leverage your app sales tools to lose sales and make more

Leverage your APP sales tools to Close Sales and Make More Money!

Selling Appliance Protection Plans (APP)

1

INTRODUCTION As salespeople, we understand the value of our Appliance Protection Plans (APP): They keep appli-

ances running like new through our annual Preventative Maintenance Services, they can fix or re-

place parts and products in the event of issues, and they put money back in our customers’ pock-

ets through reimbursement benefits—-even if they never have need of service!

But all too often—customers view Protection Plans as extended warranties and just another way

for us to make money off of them. That’s why it’s our job to ensure customers understand the

value of the Protection Plan, and how our APP can actually put money BACK into their pockets.

After reading and practicing with this Guide, and by viewing the Selling Demonstration video included, you will be able to:

Integrate Protection Plans into your sales conversation within each step of the AF Selling Process.

Demonstrate how to “Plant the Seed” for Protection Plans.

Leverage your sales tools to effectively pitch FPPs, overcome objections, and close appliance sales.

Execute the “brochure-ing” and “Feel-Felt-Found” strategies

GETTING READY TO SELL

Getting ready to sell starts with Training:

Have you / your teams completed their ITL courses?

Do you know all of the products on the sales floor?

Can you describe the features and benefits of the products within

each appliance category?

Have you watched all of the sales demonstration videos available?

Are you practicing and doing role-plays during your Morning Meetings?

For internal use only. Customers must be referred to coverage documentation for complete program details.


2

PLANTING THE SEED

It is important to always introduce the APP early in the sales conversation. Discuss the APP during the Greet

and Discover steps of AF Selling. When you understand why your customer is shopping for a new product,

you can Recommend the right Protection Plan features and benefits based on what was learned. This builds

the value of the Protection Agreement in the customer’s mind and allows you to close more APP sales.

“I’m sorry that your current washer failed on you after just 2 years. It’s never a convenient time when a major

appliance goes out...but it’s especially rough when it’s only 2 years old. At American Freight we believe in

maintaining what we sell. I have a worry-free coverage program that will also keep your appliances running

and in tip-top shape for years to come. But, I’ll tell you more about that in a bit. Let’s first talk about the washer

that is going to best meet your needs…”

What does Planting the Seed LOOK Like?

What does Planting the Seed SOUND Like?

When a salesperson “Plants the Seed”, they:

Introduce the idea of APP without selling it during the Greet and Discover steps of AF Selling

Connect Protection to the reason that the customer has come into the store.

Position APP as a POSITIVE (“We keep your appliance running at its best…”) and NOT just something needed if the product breaks (this gives the impression that our products are not of high quality).

Transition back to the product Discover by letting the customer know that they’ll tell them more about the Program later.

Incorporate probing Discover questions related to service and maintenance.

PROTECTION AGREEMENT DISCOVER QUESTIONS

Questions which help create interest in the benefits of Appliance Protection Plans.

Who will be maintaining this product for you?

You mentioned your last product needed repairs; What types of repairs did your old product require?

Should something happen to your new (insert product), who will be doing the service for you?


3

PITCHING PROTECTION PLANS—RECOMMEND

You’ve ‘Planted the Seed’ with your customer, you’ve Discovered their product wants and needs….now it’s time to

recommend the product that best fits their needs and that means it’s also time to recommend Protection!

A good transition to the Recommend step of our process is the phrase: “Based on what you told

me.” When we use this phrase, we are able to:

Demonstrate that we were listening to the customer

Focus the conversation on specific product recommendations

Connect the benefits of our Protection Plan to the customer’s own words on why

they’re shopping and what they’re looking for.

“Based on what you told me….Due to the cost of repeated repairs, you’re looking to replace your current refrigera-

tor that no longer maintains cold temperature...even though it is only 3 years old….

...In addition, I recommend our 5-Year Appliance Protection Plan. Not only does this guarantee you worry-free

coverage, but it also comes with our Annual Preventative Maintenance Service to keep your new refrigerator run-

ning like new year after year. That means, you won’t need to come back and see me any time soon...at least not

for a new refrigerator….”

What does the Recommend SOUND Like?

Pair this with the “Brochure-ing” strategy for a winning combination! Let’s check that out…


4

PITCHING PROTECTION PLANS: “BROCHURE-ING” Because Protection Plans are not something a we can see or feel, it can be difficult for a customer to see the value of them. That’s why it’s

our job to make them tangible products with features that benefit the customer…and can even save them money in the long-run.

One of the most effective ways we can make Protection Plans tangible, valuable items is through Brochure-ing.

Brochure-ing

“Best of all, we provide Annual Preventa-tive Maintenance Service, which means we will take care of the small problems, before they become big. Each year, a technician will come out to

your home, clean and inspect your washer,

run diagnostics, make sure everything is

running just as it should. And, if they de-

tect an issue, they’ll fix it to be sure your

washer is running as it should.”

• Use the Benefits page to point

out the top APP features and

the customer benefits.

• Conduct a trial close.

Use the Warranty vs. APP

comparison chart to over-

come objections.

What does the Brochure-ing SOUND Like?

Place the brochure in your

customer’s hand as you

recommend the APP.


5

Perception is the name of the game:

At the Product: Recommending the Protection Plan while standing at the product suggests the APP as a feature

of the product.

At the Register: Waiting to recommend APP until standing at the register ringing up the sale ties the APP to ad-

ditional $ and not to the product it will support.

WHERE do we pitch Protection Plans? AT THE PRODUCT!


6

OVERCOMING OBJECTIONS

When you Recommend the features and benefits of the Protection Plan, you may still encounter some objections. Let’s review

some of the common Protection Plan objections and how to use your APP sales tools to support your customer and overcome

objections. We’ll focus on the following tools:

APP Brochure

Plan Benefits

Warranty vs. Plan Coverage

Value-at-a-Glance

Feel-Felt-Found Strategy

Tools to Overcoming

APP Objections

So...what do you do if you encounter one of these objections? ...

...Start with the APP Brochure!


7

OVERCOMING OBJECTIONS: USE YOUR BROCHURE!

Your best tool for overcoming objections is the Protection Plan Brochure. If you utilized the Brochure-ing strategy when you

initially pitched Protection...the brochure is already in the customer’s hand! Use the Benefits and the Warranty vs APP charts

to support and overcome!

#1 Most Common Objection to a Protection Plan:

It already comes with a warranty

Remember your Brochure-ing steps:

Highlight coverage:

Use the Warranty vs. APP chart in the Brochure to show what is covered by the Manufacturer’s Warran-

ty and how much more the APP covers.

Identify coverage time period:

The American Freight APP provides worry-free coverage for 5 years!

Remind the customer that the Manufacturer’s Warranty is limited and good for 1 year.


8

OVERCOMING OBJECTIONS: VALUE-AT-A-GLANCE

Your appliance Value-at-a-Glance documents are valuable tools that help you build value in the Protection Plan. Especially

for customers who are purchasing an appliance to replace an existing / non-functioning appliance...the Value-at-a-Glance doc-

uments demonstrate value through coverage of common repair costs!

There are Value-at-a-Glance documents for every appliance category: Refrigerators, Ranges, Dishwashers, Washers, and Dryers.

Each identifies the most common repairs for the product and the average cost of repair…which are covered by the APP.

Demonstrates how the APP compares to the Manufacturer’s Warranty.

What you need to know about Value-at-a-Glance...

Show the Value-at-a-Glance chart to the customer to identify these common repairs and the cost of repair

Connect the average repair costs back to the price of peace of mind provided by our Appliance Protection Plan...which can cover them for 5-years (versus the 1 year of coverage provided by the Manufacturer’s Warranty)

Keep a copy of each in your selling binders and handy your appliance department.

What you need to do with the Value-at-a-Glance...


9

OVERCOMING OBJECTIONS: FEEL—FELT—FOUND

Another effective method for overcoming objections it to use the “Feel – Felt – Found” strategy. When unsure or on the

fence about a decision, people often look to see what others in the same situation are doing. The Feel – Felt – Found method

provides customers with reassurance and positions you as a trusted expert. Let’s break it down:

First, empathize with the customer. “I understand how you feel.”

Next, tell them about somebody similar “Others have felt the same way.”

Then, let them know what the other person

discovered when they followed your advice. “What they found was....”

Example: “I understand how you feel; that does sound like a lot of money. I had a

customer in here yesterday who felt the same when they first looked at it. But,

what they found was---when you break that price down by month, it really wasn’t

that much; only $10 per month. Or, less than $3.00 per week for the full coverage

and peace of mind for the next 5 years!

In addition, the 50% reimbursement on preventative maintenance and cosmetic

parts alone is usually enough to play for the plan.

And remember…if you never make a service claim on the plan…at the end of those 5

years, you can get money back—30% of the plan cost reimbursed to you!”

This is a great strategy to overcome price-based objections!


10

CLOSING SALES WITH APP

You’ve put in the work:

Followed the AF Selling Process: Greet—Discover—Recommend

You ‘Planted the Seed’ for Protection Plans early in the conversation

You asked probing Discover questions that allowed you to connect the appliance that the customer was shop-

ping for with the features and benefits of Protection.

Based on what the customer told you, you recommended APP and overcame objections and supported your cus-

tomer’s in their decision making.

…Now it’s time to Close the Sale!

1. Plan the Seed early (and often) in the sales conversation.

2. Recommend APP 100% of the time...at the product.

3. Show value—connect the APP to the customer’s needs and the product’s features and benefits.

4. Always ask for the Sale! Start with a trial or assumptive Close.

4 Keys to Closing More Sales

TRIAL CLOSE

“How does this Protection Plan sound to you?”

“How important is peace of mind to you?”

“How important is never having to worry about a repair bill?”

ASSUMPTIVE CLOSE

“Your out-the-door price, including Protection Plan, is…”

“Many of my customers get the Protection Plan.”

“What is your delivery address?”


American Freight (AF) offers the training materials and programs described herein solely to assist its franchisees in training their employees to provide the best customer service possible and to develop their sales skills and techniques. Franchisees are free to train their employees in the manner they consider appropriate, and neither the offering of training materials nor any other assistance that AF provides to its franchisees is intended to create an employment or co-employment relationship between AF and the employees of any franchisee.

11


Now that you’ve read through all of the tips and strategies for selling Appliance Protection

Plans, let’s take a look the process in action.

Click the link below to watch a demonstration of how to selling APP.

Watch for use of the strategies of:

Planting the Seed

Pitching the APP: Brochure-ing

Overcoming objections through use of:

Brochures

Value-at-a-Glance

Feel—Felt—Found

URL: xxxxxxx

Demonstration Video

https://youtu.be/_yohb6JzuRQ

leverage your app sales tools to lose sales and make more

Documents