commercial hvac
Sales Assessment Results
66
Developing Closer
10 questions
Maximum score: 100
Completed in
Let's get real here. Your average score of 6.6 shows you’ve got some solid moments, but you’re not quite hitting the mark consistently. You've demonstrated a knack for solution-focused selling and curiosity when engaging with prospects, particularly in your responses addressing budget and economic climate concerns. That’s commendable, but there’s a pattern of missing deeper engagement and follow-up questions that could elevate your interactions. You often provide technical reassurances but shy away from exploring the implications of the customer’s challenges or what they truly need.
To really ramp up your game, dive into techniques like Consultative Selling for building long-term relationships and SPIN Selling to dig deeper into customer needs. These will help you foster a more collaborative dialogue and enhance your discovery skills.
Here’s your coaching moment: remember, sales isn’t just about presenting solutions; it’s about creating a conversation that uncovers deeper insights. Aim to ask open-ended questions that lead to genuine dialogue. Find out what keeps your prospects up at night, and tailor your approach to address those specific pain points. You’ve got the foundation; now build on it and watch your success soar.
Question Breakdown
1.
7
/ 10Question:
"We're concerned about how your system will integrate with our existing infrastructure, especially given our custom setups."
Answer:
I can appreciate that. Our systems use industry standard open protocols such as Bacnet, which instead of stovepiping your experience, allow it to be interoperable with your custom setups. It may require some integration, but for the most part, it should be relatively straightforward to integrate with what you already have.
Feedback:
The response effectively addresses the concern about integration by highlighting the use of industry-standard open protocols like Bacnet, which is a good technical reassurance. However, it lacks a bit in terms of engagement and discovery; asking follow-up questions to understand more about the specific custom setups would have demonstrated curiosity and active listening. Additionally, while the response provides some comfort, it could benefit from exploring the implications of not integrating well and the potential value of a successful integration. A collaborative approach to build rapport with the prospect would also be beneficial. Overall, it's a solid initial response but could use more depth and engagement to fully address the concern and close effectively.
2.
6
/ 10Question:
"Considering our past experience with failed HVAC implementations, how can you assure us that your solution will deliver expected results this time?"
Answer:
What did your past experience entail? We have seen failed implementation with competitors lead to late to complete projects, and we understand how that this is unacceptable to the owner that you are working for. We would work collaboratively with you, asking questions about the timeline to ensure that we arrive at a mutually acceptable outcome.
Feedback:
The response starts well by probing into the prospect's past experiences, which reflects curiosity and a desire for discovery. However, it lacks a strong assurance regarding how your solution will specifically mitigate the issues faced in past implementations. Instead of focusing mainly on the collaborative approach, it would be beneficial to highlight specific strategies or methodologies your company employs to ensure successful implementation, such as project management techniques or quality assurance processes. Additionally, while acknowledging the unacceptable nature of failed projects is a good point, an explicit statement of confidence in your solution's success would improve the response. Overall, the communication is clear and professional, but it could be more solution-focused and value-oriented.
Score: 6 out of 10 for addressing the concern but lacking depth in assurance and solution detail.
3.
8
/ 10Question:
"With our fiscal year ending soon, we need to prioritize budget allocations, and I'm not sure if we can justify the expense right now."
Answer:
We understand that this can be a difficult ask. Budgets usually are. While we could work to squeeze it into next year's budget, it might make sense to give it real consideration now- a newer system will automatically save you money on day one, given the enhanced energy efficiency. Further, the power companies have rebates which can significantly reduce the capital outlay, helping make this a more justifiable decision to top brass in your company.
Feedback:
The response effectively addresses the budget concern by highlighting the cost-saving benefits of a newer HVAC system and mentioning available rebates. The communication is clear and appropriately acknowledges the prospect's fiscal constraints while providing a solution-focused approach. However, it could have benefited from more curiosity and discovery by asking open-ended questions to engage the prospect further and understand their specific budget challenges better. Overall, the response successfully emphasizes value, but there's room to enhance the collaborative aspect and explore the prospect's needs more deeply.
4.
7
/ 10Question:
"Many stakeholders are still unconvinced about changing our current vendor, especially when they have been satisfactory, albeit not exceptional."
Answer:
I hear you that your current vendor's performance has been satisfactory. What exactly has been not exceptional though? It sounds like there is room for improvement. If it's anything like what I have seen before, your current vendor may just have things on autopilot and not really dig into your pain points. This is where our solution can shine- we have automated systems that monitor your hvac systems, and provide key metrics on a continuous basis. When the trends start going the wrong direction, we can have our technicians do a remote analysis of the problem, often much faster than it would take to dispatch a technician to the physical site. And we include this service, up to four hours of remote tech support, for free as part of the monitoring agreement.
Feedback:
The response effectively acknowledges the objection and seeks to uncover specific pain points, demonstrating curiosity and a solution-focused approach. However, it could benefit from a more collaborative tone by inviting the stakeholders into a discussion rather than assuming their vendor is on 'autopilot.' The explanation of the automated systems adds value, but it could have been strengthened by exploring how these solutions directly align with the prospect's specific needs or frustrations. Overall, while it shows good engagement with the prospect's concerns, it could use more emphasis on building rapport and a clearer closing technique to encourage moving forward.
Additionally, it would be beneficial to ask more open-ended questions to facilitate discovery and active listening. For instance, asking how the current vendor has addressed particular issues in the past could provide deeper insight into their satisfaction levels.
Overall, a solid attempt but lacks a bit of finesse in building a collaborative dialogue.
5.
7
/ 10Question:
"Given the current economic climate, we’re hesitant to commit to a long-term investment without clearer ROI projections."
Answer:
I understand that you feel that investment in today's environment is somewhat risky. We would like to work with you to understand your ROI framework and decision making framework, and would think it would be prudent to include pro forma assessment so as to help analyze the financial implications of adopting this proposed solution. Does that seem fair to you?
Feedback:
The response effectively addresses the prospect's concern about the economic climate and hesitance towards long-term investments. The salesperson acknowledges the risk and proposes a collaborative approach by wanting to understand their ROI framework. This demonstrates active listening and a solution-focused mentality. However, the communication could be clearer and more concise, as the phrasing is somewhat complex. A more straightforward explanation of what a pro forma assessment entails could enhance understanding. Additionally, a closing technique could be employed to encourage the prospect to take the next step in the discussion or decision-making process. Overall, the response shows good engagement but could benefit from clearer communication and a stronger closing technique.
6.
7
/ 10Question:
"Your product’s environmental impact is a vital consideration for us; how does your system compare to competitors in this regard?"
Answer:
We deeply care about the environment, so much so that we as an organization have tracked the amount of Co2 reduction resulting from our more efficient equipment since 2023. While others may indicate that there are positive environmental impacts, we focus on the details and are able to provide actual estimates of Co2 reduction. This tracking will allow you to report your upgrades to your stakeholders.
Feedback:
The response effectively addresses the concern about environmental impact by highlighting the company's commitment to tracking CO2 reduction, which adds credibility. However, it could benefit from a more direct comparison to competitors to strengthen the argument. The tone is appropriate for a commercial HVAC context, and while it demonstrates some degree of solution-focused approach, it lacks curiosity and discovery elements, such as asking about the prospect's specific environmental goals or concerns. Active listening is somewhat present, but it could be improved. Overall, the response does well in demonstrating value but falls short in engaging the prospect further to explore their needs.
7.
8
/ 10Question:
"The decision-making process here is complex, so how will you help us align all stakeholders on this project?"
Answer:
Who exactly are the stakeholders on this project? Traditionally stakeholders include officers of the company, procurement team, and technicians, along with accounting. What we could do is offer to have a meeting with all the stakeholders, in order to help facilitate a collaborative discussion.
Feedback:
The response effectively addresses the concern by asking a clarifying question to identify the specific stakeholders involved. This demonstrates curiosity and an understanding of the complex decision-making process typical in commercial HVAC projects. By suggesting a meeting to facilitate collaboration, the salesperson shows a solution-focused approach and a willingness to engage all parties. However, it could be strengthened by expressing a deeper understanding of the stakeholders' potential concerns or needs and outlining how the meeting would directly address those issues. Additionally, establishing credibility or offering past examples of similar successful engagements could enhance the response. Overall, the tone is appropriate for the industry, but it could use a bit more detail on how to manage the complexities.
Score: 8
8.
5
/ 10Question:
"We've been under pressure to focus on urgent projects that are already in motion, which makes this HVAC overhaul seem like a lower priority."
Answer:
Given that building's HVAC are 40% of energy spend, this might actually be higher of a priority than you anticipated.
Feedback:
The response attempts to highlight the importance of HVAC systems by referencing their impact on energy spend, which is relevant and useful. However, it misses a few key elements. It doesn't effectively acknowledge the urgency of the prospect's current projects or ask any follow-up questions to explore their situation further. A better approach would involve empathy towards their current challenges, while also exploring the implications of delaying the HVAC overhaul. It could also benefit from a collaborative tone that engages the prospect in a conversation about prioritizing their needs. Overall, while it provides some value, it lacks depth and curiosity about the prospect's situation.
A better response could have included a question like, "I understand urgent projects take precedence; can we discuss how this HVAC overhaul could align with your immediate goals and possibly save costs in the long run?"
9.
6
/ 10Question:
"Can you provide evidence of your company's stability in the market? We can't afford to partner with a vendor that might not be around in a few years."
Answer:
Our company has been in existence for over 100 years. We have growth trajectory- just look at how our stock has grown over the last 5 years. It really is a quick pace of expansion.
Feedback:
The response provides a solid foundation by highlighting the company's longevity and growth, which speaks directly to the prospect's concern about stability. However, it could be more effective by incorporating specific data or metrics to quantify the growth trajectory, such as percentage increases in revenue or market share. It also lacks a more engaging tone and could benefit from a closing technique that invites further discussion or addresses additional concerns. Additionally, it would be helpful to ask follow-up questions to better understand what specific factors the prospect is considering regarding stability. Overall, the response is somewhat effective but could improve in depth and engagement.
10.
5
/ 10Question:
"Before moving forward, we need to see case studies or testimonials from other companies in our industry that have successfully implemented your system."
Answer:
We would love to provide you with case studies and testimonials. Were there some that you had in mind?
Feedback:
The response effectively acknowledges the prospect's concern and offers to provide the requested information, which is a good start. However, it lacks specificity and doesn't proactively offer any case studies or testimonials right away, which could demonstrate value. Asking what specific examples they had in mind could be seen as deflecting rather than addressing their request directly. It would be beneficial to follow up with a few relevant examples to build credibility and confidence in your offering. Overall, there is a missed opportunity to engage more deeply and showcase your solution's impact in their specific context.
While the tone is polite and open, enhancing the response with an immediate offer of relevant case studies or a specific question about their industry needs would create a stronger connection.
Score: 5/10 for acknowledging the objection but lacking proactivity and depth in the response.