Some business problems are harder to fix than others but few
can as frustrating for a modular home factory as losing a good builder.
There’s no single way to “fix” this broken relationship.
Every situation — and every modular home builder — is different. Success
depends on your ability to listen, adapt, evolve, and rise to the challenge.
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| I’m angry at my modular home factory |
There are, however, important techniques that the modular
home factory can use to win back unhappy or dissatisfied builders. Put these
methods to work, and you’ll have the tools you need to turn even the most
ardent critic into a loyal — and vocal — repeat buider. In today’s business
climate, this could make the difference between success and failure for both
the factory and the builder.
1. FIND OUT WHAT’S WRONG
This seems obvious, but many sales managers and their sales
reps neglect to ask one vitally important question: “What happened?”
It’s not necessary to open with an apology, mostly because
you won’t know what you’re sorry for, and those mea culpas often come across as
insincere anyway. Instead, open a dialogue with the builder, listen to what
they’re saying, and get the information you need to offer a solution.
2. GET TO THE BOTTOM OF THE PROBLEM
Once you discover why your builder is unhappy, it’s time to
assess who, or what, is to blame for the problem. If a miscommunication
occurred, for example, you’ll want to acknowledge that you or one of your
employees could have done a better job of articulating a specific policy.
You may know — or think you know — exactly what went
wrong. Yet it’s also important to ask the builder how they see the
problem. They’ll give you a different point of view, and in the process they
might show you how to come up with a better solution. You’ll also open a
dialogue with the builder that shows how much you value and appreciate their
input.
3. OFFER A SPECIFIC PLAN OF ACTION
Once you’ve made it clear that you understand what went
wrong and why the builder is unhappy, offer a specific strategy to make things
right. Vague assurances are exactly that: vague. You’re far more likely to win
over an upset builder if you present them with a specific solution to the
problem.
4. OFFER AN INCENTIVE
Once you’ve offered a solution to the problem, sweeten the
deal with a price break on their next house or some other special incentive.
The idea here isn’t just to win back the builder’s business.
You’re also fighting to win back their affection, loyalty, and trust, and a
genuinely kind gesture can soften even the most hardened builder.
5. EMPOWER YOUR SALES REP
If you want to solve builder service issues, you’ve got to
give your sales rep the power to fix problems and make things right. That’s
especially true when it comes to dealing with unhappy builders.
If you’re the only one who can make the big decision to,
say, give a builder some kind of break, you’re sabotaging your own builder
service efforts. Your sales reps are often the first people to deal with an
unhappy builder, and if they can’t address the issue on the spot using their
own best judgment, your business might not get another chance.
6. LAUNCH A “WIN BACK CUSTOMERS” CAMPAIGN
Assemble your sales team and create a campaign just for
previous builders, particularly ones who left disgruntled or otherwise unhappy.
Conduct the campaign via social media and in print to make sure you reach
everyone. Tell he builders you miss them and want to do something — whatever
it takes — to get them back. Just don’t go down the huge discount road.
The deals you present could involve price breaks, special
incentives or offers tailored specifically to address ex-builders’ concerns.
Whatever you do, make sure you also offer incentives to your sales team, since
they’ll be doing the heavy lifting on this effort.
7. SEAL THE DEAL
Once you win back that unhappy builder, do your best to keep
them. Start out at once by expressing your appreciation, and never stop. Remind
yourself from time to time why your builder became disgruntled in the first
place. The last thing you want is to have to woo back an unhappy builder a
second time!
