Selling 101-Interviewing Your Manufactured Home Prospect

by John Underwood

Hopefully you have read the article in a prior issue regarding CONNECTING with the prospects that are looking for a manufactured home. CONNECTING is also known as building rapport, building a relationship, etc. As we discussed in that article, the purpose of this phase of the selling process was to create an environment in which your prospect will feel comfortable and safe in providing you with pertinent and often very personal information. We discussed that a prospect's tension level has to be lowered in order for this to take place and the methods for lowering a prospect's tension included pleasant conversation, giving the prospect the opportunity to talk about themselves, offering some form of refreshments, giving them the opportunity to perhaps even look at one or two homes. We also discussed that asking questions about what they are looking for in a factory-built home before they have had a chance to relax raises the prospect's level of tension, and they will resist providing you with information or, worse yet, give you incorrect information. The whole idea was to make the prospect feel comfortable and create a safe environment for open disclosure, and it is this "conversation," this INTERVIEW, that we will be addressing in this article.

At the core of every successful sales professional rests their ability to build a relationship with the prospect, gather essential information from their prospect, boil that information down to one, perhaps two, critical issues, solve those issues and then lead the prospect to take immediate and decisive action. That is what selling is really all about. It is NOT a series of manipulations and psychological maneuvers that are designed to get the prospect to do something they don't want to do. Salespeople have to realize that a customer will never buy a home if they really don't want to. This is not the kind of decision an individual will be intimidated or maneuvered into making. Well, at least not the ones who are able to get approved at a lender.

There are only four reasons why your prospects will NOT buy and they are:

1. They don't NEED your product.
2. They don't LIKE your product.
3. They can't AFFORD your product.
4. They don't TRUST you.

If any of these conditions exist, you don't have a sale. End of the discussion.

On the other hand, if you want to help as many people as possible into a new factory-built home, you need to determine what your prospects need, what they want and what they can and are willing to pay. You will also never fully gain your prospect's trust if you don't give them the opportunity to answer these questions. They need to know that you know what they are looking for if you expect them to allow you to lead them in that direction. In short, you have to conduct a complete interview and the failure to do so will cost you more income that you can even begin to comprehend.

The next important skill that any consistently-high-producing sales person must have is the ability to reduce the collected information down to one, perhaps two, primary issues that need to be solved in order to get the prospect to take immediate and decisive action. This is where you will find the prospect's tension (or sense of urgency) and always remember: "People pay ATTENTION where they find their TENSION."

So, what exactly is meant by "tension?" Some have called this the customer's "Hot Button," although that term most often refers to some product feature in which the customer has a specific and elevated interest, such as large closets, big kitchens, etc. In today's sales environment, simply focusing the realm of possible hot buttons to product-related issues will make you miss the mark more often than not in understanding where your prospect's biggest concern is in moving forward with the purchase of their new home. By my definition, the customer's tension is not limited to product features, but is much more universal and encompasses much more of the process of investing in a new home. For example, your prospect may be experiencing high levels of tension about getting financed, finding a suitable piece of property, or simply the complexity of the construction process. Perhaps the biggest concern they have is about finding an individual who will walk them through the entire process of building their new home, namely you, their housing consultant. None of these issues is product related and, therefore, obviously cannot be solved with a feature-benefit presentation.

There are two primary purposes of the interview process. First, as we have already discovered, one has to identify where the customer finds their specific tension and second, obviously to move the prospect to take immediate and decisive action. If these are to be your objectives, there are specific things that you as a professional housing consultant MUST do–each and every time–and certain things that you absolutely must avoid doing in order to maximize your results. Let's first take a look at what you have to do each and every time.

1. Document your Interview

First, too many sales people believe that they can commit the prospect information they gather to memory. Even if you are the smartest guy in your dealership, I promise you that there is simply no way that you can remember everything about everyone you talked to that day, to say nothing about your follow-up effort. We are in the "information age," and he who has, and retains, the most information will win.

Second, it is essential that your prospects observe you using forms that need to be filled out. Use a standardized, pre-printed Client Interview sheet, Lender Investment Formula and Budget Work Sheet. By the time you get to the credit application or your purchase agreement, it will be just another form, and the transition to getting a commitment will go much smoother.

2. Ask Questions in a Logical Order

While I understand that you, as a professional sales person, can ask a variety of questions without a logical sequence, ask your questions–for your prospect's benefit–in an order that make sense to your prospect. Asking questions in a logical order will allow the prospect to follow a logical thought process and allow you to lead your prospect to a mutually beneficial decision. There are four primary "categories" of questions you need to ask, and in this specific order.

a. Status-Quo Questions

These are questions that identify and describe where the prospect is living now and what about their current situation no longer meets their needs. It may include current rent or house payments, size of their current residence, etc.

b. Goal-Oriented Questions

These are questions that pertain to what the prospect would like to live in and what the prospect would like to have in their new home. This also pertains to financial issues, such as where they would like their payment to be, where they would like to place their new home, etc.

c. Obstacle Questions

These are questions that uncover what is keeping the prospect from moving forward and what their primary concerns are about the purchase of their new home. This is where you will uncover the prospect's source and level of tension.

d. Emotional Questions

Emotional questions reveal your prospect's sense of urgency. These questions are questions that awaken "emotions" within your prospect. These emotions must lead to taking decisive action, not postponement of a decision. Make sure that you focus these questions on how the prospect would feel if he/she DOESN'T get into their new home, not on how they would feel once they get into their new home.

Let me give you an example. A particular prospect's tension is about the size of their current home. The prospect stated that their home is too small for their growing family and they feel cramped and constantly in each other's way. Instead of asking how your prospect will feel in their new 4-bedroom home with the large living room, family room and kitchen, focus your emotional questions on how they would feel having to stay in their cramped quarters for another year. Which line of questioning do you think will get quicker results?

Ask your questions and document the responses. Don't digress into lengthy conversations. Too much conversation at this point lowers a customer's sense of urgency and they will postpone a decision. Many sales people undermine the importance and value of the questions they ask by lengthy set-ups and long discussions following. Remember, you're trying to get their energy level up, not calm them down to the point where they take no action.

While these are things that you should do, here are some things to absolutely avoid.

1. Don't "Normalize"

Many sales people miss opportunities to get a commitment from their prospects because they normalize what their prospect is feeling. Avoid using the following phrases:

"Oh, what you're feeling is perfectly normal. Most people are nervous about…"

"Getting you in by November will be no problem."

"We should have no problem getting that done."

"We handle that problem all the time. Don't worry about a thing."

Every prospect's situation must be seen as unique, and normalizing the way they feel trivializes their emotion and reduces their sense of urgency to get something done. Remember, if everything is no problem, or perfectly normal, why take action now and why would the prospect need you?

2. Avoid the "pat on the back"

As much as you want to sooth your prospect's concerns, don't throw gratuitous compliments or a "pat on the back" in this phase of the selling process. You can do that while you're building rapport, if you wish, or after the prospect has made a commitment, but not now. Avoid statements such as:

"You seem very knowledgeable about…"

"You probably already know this, but…"

"That is a very intelligent and prudent question."

"You seem to be a very informed buyer."

The last thing you want to do is to give your prospect a false sense of security, especially to the point where they don't need you anymore. If the customer is concerned, don't take away their concern but, rather, point out the importance of having a professional like you on their side to walk them through the process. The smarter, or more empowered they feel, the less likely they will need you.

3. Don't offer an immediate remedy

When a customer expresses a concern or an issue, make a note and wait until the next phase of the selling process to offer a remedy. If you solve everything right away, what are you going to use in the solving, or product presentation, phase of the selling process? How will you get a prospect committed? During the interviewing process, avoid phrases such as:

"No problem. Here is how we handle that."

"Don't worry about that. Here is what I do in that situation."

"Here is what we will do to address that specific issue."

There will be plenty of time to solve all of the concerns the prospect has stated, and you want to move the solutions close to the time when you ask for a commitment.

If you will keep these simple do's and don'ts in mind in your interviewing process, I assure you that you will land more sales. The most important thing to remember is that your prospects are NOT looking for a new home. They ARE looking for someone that cares about them, someone who knows what they're doing, and is willing to guide them to through the process of purchasing their new home. Selling is, and always will be, a LEADERSHIP ISSUE and they are looking for your leadership. Anything that you do that trivializes your importance to their success will only hinder your ability to gain the prospect's trust and commitment. Your prospect can find a new home in many different places, but there is only one of you, and that is what you have to sell to your customer. If you're willing to work hard on behalf of your client and do everything you can to make their purchase smooth and hassle free, then you deserve their trust and you'll feel confident to ask for it.

Until next month…

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John Underwood is the founder and president of the Selling Edge, LLC. "As Chairman of the Manufactured Housing Education Institute (MHEI) as well as a Board Member of the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI), I had the responsibility of looking for a system for managing our sales people that not only worked for us, but also one that was based on solid business principles and selling ethics. SellingEdge PRO is such a system." Doug Gorman, Home-Mart, Tulsa, OK, Past Chairman, MHEI, 7 Time Retailer of the Year. Contact John by email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call 520-241-9907.