Learned A Little Lesson In Sales This Past Week

dirt diggler

sometimes, you might want a job ... but you might not always want the client

im in no way shape or form deserving of being too picky right now ...

but ...

im really thinking of turning a job down if i get it.

It's nice and all getting the job - but when the honeymoon's over and you get to work ... a PITA client can really spoil the experience ...


just a thought ... it's bout miller time i'd say

Grumpy

Dirt, My 2nd year in home improvement sales, I was getting all the wrong jobs and working hard to get them. Then a very seasoned salesman in his 50's said... "Tom, just remember every customer is not YOUR customer." Profound, no? I learned to turn down jobs if I had bad feelings about them. Sometimes I increase my price accordingly if it's just a difficult job. But if it's the customer, I just walk and never even provide the estimate.

MKamis

I've also done the same thing when asked to do work below my typical quality level. Not only would it make a bad example of my work, but it's also hard to get motivated to do a sub-par job. Those potential customers can go to someone else.

Charles Bagley

I have learned to be picky in doing jobs for customers. If I get the hint that they may be hard to work with or be price shoppers, then I probably will not take them on. I used to be of the mind that I wanted every sale no matter what. Now I have learned that my competition needs customers too and I am all to happy to send these PITA customers their way. Let them deal with them and sell them just above cost.

CB

dougchips

Try out one of these on them:

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Grumpy

I don't mind price shoppers. I give MY price. It depends who I am up against. Heck if they are comparing me to home depot or sears I will definetly be lower. Big boxes are usually twice the average in my area. So compare me to a big box PLEASE!


One of what Doug? Your signature?

marc

Give them a call and tell them that you are respecfully declining to bid. Usually they will ask why and then you tell them. A lot of the time they will change their tune and become one of your best customers. Some people are told how they should be talking to contractors. Most of the time it's bad advise from some idiot. If you treat them with respect and they like you, the take away is a powerfull thing. People don't know what they don't know.

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dirt diggler

If I do get the job ... I will try this ... if nothing else, it'll be an experiment

it's nice and all getting a job - like i said though - but the wrong client can really mess up the experience


you're right - somewhere out there, there is a guide on "How to Talk to Your Contractor" and it was written by the president of PITAs of America (not to be confused with Pamela Anderson's organization)

CheckmateOhio

Hey guys, I'm new here. Had to reply to this one.
HAd a meeting with a "homowner" last month.
He was the owner of a bunch of Ford dealerships here in northeast Ohio. He started doing a complete remodel of an old home. He was also planning on adding about 4,000 square feet to the home. He wanted us to do the major work and he to do the interior stuff because it was "fun" for him. Here is a quote from him " I work 12 hours a day and then come here and put in another 3 hours having fun. " Anyway, take it for what it is. Point is, I was trying to separate what he was responsible for and what I was going to be responsible for. I started by telling him that I did not feel that the foundation (clay tile blocks with cracking) was strong enough to support the added weight of the addition. Then I mentioned about balloon style framing how he would need to fireblock and support the joists better. He blew up at me telling me that I was making a mountain out of a mole hill and that he had 2 inspectors approve the foundation. BLAH BLAH BLAH. I changed my tune, backed down, and told myself just go with it.

A week later he calls asking where his bid was and says "I hope I didn't scare ya away." Well I still bid the job. I bid it up about 20% for the headache I know I will have and I put the scope of work line for line and stated his quote about the foundation and etc. Haven't heard back from him.
Work is sloooow right now, but a few extra dollars won't help when your gettin sued by a millionaire because you built on top of an unsolid structure.

dirt diggler

CHECKMATE!!!

very similar situation to me (in the bid im referencing in this thread)

the way this guy wants me to do it ... i feel that it would require extra/special engineering to make it work.

he takes that "feeling" of mine and assumes I am just trying to get more money. Which is certainly not the case. I just want to make it right.




thing is - when you're working, yeah, you're making money (hopefully) --- BUT --- you're potentially missing out on another project.

This particular one would occupy most of my spring ... not sure if it is the one ...

or, i am being a paranoid freak

Grumpy

This shold be standard in each and every proposal anyone does IMO. I try to leave no grey area in my scope of work. It's all in black and white, not only what I am doing but how I am going to do it.

It is as much protection for me as it is for the customer.

I think you handled that situation well, except if you were truly scared abotu being sued for 1 million dollars, that would mean to me you mark up the job 1.5 million. If you are truly scared about being sued I think it's better just not to bid, because chances are anything you marked it up won't cover the lawsuit even if you win.

Ever hear the 80/20 rule? 80% of your time is spent on 20% of your cusotmers? Those are the PIA customers that we need to back away from because if you are truly spending 805 of your time on 20% of your cusotmers you are either working too hard or neglecting the good and loyal 80% that are easy to work with.

Susan Betz

I call these "toxic clients". They usually don't understand or don't value what you bring to the job, and they're going to second-guess you every step of the way.

Not every client will appreciate what goes into good work. You can bring some of these people around with a good explanation of your work, product, and pricing structure - explain the value. If they don't "get" it, though, let someone else bid the work. Life is too short to deal with this type.

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