Picture this: Day in and day out, you’re delivering exceptional home improvement services, perhaps remodelling dream kitchens or crafting serene garden landscapes. Yet, when you look at your sales figures, the numbers simply don’t match the quality and dedication you put into your work. You might ask yourself, “Why aren’t my sales reflecting my efforts? Why does it seem like everyone else is closing more deals?” It’s a sinking feeling, isn’t it? The challenge of boosting sales, especially in a competitive market, is a pain point many business owners like you face. But what if there was a roadmap to navigate this challenge? What if you could unlock strategies that consistently drove sales and set your business apart?
We’ve worked with countless home improvement businesses with our Partner Impact+ and have seen exceptional increases in sales using the same strategy across many of these businesses. One example has been growing Fire & Ice by $1 million in revenue.
In this article, you’ll delve into these exact tried-and-tested methods that we’ve used to transform the sales trajectory for businesses across all industries over the past decade, including (but not limited to) home improvement businesses.
So, if you’re eager to turn those sales numbers around, let’s dive in.
Why Trust is the Key Ingredient to More Sales
Trust is the lifeblood of any successful business transaction. It’s that intangible factor that turns a potential lead into a loyal customer. In essence, trust is the secret ingredient that fuels sales across industries, and the home improvement sector is no exception.
Think back to the last time you made a significant purchase. Perhaps it was a new smartphone. Before parting with your hard-earned money, you likely read reviews, compared models, and sought recommendations. At the heart of this decision-making process was trust. You needed to trust the brand, trust the product’s performance, and trust the reviews of other users.
The digital age has revolutionised the buyer’s journey. With the advent of the internet, today’s consumers are more informed than ever.
They have a world of information at their fingertips, allowing them to research, compare, and evaluate before making a purchase decision. This shift means that businesses can no longer rely solely on traditional sales pitches. Instead, they must earn the buyer’s trust.
One of the most effective ways to build this trust is by obsessively answering buyer questions.
Why?
Because it demonstrates that you understand their concerns, are transparent in your dealings, and are genuinely invested in helping them make the best decision. By addressing their queries, you position your business as a reliable source of information, a partner they can turn to for guidance.
Obsessing over answering buyer questions works because it taps into the heart of what consumers are seeking: clarity, assurance, and value. When they feel that their concerns are acknowledged and addressed, they are more likely to trust your brand and, by extension, choose your products or services.
In the competitive landscape of home improvement, trust is your most potent tool. By prioritising trust-building measures, especially through addressing buyer questions, you pave the way for increased sales and long-term customer loyalty.
Creating Content That Answers Buyer Questions
One of the most effective ways to establish trust with potential customers is by answering their questions proactively. And what better way to do this than through blog articles?
Blog articles serve multiple purposes. They not only position your business as an industry expert but also provide valuable insights to readers, addressing their concerns and guiding their decisions.
When a potential customer finds a blog article that answers their specific query, it not only resolves their immediate concern but also establishes your business as a trusted advisor. And, as a trusted advisor, you’re in a much better position to sell to your prospect.
However, what content do you need to create in order to establish this trust?
The answer is content that answers buyer questions – the questions that prospects are asking your sales reps. While marketing teams are adept at crafting content, they might not always be privy to the on-ground questions that potential customers frequently ask.
This is where the sales team, with their direct interaction with customers, becomes invaluable. By collaborating with the sales team, marketers can tap into a goldmine of content ideas.
And that’s the key.
To establish trust through content creation, the marketing and sales teams need to collaborate.
Imagine a scenario where a member of the sales team frequently encounters a specific question, such as “What’s the difference between X and Y product?” or “How does this service compare to competitors?” Instead of addressing this question individually with each potential customer, a well-researched blog article can provide a comprehensive answer.
This not only saves time for the sales team but also ensures that customers receive consistent and detailed information.
Marcus Sheridan discovered through research that if someone read 30 or more pages of his website, they converted 80% of the time and that in comparison, those who read less than 30 pages of his website converted only 20% of the time. In other words, the number of interactions a prospect has with your brand directly impacts the sale.
By integrating the insights from the sales team into the content creation process, businesses can ensure that their blog articles are not just informative but also highly relevant to their target audience and to their sales process.
This approach leads to content that genuinely resonates with readers, driving engagement, building trust, and ultimately, boosting sales.
Using Content in the Sales Process to Close More Deals
Now that marketing is developing content based on questions that prospects are asking sales reps, it’s no use if that content collects dust. It needs to be proactively used by sales reps, in the sales process, to close more deals. How can this be done?
Let’s look at an example. If a potential customer is considering a specific home improvement service but has reservations, sending them a detailed article or video that addresses their concern can make a significant impact.
This proactive approach not only answers their immediate questions but also showcases the business’s expertise and commitment to customer satisfaction.
This strategy sends a clear message to prospects: the business is not merely interested in making a sale but genuinely cares about their needs and is willing to invest time and resources to help them make an informed decision. This fosters trust, the key ingredient of every sale.
By addressing common questions and concerns through content, the sales process becomes more streamlined. Sales teams can save time by directing prospects to specific articles or resources, ensuring consistent and comprehensive information delivery. This approach not only enhances the customer experience but also leads to measurable improvements in sales conversion rates.
In essence, sending tailored content to educate prospects during the sales process is a strategic move that sets businesses apart in a competitive market. The key is in prioritising education over mere persuasion.
Bottom Line, What Should I Do to Increase Sales?
- Ask your sales team what questions they’re being asked by prospects in the sales process. If you’re doing the sales, then ask yourself this and create a list
- Create articles or videos that answer these questions
- Start sending these articles or videos out to prospects during the sales process to answer their questions
If you follow this three-step framework, you’ll close more deals. Next, learn about how to craft your email when sending these articles to prospects in the sales process.