Defining the right time to fire the client

As important as knowing the sales closing techniques, is knowing when to fire a client. Although it may seem like a shot in the foot, letting go of unprofitable customers is vital to your business. longevity of your business.

Of course, such an important step calls for enormous caution. Knowing with conviction which customers are truly profitable requires time for analysis, and in the world of sales we know that there is usually no time left.

However, the urgency of this task becomes clear when we stop to think about the time that the wrong customers consume from our service. Time that could be dedicated to customers who value the offer.

To help you recognize when to fire a client without weighing your conscience, I bring here the 3 main steps to make this decision. Good reading!

1) Make sure you correctly followed all the steps for a healthy sale

What we are trying to demystify here is the classic phrase “the customer is always right”. However, to be sure that the customer is not right, you need to be sure that your approach was correct.

First, ask yourself, “Do I believe in what I’m selling?” Without your conviction, the benefits of solar energy may not reach the customer with optimal force. Remembering that a photovoltaic system is a high-value product, therefore, the potential customer needs to feel confident that it will be a worthwhile investment.

To be convincing, you need to know your product and service in depth. When we talk about the sale of photovoltaic solar energy, we need to understand that in addition to being sellers, we will be educators when negotiating. Being able to resolve all the customer's doubts, which will not be few, will be part of your job. This applies to both the technical and commercial parts of your negotiation.

Being sure about all this, the first step in healthy selling is prospecting. Starting a sales funnel requires persistence and a balance between passive and active prospecting. The main point here is to understand the customer's profile so as not to be overly insistent. Don't just try to sell on the first contact, remember to try to schedule a visit first. This will be a thermometer to measure customer interest.

Read also

The art of selling value in the solar energy market

Does after-sales generate new sales?

Starting 2022 with a lot of technical knowledge

With the prospecting done, it's time to focus on overcoming objections during negotiation. Consider the objection as an obstacle to be overcome, after all, the customer who asks is interested, he just feels the need to understand what he is about to buy. This is the time to use all your conviction and knowledge about solar energy.

Finally, the long-awaited closing of the sale also requires some care on your part. You need to know when to close, and to do that, you must understand the customer's signs of interest. Know that 60% of sales are closed from the fourth visit onwards, and this attitude will rarely come from the customer. To propose closing, try to understand if the customer is friendlier, if they are asking about payment methods or about the experience of other customers.

By following these steps for a healthy sale, you will be sure that you have done your part with quality. Attention: this will not completely protect you from prospecting clients who should be fired, it will only ensure that the blame for a problematic negotiation did not come from your approach.

One detail is that, sometimes, good customers are confused with expendable customers due to a failure to evaluate the profile and offer the ideal solution. I will talk about this in the next topic.

2) Know customer details and offer more than one system solution

The salesperson's mission is to understand the solution that will truly solve the customer's pain, targeting medium or long-term energy consumption. This pain is not standardized, it is not enough to know whether the client is an individual or legal entity, or how much he intends to invest.

For example: Does this client consider sustainability as important as the economy? In this case, thinking long term, he may be interested in an electric car in the future. How about offering a photovoltaic generator solution within your budget that comes with a charger compatible with electric cars on the market?

Another hypothesis is that the client lives in a region with frequent risks of voltage outbreaks. He may not know how much a String Box can help him protect the system, so explain this and offer a quote.

Being able to anticipate customer needs makes all the difference. Perhaps the customer has not yet thought about needing batteries to store energy production, so it is interesting that you evaluate this option.

Your budget will be a reflection of how much you understand about the customer's pain in question. If the negotiation is difficult to close, reevaluate your budget in order to understand whether it is exactly in line with what the client asked for, or with what they still don't know how much they need to make the most of the system.

3) Understand that the customer was not made to close with your company

You studied the customer profile, proposed your best solutions and resolved all doubts. Still, it may be that when making the purchase decision, they do not see value in your service. The most noticeable sign is disinterest during conversations, but there are problems that can be even bigger.

Some potential customers create immense stress on salespeople. Frequent requests outside the scope, lack of transparency, lack of willingness to understand the service or even lack of respect are attitudes that give the profile of a customer that should be fired.

You must understand that this situation happens in any business segment, so don't get frustrated. Firing the customer is a way to focus your energy on those who are truly interested in solar energy. Dedicating yourself to the right audience is a way to guarantee the best experience for these good customers. A satisfied customer recommends your work, while a disengaged customer can cause headaches even if they close the purchase.

Now that you understand the customer's need to dismiss, it's time to take action. It is not easy, but with transparency, empathy and honesty, it is possible to end this situation without major friction.

Give reasons why you want to end the negotiation. If you feel space for this, leave “the doors open” to talk again in the future, as it is possible that the client will acquire more maturity at another time.

With clear, empathetic and respectful communication, you will always be sure that your company is positioning itself correctly. It is true that the sun rises for everyone, but not everyone is interested in making the most of it. Therefore, know the value of your service and focus your interest on the right people. Your reward will come in profitability and recognition!