Mastering Sales Management in the Home Services Industry: Tips and Strategies

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What is Sales Management? | Home Services Sales Management - How Each Industry is Different and Similar | Knowing Your Sales Numbers | Powerful Sales Strategies for Owner Operators | How is Sales Management Different When Working with Insurance Companies? | How Using Tags and Groups in Your CRM Improves Your Sales Process | In Conclusion

Sales management is a big part of success in the home services industry, where companies need to constantly attract new customers while keeping their existing ones satisfied. 

The United States home services market is expected to reach $1.2 trillion by 2026, driven by increasing urbanization and the growing number of service providers. With such a huge potential for growth, you’ll want to have a strong sales management system in place if you’re in the industry.

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What is Sales Management?

Sales management refers to directing all the sales activities of a company. This could be setting sales goals, developing strategies to achieve those goals, and supervising the sales team’s performance to make sure they’re meeting their targets.

When it comes to managing sales in the home services industry, sales management might involve things like dealing with customer relationships, tracking sales performance, and creating marketing campaigns. For instance, an HVAC company could use sales management techniques to encourage their sales team to close deals and upsell additional services when appropriate.

Effective sales management is a great factor in the success of your business, as it works to maximize sales revenue and build long-term relationships with clients.

What Tools Exist to Help Small Businesses Manage Their Sales Process?

But for small businesses, the sales management process comes with a unique set of challenges. Especially if your business is just starting out, you might have limited resources, tight budgets, and a lack of specialized expertise.

That’s where these tools come in to help you make the most of their resources. They can range from basic online spreadsheets and customer relationship management (CRM) systems to more advanced sales automation platforms.

Here are some useful and popular options to consider:

• Customer Relationship Management Software: Manage your interactions with customers and potential customers, track leads, find sales opportunities, and view customer information all in one place.
• Sales Enablement Software: Sales teams can manage their pipeline, automate tasks, and track sales performance so you know where to improve.
• Marketing Automation Software: Businesses can automate their marketing activities, like email campaigns and social media posting.
• Payment Processing Software: Securely process payments from customers, whether credit card payments, PayPal transactions, or other payment methods like Stripe and Square.
  

What Does a Sales Manager Do?

A sales manager is responsible for leading a team of salespeople and overseeing the sales management process. Their main goal is to drive revenue growth and increase profitability.

Source: LevelEleven

Some of their more specific tasks might include sales management planning, setting the business’s sales targets and monitoring the process, developing and implementing sales strategies, training the sales team, analyzing data, and managing customer relationships.

Home Services Sales Management - How Each Industry is Different and Similar

When it comes to selling home services, there are different ways to do it. But no matter what kind of service it is, there are some things that are always important, like making the customers happy, giving them the right price, managing the sales team, and being really good at customer service. 


Source: LSA and Invoca

The way you sell things should be based on what service you're selling, but you should also follow some basic rules that work for all sales.

Plumbing Services

When a customer is interested in purchasing plumbing services, they may have specific questions about their plumbing system, such as how it works, what kind of repairs may be needed, or what the installation process looks like. 

As a salesperson or technician selling these services, it's important to have a deep understanding of plumbing systems, repairs, and installations so that you can answer these questions and provide accurate information to the customer.

Electrical Services

Providing electrical services requires following codes and regulations for safety and compliance. 

Sales reps need to know these to provide accurate info and ensure compliance. This builds trust and sets the company apart. Compliance is key to providing excellent service and building trust with customers.

HVAC Services

HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) services are in high demand during extreme weather conditions, such as heat waves or cold spells. This results in seasonal demand fluctuations, with more demand during these times and less demand during more moderate weather conditions.

During peak seasons, sales teams may need to prioritize responding to urgent requests, focus on promoting maintenance services to prevent system breakdowns, and be prepared to handle higher volumes of customer inquiries.

During slower seasons, they may need to focus on marketing strategies to generate demand and promote maintenance services as a way to prevent future system malfunctions.


Source: HVAC Coaching Corner

Roofing Services

When it comes to roofing services, there is a greater emphasis on assessing the condition of the roof, identifying the specific materials and labor required, and providing detailed estimates. This is because a roof's condition can greatly impact the safety and longevity of a building, and the materials and labor required can vary depending on the specific needs of the roof.

Providing detailed estimates is important because it helps to ensure that customers understand the scope of the work involved and the costs associated with each aspect of the job. This can help to prevent misunderstandings and ensure that the job is completed to the customer's satisfaction.

Painting Services

Painting services require attention to detail in areas such as color consultations, surface preparation, and material selection to meet customer preferences and requirements.

Color consultations are important because customers often have specific ideas about what colors they want to use for their painting project. This involves taking into account factors such as lighting, room size, and existing decor.

Surface preparation is also a critical aspect of painting services. This may involve cleaning the surface, repairing any damage or imperfections, and applying primer before the final coat of paint.

Material selection is another important consideration for painting services. This may involve taking into account factors such as durability, ease of maintenance, and environmental impact.

Pest Control Services

Understanding and identifying different types of pests is crucial because different pests require different types of treatment. Pest control professionals must be knowledgeable about the unique characteristics, habits, and vulnerabilities of each pest in order to develop effective treatment plans.

Addressing safety concerns is also a critical aspect of pest control services. Pesticides and other treatment methods can be harmful to humans and animals, so pest control professionals must take steps to minimize the risk of exposure.

Cleaning Services

Different types of cleaning require different approaches and techniques. 

For example, house cleaning may involve general cleaning and organization, while carpet cleaning may require specialized equipment and cleaning solutions. Window cleaning may involve using specific tools and techniques to ensure a streak-free finish. Cleaning services must be able to adapt their approach to each type of cleaning and provide customized services to meet the unique needs of each customer.

Scheduling flexibility is also important for cleaning services. Customers may have specific scheduling requirements, such as the need for cleaning services to be performed outside of regular business hours or on weekends. Cleaning services must be able to accommodate these scheduling needs to ensure that customers are satisfied with the service.

Appliance Repair Services

Appliances come in many different shapes, sizes, and types, and require specialized knowledge to repair. This includes knowledge of the specific components and systems that make up each appliance, as well as the common issues and problems that can arise. 

Appliance sales teams must have a deep understanding of each type of appliance they service, from refrigerators and ovens to washing machines and dryers.

Home Remodeling and Renovation Services

In-depth consultations are critical for home remodeling and renovation sales management. 

Before starting a project, the remodeling service provider must meet with the customer to understand their goals, preferences, and requirements. This may involve discussing the desired style and functionality of the space, as well as any specific materials or finishes that the customer would like to use.

Source: iPropertyManagement

Lawn Care and Landscaping Services

Assessing and evaluating the condition of the lawn is a critical first step for any lawn care and landscaping sales process. This may involve analyzing factors such as soil type, grass type, and environmental conditions to determine the best course of action for achieving a healthy lawn. The service provider must be able to identify any issues that may be affecting the lawn, such as pests, disease, or soil compaction, and develop a plan to address these issues.

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Customized treatment plans are also important for lawn care and landscaping services. This may involve selecting the appropriate fertilizers, herbicides, and other treatments to address any issues that have been identified during the assessment process.

Seasonal considerations are another important factor in lawn care and landscaping services. The service provider must be able to adjust their approach based on the season and the specific needs of the lawn during that time.

Knowing Your Sales Numbers

In the home services industry, competition is high, and customer loyalty can be difficult to maintain. Tracking your sales numbers is what you need for a steady stream of leads and sales. Let’s take a look at some of the most important numbers:
Impressions, Clicks, and Calls

Impressions, clicks, and calls indicate how well the business is reaching potential customers and engaging with them online, such as your website, social media, or online business listings.


Source: Chartio

Impressions refer to the number of times an ad or business listing is shown to a potential customer. Clicks measure the number of times someone clicks on one of these to learn more. And calls track the number of phone calls received as a result of the ad or listing.

Prospects and Leads

In simpler terms, a prospect is a potential customer, and a lead is a prospect who has provided their contact information and can be contacted by the sales team. These numbers are important for tracking how effective the business’s sales and marketing efforts really are. If the numbers aren’t looking good, it means you’ll have to improve your lead generation strategies.

Customers

Not only do these numbers represent revenue and profitability, but they are also a key driver of future sales through referrals and repeat business. The number of customers your business gains and retains will tell you all about the quality of your services and sales and marketing efforts.

Promoters

A promoter is a customer who is highly satisfied with your business and likely to recommend you to others. Essentially, they’re people who can bring in new customers through word-of-mouth recommendations. You can identify these people through surveys that ask customers how likely they are to recommend the company to others. Working to increase this number can help improve your reputation, increase customer loyalty, and drive more sales.

Powerful Sales Strategies for Owner Operators

If you’re like a lot of home services businesses, you may not have a sales team. It could just be you, or you and a couple of other team members. Here are some tips to make your sales efforts count now and long into the future.

1. Build a Sales Funnel.

A sales funnel is a process that guides potential customers through each stage of the sales journey, from awareness to action (purchase). It typically consists of parts such as lead generation, lead nurturing, negotiating terms, and conversion.

Source: Forbes

For home services owner operators, a sales funnel might involve generating leads through targeted marketing, following up with interested prospects through phone calls, and finally, closing the sale through an appointment.

2. Stay in Touch with Both Customers and Prospects.

Staying in touch with prospects can foster a pipeline of future business while keeping in contact with customers can encourage long-term relationships and create repeat business opportunities. 

While you might think keeping in regular contact is pushy, more than 85% of customers want that proactive communication and contact from businesses. This can be done through regular follow-up emails or texts, sending out newsletters or promotional offers, or social media engagement. These open lines of communication can build trust and loyalty.

3. Post Success Stories and Before-and-After Content on Social Media Regularly.

Success stories showcase the work that your company has done and the positive results customers have experienced. This type of content is especially powerful, as it shows the transformation that working with the company can achieve. 

4. Offer Impeccable Customer Service.

When customers receive exceptional service, they’re more likely to become repeat customers and “promoters” - in fact, as high as 93% of customers. To offer great customer service, owner-operators should be responsive to customer inquiries, provide clear and transparent pricing, be punctual and reliable, and go above and beyond to make sure customers are truly satisfied.

5. Add Simple Digital Tools to Save Time and Boost Cash Flow.

Research shows that 73% of customers call businesses to schedule appointments. Other common reasons why customers might pick up the phone include inquiring about pricing, booking availability, hours, and service details. But what if you could manage sales processes using automation and in turn, free up time?


Source: Aspect and Invoca

Digital tools like online scheduling software and chatbots on your website can let customers easily schedule appointments and get answers to common questions about what you have to offer. No matter what time of day it is, customers can interact with your business. This can help you save time, boost your cash flow, and ensure customers are taken care of. 

6. Pay Attention to Demand in Your Area and Price Services Accordingly.

When you understand the needs and preferences of your local market, you can tailor your services and pricing to meet the demand. For example, if you notice a high demand for landscaping in the spring and summer months, you can adjust your pricing to reflect the demand and attract more customers.

How is Sales Management Different When Working with Insurance Companies?

Sales management for home services providers, such as roofers, differs when working with insurance companies in a number of ways. Roofers may charge more than usual for liability’s sake, and it's recommended to have them assess the damage before contacting the insurance company. 

As a result, these providers can get exclusive leads from insurance agents, and insurance companies may hire roofing companies, leading to an increase in their workload.

But roofers aren’t the only providers that work with insurance companies and claims. Most home repair services require providers to work through an insurance company for billing and payment. 

Regardless, most homeowners select a local provider to get work done, so it’s imperative that you focus your marketing and sales efforts on the end customers - people who ultimately benefit from your expert services.

How Using Tags and Groups in Your CRM Improves Your Sales Process

If you’re struggling to keep track of customer information, a CRM system with tags and groups could be the best solution.

Source: GoSite Contact Hub

Tags are like labels that can be applied to contacts to help you easily search and sort them. 

Groups, on the other hand, allow you to organize them based on specific criteria like location, referral source, or service type. By using these organization tools, you can identify trends and patterns in your customer base, making it easy to target specific types of customers with relevant marketing campaigns.

In Conclusion

Mastering sales management in the home services industry is like tending to a garden. Sales managers need to tend to their sales process, removing obstacles and providing the right resources to their sales team. It takes patience, attention to detail, and a willingness to adapt and grow.

But just like how that garden will yield abundant results, proper sales management will lead to a thriving business and satisfied customers. Using the tips and strategies in this article, you can create a successful sales process and grow your revenue.