By Michael R. Nelson
We are counting down the days. As I write this, we have less than 50 days before our contracts begin. That’s less than 50 days to get contracts completed, insurance certificates distributed, sites staked, preseason walk-throughs completed, salt storage set up, equipment ordered and assigned—and that’s just for our returning clients.
With the preseason flurry of activity, it’s hard to even think about the new business opportunities that we could be cultivating. I’m a dedicated sales professional all year long; all I do is work on adding new business. But many people in this industry wear many hats, and it is challenging to accomplish everything when there are only so many hours in the day. Regardless of whether you have a dedicated sales team to target new business or that is just one of the many things on your to-do list for the day, an already challenging job is compounded by having to deal with potential customers who don’t think about snow until the first flakes fall.
In my first column, I introduced you to “Roy,” a typical “I don’t even think about snow until October” guy, who gets three quotes and picks the lowest one. Following is a scenario that puts into play a technique I use to get people to talk about snow a lot sooner than they would have expected:
Mike: “Roy, Mike Nelson here. Catch you at a bad time?”
Roy (deep sigh with a hint of regret for picking up the phone): “Hi Mike, it’s not so much that it’s a bad time, but snow really isn’t even on my radar yet. Can you call me back sometime in September?”
Making my move
Mike: “Roy, I’d be happy to call you back in September. Before I go, can I ask a quick question?”
Roy: “Sure.”
Mike: “When you said snow is not on your radar yet, does that mean we can’t talk about it now?”
Roy: “Well, Mike, I guess we could; it’s just that I’m busy, and we have plenty of time to deal with snow.”
Mike: “I completely understand, Roy; most people say the same thing when I call in June to talk about snow. My biggest fear, Roy, is that if we push it off until September, we may find we are both busy and rush the process, which could cause us to miss something that is important to you. Not to mention that we may sit down and find out we are not a fit for each other, which could leave you short on time to find a snow vendor that is a fit for you. I don’t want to put any pressure on you, though. It’s up to you. I am OK either way.”
Then I stop talking and let Roy make his decision. He is not always going to say, “OK, Mike, let’s meet now,” but at least you’ve helped him see some possible negative repercussions that could happen to him—not to you—if he waits too long to make the decision.
Michael R. Nelson is director of new business development for North Country Snow & Ice Management in Glens Falls, NY. Contact him at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
