” If you don’t have the Money… It doesn’t make the Job Cheaper!”
I think I might start putting this on the bottom of all my bids.
It doesn’t sound bitter does it….? 🙂
or ” If you didn’t want to pay for a Contractor, why did you ask him to give you a price?”
no….. to much…?
Replies
It's funny,certainly.
buuuuut.......I dunno about letting your clientele hear it. ..........OTOH, I have had a few clients that could have used that bit of advice.
You might want to check with Zig Zigler, the sales advice guru.
Or Dale Carnegie: http://www.amazon.com/How-Win-Friends-Influence-People/dp/0671723650
Humor is often tricky, reception often depends on the context and timing.
In this case what is good advice may, unfortunately, offend the people who can most benefit from it. Whether or not you want to have those people as clients is another question.
>>>" If you don't have the
>>>" If you don't have the Money... It doesn't make the Job Cheaper!"
It's true, and it presents a certain ironic humor.
But it's not exactly uplifting, and I wouldn't put it on the side of my van or my letterhead.
Try something like, "
Try something like, " Detailed Specification Estimate Minimum $1000-1,500 due in advance"
Credit for Specification charges applied to contract entered into with XYZ Corp before__________(14 days).
Works for me.
In a similar vain, I had a friend who ran a credit bureau which also doubles as a collection service. He heard the same line on the phone so many times that he printed his business cards with the response he heard most often.
Ton Jones, AFBC
When you would ask him what AFBC stood for he would tell you
Another Fn Bill Collector
That sentiment seems to sum up the times for us builders right now. People don't seem to respect what knowledge, experience, skills and a good set of tools are worth. We don't haggle with our doctors, lawyers, gas stations, utility companies, grocery stores, restaurants, city services...the list goes on. So why do people think it's ok to haggle with us?
As silly as it would be to put that on the bottom of your quote I do feel that we are not treated equally. I once have an owner of an INdian Restaurant ask me if my price was negotiable. I wanted to respond "Are your menu items negotiable? Can I get a discount on your nan bread if I order it now?" Of course I didn't say that, and I still didn't get the job.
Kind of off the subject but some cultures, and I believe Indians are one of them, are just so used to trying to negotiate for a better price.
We've got a place up in Vermont that we rent to skiiers etc. and I got a call from a woman with an Indian/Pakastani type accent who tried and tried endlessly to get me to come down on the price. She'd check with her husband and call back, consult her calander and call back, who knows check with her shrink and call back, always to try and get me to come down on the price. It just killed her to think that she was going to have to pay the full price. When I realized the "cultural" bias in trying to negotiate, I offered her $25 off the normal cleaning fee of $75. She gave me her credit card number in the next breath.
I didn't see it as her winning vs. me winning. Frankly for $25 I was getting sick of the phone calls. (It wasn't even during ski season)
Who knows, the Indian restaurant guy maybe would have given you a deal on the nan bread if you had asked!
I was just trying to be a little funny and sarcastic at the same time. I certainly wouldn't put that on my quotes.
I've be very fortunate and have kept pretty busy during these times. Not that I have work lined up but as soon as I start to wonder what next I get a phone call from a referral or past client.
I have met with a lot of people though that are pretty blunt about how much their project should cost and how much I should charge them even though they have know idea what it really cost. I just politely tell them what I think it should take to do and if their interested give me a call.