First, what is a one-legger? In the in-home sales world, there are many times two decision-makers are involved in a major buying decision. A major decision may be new windows, a roof, construction renovations, a furnace, central air conditioning, and many, many more. It is always to a salesperson’s benefit if both decision-makers are present during your visit to the home. Let’s be realistic, though. There are going to be many cases where both decision-makers are not there. This is what we call a one-legger.
Many salespeople and many companies will not run appointments unless both decision-makers are there. This is a big mistake. If you are not running these appointments or insisting on a night or weekend appointment when both decision-makers are present, you could be leaving many good sales behind. You also may be creating ill-will amongst many homeowners. There are many situations where a homeowner is looking to make a decision in a certain timeframe and, by delaying the process for them, you’re not helping. Many homeowners will sacrifice a day off to stay home and get their estimates, and if you’re not willing to be there on that day, you’ve lost your opportunity. Many homeowners take an approach where one spouse gathers the information while the other one is at work and they sit down together, alone, and make a decision. Sometimes it’s simply a matter of one spouse stays home with the kids, the other has to work some crazy hours to make ends meet. Whatever the situation, you need to evaluate this when the initial call comes in and adjust your approach to the situation in a way that helps everyone, not frustrates them.