Like many who are fond of
their teeth, I go to my dentist every 6 months for a check-up. Basically, this
is a $320 detail job and they don’t even shampoo the carpet.
The dental hygienist lady has
a habit of referring to me as “we”. She’s either aware of my multiple
personalities or lives a parallel life as a pre-school teacher. “How are WE
doing today? Are we having any trouble with our teeth?”
Worse, she half sings these
questions, which is – or should be - punishable by death in many states, all of
which I’d like to now live in. Soon she
has at least three hands in my mouth, and I can barely make out ‘Don’t Worry Be
Happy’ straining through a 5” speaker covered in tooth dust.
Then she says this, which is a
lesson in sales and marketing of
the highest order. (You may want to floss before reading.)
See, I used to dread the
dentist. As an 8 year old, I hid behind a sofa until my appointment had long
passed. Then, incorrectly assuming the coast was clear, was spotted by my
frantically searching mother. My rear-end took the pain originally intended for
my molar regions. It was a good swap.
I mean, dentist dude had
seriously hairy arms, a syringe borrowed from the zoo, and a drill that sounded
like mosquitos on crack. He focused all his activity in my mouth, which was
just fine when it was me and the Three Musketeers. But no, Der Drill Meister
had to spoil my fun and talk about gumlines, flossing, and keeping my teeth.
What a killjoy.
As a result of my dental
defiance, by age 12 I had enough silver in my mouth to effect the currency
market in Bolivia.
Yet by college age, modern
dentistry was here. Gone were the torture rituals of old, no longer did they
use pulleys and horse drawn carts to extract teeth. “Oh darn Mr. Crumpley!
Wrong one! We’ll just saddle ‘er up again to get the right one. Here, chew on a
bullet.”
The bullet, I might add,
remains preferable to the People Magazine featuring anyone who has known or
married a Kardashian.
Yet we all learn that
Preventive Maintenance is key. And it leads to…
Salesmanship for Non-Salespeople
Today I am in a comfortable
chair (like a La-Z-Boy with handcuffs and a rinse cycle) while micro-abrasive
cleaning tools gently erase a subtle hue of coffee and red wine. “We” are being
sung to, sort of, and I’m caught by the following –
“And todayyyy…”, sounding
like she’s about to announce recess, “We’re due for our X-ray as part of our
routine.” I make a noise like I have a whole baked potato in my mouth which she
correctly interprets as approval.
Soon, a machine suitable for
Darth Vader selfies is aimed at my check, a gentle buzz emanates, and she says,
“Now we’ll do the other side”. ZZZap. In 40 seconds, I’ve just spent another
$240. But remember, this is part of our
routine.
“So while we wait for the Doctor,
let’s get your appointment scheduled. I’ve got you down for 6 months out, and I
see you prefer mornings, right?”
“Yes, that’s right”, I
mumble, rinsing out the cleaning cocktail in the little swirly sink.
“And what day of the week do
you not prefer, knowing that we don’t take Friday appointments?”
“Uh, Tuesdays and Thursdays
are fine.”
“Okay, we’ve got you down. If
there are any changes, let us know ahead of time. Here’s your written slip,
plus we’re sending you an email and a text reminder to put into your Outlook
calendar.”
I’ve just committed a morning 6 months from now to
spend a few hundred more dollars having “our” teeth media blasted. The scheduled
visit after that? “We” get our X-ray.
There was no selling, only assumption. There was no, “Do you want to do
this again? I sure hope so! Mandy will send a card then call you to set
something up.” None of that.
Are you listening, oh ye filled
with ‘How to sell and renew Maintenance Agreements’ woes? Go re-read her
script.
There was no scheduling
meltdown. No, “The office will get back with you later.”
It was scheduled plus Alternate of Choice. a) It’ll be 6 months. b) Morning or afternoon.
c) Which day of week. Oh, and they don’t
do Fridays. Smart limitation, creates mild scarcity.
There was no upselling “Do you want me to (check ductwork leakage; adjust
your water heater; do a fuse panel test)?” It was, “As part of our routine, the
X-ray (upsell) is included.”
Here’s an assumption for you: Your customer has you out. You tell them Preventive
Maintenance is the cure for the equivalent of their painful drillings and
fillings. You tell them of your automated routine, happens like clockwork, they
don’t even have to think to keep their home system maintained and working like
new. Just check here, you’ll get a reminder, plus a call as it nears.
Too many contractors give too many customers the
“option” to opt-out. To forget. To intend to call you again, and to use you
next season, but – by darn – they got busy and didn’t. Now they use someone
else. Or Mandy calls to schedule the appointment this week and you know, the
darn washing machine went out, so we’re going to have to wait. Until never.
See folks, this “Retention
Mission” I’ve been on is not just some esoteric marketing mantra. It is a way
to virtually eliminate competition, to reduce the rigors of ‘selling’, to quit
having to prove and reprove yourself every time. And I’ll not turn this into a
commercial; I’ll accept a nod of agreement. In fact,
Every home with heating,
cooling, plumbing, and electrical should have an agreement. Just like those of
you with teeth might want that twice a year check-up. Don’t we?
Adams Hudson
1.
Do you have a
Maintenance Agreement Program?
YES, works perfectly.
YES, has some issues
NO, but I’d consider one
2.
My Agreement
program ‘Auto Renews’? YES NO
3.
I offer an
Agreement to every customer. YES NO
4.
I’d like to learn
more about Maintenance Agreements in an upcoming Coaching Call. YES
NO
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