Logic | ltcagenttraining

3 Main Objections

"Too Busy" People

First off, people that say they are too busy to talk don't make sense.

They answered a phone call anyway, like what did they think was going to happen.

Whenever someone says something like they are too busy to talk like " I'm Driving...." or "I am eating... " or "I am at work....." or "I can't talk right now...." etc. Agent's first response to that should be something like:

"No problem...I understand, put me on speaker then to make it easier for you, I promise this wont take long and will benefit you..."

Logic

Think about it, they were trying to get you off the phone anyway so why not take a shot at keeping you on the line. Even if they are eating, they can put you on speaker and multitask. No one is too busy to make and save money which is what we are trying to do for them.

In this business, the hardest part is getting people to listen to you. There are questions you can ask that will open them up more to listen and also give you an opportunity to get them to think the way you want them to think. Here are some examples you can use in your calls to increase your odds of them listening and increase your odds of setting a lead.

1. Get them to agree that their electric company is bad

Agent: "Before you hang up on me, can I ask you one last question? If your utility company suddenly decided that your $100 electric bill is now $200, would you have any other choice but to pay that bill? Unless you want your electricity shut off, no, right? My point is we are at the mercy of our monopoly of an electric company and this is the first time in history where we are given a chance to fight back by taking control of our electric bill. With that being said, would today at 5 pm be good or would 7 pm be better for our specialist to come out for you?"

2. Get them to agree that what you are doing is beneficial for them

Agent: "Before you hang up, may I ask you a question? Ok...If I could show you someone that can show you how you can spend less than what you pay now for electricity, wouldn't just getting that information be beneficial for you and your family?" (They must say yes to this question. If they say anything, but yes, then they are not listening)

3. Get them to agree that they would go solar if it made sense

Agent: "Before you hang up, let me ask you a question? Knowing what you know now, if I came up to you 20 years ago and offered the chance to freeze the price of gasoline at $1 a gallon, would you do it?" (let them say yes)

"The amount of money saved would be enough for a new BMW or to put a kid through college. We are basically

doing the same thing here, but for your electricity. Does that make sense?"

A rhetorical question is asked in order to produce an effect or to make a statement rather than to elicit information.

The Power of Rhetorical Questions

OPEN:

Hello, this is (Your Name) from Green World Pro.

This is a courtesy call because your home comes up to possibly qualify you for the new California Electric Program.

And if you qualify, you can use this to eliminate your current electric bill

You are spending $70 or more each month on electricity, Correct?

And you are the homeowner, right?

----------------

THE HOOK — ADDING VALUE:

Well, let me tell you what's going on....

However much your bill is, it's about to go up, right?

The public utility commission has just posted a 10-25% increase that they will be rolling out in the next month.

So the state of California is forcing all the big utility companies to start offering options to homeowners whose bills are high.

They put millions in the bank, and this money is supposed to get allocated to you and your neighbors to help you go green.

----------------

GET THE LEAD:

So what we are doing here at (Company Name) is contacting homeowners in your area, and offering you a completely free — solar analysis.

We send a state certified solar specialist.

They come out, check out the roof, the shading issues, the amount of sun you get, and basically sees whether solar is even suitable for you or your home.

If it is suitable, he'll let you know all the programs you are entitled to.

No obligation, all free.

It's really just an information visit for you to let you know what your options are that you have available.

We are working with homeowners who are interested in seeing what their options are.

The analysis takes an hour, to an hour in a half depending on the size of your home and the questions you may have.

The information they give you is a good for up to a year.

So the reason I am calling is because we have some specialists in your area today, and throughout the following week.

Are you married? -

-(If yes) When are you and your spouse typically available, morning, noon, or evening?

-(If no) When are you typically available, morning, noon, or evening?

....Or would you happen to be available later today?

----------------

SETTLE ON TIME/DATE:

Okay let me check my calendar...(Play "hard to get" with the appointment)

While I'm checking the calendar, I am just going to briefly confirm this information with you:

1. What utility company are you with?

2. And you said you are spending _______ for your electric average?

3. Are there ANY discount programs associated with your electric bill?

examples: C.A.R.E., Low-Income , Medical Baseline, F.E.R.A., Lifeline

4. You are the current homeowner and the only one on the title?

(If married, say "You and your spouse are the only ones on title, right?")

5. How long have you lived in your home?

6. May you verify the address we would be sending the specialist to for me, please?

7. And Who do I have the pleasure of speaking with?

----------------

THE CLOSE:

Great,

Alright...I found a couple slots. Does (today or best day they told you) at (random time) sound good, or is (later random time) better? *wait for response

Perfect, now I just have to grab that time slot so we don't lose it. OK got it...

This appointment usually takes about 90 minutes depending on your questions so give yourself enough time.

If you get your questions ready for the person coming over, that will speed up the analysis.

ANYTHING you want to know about solar - they know, so ask LOTS of questions.

You will get a dispatch call a few hours prior to your appointment to let you know who is coming out and reconfirm with you.

They NEVER send anyone out without speaking to someone first, so do you have an alternate number for dispatch to reach you at? Cell phone would be best to make sure we can reach you for the appointment.

(Confirm the phone number they give you)

Alright, everything looks perfect here...

(Editable close depending on your style)

(To go for the LTC)

I just need to transfer this over to my scheduling manager to make sure the time slot I got for you is still available, takes literally 1 minute and then you are all set.

Do you have any questions for me before I transfer you?

Ok great, It was a pleasure speaking with you....please stay on the line....

(Click "TRANS-CONF" then click "LOCAL CLOSER" towards the bottom of the screen on the dialer)

Remember: You called them, as soon as you hear *BOOP, go straight into it

Reaction to Electric Bill

Rhetorical question, just keep going

Pause for a couple seconds to let that soak in

Keep going, don't stop unless there is an objection

Pause for a couple seconds to let that soak in

Single homeowners are the easiest to set IAs

If you want to modify the script to be more your style, draft it up and put logic points of why you are saying what you put (like the one we have here) and submit it to Chris or Sara for review and feedback/approval.

Basic Skeleton Script

This is our basic script with logic bubbles showing how to say something, why we say it, and what is going on in the mind. Take note of this: if you get an objection in the first 30 seconds of your call like "Not Interested", "Take me off your list", "I already have solar" , "I already got this call" etc. , YOU should know that they are just using an automatic objection response they picked up from being solicited to for years and they think you are a telemarketer. If that is the case, you need to adjust your intro slightly to take that out of their mind by saying something like " No problem, I understand, but I just want to let you know this isn't a sales call, ok? We don't sell anything here, we just give information..."

This needs to be said at normal speed without stopping after saying "GWP" and flow straight into the next sentence. That way the client doesn't focus on the name too much and is more focused on Why you are calling/What the call is about.

You need to ask a question so you can get a response and get the client to engage. If they answer with a positive answer, then you know they are listening and receptive to your call. You can make this any qualifying question you want like "Are you already getting help on your electric bill with any type of discounts?"

Pause for a couple seconds to let that soak in

Once you have them engaged, you can then proceed to hook them. Remember to say sentences that are not too important at a regular speed and to slow down and emphasize what you want to stick in the clients mind like "10-25% increase", "in the next month", and "money is supposed to get allocated to you" etc.

Do not skip a beat here. Pull them down the script. If they object, address the concern and go right back to where you left off.

You need to be on your toes at this point. Now that it has been a minute or 2 into the call, the client feels a little connected, but still might have serious concerns and randomly object.

You want to tell them how long the appointment is going to take and make it sound like it's not a big deal. If they don't object, then you are good and can proceed. If they object with something like "That's a long time, why?" , you can say " That's just the average amount of time it takes to get a proper analysis done. I am sure you can fly straight through it, but they ask you at least have that time set aside just in case it does take that long. Ok?"

Play the part. Click your mouse and type loudly so it's more believable that you are "checking your calendar"

Good agents take calls and at the same time have a pen and paper to take notes about long calls they get on like if a qualifying question was answered already or important concerns the customer brought up etc.

Experienced agents like to randomly throw in qualifying questions throughout the conversation that way it doesn't seem like an interrogation of you just asking a bunch of personal questions one after another.

Never tell the customer what you have on your screen. Always have them give you their information like their name and address.

On the dialer, customer information pops up with the call, but shouldn't be relied on. There is a chance the information is wrong, outdated, or person is deceased etc. Always go into the call like if you just called a random number in a phone book.

This is where you assume success. You are scheduling the appointment while keeping your cool and staying collected. Internally you are probably getting very excited or anxious and it might show in your voice which is normal. Through experience you will learn to keep it to yourself. Then you are simply letting the client know exactly what is going to happen on the day of the appointment and what you need to do next.

If they do have a question, try to put it on the scheduling manager's shoulder since you are about to transfer them over anyway. Say "That's a great question that I know the scheduling manager would be able to answer better than me. Please stay on the line..."

Because we are on the phone with these people, they can and will say anything they can think of to not take an appointment. There are literally hundreds of objections prospects can come up with, but they all fall into 1 of 3 categories. What they are saying is the "surface objection" and inside that is a "core objection."

Core Objections

#1 . Trust Issue

#2 . Time Issue

#3 . Money Issue

Example of an objection: "I need to do research first before I set an appointment"

On the surface, it seems like they want to do research and will only move forward after they do that, but an experienced agent will see the hidden "core objection" of a trust issue.

A perfect response to this example objection would go something like, "No problem, I understand. That's great that you want to do your research and get your own idea of what is possible. I can give you general information that you can look up online, but the ONLY way to TRULY see what you MAY qualify for is to have a state certified solar specialist go out and show you exactly what is possible. So for your analysis, would today at 4 pm be good or would 6 pm be better?"

1st: Say "No problem, I understand" pause for a second to three

2nd: Agree with the prospect that also compliments them

3rd: Rebuttal the surface objection that also works on the core objection

4th: Go back to where you left off/Go for the appointment

Logic and Thinking

Learn script logic, advanced logic, and style.

Top

Reaction to Bill Amount

There is a qualifying question: “How much do you spend on average for electricity?”

You can use the customers answer to your advantage by having a funny response or interesting reaction to it. If used in the intro, you can use this to break the ice and have a better chance at an appointment.

I hear new agents make the mistake of after hearing the bill amount is over $70, agent says “Good” and just continues. DO NOT DO THAT.

Here are some examples of better follow up responses to bill amounts.

Agent: “How much do you spend on average for electricity?”

Customer: “I think like $200 a month.”

Agent: “$200! Are you serious? What is this, a hotel??”

2. Agent: “How much do you spend on average for electricity?”

Customer: “I think like $200 a month.”

Agent: “Did I hear you say $200?! That’s the biggest electric bill I have ever heard

anyone have!!”

3. Agent: “How much do you spend on average for electricity?”

Customer: “I think like $200 a month.”

Agent: *spits out coffee* “Sorry, I have never heard of such a huge expense before”

4. Agent: “How much do you spend on average for electricity?”

Customer: “I think like $200 a month.”

Agent: “Do you mean $200 a year?”

Customer: “No, it’s about $200 each month”

Agent: “Oh my gosh that’s a huge bill. It’s a good thing I called..”

Those are just examples, but the point is the reaction needs to come off as genuine and real. You need to really play the part. Practice how you want to react to bill amounts so you don’t sound fake or like a robot. Use this reaction in your intro to spice up your call and possibly make the customer laugh.

Remember: If you make the customer laugh, your odds of an appointment go way up.

Bill amount

The Take-Away

In this industry, agents will pick up a habit they think will work best to them, but natural instinct can be very deceptive here. Most people will think begging or chasing will work on a potential customer to make a lead. You need to take that out of your head as soon as possible since both rarely work and if it does it's by luck as begging makes you come off as desperate and chasing will make you come off as an aggressive salesperson. Customers are like shadows so if you take a step back, they will follow. Taking away something is a form of stepping back and when you take away something, odds are way higher that they will want it even more. Saying things like, "Possibly" "Maybe" "If" "May" "Obviously everyone wants this, but most do not qualify" are ways to "take away" from the customer to make them want it more.

Here is an example of using the take-away in your intro:

"Hi, this is Chris with Green World Pro. The reason I am calling is because your home came up to POSSIBLY qualify for the new California Electric program and IF you qualify, you can use this to save yourself a lot of money. Now OBVIOUSLY EVERYONE WANTS TO QUALIFY, BUT MOST PEOPLE DO NOT QUALIFY. Let me ask you a few questions to see IF you MAY qualify for this program so you can see IF you can POSSIBLY save a lot of money on your electricity bill."

How Solar Makes Homeowners Money

Explain how solar will MAKE THEM MONEY right away

1. By transitioning into solar, they will no longer be subjected to the constant rate hikes of their utility company which will save them money every month.

2. Solar will immediately increase the value of the home by an average of $20,000. This is because solar is considered to be an improvement to the home. Homes with solar are also more attractive to home buyers because they know they will come into a home with a set electric bill instead of having to pay hundreds every month. You can even provide an example: "Let's say FOR EXAMPLE you are currently paying $200 in electricity. It is POSSIBLE, that after transitioning into solar your bill goes down to $100. Now, if you were selling your home, prospective home buyers would compare your house with the $100 steady electric bill, as opposed to your neighbor's home who's bill is $200 and is constantly going up because of rate increases. This automatically makes your home more valuable."

3. The government is PAYING homeowners to clean the air! The government has programs set aside to help homeowners transition into solar in order to reduce our carbon footprint. They will pay for 30% of your solar system in the form of a tax credit.

4. By installing solar, you have your OWN electric company on YOUR ROOF. No more depending on the utility company.