projects, but also show happy customers and their statements about how you helped them.

Nothing you say about you will ever be 1/10th as powerful as what a client says about you.

#8 Trust Company Promise

They must like you, but they must also Trust the Company to deliver on their promise. You need to make clear the promise of your company and convey a faith that they will deliver. What will they absolutely provide? How can you provide assurances?

Craft your presentation to include building trust in the company delivering on promises.

#9 Love Your Design

Finally. Yes, they must love your design. This is the one checklist items I'm not worried about. Most designers focus here, to the neglect of almost all the other factors.

Make sure they fall in love with your design. Point out what you've designed into their project and how it will make their life better. The clearer you articulate the more you win.

# 10 Build Value Beyond Price

You want to always build value in the mind of your prospects BEFORE asking for the sale. I once had a designer ask if they should try to build value AFTER presenting the price. It's too late at that point.

You must create a value that exceeds the cost or they will almost never move forward. In our seminars we offer tons of tips on how designers can build value in the their offering.

# 11 Create Urgency

If a prospective buyer likes your design, is OK with the cost and overall offer, they may still put off the project if they are lacking this one key factor - Urgency.

They must have a compelling reason to act now. You are responsible for giving them a powerful reason to take action now. Finding key drivers to motivate them is job 1.

# 12 Present & Ask with Confidence

If you have done most everything else right, but fail here, your sales will only be lacking.

You must present your price with confidence. If you feel the price is too high, they will sense your inner conflict and pull back. Talking about price can be scary. But it's necessary.

You must show confidence in everything from your words, tone and body language.

Conclusion

Practice makes perfect. You want to work on all of these items and weave them skillfully into your sales conversations. The better and more gracefully you do this, the more you'll sell. I've worked with thousands of sales designers and can promise you, time spent on honing these sales skills will payoff massively.

If you want to take your sales team to the next level, think about planning a dynamic One Day sales training event for your sales staff. 

Kirk Heiner has over 35 years experience in the Kitchen & Bath and Home Construction Industries. He’s taught seminars for the NKBA, Lowe’s, Ferguson Plumbing, Danze, Stock Building Supply, and over 1,000 kitchen and bath dealers and showrooms. He can be reached at [email protected]