WHY YOU NEED A PHONE SCRIPT

Consistency

It's impossible to see consistent results if you're not consistently doing the same thing. When you go to the transfer station, you're paying the same disposal fees. When you pick up junk, you're charging the same amount for every customer. If you want to consistently hit $1k, $2k, or even $5k every single day, you need to consistently answer the phone the same way - every single day.

Higher Booking Rates

There is a reason why it feels like most customers are saying no. That's because they are. The #1 way to get customers to hang up the phone is to give them a quote. I always have and always will be an advocate for onsite quotes. Junk removal business owners struggle with this. Most of you will provide a rough estimate or ask the customer to send you pictures so you can provide them with a quote. This is why you're not staying busy.

 I listen to over 1000 phone calls each month, and NOBODY who gives quotes over the phone is happy with the results. They could be working on their sales skills and figuring out what needs work. Instead, most of them are complaining about low-ballers, cheap customers, and lack of call volume.

On average, my clients who give quotes over the phone see a 17% book rate. This means it takes 6 phone calls to land a single job.

My clients who do NOT give quotes over the phone see a 72% book rate on average. This means they book 4 jobs for every 6 calls. You didn't read that wrong. This isn't make-believe. Junk haulers who don't give quotes over the phone book 4x more jobs than guys who offer quotes over the phone.

Let's quickly put that into perspective.

• Company A gives quotes over the phone. He spends $4000 on Google Ads this month and receives 100 phone calls. He books 17 jobs with an average job price of $350. His total revenue from Ads this month is $5,950.
• Company B only offers onsite estimates. He spends $4000 on ads this month as well. He receives the same 100 calls, but books 76 of them. 10% of those appointments decided not to hire. Thus, they complete 68 jobs. With an average job price of $350, his total revenue from ads this month is $23,800.

Now let's assume I'm lying. (I'm not, but let's assume.)

Let's pretend that I'm only half-right. Company B only books HALF as much as I'm saying he did. This would mean he only booked 38% of his jobs. Once again 10% of those appointments decide he's too expensive. He only does 34 jobs out of the 100 phone calls he received. Even in this made-up scenario, Company B would still make $11,900. That's DOUBLE what Company A made.

It's 10x easier to land a job onsite because you're already there and the customer has had a chance to meet you. Most customers won't want to send you away and call around only to find out that you weren't even overpriced in the first place.

Here's how advertising a junk removal company online works:

1. Your ad sells the customer on clicking to your page.
2. The page sells the customer on calling your business.
3. The person who answers the phone sells the customer on booking an appointment.
4. When you arrive at the appointment, you sell the customer on hiring you.

You don't sell the job on the phone. You sell the job when you're onsite.

Having a phone script will help you avoid giving quotes over the phone, which means you'll book more jobs and make more money.

HERE IT IS: THE BEST PHONE SCRIPT FOR JUNK HAULERS

*Phone Rings*

You: Thank you for calling [XYZ Junk Removal], this is [Name] speaking. How can I help you today?

Customer: Hello, I'm looking for a quote. I have an old box spring and mattress that need to be hauled away.

You: Perfect! We can definitely help you with that! What's your first name?

Customer: [Name].

You: Awesome. Where are you located?

Customer: [City].

You: Great. How soon would you like us to pick it up?

Customer: As soon as possible. I'm just wondering how much that would cost.

You: Sure thing! So, here's how our service works. We can send out one of our crews, and they'll remove your stuff from anywhere in your home and haul it away. Our pricing is based on the amount of room your stuff takes up in our [15 Yard] dump truck. Our prices start at $99, and this covers up to 1/8th of a dump truck load. Prices go up incrementally, and you only pay for the space you use. I know you mentioned you only have a couple items, so what I can do is send the guys over, and once they've seen everything in person, they'll be able to provide you with an exact price. As long as you're happy with the price, we'll haul it away right then and there. If you decide not to hire us, there's no charge for the visit and our guys will be on their way. We can have a crew over to you as soon as [4 PM today] would that work for you?

END OF SCRIPT

Obviously, there's a lot that can come after this. What's important to understand here is that you need to successfully mention your minimum pricing and how you charge. Then, you want to try to book an appointment without giving them a firm price.

If it doesn't work for you right away, keep trying. You have to create your own variation of this and make it work for you. I guarantee that with a little effort, you'll get it down in no time. Next, we'll go over some common rejections and how to overcome them.

OVERCOMING REBUTTALS AND REJECTIONS

Rebuttal: Could you just give me a ballpark price?

Response: Well, here's the deal sir/ma'am. We have no intention of coming out and wasting your time. However, we do have to pay to get rid of everything we pick up, and we really can't agree to anything until we've seen exactly what we're taking in person. I'd be happy to send the guys over, the estimate is completely free. As long as you're happy, we'll haul it away right then and there.

Rebuttal: So, you're thinking around $99?

Response: It could be, as long as your items take up less than 1/8th of a load. But we really don't know exactly how much it will cost until we've seen it in person. We have to pay to get rid of everything we pick up, so it's hard for us to guarantee a price without seeing it. If it does end up being more than 1/8th of a load, the guys will let you know before they do anything, and you can make a decision at that point. As long as you're happy, we'll take it away right then and there.

Rebuttal: Sorry. I don't know about that. I'll have to call you back.

Response: No problem. If it helps at all, I could provide you with an estimate if you're able to send me a couple of photos. Is that a possibility?

Only Request Photos and Provide an Estimate if the Customer is About to Get off the Phone or Call Someone Else.

I know that I said not to give quotes via photos. That rule can be broken once you've tried to get them to book and they've refused twice. You're probably going to lose them anyway, so it can't hurt to try at this point. Please, do not do this without first going through the script.

CONCLUSION

There will always be the guys who claim "I book 95% of my calls and I give everybody a quote over the phone. You just have to learn how to talk to people." I ask the same question every time. When I ask, "Care to share your call reports?" Crickets. They don't have one. They're not tracking their calls. If you're not tracking things down to a "T" then you really don't know how well things are going.

I track every single call, for every one of my clients. Numbers do not lie. If there's one way to change your business overnight, this is it.

"In God we trust. All others must bring data."

-W. Edwards Deming