4 Expert-Approved Window Sales Techniques for Reps

“When it comes down to making important decisions or decisions that you do not make often — and buying windows is a decision you don’t make often — I still think that human interaction and good conversations are what people are looking for.” These are the wise words of Eric Smithey, general manager of Pella products and a professional in the window industry since 1991.

We spoke with Eric about sales techniques reps can use to close more deals and how managers can help coach reps to use these techniques effectively. And we noticed a major throughline in Eric’s responses: understanding is key. Customers want to feel like reps really have their best interests at heart, so empathy is critical in the sales process. And once reps understand customers’ positions, they can put them at ease. He says customers just want to feel comfortable, and reps can create this type of environment in every sales interaction. 

Discover four window sales techniques reps can use to create comfortable environments for customers, develop customer trust, and improve their overall processes. 

1. Prioritize Trust

Trust is a concept that Eric says “has changed since Al Gore got the Internet going.” Thirty years ago, consumers only had so many (literally) “window shopping” resources at their disposal. They were essentially at the mercy of whatever home services businesses wanted to say about themselves — they didn’t have online reviews and social media to cross-reference a company, product, or service.

Now, customers have endless information in their pockets. They’re well-informed and allergic to being “sold” to. So Eric says the only way to really get through to customers is to build trust. And he says this is accomplished through three components: likeability, transparency, and reading the room.

Likeability

Eric says rep likeability is the most important factor of customer trust. He says customers need to feel like reps are people customers would “sit and chat with,” and if reps don’t have charisma, “everything else kind of falls apart after that.”

Transparency

You have to appreciate that transparency is a trust-building component of window sales. Customers don’t want to feel like they’re being toyed with. As Eric says, they don’t want to “feel like there’s any gamesmanship going on.” Reps need to be genuine, honest, and straightforward with their customers.

Reading the Room

It’s crucial that reps understand where a customer’s product and service knowledge lie. They need to assess that and then speak to them in a way that doesn’t “talk down” to them. Eric says that customers “don’t want you to come in and try to make your wares seem so over-the-top with industry jargon or terminology that feels fluffy.” 

Reps can focus on these components to create trusting customer relationships that ultimately add to the customer experience. And, as Eric explains, “A customer’s experience with you has a big influence on whether or not they want to do business with you.”

2. Elevate the Product in the Customer’s Mind

Ask any rep about the most common sales process objection point, and they’ll likely say that it’s price. And while this may be true, it’s often because customers just don’t understand the value they’re getting from your window products. 

Homeowners can only understand products and services to a certain degree without rep knowledge. They may think your window product or service should only cost them a couple hundred dollars — so then if a rep quotes them a couple thousand, they’re floored. And this shock often comes down to a lack of insight about the real value they’re receiving.

During the sales process, reps often miss the step of adequately building product value in the customer’s mind. Customers need to understand why it’s a good idea to invest in windows. Reps should work to reestablish the expected value, or the product’s worth, in customers’ minds. 

Product knowledge obviously plays a large role in explaining your offering’s worth to customers. Customers are savvier than ever, but reps still need to fill in product knowledge gaps in customers’ minds. And although customers are well-researched, they’re also often ill-informed. They have a lot of information, but it may not be good or accurate. So, reps not only need to educate customers, they need to re-educate them.

Bottom line, reps just need to know more. They need to know everything there is to know about their product, even if they may not “use” it in every field sales conversation. And when they’re able to speak to every aspect of your product’s value, customers’ “pain” over pricing will likely dissipate.

3. Understand the Difference Between Objections and Conditioned Responses

We’ve all done it — gone shopping seeking a specific item, but when a sales associate asks if they can help, we say we’re “just looking.” But we’re not “just looking.” We’re actually seeking out a breathable navy blue dress shirt. But we don’t want to be “sold to,” so we say we’re “just looking.” It’s not an actual “objection,” it’s just an out. It’s about being comfortable.

If a rep is in the field at a customer’s house and the customer says they want to “think about it,” that’s a conditioned response. Because if you asked them to describe what exactly they’re thinking about, it would be hard for them to define. So that’s what your reps can do: ask customers to define what part they’re thinking about. This is how they can get to a real objection.

A real objection would be something like an “information objection.” This is when customers are misinformed or have too much information. They’re overwhelmed with processing information, and they’re confused, so it’s hard for them to make a decision. This is something reps can actually work with by educating the customer with the correct information and building your product’s value in their minds. 

The key to overcoming customer objections, Eric says, is to empathetically ask questions and keep them talking about their feelings toward your product. Something like, “I totally understand. But if you don’t mind my asking, are there things we talked about or information I’ve given you that’s making you feel like you need more time?” This extends the conversation, which will start helping to peel back the layers of objection. Because once reps get to the real objection, they can be more strategic in their sales approach.

4. Work With Technology, Not Against It

Many people who work in industries in which AI use is becoming more prevalent have the same response — “I’m scared” — when asked what they think about the future of tech in their business. And Eric is no different.

“I spent 25 minutes on AI today through Rilla — asking questions about the experience of one of my customers in relation to their in-home demonstration. The answers that I got rolled up my 33 years of knowledge and experience in a matter of seconds.”

But tech solutions and AI are not here to replace managers and salespeople — they’re here to help them. AI allows managers and reps to gather and process information faster. But, AI cannot determine what they actually do with this knowledge. It’s up to managers and reps to determine how to use the information they’ve gathered to better serve customers. Eric says, “It’s going to be the human being on the other side who has to decide how I will work with that.”

When managers can use tools like virtual ride along software to analyze sales conversations and provide insights, they can use the time they saved to become better trainers. They can isolate problems and design solutions faster. They can visualize the relationship between what the reps said and the sales outcome. And then they can determine the actions that need to be taken to improve close rates and increase ticket sizes in future sales interactions.

Boost Transparency in Your Window Sales With Rilla

As mentioned, “price” is often cited as the main pain point in window field sales. But managers like Eric see this pain point from a different perspective. He says reps don’t always think they’re in control of how valuable a customer perceives your products to be, but he thinks they have 100% control. And this comes down to information — educating customers and saying the right things. 

And one way to make sure your reps are saying the right thing is with virtual ride along software like Rilla. AI-powered tools like Rilla make it possible for sales managers to coach their reps more effectively — whether it’s mastering script compliance, preemptively handling objections, or discussing customer options like financing to close more deals. Because, as Eric says, “selling is a perishable skill,” and the more consistent reps are in their processes, the better they will be in their execution.

When you’re ready to get started improving your window sales processes, contact us to book a demo.