because it’s an instant credibility builder.” An effective salesperson should have


active listening skills, good questioning techniques, empathy, emotional control and storytelling skills. Deemer explains that your sales team needs to listen carefully to understand a client’s underlying worries and ask questions like “What’s most import- ant to you in a backyard renovation?” to get to the heart of their objections. “If a client is hesitant because of a bad


experience with a previous contractor, acknowledge their concerns and share how you’ll ensure a better outcome this time,” Deemer says. Deemer adds that salespeople shouldn’t


get defensive if a client challenges their design choices. They should share their rationale calmly and stories of previous clients who had similar concerns but found the project exceeded their expectations. Gonzalez says salespeople must be


very patient and understanding with their customers. He says the goal is to build trust and relationships first. Gonzalez notes that people like to do business with people they like. This is why Ethoscapes places people in a position where they will suc- ceed based on their core strengths. “I call it the three Ps,” Gonzalez says.


“The first is performance, the second is positioning and the third is perception. The salesperson must be able to perform with experience and knowledge, position them- selves by stepping up and unearthing opportunities, and one must be perceived well. People need to like you.” Gonzalez says they don’t assign geo-


graphic areas to their account managers. Instead, they base it on who connects best with their assigned clients. While the op- erations side is geographically based, they put salespeople who connect well with the end user, regardless of their location. “We focus on the relationship rather than who’s closest to my house,” Gonzalez says.


Haygood admits that some things can’t be taught, like the ability to read the room and immediately find a connection. “You can continue to push and drive those talking points, but some people completely can’t handle it,” Haygood says. “Some of it is taught, and some of it is just you either have it or you don’t.”


DEALING WITH PRICE OBJECTIONS One of the most common objections your sales team will encounter is with pricing. Depending on the nature of the work, there are a number of different strategies they can utilize.


For residential installations, offering financing can be a solution for clients who are interested in larger projects like a complete backyard makeover or pool installation. “If a client is on the fence due to upfront


costs, providing a monthly payment plan might make the investment feel more manageable,” Deemer says. “It’s a way to help them achieve their dream outdoor space without compromising on quality or scaling down their vision.” Deemer adds that sometimes price


objections are really about aligning the design to the customer’s budget. “Ask, ‘If we adjusted some features while


still delivering the look you want, would that make the project more comfortable for you?’” Deemer says. With property managers, Gonzalez


says one option is to reduce and align the scope of work to the client’s budget if they still want Ethoscapes to perform the work. “The way I look at it, everybody’s our


customer,” Gonzalez says. “We just haven’t gotten to them yet. Just be patient, and eventually, we’ll get to them.” Haygood says salespeople can try to


get creative with bundles or add more sites, but the reality is operational costs will constrain them at a certain point. Haygood says his sales team has a little wiggle room, but they have to hit a certain margin no matter what. “We have certain customer bases that


typically we don’t do well with,” Haygood says. “We do like to spend time on proper- ty; we do have a very high focus on quality. There is always going to be that problem.” Haygood encourages asking for con-


sistent price increases versus keeping it the same for 10 years and then suddenly increasing the cost by 20%. If your sales team faces customers claim- ing they can get the work done for less, Deemer suggests emphasizing the cost consequences of going with someone cheaper.


“Explain how cutting corners on pool installation can lead to problems like leaks or uneven settling, which may result in costly repairs,” Deemer says. Haygood says clients who go with a cheaper option often end up returning to them by mid-season because the other contractor was providing very low-quality work. He says 80% of the time they end up having to charge the customer even more than the original bid because they have to get their property back up to par. On the design/build side, when dealing with clients claiming they can


do the project themselves, Deemer says salespeople can counter by highlighting the complexity of the job and stories of other clients who attempted to go the DIY route. “Ask if they have experience dealing with things like drainage systems, soil quality for different plants, or local building codes for pool installation,” Deemer says.


DEALING WITH DECISION-MAKING DELAYS


Another objection salespeople may face is if a customer claims all the decision-makers are not present. This can be easily solved by suggesting a follow-up meeting that includes all the decision-makers. Haygood says he encourages his sales


team to ask to meet the decision-maker and go out to lunch with them. “You’d be shocked at how successful that is because once their boss is like, ‘No, I like these people,’ then it alleviates a lot of the pressure off the property manager,” Haygood says.


National Association of Landscape Professionals 29 Photos: Ethoscapes


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