In my work with people selling remodeling, I suggest that early in the relationship, the potential client should be asked to “sell” the remodeler on why the remodel should happen.
What are you talking about, Paul?
Here's what that might look:
Once you have connected with the potential client, established some sense of rapport, and distinguished yourself as trustworthy, ask them the following:
“What makes this right house to invest so much money in? What about the house makes it special? Is it the house itself? Is it the neighborhood? Is it the proximity to a school and/or to a commercial district? Do you have a lot of friends nearby? Is it the trees lining the street that make you feel like you are walking under a canopy? Is it friends you have in the neighborhood? Friends your children have?”
"Tell me more."
The idea is to have the client sell you on why the remodel should happen. And you do that by getting them to tell you about all the things that makes their current home special. It is powerful for them to hear themselves saying what they feel about their home. The maximum amount of money they are prepared to invest rises.
“Have you looked at other houses? Better you do so now because, at some point during the remodel, one of you is going to say to the other ‘Why did we decide to remodel this house?’”Remodeling takes a lot out of a client, and I am not talking just about money. Here is what I mean:"
“You are both (assuming it is a couple, as is typical) already so busy with your work, whether it is a job that takes you away from the home or if you are a professional homemaker driving your children all over the place. You and your children are already over-scheduled to a greater than lesser degree, right?"
Cost of a Remodel
Clarify with them that there three components to the cost of a remodel:
One is the money. And the original contract price is typically not all that you will pay. There will be at least one change order driven by hidden conditions and at least one change order driven by you getting excited and feeling that you need to spend a bit more to get that special something you have fallen in love with as you walked through the remodeled homes of your friends.
Second are the demands on your time. You will have to make so many decisions about design, products, finishes and fittings. At some point you will experience decision fatigue and start questioning if it made sense to go through the living hell a remodel can be.
Finally, there is the general stress from having all this activity going on that entails taking your old home and destroying it, with you hoping that your contractor will actually complete the job. You don’t truly miss your home until your normal routine is completely disrupted.
"Are you sure you want to go through all this?”Truth be told, I would rarely lay it on this heavily in one meeting or a very short amount of time. You need to give potential clients some time to process.
Better Before than After
The thing is, if they proceed and choose to work with you, they will regard you as an incredibly insightful and wonderful partner.
You have predicted the future, an awful but a realistic one, so now you are likely to make them feel that you are the only person they can depend on. Try it. You might be surprised. Always better for that to happen before than after a sale!
