ANSWERING OBJECTIONS

As the saying goes, timing is everything and the same holds true in sales.

So answering objections before they become issues that may not be able to be overcome, obviously also holds true.

There are several reasons for integrating possible objections into your sales presentation. Among them are:

1. Possibly avoiding embarrassment if your prospect brings up an objection.
2. It may avoid an argument, if you have to prove your prospect is wrong.
3. It may save time and allow your presentation to flow seamlessly.
4. If you bring up the objection, it makes it seem less important.
5. Finally, it shows that you are not trying to hide anything.

What if your prospect brings up an objection before you had covered it or possibly
it was not something you were going to mention? The best tact is to acknowledge
the objection and advise your prospect that you are glad they asked that and
you are going to answer it before you conclude.

Answering objections to a prospect’s satisfaction is important. But once again, so is timing. Choosing the right time and handling the objections in the right way keeps you in control of your sales presentation.

Related Articles:

• How to Sell Carpet Protectors
• Sell The Sizzle
• Selling Maintenance Programs

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Please visit our web site at www.baneclene.com.

The Bane-Clene^® Team.

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What would happen if one of your carpet cleaning technicians stole a customer’s possessions?

Does your carpet cleaning business need to be licensed, bonded and insured? I’ve recently been reading articles about professional carpet cleaning technicians stealing articles from customers’ premises. They’ve stolen cell phones, wedding rings, jewelry, expensive watches and paintings and then pawned them. Of course, the idiots usually get caught! They’ve even stolen prescription drugs including oxycodone! Do you do a thorough background check prior to employing your technicians? What would be the impact on your business to see the name of your company and maybe even a photo of one of your cleaning vans on the front page of your local paper when one of your employees stole something? The majority of businesses across the United States are required to meet all three requirements. To guarantee the business needs to meet these requirements, go to the U.S. Small Business Administration’s website. Local and state resources can be found there. Related Information: Hiring New Carpet Cleaning Technicians Recruiting Tips for Hiring Employees Free Bane-Clene Information Package Free packet of information about Bane-Clene can be obtained by calling toll-free 1-800-428-9512 (U.S. ONLY!). Your information packet will include a full color catalog and price addendum. Packets will arrive in approximately 2 weeks through standard United States Mail. You can also order the packet at the Catalog Request Form. “A to Z” Alphabetical Index to the Bane-Clene Web Site Bane-Clene Home Page

TALKERS OR LISTENERS

Are you a talker or listener? The problem some sales people have is that they are talkers instead of listeners. Because of this, they often miss the signals that a prospect sends out and then end up trying to close the sale instead of listening to the customer’s questions and or objections.

Obviously, the key to knowing when to close is to listen carefully to the prospect, with your eyes as well as your ears. If your prospect is not making eye contact or fiddles with non relative information, then you either have lost the prospect already or are in the process of doing so. It is then important to guide the prospect back. You can do this by asking the prospect a direct question; for example, was he or she “happy with the service they received last time”. Something of this nature will allow you to regain control of your presentation. Also, a direct question or two will help establish a proper time to close. If you continue to get the wrong or incomplete answers to your questions, then you have much work to do. If you receive positive answers to your questions, then this should signal it is time to close.

Too many sales people think they have to follow and then complete a preplanned presentation from start to finish without variation. If you fail to recognize signs that the prospect is ready to buy and continue talking instead of listening, you may miss the opportunity to close and quite possibly may miss a sale. The best time to close is when the prospect shows signs of being ready to buy. When that time comes, stop your presentation and close the sale. Be a listener not a talker.

Related Articles:

• Four Characteristics of a Successful Person
• How to Sell Carpet Protectors
• There Is No Substitute for Service

Thank you for reading Bane’s Blog^®

Please read the latest issue of the Clene-Times^® at www.baneclene.com/publications/.

Please visit our web site at www.baneclene.com.

The Bane-Clene^® Team.

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Free Bane-Clene Information Package

Free packet of information about Bane-Clene can be obtained by calling toll-free 1-800-428-9512 (U.S. ONLY!). Your information packet will include a full color catalog and price addendum. Packets will arrive in approximately 2 weeks through standard United States Mail.

You can also order the packet at the Catalog Request Form.

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How to Professionally Remove Tar and Asphalt Driveway Sealer from Carpet

Especially on hot days and especially when fresh, tar, asphalt driveway sealer and roofing tar may be walked onto the carpet (and even onto vinyl tile) from driveways and parking lots and turn the carpet yellow. Since this is being tracked in from the outside, it is most noticeable near the entry areas. This is most common after repaving or sealing the asphalt, especially in the summer with elevated temperatures. This problem is most commonly a problem on blue and light gray carpet. Yellowing from tar track-in is virtually impossible to remove. Asphalt coating and sealers are coal tar based materials, which are yellow when highly diluted in solvent. Unfortunately, the solvents required to totally remove these materials are also strong enough to delaminate the carpet. Whenever a customer asks for your advice on replacing carpet and has a parking lot, advise him or her to avoid blue and light gray colors. If not removed when fresh, yellow stain from asphalt and tar from parking lots and driveways is nearly impossible to completely remove without delaminating the carpet. For small areas, apply a bead of the Pro-Solve Gel to the area to be treated, agitate, apply a bead of Power Gel, agitate and extract. For large areas, prespray with TLS® 2000 mixed with Pro's Choice Energy, agitate, and extract at high temperature preferably with PCA™ Formula 4 or Super LCA® followed with a Brown Out® rinse through the base unit - be sure to neutralize the tank with cleaning solution afterward. If this fails, pre-spray with Citrus APS™ Spotter and clean. Advise the customer to use adequate walk off mats which are exchanged or cleaned at least weekly. For dried road tar, be sure to cut up the tar into small pieces first using Duckbill Napping Shears. Related Tar Removal and Carpet Yellowing Information: Carpet Yellowing Free Bane-Clene Information Package Free packet of information about Bane-Clene can be obtained by calling toll-free 1-800-428-9512 (U.S. ONLY!). Your information packet will include a full color catalog and price addendum. Packets will arrive in approximately 2 weeks through standard United States Mail. You can also order the packet at the Catalog Request Form. “A to Z” Alphabetical Index to the Bane-Clene Web Site Bane-Clene Home Page

OVERCOMING SALES RESISTANCE

When initially talking to a prospective customer, there is a period of time when you will need to overcome sales resistance. It is of the utmost importance to be enthusiastic and friendly. This will help establish the tone for your meeting.

What causes this sales resistance? There are potentially many reasons. Maybe it is the customer’s normal reaction. Or is it a feeling of obligation to the current provider? Or is it because the customer had a bad experience?

Whatever the reason, you need to break through this resistance. You can do that by making a brief and positive statement that will hopefully peak the person’s interest. At this point, you gauge the prospect’s further interest in what you have to say.

If the interest appears low, you must be careful not to apply too much pressure, as this will surely further the resistance. At this time, you should ask if the prospect has further questions or would like further information. If the answer is no, ask if you may follow up at a later time. Often, it takes more than one meeting to overcome sales resistance. Whether the individual agrees or not to another meeting, don’t forget to offer to provide information about your company and above all thank the person for the time that was allotted to you.

If you have peaked the individual’s interest, then it is time to start asking questions that will provide you the information you need to make a proposal. All the time, continue to be enthusiastic and friendly. You have broken through any resistance, you certainly do not want to do anything that will reverse that.

Overcoming sales resistance may take time and is a process, but if you use the right approach and techniques, you more often than not will attain success.

Related Articles:

• Customer Service in the Carpet Cleaning Industry
• Cut Your Prices for Cleaning Carpets and Other Services?
• Four Characteristics of a Successful Person
• How to Sell Carpet Protectors
• There Is No Substitute for Service
• VIDEO: How to MAKE MORE MONEY with Anti-Allergen Cleaning & Treatment

Thank you for reading Bane’s Blog^®

Please read the latest issue of the Clene-Times^® at www.baneclene.com/publications/.

Please visit our web site at www.baneclene.com.

The Bane-Clene^® Team.

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Free Bane-Clene Information Package

Free packet of information about Bane-Clene can be obtained by calling toll-free 1-800-428-9512 (U.S. ONLY!). Your information packet will include a full color catalog and price addendum. Packets will arrive in approximately 2 weeks through standard United States Mail.

You can also order the packet at the Catalog Request Form.

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Red Color on Carpet after Acid Treatment - Cause and Cure

Bane-Clene YouTube Video - How to Fix Red or Pink Carpet Stain after Acid Treatment Have you ever treated a carpet with a rust remover or with an acid-based browing removal product and had the treated area suddenly turn pink or red? On one of our many workshops, there was a water fountain in the meeting room and the carpet around it had turned red. I immediately knew what had happened! Someone tried to remove hard water scale on the water fountain and got a bunch on the carpet! Sometimes, nylon carpet turns red or pink after being treated with an acid such as Brown Out® or a rust remover such as Pro’s Choice Rust Away. This is usually due to a pH sensitive dye used by the carpet manufacturer. Treatment with non-sudsing ammonia will usually reverse this effect. NOTE: It MUST be NON-SUDSING (clear) ammonia! The ammonia reverses the effect and simply evaporates away! Heart can now stop beating so fast! Link to YouTube Video on How to Correct Color Change to Red in Carpet - from a Bane-Clene Training Seminar. Free Bane-Clene Information Package Free packet of information about Bane-Clene can be obtained by calling toll-free 1-800-428-9512 (U.S. ONLY!). Your information packet will include a full color catalog and price addendum. Packets will arrive in approximately 2 weeks through standard United States Mail. You can also order the packet at the Catalog Request Form. “A to Z” Alphabetical Index to the Bane-Clene Web Site Bane-Clene Home Page Copyright: Bane-Clene® Corp. Author: Donald W. Terry, Sr., Bane-Clene’s Chemist Date Modified: January 8, 2020 Date Published: January 8, 2020

LAWS OF NATURE

Through observation and actual happenings, there have been many Laws of Nature recorded and hypothesized. Here are a couple of the most popular.

Murphy’s Law: “If anything can go wrong it will.”

Parkinson’s Law: “Work expands so as to fill the time available for completion.”

Here are a few others that have been conceptualized in general wording.

“We are all self-made.” Each of us is responsible for the person we become.

“What we value has to be worked for.” Relationships and possessions we value will generally require a great deal of time, energy, patience and understanding.

“People who don’t make mistakes stifle their self-motivation and creativity.” Those who are willing to try even though they make mistakes will learn from those mistakes. Overcoming mistakes makes us more successful.

Related Articles:

• Eleven Commandments of Good Business
• Four Characteristics of a Successful Person
• Mistakes Carpet Cleaners Make

Thank you for reading Bane’s Blog^®

Please read the latest issue of the Clene-Times^® at www.baneclene.com/publications/.

Please visit our web site at www.baneclene.com.

The Bane-Clene^® Team.

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Free Bane-Clene Information Package

Free packet of information about Bane-Clene can be obtained by calling toll-free 1-800-428-9512 (U.S. ONLY!). Your information packet will include a full color catalog and price addendum. Packets will arrive in approximately 2 weeks through standard United States Mail.

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How to Remove Acne Medicine Stain and Bleach Spots from Carpet

On occasion, a carpet cleaner calls us in a panic because a customer has called complaining about bleached out spots that appeared the next day after they had cleaned it. Acne medications such as Oxy-10® are designed to control facial acne. Benzoyl peroxide is a common ingredient in these compounds as well as in some foot powders and some other medications. In the presence of moisture, the benzoyl peroxide in most acne medications form hydrogen peroxide, which can bleach out most carpet dyes or change their colors. Since this is an oxidizing bleach, it can be neutralized with a reducing bleach (anti-chlor). Red Relief or Red 1 would act as an anti-chlor, but the best anti-dote is ChlorX Bleach Neutralizer. We recently added a video to YouTube about this problem and have posted it below. How to prevent or repair acne bleaching of carpet: If fresh and the carpet dye not yet bleached out or color changed: DO NOT GET WET WITH WATER. Scrape up the medication. Blot with Saf-T-Solv™ Dry Volatile Spotter. Treat with ChlorX Bleach Neutralizer to neutralize the bleaching action. Leave on the area at least 15 minutes to neutralize the benzoyl peroxide Thoroughly extract. Dry blot the area. Let the customer know that bleaching may occur later and suggest greater care in not getting the medication on carpet in the future. If old and the benzoyl peroxide has already affected the carpet dye: Thoroughly soak the bleached area with ChlorX Bleach Neutralizer to neutralize the bleach. Allow 3 minutes dwell time prior to your color restoration. Rinse out the anti-chlor. Very important: Remove as much moisture as possible before you begin your color restoration. Spot dye where necessary with the CMC Color Modifying Cosmetics Color Repair Kit. If you are correcting a spot on gray carpet, you will be using the Gray/Black CMC. If you are correcting a spot on a tan or brown carpet, you will be using the Tan/Brown CMC. Apply a conservative amount of Pro-Solve NE (soon to be renamed “CMC Application Fluid”) to the bleached fibers and rub the fibers lightly with the CMC to transfer color onto the fibers. Work the color into the fibers with a Carpet Shark. NOTE: Pro-Solve NE is not the same product as Pro-Solve Liquid! If excess color is applied, dampen a terry towel with Pro-Solve NE and wipe away the excess color. Once dried, Pro’s Choice CMCs are considered semi-permanent. However, an aggressive solvent will remove them. Treat the area heavily with ChlorX Bleach Neutralizer solution. Leave on the area at least 15 minutes to neutralize the benzoyl peroxide and thoroughly extract. How to Treat Acne Medicine Stain on Carpet This is video clip is from a portion of a Bane-Clene training class for professional carpet cleaners conducted by Bane-Clene’s chemist at the Bane-Clene training center in Indianapolis, Indiana. VIDEO: Repairing Carpet Bleach Spots with CMC Color Modifying Cosmetics Color Repair Kit for Bleach Stains Free Bane-Clene Information Package Free packet of information about Bane-Clene can be obtained by calling toll-free 1-800-428-9512 (U.S. ONLY!). Your information packet will include a full color catalog and price addendum. Packets will arrive in approximately 2 weeks through standard United States Mail. You can also order the packet at the Catalog Request Form. “A to Z” Alphabetical Index to the Bane-Clene Web Site Bane-Clene Home Page

SELLING OVER THE PHONE

Even with all the modern conveniences we have at our disposal, there never seems to be enough time in the day.

One way to overcome this lack of time is by selling over the phone. Here are some tips that may help you.

1. Have an outline of what you want to cover. This would include features and benefits of your company.
2. For a cold call, make sure you speak to the right person and then keep it short. After your initial presentation, ask if they have anymore questions. If they do, then the call will naturally extend itself.
3. For an existing customer, place them on a brief hold and gather records from their previous service trips.
4. For a cold call, offer to send literature that will reinforce what you have just discussed with them.
5. For a cold call, ask the person for an appointment that you can further discuss your services whether by phone or in person. If in person, offer to give them a demonstration.
6. For an existing customer, after you have gone over their needs, be sure to remind them of other services and products you provide before you schedule their appointment.

Related Articles:

• How to Sell Carpet Protectors
• Sell The Sizzle
• Selling Maintenance Programs
• Telephone Etiquette in the Carpet Cleaning Business
• Tips for Increasing Your Carpet Cleaning Business

Thank you for reading Bane’s Blog^®

Please read the latest issue of the Clene-Times^® at www.baneclene.com/publications/.

Please visit our web site at www.baneclene.com.

The Bane-Clene^® Team.

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Free Bane-Clene Information Package

Free packet of information about Bane-Clene can be obtained by calling toll-free 1-800-428-9512 (U.S. ONLY!). Your information packet will include a full color catalog and price addendum. Packets will arrive in approximately 2 weeks through standard United States Mail.

You can also order the packet at the Catalog Request Form.

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Phone calls from customers about a stain from the Christmas tree skirt

Christmas Tree Skirt Dye Stain Removal Procedure for removing this stain is often found on the carpet after the Christmas Tree has been taken down: This stain is found after the Christmas Tree has been taken down. Many felt skirts used underneath Christmas Trees have rich green and red colors which tend to bleed color to the carpet below. The tree skirts are loaded with excess dye that can stain carpets permanently. Stains can happen from water overflowing when filling the tree stand, causing the skirts to get wet, putting the excess dyes into the rug. Additionally, if this was a tree that was frequently over watered, there may also be some mold under the skirt! First, simply prespray with Preface® and extraction clean the area. Then using a clean, white towel, blot with rubbing alcohol. Then treat the area with Stain Magic®. Cover the treated area with a clear plastic and allow to dry overnight. This should also remove any mold that may have developed under the skirt. Frequently, the stain won’t come out because the consumer has already set the stain with an acid-based stain remover or vinegar! Of course, a tree skirt should never be cleaned - it would shrink and bleed since it’s usually made of felt. Free Bane-Clene Information Package Free packet of information about Bane-Clene can be obtained by calling toll-free 1-800-428-9512 (U.S. ONLY!). Your information packet will include a full color catalog and price addendum. Packets will arrive in approximately 2 weeks through standard United States Mail. You can also order the packet at the Catalog Request Form. “A to Z” Alphabetical Index to the Bane-Clene Web Site Bane-Clene Home Page Copyright: Bane-Clene® Corp. Author: Donald W. Terry, Sr. - Bane-Clene’s Chemist Date Published: November 12, 2017 Date Modified: February 11, 2018