Business

SALES IS DIFFERENT TO MARKETING ...BUT JUST AS IMPORTANT!

Sales: just the thought of selling seems to be like public speaking for many. But it really doesn’t have to be like that. Sure, there are questioning techniques and processes that we can talk about later; but really, it’s about being present, being engaging, knowing your customer, building rapport and communicating.

People often put sales and marketing in the same category. Many spend a pretty penny on marketing (google ad words, websites, advertisements, signwriting on your vehicles, to name just a few examples) but forget to brush up on the sales skills needed to get a customer over the line. All the money spent on marketing could be wasted when a potential customer reaches out to a business and doesn’t get a good first impression. Make no mistake, you are always being judged.

Being Present – Initial Contact

Most customers, like everyone else, are time poor, so it’s important that you make it easy for them to contact you. Make sure you have your phone number prominent and easily accessible; for example, put your phone number at the top of your webpage and include a click to call button.

Customers want prompt responses so being available is vital. Even if you have to call them back, not picking up the phone when it rings is where many still fail.

How you answer the phone needs to be cheerful and professional. Always answer with your company name and your own name: “Good Morning ABC Plumbing, Ben speaking. How can I help?”

If you miss the phone your answer phone message needs to promote professionalism and include your company name and your name. Listen to your own message and get feedback from others: does it sound approachable and professional?

Instant texts from missed calls are a good idea as well. “Hi, Ben here, from ABC Plumbing. Sorry I missed your call; I’m working with a customer right now, but can call you shortly”. it’s just a few minutes. When you arrive be presentable and clean. Offer to show licenses, show them that you are an MPAQ member and our code of ethics, and ask them about what they want to achieve. This is where you want them to do most of the talking, and you do the listening. This time is all about your customer.

Knowing Your Customer

Who is the decision maker? Quick tip: try to find out if there is anyone else involved with making a decision (for example, two business partners or a husband and wife). If there is and you are currently only speaking to one party, try to make yourself available to answer any questions with the absent party.

Building Rapport

If you have listened to the customer, now is the time to let them know you have and that you understand what it is they want to achieve. If we want to use a sales term, this is called paraphrasing. Simply put it is repeating back what the customer has told you. It doesn’t matter if you get it slightly wrong, in fact this is a good time to iron out any miscommunications. Customers like to know they have been understood; this builds trust. Further rapport building is being relatable, finding common ground, being empathic, and sharing experiences.

Communicating

Explain how the job will be completed and what materials you will be using. It’s sometimes hard to remember that people don’t know what you know, so be open to answer questions. Let them know in advance if the work will be particularly noisy, require a lot of space, or be dirty. Give reassurance that this will be kept to a minimum and that you will do your best to work with them. Providing a quote as soon as possible that is clear and accurate is paramount. And the number one tip that often gets neglected: follow up. Following up absolutely wins jobs.

MPAQ is here to help your business thrive. If you would like to know more about the resources we have available for members, you can call the MPAQ office on 07 3273 0800.

Article written by Leah Govorko – MPAQ, Sales and Membership Specialist

WHY NOW IS THE TIME TO FOCUS ON UPSKILLING YOUR STAFF

Upskilling may be the last thing on your mind in the COVID-19 climate, but here are three reasons why it should be at the top of your to-do list.

Prioritising Upskilling Now Can Prepare Your Business to Succeed Later

At the moment, it is unclear what exactly a “business world returning to balance” will mean for trade contracting companies, big or small.

By working now to create a skilled and knowledgeable workforce you are preparing your team to handle the new normal as the world recovers from COVID-19. This means that in the future your staff will be better equipped to: • Take on new types of jobs or additional workloads • Use more efficient processes in the office and the field • Adapt to the changing landscape of residential, commercial and project work

Developing the capability of your workforce also means you are preparing your business to deliver a better customer experience with: • An engaged and productive workforce • Knowledgeable and experienced field staff • A wider range of product or service offerings

With the right tools and knowledge, your team will provide you with a powerful competitive advantage. This can be a defining factor in ensuring your business’s long-term success. 1

More Availability Means Better Employee Attendance and Engagement

Think back to the last time that you tried to upskill your staff. You would have been battling common business roadblocks to upskilling like moving inventory, busy schedules, conflicting requirements, and so on.

Today, however, it’s likely that things in your business are a little different as many tradespeople see their workloads lighten due to the changing nature of contracting work. For your team, however, this doesn’t necessarily have to be a bad thing.

Upskilling is a great way to re-engage staff and ensure they are maintaining similar levels of productivity, even with an inconsistent influx of work. Doing it in a time where staff are more available can also allow for better attendance rates to training and development sessions, as well as more engagement with the task at hand. 2

An Investment in Personal Development Can Benefit Mental Health

Speaking on the topic of lighter workloads, an uncertain job environment can invite stress and concern around job security, which in turn can affect the mental health of your staff. 3

While tough conversations are inevitable when the money belt is pulled tighter, unnecessary stress is not going to benefit anyone and can even put your staff and operations at risk.

Upskilling, however, can help you fight the battle of uninvited stress in the workplace by giving your team a solid foundation to stand on. Studies* have shown that employees who spend time at work learning are: • 47% less likely to be stressed • 39% more likely to feel productive and successful • 23% more ready to take on additional responsibilities • 21% more likely to feel confident and happy

Now is the perfect time to invest in upskilling not just to benefit your business, but also to empower your team to feel confident in themselves and their contributions to your workplace. Now is the Time to Take Back Control

The changing economic landscape doesn’t always spell doom and gloom for companies. There are still ways to positively contribute to your business as well as the livelihood and wellbeing of your staff.

Take back control of your business by joining simPRO at the simPRO Summit.

An inaugural event, the simPRO Summit will be an online learning experience that will take place over 48 hours with experts from trade industries. They’ll discuss the current climate and how you can use this chance to take control of your business, your workflows and the capability of your team to create the ultimate workforce for future success.

To find out more visit simprogroup.com/learning-support/events.

*LinkedIn Pulse Survey of 2,049 business professionals – https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/want-happy-work-spend-time-learning-josh-bersin/ Article supplied by simPRO

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A Queensland Small Business Commissioner will be appointed to give small businesses a single point of contact for leasing disputes during recovery from the impact of COVID-19.

Minister for Employment and Small Business, the Hon. Shannon Fentiman, said the new Small Business Commissioner will be appointed until the end of 2020 to provide much-needed dispute resolution support during this crucial time.

“Our thousands of small businesses are struggling due to the COVID-19 crisis, and now more than ever they need assistance,” Ms Fentiman said.

“We know that dispute resolution can come at a significant cost for small business owners in terms of legal services, time away from their business, lost productivity and income, as well as additional expenses and stress.”

“The Commissioner’s role will meet the needs of small businesses and provide them with valuable advice and assistance in relation to resolving disputes.”

“Establishing a single point of contact for small businesses handling leasing disputes will result in time, money and resource savings for business owners and government.”

Introducing a Small Business Commissioner will bring us in line with every other state and their role will assist with Queensland’s implementation of the National Cabinet Mandatory Code of Conduct – SME Leasing Principles during COVID-19.

Key groups seeking the change included the Australian Industry Group, the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman, and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Queensland.

The Minister said the current part-time Small Business Champion, Maree Adshead, had done a wonderful job since 2017 promoting and protecting the sector, which represents around 97% of all Queensland business and employs more than 970,000 people.

“The appointment of the new commissioner will be made as soon as possible, and Ms Adshead will continue in the role in the interim,” Ms Fentiman said.

“During this time of crisis, the recovery of the vital small business sector needs a full-time role with increased powers.

“We know it is likely that the COVID-19 pandemic will have long-term effects on the Queensland economy and the small business community.

“We need to provide the business community with as much support as possible, as soon as possible.”

Work on establishing the office of the Queensland Small Business Commissioner will begin immediately after the passing of the legislative amendments.

MPAQ members who are struggling to get through this unprecedented time can contact MPAQ on 07 3273 0800 for support. When surveyed 24% of consumers are looking for a buy now, pay later provider in home improvement/trades. Don’t miss out on this important market.

The buy now pay later revolution has changed the way consumers pay. Customers expect to have the options to spread the cost of their plumbing services over time just as they do when they are making an online purchase or walking into a retail shop.

The team at Payright have built a buy now pay later product that specialises in higher priced purchases, all the way up to $10,000 and is particularly dominant in the services space with home improvement making up 13% of the Payright business and growing.

Plumbers can offer Payright, providing customers with the option to pay in fortnightly or monthly instalments, up to 36 months. By making it easier to budget for, plumbers have turned a call out fee into a day’s work. A job that would have otherwise been seen as “not right now” can be booked immediately. This increases both service call jobs and happy clients.

Payright improves cash flow, by immediately paying the plumber in full for the job. There is no invoicing or debt collection for the plumbing business to do and many find a significant reduction in administration costs.

Buy now, pay later is seen as a catalyst for overall growth. It is becoming the new norm because it works for customers, addressing their various needs and allowing them to spread the cost over time but also puts opportunities on the table for plumbers.

In recent research*, 56% of consumers preferred buy now, pay later to a credit card, while 88% of customers who have used a buy now pay later service would use them again. 48% of customers surveyed said having a buy now pay later option for over $1,000 would help them with their budgeting.

The technology is simple to use and after signing up, a business can be set up within minutes, immediately offering the buy now pay later solution to its customers.

In a competitive market offering a buy now pay later technology can make the difference for a plumbing business.

MPAQ members get access to discount merchant rates. Visit the MPAQ member benefits portal at www.mpaq.com.au to learn more about this offer. To learn more about Payright visit www.payright.com.au.

*Survey source: Independent survey of 500 Australian Consumers December 2019. INCREASE SERVICE CALLS WHILE IMPROVING CASHFLOW