Re: Acceptable time from walk-thru to quotation delivery

["Crash Gordon" <webmaster@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I agree. I usually don't do these much anymore, but the woman who gave it to
me is the wife of a friend/associate/ guy who I've know for 25 years and
helps me on installs sometimes.



"Jim" <alarminex@xxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:1172815734.526942.239230@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
On Mar 1, 10:59?pm, "Crash Gordon" <webmas...@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
> IMO a week is pushing it...but it depends, if client says "no hurry" then
> I'd say you'd have more time.
>
> Couple of weeks ago I was given the bums-rush to get a bid in. I told them
> I
> needed to see the plans. Took them a week to get the plans to me, and then
> I
> got ONLY one sheet...just the electric plan. So I said well I better get
> out
> there and take a look because it's gonna be an upscale mex
> restuarant...and
> sometimes they do funky things - like no ceiling so you have to wire tie
> and
> paint your wires black (stupid designer shit). In the mean time they're
> calling me everyday for a bid. Dood!... So I run out there...45 miles one
> way on surface streets. Now I'm looking for the restaurant, I see
> something
> that looks like it on the corner so I stop and go in and theres a zillion
> people working..but the building doesn't match the plans I have. Sheesh.
> So
> I check the permit for the address and it's not it. I'm looking around and
> there's only finished stores and empty dirt...nothing else under
> construction. So I call the electrician who we are subbing for...where the
> hell is this building. OH...it's not in the ground yet. Its not fucking in
> the ground yet and you're calling me everyday for a freekin bid? I KNOW I
> won't even get this one too...cause there's two middle men; the woman who
> gave me the lead and the electrician and my price was 4500.00 based on
> plans
> only...waste of freekin time. In the end they'll end up with a 2 door 1
> motion system in a 9000 sqft restaurant for 300 smackers.
>
> I hate the bidding game, half the time dunno why I bother when I have
> clients that just say...do it and send me the bill.
>
That's why I stick with mostly residential now. All come from
referrals from previous clients. You don't have to deal with the non
concerned contractors, and third party owners who really don't even
want to meet you in the first place. They're looking for the cheapest
system that only "looks" like it works. And even after the fact, if
you're lucky enough that someone from the customers office knows or
even tries to get in contact you for monitoring service, they'll still
not  know who you are and probably will never know. There's no loyalty
or direct communication. You're dealing with a "entity" who will
probably wind up being a series of ever changing managers. No one will
know how to operate the system and eventually they'll change alarm
companies because the system will have a service problem and no one
will call you for service, then some corporate honcho will vist
someday and see what a "poor alarm system they have" which equates to
you being a poor alarm company.

Sorry, but I need some gratification when I do an installation. I'm
not an "entity" doing business with another "entity". That's what the
Nationals are for.

However, when I go on an estimate, if I don't give them a price on the
spot, it's usually because I have to check on availability of parts or
check out a product or technical question. Usually no longer than a
few (working) days. If the price is a little bit higher, I'll make an
appointment to sit with them again to point out the cost of items.
This way, I can negotiate whats important enough to keep and what can
be cut to meet their budget. Once that's done, you can ask for a
deposit check and get the paper work out of the way.  If you don't go
for the second meeting on an expensive system, and you just sent them
a quote or give them a quote over the phone, they'll not make the
decision then. They'll "want to think about it" which puts it on the
back burner. When it gets to be important again, they'll call in
another company because "you were really expensive". But when the next
guy gives them about the same figure, they'll go with him, just
because he's there.

I've discovered that if you really want to increase your percentage of
successful sales calls, ...... if you don't get it on the first call,
go on the second one. You'll likely get it..... even if for no other
reason but your show of concern and your follow up, that the
competition wont do.

Sales people who make a sale approximately 60% of the time are
considered successful. It's true however, that it only takes about 5%
more effort to fall into a category comprised of people that are
successful 80 to 90% of the time. That goes for life in general .....
too.