Re: Acceptable time from walk-thru to quotation delivery

["Crash Gordon" <webmaster@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

yah know...it doesn't even have to be a lot of profit...as long as every job
has some!...it adds up I guess.



"tourman" <robercampbell@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:1172851270.659827.78010@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
| Excellent post....you hit the nail on the head IMO. Guess it takes
| some people quite a time to learn these "truisms", and a lot never do
| learn. Add to this...."refine your client base to lose the non
| payers"...and "learn what business to take on and leave the rest to
| the competition"....and "make EVERY job a profitable one (or don't do
| it simply on the promise of more to come"...
|
| Yah just cant be all things to all folks.....
|
| R.H.Campbell
| Home Security Metal Products
| www.homemetal.com
| (Ducking tornadoes in northern Florida....)
| >
| > "Jim" <alarmi...@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.
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