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Selling questions for bespoke kitchens

by kevd10
15 replies
After finishing Claude Whitacres One Call Closing, I am after abit of help.

He states that the best strategy is to ask questions which enable the lead to sell themselves rather than just tell them how good the product is.

I am, however, struggling to come up with questions for my product, which is bespoke, rigid built kitchens.

We offer the highest quality at a more middle of the market price (which we can do because everything is built locally). Because I live in a relatively poor/working class region, people don't seem to be bothered about quality and just want the most affordable option as long as it looks good.

I am trying to drum up some question based selling for this particular product but I am having a mental block.

Amy ideas greatly appreciated.
#bespoke #kitchens #questions #selling
  • Profile picture of the author SkyeFWP
    Ask them if they would let their wife drive the cheapest car they could buy (ideally with the wife there).

    Makes the point about price vs value I find
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    • Profile picture of the author kevd10
      Originally Posted by SkyeFWP View Post

      Ask them if they would let their wife drive the cheapest car they could buy (ideally with the wife there).

      Makes the point about price vs value I find
      This seems to be based on safety, as that is the biggest factor with cars. Nobody is going to get injured/die if they skimp on their kitchen units.
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    • Profile picture of the author Coloradoskibum420
      Banned
      Originally Posted by SkyeFWP View Post

      Ask them if they would let their wife drive the cheapest car they could buy (ideally with the wife there).

      Makes the point about price vs value I find
      and boom goes the dynamite
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  • Profile picture of the author eccj
    How long are they planning on staying in the house? Go at the investment angle.
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  • Profile picture of the author tryinhere
    Originally Posted by kevd10 View Post

    Aand just want the most affordable option as long as it looks good. .
    Sometimes people trip over themselves, your answer is before your eyes and in your own words.

    You need to tailor your presentation as the best looking and most affordable option when it comes to updating your new kitchen.
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  • Profile picture of the author Barry Unruh
    Do you believe it is important to support local craftsmen? How important is it for us to keep jobs in our area?

    How much of an increase in value do you believe your kitchen will have if you use better quality?

    Did you realize the value of your home increase in proportion to the quality of the furnishings and finishes?

    Can you remember times you have spent a little more on tools or furniture? Remember how much longer they lasted and how they maintained their value?

    Those are just a couple that pop to mind, but I've never sold kitchens before....
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  • Profile picture of the author ewenmack
    Originally Posted by kevd10 View Post


    I am, however, struggling to come up with questions for my product, which is bespoke, rigid built kitchens.
    Getting out of product and service based questions
    and over to self identity questions is where the gold is.

    Why self identity?

    Whatever self identity a person has,
    this controls their actions.

    You see this when people say,
    "I am x."

    "I'm a caretaker"
    "I'm a dentist"
    "I'm a non smoker"
    "I'm a safe driver"
    "I'm a caring mother"

    A smoker who has stopped and still has the self identity
    of a smoker who has been without a smoke for 63 days
    is a person who struggles to not smoke and will go back to smoking.

    A smoker who has stopped and identifies himself as a non-smoker
    won't go back because a non smoker doesn't smoke...no struggle,
    no willpower no negotiating.

    Now back to buyers of kitchens and asking questions
    about their self identity...

    Here's one...

    "Do you like cooking and entertaining guests at home?"

    A yes leads you to expand on that love of hers.

    "So it's important to you to not only show off your
    culinary skills, but also show off your work space too?

    It's highly probable she will agree.

    Now the rule of consistency kicks in.

    What a person has said, they will
    not move from that position.

    Now your new kitchen matches the person
    who she said she is.

    See, you haven't even talked about product or service yet.

    What you have done is assist her to maintain or lift her identity status.

    In some situations you can even use the current state lowers her identity status.

    Powerful stuff!

    Best,
    Doctor E. Vile
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    • Profile picture of the author savidge4
      Anyone that has watched any of the home improvement shows or that has done home improvements of any kind KNOW that Kitchens and Bathrooms have the potential for greatest returns.

      Not that this should be the focus of the pitch.. but I would without question listen for the ideas of the topic in your prospects... Its not about the investment, its about the value after the renovation is done.

      Yes there are those that want to get a kitchen redone for their own use.. but I would bet that they will really fall into 2 categories. #1 would be have just moved in, and the old kitchen is just that "Old" and they want it redone. these people are also very focused on increasing the homes overall value. #2 are those that have been in the house for an amount of time. in todays market right in the 7 to 10 year mark ( any of you real estate guys correct me if I am wrong here ) These people are looking to get the most bang for their buck, again to increase value.

      If we were to think a bit abstract here and talk terms that I understand.. I am speaking to a client that wants their website redone. The first thing that needs to be determined is "WHY" its this "Why" that dictates the remainder of the pitch. You get away from Why and you lose the sale.

      It is the exact same thing with selling a kitchen... I will presume when you are in front of the client there has been a process to getting there. So to some extent they are already pre-qualified to the fact they want a kitchen... WHY do they want a new kitchen? This is not a question you have to figure out.. you can simply ask point blank.

      This allows you to adjust the pitch into the language the client most wants to hear. If you are talking benefits, and they want to know more about value.. you lose the sale. you are talking Value, and they want to know more about benefits.. you lost the sale.

      I have a buddy that sells BMW, he's not to bad at it either. We on occasion will meet for lunch or something and I usually stop by the dealership and often he is in the middle of a pitch. Listening to him I have picked up he never says "least expensive" or "cheapest" or anything that suggests in the slightest "this is OUR bottom price, and our bottom is to high for you"

      That is some powerful stuff when you think about it. Reaching the bottom end of any sales spectrum gets touchy. What becomes difficult is not crossing the "Snob line" ( this is what my friend calls it ) To bad for you our kitchens cost more than you can afford... and its not that you are getting there on purpose its terms like "the least expensive we can do your 10 x10 kitchen is this" and the number is unsettling to the client.

      But to turn that ever so slightly and say "Our Value added 10x10 kitchen comes in at" changes the dynamic of the message. You have not distanced yourself from the client,and then you can start interjecting the WHY into the conversation. "We have seen that this kitchen layout can produce 100% ROI when it comes time to appraise the house.

      Speaking of appraisals. Have you ever looked at one? I know the ones I have received over the years actually give the value of elements in the home. In WV did you know that fireplaces are worth $2000? Why would I know that? I am redoing my "City" home that has 4 fireplaces, I was going to remove them ( they are uselessly small ) but I would be removing $8000 in value in my home - crazy but true.

      So the point is.. find an appraiser that would be willing to copy off some examples of the home kitchens pages of an appraisal to see where there are gains and losses to be made. You can then literally show value in your product and the process.
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  • Profile picture of the author bizgrower
    In my area of the Colorado mountains, cedar siding increases the value of a home by
    about $15,000 for homes in the normal range of 2000 sq ft, 3 bed 2 bath. Those who
    know also know that you have to treat the cedar often (I'm not sure how long the
    current products last. It used to be about every two years.)

    Identity is a good motivator. Chef? Entertainer? Super Mom?...

    Investment value is another. In my market, the rule of thumb is that you want
    an improvement to double the cost of the improvement. A $7,000 kitchen
    should add about $14,000 to the value of the property. Kitchens, bathrooms,
    finished basements, adding garages all should do this easily. (Of course
    it depends upon market conditions and the specific market peculiarities.)

    I would add utility.
    Are they tired of the spotty stove or fridge?
    Are they tired of the poor use of space?
    No room to cook or place their kitchen devices.
    No room to gather- how many parties or gatherings end up in the kitchen?
    Is it hard to prepare everyday family meals or bake Christmas goodies?
    Wouldn't an island be nice?
    How about a dishwashing machine?

    What do they have and what do they want to have, or improve, or get rid of?


    Dan
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  • Profile picture of the author JeffreyMichel
    Asking that safety based question with their wives around them should work really well IMO
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    • Profile picture of the author kevd10
      Originally Posted by JeffreyMichel View Post

      Asking that safety based question with their wives around them should work really well IMO


      I struggle to see how this could be relevant to kitchens as there is no safety concern in buying slightly cheaper, lower quality units.
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      • Profile picture of the author eccj
        Originally Posted by kevd10 View Post

        I struggle to see how this could be relevant to kitchens as there is no safety concern in buying slightly cheaper, lower quality units.
        It's not relevant, its a dumb thing to say.
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        • Profile picture of the author DABK
          Go to a website that shows houses that sold recently in your neighborhood.

          Copy the photos of the kitchens.

          Separate them by price. (Get the whole listing, just to make sure you have everything.)

          Here's the kitchen of a house that sold for $150k

          Here's the kitchen of a house that sold for $580.

          Here's a photo of one of the kitchens we sold. Looks a lot like the kitchen in the $580 house, huh?

          Because it's that kind of quality. You get to feel like you're in a $580k home for a measly $2k more than if you got your kitchen at Home Depot.

          Now, to questions:
          Do you want to feel like you live in a poor or a rich house?
          Do you want your kitchen to add value to your house or do you think it's okay to spend money on a new kitchen that doesn't increase the value of your home?

          If you'd rather it increase the value of your home, wouldn't you it did it by a lot?

          But, I think, the best question have to do with their ego and comfort.

          Do you want a kitchen that was built to suit someone else or would you rather it suit you?
          And, if you want it to suit you, investing a bit more money now, so it lasts, isn't that a better idea?

          That kind of thing.

          I go to my brother's house, he has a bigger kitchen but it feels like everything is wrong: things just aren't where they should be, according to me and my wife.

          And, yes, the sink is under the window, the fridge is a couple of cabinets to the left, the range a couple of cabinets to the right. But, somehow, they're wrong... too far away... Yes, there's all that counter top space next to the sink. But I don't want it. I want the Fridge and the Range closer to the sink... And a lazy Susan cabinet... (By the way, who was this Susan that was so lazy they named a cabinet for?)
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  • Profile picture of the author bizgrower
    I forgot to add that when it comes to selling a home, just having a unique feature
    can help sell the home faster.
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  • Profile picture of the author Jason Kanigan
    Do you prefer granite countertops or is arborite or fromica okay?

    Were you considering an island in your kitchen?
    How would you use it?

    When it comes to cabinets, are light or dark colors more your style?

    Have you done any research of your neighborhood, and what those homes' kitchens look like?
    Have you checked the value of comps in your area to compare "Before vs After" your renovation?
    Do you care what the comps are?

    Have you thought about a budget for your new kitchen?

    Have you gone to houzz.com and found any photos you like? (Have a laptop or tablet handy so they can log in and show you.)


    I worked with a custom cabinet shop and the first thing I did was have an infographic created. New visitors got this infographic and it explained to them budget figures, sources of stress between couples in renos, reasons for doing the upgrades etc. So before they spoke with the owner, they knew all this stuff and had prequalified themselves.

    OP, I get the feeling you're desperate to make the sale. Not a good thing. Get out of that headspace.

    I am not sure if you understand WHY you are asking questions.

    The purpose is to uncover what they know and don't know. What their reasons for buying are. What will scare them off. What they value and what they don't. Who else they're talking to.

    NOT to make them drop their wallet at your feet.

    One of the top renovators I used to know in Vancouver would walk into the prospect's home, and announce, "Wait, what's wrong here? This looks fine to me!" And the wife would interrupt him by listing every darn thing she hated about the place. Can't do that if they're in your showroom, of course, but that did a lot of the work for him.
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