Unpopular opinion: talking to customers about tree risk is tougher than the climb

Had a homeowner in Naperville last summer, nice lady with a big silver maple. I told her the limb over her garage had a crack at the union and needed to come down. She looked at me and said "you just want my money, every tree guy says the same thing." I stood there for a minute and then pointed out the bark inclusion and the lean she could see from her kitchen window. She went quiet, then asked me to show her exactly where it would fall if it let go. That moment stuck with me because she wasn't being difficult, she just didn't know what to look for. Ever have a customer that changed how you explain things to people?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_drew6d ago

Read a study once that said homeowners trust visuals way more than words. Totally tracks.

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diana_king6d ago

Oh man, really? I used to think it was all about the numbers and specs you put in a listing. But then I saw it happen with my own eyes a few times. @the_drew, your study totally explains why some homes sit forever with great descriptions but crappy photos. Now I look at visuals first myself before even reading a word. It's like the brain just clicks with a picture way faster than text ever could. Definitely changed how I think about selling anything now.