[Damon T]

I dont do follow up calls. Maybe a follow up email but no calls.

Have been re-reading lots of sales stuff on here. The thing I've discovered (again) recently is that a lot of times my emailed bid never reaches the client. Especially these days with advanced spam filters etc.
by making a phone call I can confirm that they actually received the estimate. I can also ask for the sale etc. Of course my new goal is to deliver estimates on the spot and ask for the sale while talking to them in person.

 

[thinkpainting/nick]

Have been re-reading lots of sales stuff on here. The thing I've discovered (again) recently is that a lot of times my emailed bid never reaches the client. Especially these days with advanced spam filters etc.
by making a phone call I can confirm that they actually received the estimate. I can also ask for the sale etc. Of course my new goal is to deliver estimates on the spot and ask for the sale while talking to them in person.

I have been trying a that on the spot a few times myself with the customer. The biggest hurdle we face is if your the first contractor they have called they want to wait till they receive other quotes. I get the selling on the spot sometimes help eliminate that from happening but it's not always a success. Lately we have faced all types of comebacks from potential clients. The new thing we hear is , customer says I searched online and found out you can paint 3 rooms for 500 bucks but your estimate is 800 bucks why is that? Another huge thing we hear even on the initial call is , you know the economy is slow and we want a good price.

To get back to post if I don't sell the job on the first call then yes I follow up with a phone call and email. Yesterday I followed up with a text to a young couple who texted me Previously . I see no problem with any follow up whatever the means part of the sales process and that's what we are salesman. Hell I went on a referral estimate last week where the HO told me I more or less had the job. Went on and on how I was highly referred by his work partner who we painted for. Guess what after I met him looked at work gave him my verbal and told him I would email him the hard copy. He says um wow ill get back to ya. He ended up getting two more quotes both lower one by 700 bucks the other by 1000. His work partner called me and told me he went with the low guy. Ya just never know.

 

[Damon T]

I have been trying a that on the spot a few times myself with the customer. The biggest hurdle we face is if your the first contractor they have called they want to wait till they receive other quotes. I get the selling on the spot sometimes help eliminate that from happening but it's not always a success. Lately we have faced all types of comebacks from potential clients. The new thing we hear is , customer says I searched online and found out you can paint 3 rooms for 500 bucks but your estimate is 800 bucks why is that? Another huge thing we hear even on the initial call is , you know the economy is slow and we want a good price.

To get back to post if I don't sell the job on the first call then yes I follow up with a phone call and email. Yesterday I followed up with a text to a young couple who texted me Previously . I see no problem with any follow up whatever the means part of the sales process and that's what we are salesman. Hell I went on a referral estimate last week where the HO told me I more or less had the job. Went on and on how I was highly referred by his work partner who we painted for. Guess what after I met him looked at work gave him my verbal and told him I would email him the hard copy. He says um wow ill get back to ya. He ended up getting two more quotes both lower one by 700 bucks the other by 1000. His work partner called me and told me he went with the low guy. Ya just never know.

I may have just lost one due to the same coupon issue. I had an Angie's list storefront deal, not the super low ones but still lower than our normal price. I normally only honor those if they buy it ahead of time. If I come out to look at the job it's not considered part of a coupon deal. So anyways I came out and looked at a small interior job, signed the guy on the spot for $700, but didn't get a deposit. He emails me back later that day and days he saw I had a deal for $549 labor, and can I honor that? I reply that that's only if they buy online without an estimate, and that it didn't include materials so there wasn't a big difference anyways. He replies back yesterday that he hired a listing agent and she has a painter that she wants him to get a bid from. PO's me as we had a signed deal, but if I tell him what I really think ill probably get a bad review! I don't normally collect deposits on smaller jobs, but maybe I should. I am also going to get rid of the coupon offer as it seems to be more trouble than good. I did sell a few jobs earlier this winter based on people seeing it and then I come out and look at the job..tell them "ok we can do this much for the deal and then the rest will be at our normal price". That worked out ok.

 

[PressurePros]

Damon.. I am putting a lowest price guarantee on my website. In fact, I may even offer to beat it by 10%. What? Why would I do that when all I have been preaching from my pulpit is to raise prices?

Because it does two things.

For the majority of people, it eliminates the psychological need to have 5 companies all come out to bid. For those that do shop and find a lower price, no problem. Email me the bid along with the companies current liability certificate, proof of workman's comp, and their detailed proposal. From my perspective and experience, it will be an apples-to-apples comparison one out of a hundred times. I also get to know my true competitor's pricing strategy. By true competitor, I mean someone that has been around longer than ten years, uses the same techniques, does everything above board and has the reputation to back it. Anything less becomes a selling point as to why the customer is paying a little more.

 

[Damon T]

Damon.. I am putting a lowest price guarantee on my website. In fact, I may even offer to beat it by 10%. What? Why would I do that when all I have been preaching from my pulpit is to raise prices?

Because it does two things.

For the majority of people, it eliminates the psychological need to have 5 companies all come out to bid. For those that do shop and find a lower price, no problem. Email me the bid along with the companies current liability certificate, proof of workman's comp, and their detailed proposal. From my perspective and experience, it will be an apples-to-apples comparison one out of a hundred times. I also get to know my true competitor's pricing strategy. By true competitor, I mean someone that has been around longer than ten years, uses the same techniques, does everything above board and has the reputation to back it. Anything less becomes a selling point as to why the customer is paying a little more.

Great idea. So would they not be considered apples to apples and not qualify for you to meet the other bid if the other company hasn't been around for 10 years?

 

[PressurePros]

Great idea. So would they not be considered apples to apples and not qualify for you to meet the other bid if the other company hasn't been around for 10 years?

That won't be an in-print criteria for price matching. Even if I have to eat a few bids from matching new guys doing things right but just not knowing pricing, it isn't going to matter. It does put that company on my radar and give me options on how to deal with them :yes:

 

[thinkpainting/nick]

Damon.. I am putting a lowest price guarantee on my website. In fact, I may even offer to beat it by 10%. What? Why would I do that when all I have been preaching from my pulpit is to raise prices?

Because it does two things.

For the majority of people, it eliminates the psychological need to have 5 companies all come out to bid. For those that do shop and find a lower price, no problem. Email me the bid along with the companies current liability certificate, proof of workman's comp, and their detailed proposal. From my perspective and experience, it will be an apples-to-apples comparison one out of a hundred times. I also get to know my true competitor's pricing strategy. By true competitor, I mean someone that has been around longer than ten years, uses the same techniques, does everything above board and has the reputation to back it. Anything less becomes a selling point as to why the customer is paying a little more.

I used to say this on the old painters board several years back, my father-in -law owned a very very successful roofing general contacting firm . His logo was just a hammer with his company name and his famous CTA...line underneath. Nobody Beats My Prices ! Nobody!! Now this guy was a marketing nut he knew if he could get the call he had a shot a selling the work. Every now and then he comes up from Florida and asks me if he can go sell a few jobs for me...I've watched him work and no he's not a car salesman or high pressure guy, he's just in his element and that tag line he used got him more calls than Carter's got liver pills. He would always tell me , kid ya got to get the calls or there's no work and know your competition !