The process of selling bird control to residents and business owners can be challenging for many reasons. Different species of birds and varied levels of infestation mean that every potential customer has unique needs. For this reason, you're responsible for determining the exact solution for each individual. However, finding the right product for your potential customers may be much easier than actually convincing them to buy.
If you're a certified bird control specialist, finding solutions may be the easy part of your job. Without the right knowledge, closing the sale can actually be more difficult. Even if your potential customer is aware they have a bird control problem, they might not be willing to invest in a solution. More importantly, they might be reluctant to invest in your services. Learning about your customer's decision-making process and applying their related behavior to your selling process can help you close more bird control deals.
The Consumer Buying Process
While some retailers in various industries believe consumer buying is random, it's becoming more widely understood that the consumer buying process follows six distinct stages. During each of these stages, a potential customer could be convinced to either purchase a product or walk away. The six stages of the consumer buying process include:
- Problem Recognition
- Information Search
- Evaluation of Alternatives
- Purchase Decision
- Purchase
- Post-Purchase Evaluation
When you evaluate these steps during your customer's journey, it becomes easier to understand what is driving your potential customer's decision. As you note these telltale signs, you can use the information to close the deal.
5 Tips to Use Your Customer's Decision-Making Process to Close More Bird Control Deals
Understanding the consumer buying process is only half of the journey to close more bird control deals. You must also use the process to understand and anticipate the unique needs of your customers. Whether your business is entirely focused on bird control or you're expanding your pest control business to include bird control, effective closing is essential. These five tips can help clarify your customer's specific decision-making process and allow you to use it to understand and anticipate their needs.
1. Start Closing Online
Most commonly, the reason any individual seeks bird control is out of your hands. The problem recognition stage will generally be the work of invasive bird species that exist on the customer's property. But as soon as they recognize a problem, a search for information quickly follows. Since 88% of consumers research a product or service online before making a purchase, your online presence is vital. Your website and online marketing tactics should maximize SEO strategies that include bird control keywords.
2. Understand Your Customer's Specific Pain Points
The reason your potential customer contacted you is the key to closing a deal. While your knowledge of specific methods and bird control products helps you form a solution, your customer is focusing on a specific problem. Ask why the problem needs to be solved, and listen carefully to the answer. Your customer's pain points include the specific details that will tell you how to close. Often, the cost of inaction is considerably more than the solution that will solve your customer's bird control issues.
3. Know When ‘No’ Means ‘Maybe’
Objections can be an opportunity to gather more information. Instead of embarking on a long sales pitch in an effort to obtain a yes or no answer, ask leading questions to help you guide your customer to a positive resolution. By asking about the areas on the property affected by birds or what type of payment plan would be most convenient for the customer, you can learn more about potential objections and how to move past them. The way your customers respond to questions can also help you determine which alternative solutions could be a better fit.
4. Make Buying Easy
When your customer is ready to purchase, it's crucial to be ready to sell. If you go back to the consumer buying process, you'll note that the purchase decision and the purchase itself belong to separate stages. The reason is simple: a decision to make a purchase isn't the same as actually paying for a product or service.
Consider your own actions when making an online purchase. You make a purchase decision by adding an item to the cart and going to checkout. But if the website glitches or your preferred payment method isn't accepted, the payment doesn't go through. At this point, you could choose to go back and attempt to make the purchase again or in a different manner. Or, you could shop elsewhere to find an easier, more convenient process.
Similarly, when your customer wants to make a purchase and you integrate another step into the process, the customer could simply change their mind. Your sales process should include a method that allows you to sign a contract, take payments, or complete an order.
5. Follow Up
So, you didn't make the sale. That doesn't mean you should delete the customer's name from your list. With bird problems, customers are usually going through an educational process. A friendly return call to a home or business owner who chose what they thought would be a more cost-effective solution can mean a sale for you with minimal added effort.
Even if you did close the deal, follow-up is an essential part of customer satisfaction. Bird control is a service that provides ongoing value. Checking in to make sure your customers stay satisfied shows them you appreciate their business. It also provides you with an opportunity to address any issues or concerns. This commitment to customer satisfaction will lead to loyal customers who depend on your services and recommend them to others.
Closing more bird control deals is an important aspect of any bird control business. Effective products and services are the other part of the puzzle. To learn more about bird control training, methods, and products, get in touch with the bird control experts at Bird Barrier. Bird Barrier's Technical Training Classes have helped more than 1,000 companies succeed in the market, and our innovative bird control products maximize success.
About Bird Barrier
Bird Barrier is a leader in innovative technology designed to prevent birds from landing, roosting or nesting. We specialize in urban bird control to remove birds humanely and effectively. Our website, birdbarrier.com, hosts a wealth of content to help people understand and identify bird control solutions for various problems with pest birds. Please contact us if you need help with a bird related problem. You may also benefit from our free guide, Bird Deterrents: The Complete Guide.
