Certified Sentricon Specialists® (CSS) are experts at locating and eliminating termite colonies at their source with the Sentricon® system. While achieving total colony elimination is an important part of treating termite infestations, selling a preventative solution for long-term termite protection provides additional value through higher margins, recurring revenue and a strong 92% customer retention rate.
For these reasons, it’s important to bolster your preventative sales through a proactive strategy that communicates to homeowners the ongoing value of continuous termite protection. Read on to learn 5 tried-and-true tips for how to secure a preventative sale with the Sentricon system.
Tip 1: Educate homeowners about the termite threat
Education is the great equalizer. Homeowners look to you as the expert on termite infestation and behavior, providing you with a valuable opportunity to educate customers on the importance of ongoing protection with the Sentricon system.
When a homeowner is hesitant to renew their installation of Sentricon, inform them with the facts: termites are present in every state except for Alaska; termites cause upward of $5 billion in property damage each year; and termites can cost individual homeowners countless thousands in structural repairs. Use your professional knowledge of termite damage to reassure homeowners that they are making the right choice by continuing to protect their home with the Sentricon system.
Tip 2: Inform homeowners that insurance does not cover termite damage
One of the most powerful tools in your arsenal when positioning a preventative sale is the fact that homeowners insurance does not cover the cost of termite damage. Because it does not safeguard homebuyers from the cost of structural repairs, you can position a preventative installation of the Sentricon system as an added layer of protection insurance won’t provide — something new homebuyers and seasoned homeowners alike need.
Continue to use the analogy of insurance to reiterate why preventative protection is so important: after all, nobody wants car insurance after they have been in an accident.
Tip 3: Tell homeowners DIY termite treatments are a myth
There are countless home improvement projects that homeowners can and should tackle. Termite infestation isn’t one of them. When selling preventative protection, remind homeowners that DIY termite treatments and alternative solutions are not nearly as effective as an installation of the Sentricon® system from a seasoned CSS. Customers might damage their own properties without solving the problem and, in some cases, can make treatment by a professional even more difficult. You have the most expertise and the best product on the market — homeowners will want both when termites decide to infest their property.
Tip 4: Break installations down by cost
Nobody wants to spend money on a problem they don’t have. However, informing homeowners of the economic benefits they will receive by investing in the Sentricon system will help them see the value behind a preventative approach.
Tell homeowners that, when it comes to termites, the question is not if they will infest a home, but when. When this occurs, the cost of repairing their home — not to mention the additional cost of eliminating the colony that caused the damage in the first place — will far exceed what it costs to install the Sentricon system. By simple comparison, preventative protection costs less than a curative solution.
Tip 5: Ask homeowners what peace of mind means to them
While there are countless practical benefits to a preventative installation of the Sentricon system, there is another equally important factor that homeowners should consider: How much do they value peace of mind?
Paint a picture of a customer who chooses not to invest in a preventative solution. This homeowner will have to research potential termite treatments while an infestation is continuing to cause ongoing property damage, and only after the colony has been eliminated — which is no guarantee without the Sentricon® system — will they be able to begin the long and costly process of repairing their home.
Now, paint a picture of a customer who invests preventatively in the Sentricon system. They will spend no time researching termite treatments or home repairs because there will be no infestation in the first place. This customer benefits from the peace of mind the Sentricon system provides by knowing that no matter what happens, they will be protected from termites.
Good for homeowners and CSSs alike
Preventative installations of the Sentricon system offer something for everyone. For homeowners, a cost-effective solution that provides ample peace of mind is an instant win. And, for CSSs, higher margins through a sustainable, scalable business model is an opportunity that cannot, and should not, be missed.
