“We’re moving”: what to say at the door
Maybe they are, maybe they aren’t. Find out which, then answer the worry underneath it: what happens when they sell.
The situation
The homeowner says they might sell in two or three years, so it isn’t worth it. It comes up with anything attached to the house: solar, a security system, a new roof, a long service contract.
Some of them have a date and a destination. Many have had “we might move” in their heads for ten years.
We’ll probably sell in a couple of years.
The buyer
What happens to it when we sell?
The buyer
What it can mean
- We have a real plan to move, with a date.
- We might move someday, and it is an easy reason to say no.
- I am worried this makes the house harder to sell.
What a good answer covers
Ask where they would go, and when
A plan with a date is different from a maybe, and the answer depends on which it is.
Explain plainly what happens when the house sells
The worry is the sale, not the product.
Only say what your company can back up
A promise about resale value they can check later is a promise they will check.
A strong answer
Makes sense to ask. Is there a place and a year in mind, or is it more of a maybe? Either way, here’s exactly what happens if you sell, so it’s not a surprise later.
The rep
Why it works
- It asks how real the move is without calling them on it.
- It answers the question underneath, what happens at the sale, before they have to ask it.
- “So it’s not a surprise later” tells them the rep is not hiding anything.
What not to say
- “It’ll raise your home’s value.” Unless your company can source the number, don’t say it.
- Arguing that they won’t really move.
- Being vague about the contract at sale. Vague sounds like a catch.
How to practice it
Five minutes, before the shift. Any manager can run it.
Know your own answer
Before the drill, the rep says in two sentences what happens to your product and contract when a customer sells. If they can’t, that is the first thing to fix.
Say the line
The homeowner says “We’ll probably sell in a couple of years.”
Answer in two parts
Ask how real the move is, then explain the sale plainly.
Listen for promises
Stop the run if the rep promises the house will sell for more. They can’t source it.
Shadowpitch puts this drill in every rep’s pocket. A voiced buyer says the line, the rep answers out loud and keeps the take worth hearing, and a manager hears it before the rep says it at a real door.
Questions
What happens to solar panels when you sell the house?
It depends on how they were paid for. A lease or a power purchase agreement is usually transferred to the buyer; a loan is usually paid off from the sale, like a mortgage. A rep should know their own company’s terms and say them plainly.
What if they really are moving soon?
Then it may be a real no, and that is fine. Thank them and ask whether a neighbor might be a better fit. A rep who respects a real no gets referrals.
Does the same answer work for a roof or a security system?
The shape does: find out how real the move is, then say what happens at the sale. The facts are different, so each product needs its own two sentences.