Video Shops: Sell the ‘dish’, not the ‘deal’
Recently Howard and I had dinner at an upscale restaurant. As we were looking the menus, I noticed that I instinctively scanned the prices of each entree before making my decision on what to order. So, I decided to order the chicken, it wasn’t too pricey and I knew it was a healthier choice for my waistline.
Gino, our waiter, arrived at the table to take our order. But first he wanted to tell us about the “specials” that night. He started by describing in full detail the Beef Wellington. He explained the elaborate preparation of succulent tender fillet steak, coated with pâté de foie gras and then gently wrapped in a flaky puff pastry and baked until golden perfection
My mouth began to water! I could see, smell and taste the dish he was describing! I didn’t care how much it cost; I HAD to have that Beef Wellington!!! And, guess what? I ordered the very expensive Beef Wellington (without asking what the price was!) and I didn’t regret it for a moment!
This experience got me thinking about new home sales negotiation tactics (or lack thereof) I’ve been seeing on recent video shops. Too often when prospects enter a new homes sales office the first thing discussed is PRICE. They don’t want to hear about quality construction, the large selection of floor plans, community amenities, or even the upgraded standard features!
They want to make their new home buying decision based solely on price, much like I was ready to make my dining decision.
So, how do you gain control of the situation and handle this negotiating nightmare? The answer is to focus on VALUE.
Validate their feelings. In today’s economy, everyone is cost conscience. Let them know that you understand and appreciate that.
Allow for silence. You can’t give the farm away if you don’t open your mouth.
Listen and Learn to discover the real home buying objectives, and then target the *sweet* spot. You may find that the primary motivation for buying a new home has more to do with school districts or a split floor plan than actual price.
Understand everyone wants to get a good deal, especially when buying a new home. And, when you sell them on value first, the deal part is much easier to validate.
Educate them on product, service, quality and all the non-monetary benefits of your new home community. Make them fall in love! I promise when they do, price won’t matter as much. Just ask Gino, the waiter who let me fall in love with the Beef Wellington.
