OK… I’ve been beating myself up for days now, so it’s your turn 😉 I’m looking for an autopsy on why this deal went South from folks with more experience than I. Here’s the scenario.
A family I’ve known for a long time heard I was going into contracting and asked me to price a good sized job (remodeling an unused floor of their home). We had a few meetings to discuss some details and I gave them a proposal for essentially time only since there were so many unresolved material specs. We reviewed it, they thought it was well within their budget and they liked my suggestions. In the meantime they asked me to do a series of small things around the house which I did to their apparent total satisfaction. While I was doing these other projects, I asked if they had decided to go ahead with the big job and they repeatedly assured me that they were good to go, and would review my contract proposal and we’d get started. These folks are quite well off, and in the years I’ve known them always straight shooters.
To cut to the chase, I finished up the smaller jobs a few weeks ago, sent em a bill (very reasonable IMHO as I anticipated this much larger job starting up). Got a check immediately and called them a few days later to see where we were at with the big job. No callback, I wait a couple days in case their son forgot to give them the message, call again… wait a few more days… call again and hear the Mom tell the daughter “tell Paul I’ll call him back please…”. Been almost two weeks, and nada…so I’m assuming the job is shot.
I’m a tad whacked since I haven’t lined up anything else substantial for the next few months as to avoid being overbooked. But I’m also very disappointed that these people I considered friends would just leave me twisting in the wind. You guys have undoubtedly been there, what do you think I did wrong (if anything), and what would you do differently? Thanks…
Replies
HO here
from spending a lot of time here
doing business with friends
counting on work without a signed contract
customers really don't know what they want so they are procrastinating and don't want to tell you
customer's getting cold feet since this is a wish project and they don't really know what it will cost.
bobl Volo, non valeo
Baloney detecter
merry christmas , paul.....
this is the time of year that these things happen.. people subconciously go into survival mode and postpone decisions..
it's important to get the commitment before they get into the holiday rush..
that job MAY still be alive
you blew it on not getting the close when you made the presentation..
and don't worry.. you ain't alone
follow up .. ask for a sit-down..get the commitment
Thanks Mike and Bob and happy Holidays to you as well.
I'm hoping you're right Mike as I was counting on this job (more than I should have I'm sure), but short of being overly pushy I though we had closed the deal frankly. When I inquired where we were at they replied along the lines of "we're all set, we're gonna give our handyman a call to arrange for him to rip out the carpet" (one of their responsibilities). The main purpose of my phone calls was to say nicely "I need to schedule my time so I'd like to get this contract signed and a deposit taken as soon as it's convenient". Anyway, who knows... maybe it aint over yet. I'll keep you posted.
My guess is that they're trying to figure out where to get the money.
Could be of course... one of the reasons I'm so befuddled by this is that A) they are (or seem to be) quite affluent and B) in all the time I've known them they've always been straight shooters. But whooooooooooo knows?
"Affluent" doesn't mean "has a lot of money". It means "spends a lot of money."And for lots of folks this time of year can upset budgets, with vacations, Christmas presents, estimated taxes, stock shuffling to control capital gains, etc.Plus, during the holidays folks tend to simply put things off. They may be planning to get a loan somewhere, but haven't applied for it yet, and won't get around to that until about mid-January.
You could be the victim of the old "donkey and the carrot" scheme. Do this for me now and I will have that for you later. Many times they expect you to work for cheap because they are the ones holding the carrot.
I get that a lot from people who cannot get someone to put a new roof on their birdhouse or some other trivial project.
Next time say that while you are there taking care of the larger project you will address that birdhouse issue. See what developes.
Paul,
It's simple really,
24 hrs after you start the next job, these people will call and want their project done imediately.
I think you are still in the game with this one. Maybe they have had a death in the family, or serious illness. ( I have one on the job board like this now. HO had a stroke, and is in re-hab)
If they haven't said "No", and nobody else is in there, there is still hope. But I would be calling back a few of the people you may have put off, while expecting this project to move forward.
A few years ago, I had a large project fall through. I called a couple that I had given a price to, but later told them I couldn't do the project because their time frame conflicted with this large project. They were very pleased to find out I was available.
Bowz
If you are willing to put a little more time into it, since you apparently know the scope, do a little material shopping and specifying, and work them up a proposal for the whole job package, with allowance pricing stated for how you see them landing in each of the areas.
Don't do it yet. Wait until a week has gone by in the new year, then see if you can get an in-home appointment set for a week hence. If you get the appointment, do all the numbers and a well-prepared lump-sum proposal (that includes detail on the allowances), and see if you can close the sale that way.
Sit tall in the saddle and lean over out of the wind when you spit. Youre doin fine.
Get your feelings out of this one and carry on . Quit callin um . If it comes in ok , but quit thinkin about it and keep ridin.
Tim Mooney
Well, in order to preserve the illusion that friends are actually friends and that Joe is a "really good" guy, avoid loaning them money or doing business with them. To do otherwise is to realize that nearly everyone is . . . well, you fill in the space, when it comes to money. And no good dead goes unpunished.
Not a sinick (spelling?), jsut realistic.
Sell, a truck to a injured Veitnam vet. Take a small down payment. You know help the guy out. The payments don't come. You pester and pester. You get fifty bucks. You are kind and patient. No, payments. Finally you take the truck back. Flatbed has been ripped off and tires ripped up as if run through the woods (matter of fact that is exactly the case, as the truck was used to get and sell firewood.
Then there is the deal selling Christmas trees in July for the December retail season. Ask for a 25% deposit. Not to worry, everyone says "he is a great guy", "actually a friend of mine". Ok, two months no deposit. You get on the phone, "oh we have a mail strike in Canada". Oh, ok. October, do you want those trees cut now? No, I bought cheaper trees.
Then there is the time . . .
Maverick may be right on this one but, a key element of closing is the concept of time. In order to sell this job you need to convince your customer that their check in your hand will assure them a place in your job queue.
They may feel they can call you at their leisure; politely remind them you have other work going on, whether you do or don't. Either way, rest assured that they must like your work and have counted on you before, probably they will again.
Thanks for all the encouragement... I'm trying to not get too down over this, which is likely to be the first but not the only loss along the way towards building a new business. Just woulda been nice to be rolling along a while first ;)
Paul,Been there, sorta done that. Advice from someone who was self employed for 17 years before getting a job as an employee:-Don't ever bet on a job working out until you've got a signed contract and a deposit.
-Don't sell the jobs too hard.
-Don't ever EVER work cheap. Better to work free or not at all.
-Maybe a big project like this isn't so great to start off your career. Small ones that you can profitably nail down, estimate and get in, get out, get paid are way less risky, more trouble free and predictable, maybe keep you small while you get bigger. Let it sit on the back burner in your mind and schedule and go bust your butt on something else for a while.I'll tell you a story to make you feel better--I got a referral from one of my best friends about someone he worked with who wanted to do a huge remodel on his (awful) old house. This family wanted to convert the attic to living space by raising the roof, do some major first floor room changes, upgrade the kitchen, repair a bad foundation in one corner and the sagging porch above, etc.After spending about 40 solid hours on this, including having the engineer from the local lumber yard out to look at the foundation issue, I got an EMAIL from the "owner" explaining that they did not yet own this house, but instead were looking at buying it from their landlord, but when they saw how much their desired changes would cost, they decided to buy some other place!I can tell you that I decided not to restrain myself, and took myself out of their contractor list with my reply.Moral of the story for me: I don't waste time estimating anything anymore. About all anyone will get from me is a quicky visit, consultation and a very rough ballpark GUESS, and I also check them out to whatever extent I can to make sure they actually own the building. I also do not tell them too many ways to fix their problems. They need to pay for my knowledge.Hope you get things on track. Don't get discouraged, there's always work out there.
What first struck me in your post is where you said:
"I haven't lined up anything else substantial for the next few months as to avoid being overbooked. "
My first thought was: Do THEY know that ???
Maybe it just hasn't occurred to them that their project will represent a significant time commitment from you.
And the holiday thing shouldn't be overlooked, as others have mentioned. They could easily be a bit overwhelmed with other stuff.
Maybe a polite conversation or letter after the holidays would clear things up.
Q: Why don't women blink during foreplay?
A: They don't have time
Hi Paul, I'm a h.o. but in an industry that operates something like yours in terms of how a sale is completed and entered into a "que". Here are my two thoughts:
1) Never, ever assume a sale is "a done deal" until you have cashed the check and the bank tells you it's good. It's never over until the fat lady sings. In your case she was getting her clothes on, and her shoes on, and she was close to the stage...but she had not yet begun to sing.
2) Tell all potential customers that you schedule your jobs first come, first serve. I find in my business this actually serves as a motivator! This way you can tell the "Mrs. Smith" that she can take all the time she wants to review your estimate, because it looks like Mrs. Johnson across town is going to firm up a basement remodel (or whatever) real soon. "However, as I've told Mrs. Johnson, I schedule jobs on a first-come, first-serve basis, so whomever decides to get going first gets my services first". Or something to that effect. You can almost say this in a very nonchalant way...like you KNOW you're going to get ONE of the jobs - you don't care which one - it's up to her now to make the decision.
Hope this helps,
Rob
"We had a few meetings to discuss some details and I gave them a proposal for essentially time only since there were so many unresolved material specs. "
Maybe they're still deciding on the materials & details and the folks they want to ask are on vacaton?
One thing I've learned in my business (different from yours in many ways, but still with similarities) is to never expect to get anything done from Thanksgiving through New Years. At least nothing that requires working with other people. I try to have a few projects I can work on alone, without having to coordinate with others.
Send them a box with some sample tile and trim pieces "for their consideration" and follow up with a visit or call after the kids are back in school.
If they are indeed affluent, they may be considering buying a bigger house or employing a designer. This stuff happens, find some other work they'll either come around or not.
The awful thing is that beauty is mysterious as well as terrible. God and the devil are fighting there, and the battlefield is the heart of man.
- Fyodor Dostoyevski
Thanks for all the input guys. Regardless of the outcome, it's nice to have others who have BTDT. I'll keep you guys posted if and when this progresses...
Somehow, I have a feeling that they may be price shopping on you. Don't waste any more time on them - get out there, start beating the pavement, and find some paying customers. You have given enough of your time for "courtesy callbacks". When I was working for homeowners, my hit rate of "do this little job and I'll give you this big job" was about 20%. You need to put food on the table, not spend more time giving out free advice.
OK... I think I owe everyone that responded an update.
On New Year's Eve, I ran into the husband of the couple in question, walking to his car. I hollered over to him and he turned, said "Happy New Year Paul" and turned and walked away. So, needless to say I really figured that A) This job was sunk, and B) That somehow I had p*ssed these folks off (although how I had no idea). I was prettyyyyyyyyy down...
Monday I decided I had nothing to lose, and was really entitled to an answer, and ideally an explanation so I called a fourth time. The husband answered and again was quite cool and put his wife on. I was of course expecting bad news, but we chit chatted a bit, very friendly and when I asked where we were at she replied" Well, we'd like to move forward". I was literally speechless, but we have an appointment for Saturday morning to sign the contract and collect a deposit. Sooooooo, we'll see what the final outcome is. Guess it's true what they say about the opera not being over...
Either way, thanks to all that bucked me up when I was very down!
paul.... sometime over a cup of coffee.. ask them what was going on..
i still think it 's the inability of people to come to grips with anything around the holidays
anyways... good on ya Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
sounds like the wife wanted it ...
the husband didn't ....
and the wife won.
he might noticed it more and more when he asks both for a decision ... and the husband just says ... Oh I don't care, just ask her ....
Jeff Buck Construction
Artistry in Carpentry
Pgh, PA
Paul--
It's strange, but (from an H.O.'s standpoint) it sounds like the husband and wife may not be in TOTAL agreement on this project. So please make sure you get a percentage as a downpayment on this one. "To reserve your time for the project" or whatever.
Or make sure both spouses are at the sit-down, and both seem to be into doing this project.
I don't know why, but I have a hunch about this only because I've experienced it with my own spouse early on (I had hired contractors before we were married, he hadn't, and he sometimes doesn't say what is on his mind right away. Likes to postpone and think about it.) Now I know better and don't like to call in for bids until I'm sure that the DH is in the same place I am about getting the work done.
Take care--
jm
Paul, thanks for this thread. Your rolly-coaster ride is a reminder that the sales process is dynamic. It doesn't always conform to our wishes..although our sales techniques can certainly steer it...
Your lesson is one to remember. I especially like that you sucked it up and decided to make that call on Monday. That demonstrates persistance and persistance is a key strength for all sales professionals. I've made those same calls myself, and sometimes I get the positive results, other times I get the bad news.
I'm curious, do you have a "normal" sales routine?
blueJust because you can, doesn't mean you should!
Warning! Be cautious when taking any framing advice from me. Although I have a lifetime of framing experience, all of it is considered bottom of the barrel by Gabe. According to him I am not to be counted amongst the worst of the worst. If you want real framing information...don't listen to me..just ask Gabe!
You know blue... I've been in sales and marketing in some form all my adult life. It's actually one of the things I think I'm best at (and in all humility have won a number of awards). What I'm feeling my way through is how to adapt what I've learned to this new career... Looks like I got my first tutorial ;)
Paul....congrats to you for those awards. Please tell me more about the awards. I promise not to accuse you of bragging. I am very interested in sales and marketing and I want to know more about your sales experience and why you won the awards.
Also, how is this sales process different from what you are used to?
And...why in the world are you switching careers?
blueJust because you can, doesn't mean you should!
Warning! Be cautious when taking any framing advice from me. Although I have a lifetime of framing experience, all of it is considered bottom of the barrel by Gabe. According to him I am not to be counted amongst the worst of the worst. If you want real framing information...don't listen to me..just ask Gabe!
OK Blue, remember you asked for it. I'm currently in the commercial photography business, an industry that is essentially imploding. I should have gotten out years ago but I've been in it since high school really, and I've owned this firm for over 20 years so... now I'm leaving too late and wiped out (virtually). A day late and a dollar short ;)
As far as my marketing/sales background, when I worked for someone else I was the number two salesman in the country for Polaroid's professional products line, and the number one salesman in the country for a line of very high end studio equipment called Sinar/Bron. I've consulted on marketing, advertising etc for a number of companies in and outside the industry. When I bought this company it had been bankrupt three times, and within a couple of years, with virtually no changes to anything other than marketing we were voted best in our area 8 years in a row. I was on the cover of a national trade magazine about 3 years ago in a story called "Atlantic Filmworks: The Last Man Standing" or something like that (ironic eh?) OK... enough self back patting?
As far as the differences go, first of all I see contracting as much more intimate. I'm on someone else's turf (their home), often delicately trying to discuss what's wrong with it. It's a very subjective decision often (my first real good sized job came because the client liked my "vision" better than the others they spoke to), whereas I'm used to dealing with very technical issues. It's what has been called a "high touch" industry, while I'm more used to "high tech". As has been discussed here a bazillion times, it can be very hard to quantify why another bid isn't comparable, so I'm hoping that my marketing background will save my butt there but I realize many clients won't be receptive to hearing about that.
OK... off the podium for now.
Thanks for sharing your awards/experiences Paul. I'm sure all your expertise will eventually transfer to the contracting business. I don't doubt that you will have the same success in your new endeavors.
One of the problems you will have to overcome is the wearing of many hats. When you sell the high tech photo products, you have an entire support staff to do your bidding and execute your contracts. Now, in the contracting business, when you sell a job...it's just the beginning!
If I was you, I'd be looking for a skilled partner/subcontractor/employee to be the lead and I would attempt to maximize my selling skills. I'm weak at sales skills and would love to have someone with your skills peddling me!
blueJust because you can, doesn't mean you should!
Warning! Be cautious when taking any framing advice from me. Although I have a lifetime of framing experience, all of it is considered bottom of the barrel by Gabe. According to him I am not to be counted amongst the worst of the worst. If you want real framing information...don't listen to me..just ask Gabe!
Thanks for the encouragement Blue... sounds like you should move to Connecticut.
But...that would mean we'd have to hire a framer, right? ;) ;) ;)
Sorry Paul...when i make the move..it's going to be in a warm climate!
No mo' sno' fo' me!
blueJust because you can, doesn't mean you should!
Warning! Be cautious when taking any framing advice from me. Although I have a lifetime of framing experience, all of it is considered bottom of the barrel by Gabe. According to him I am not to be counted amongst the worst of the worst. If you want real framing information...don't listen to me..just ask Gabe!
Another thing to keep in mind is that even late in the game you arent going to get all the jobs you bid, not even close.
I didnt know how far off I was this past year, and my rate isnt that high, but when I looked at my numbers, I was only getting 50% of my bids. I heard from one major company that they like to loose 20%, and I have heard up to 66%, so its a crap shoot.
If you can nail down enough possibles, when you loose one or two it doesnt hurt... and you dont dwell on it, so find a bigger clientele to pitch. It really works.
-zen
edit: by the way everything went right, welcome to the game.
Edited 1/6/2005 5:20 pm ET by zendo
I hate tip toeing around trying to figure out what people are
thinking(or not thinking).......
It sucks working on a project when both clients are not on board....
the one who is not on board can bring the other down,does not
seem to happen the other way around very often.....
If it was me at your meeting I would ask as diplomatically as I could for
all the cards on the table......
Would be prepared to walk if it did not sound good.....
Could be as simple as he has left the job in her hands or
he could be really pi$$ed ......but I would want to know.....
best of luck...... regards
I'm weak in sales skills. I'm a thorough bidder, but seldom low bidder. I don't know how many times I lost for being high bidder, then had the customer approach me later and say they wish they had went with me, by the time the job was done to their satisfaction it ended up costing what I had bid or more, at a lower quality than they knew they would have gotten with me. Which was a nice sentiment, worth 2 percent of nothing when it comes to putting food on the table.I don't bid any more, and I limit free consultation work. I charge a straight hourly fee, and so far it is working out much better. No more unpaid legwork and time putting bids and proposals together.
I think we have all been through this type of ringer before. If not you will. The advice that you need to learn to take your feelings out of it is true but difficult. One lesson I learned early on that applies to this situation is that with no deposit you are not on my schedule and anyone who give me one is. I keep booking work no matter how good, how sure, how profitable the job is or seems.
I have a couple right now that wanted their bath remodeled and hinted that being done before Feb. would be nice. I got my figures together and thought we could make them the last job of the month. I asked to meet and they said they couldn't possibly see me for a week. I said no problem we will meet when you can and scheduled it. In the mean time I have booked three more weeks worth of work and they are now stuck with the option of second or third week in Feb. And that attitude came from just the senario you went through. DanT
DanT, you are very smart for "taking the bird in hand, while chasing the two birds in the bush"!
Your potential clients are too busy to see you..and they probably cant see anyone else either. When they finally sit down with any quality contractor, they probably won't get anyone to finish it by february. Thats the price that "busy" people pay. They are used to having their schedules not met.
blueJust because you can, doesn't mean you should!
Warning! Be cautious when taking any framing advice from me. Although I have a lifetime of framing experience, all of it is considered bottom of the barrel by Gabe. According to him I am not to be counted amongst the worst of the worst. If you want real framing information...don't listen to me..just ask Gabe!
OK, first of all I can't thank everyone that took part in this thread enough. It's what makes this forum the best of it's type, all BS aside. So, (drum roll please...) here's the conclusion of the story.
Just got back from the client, they couldn't have been nicer. I still have no clue what was going on but it sure seems to have settled down. They signed the contract, gave me 1/3 down on a job that oughta keep me busy for a good two months, and alluded to wanting to talk about remodeling a bath and the kitchen down the road.
PaulB
Excellent Paul...congrats!
Please keep posting about your sales techniques in any threads that warrant your input. Im curioius about the sales trainings you recieved...books/seminars etc.
blueJust because you can, doesn't mean you should!
Warning! Be cautious when taking any framing advice from me. Although I have a lifetime of framing experience, all of it is considered bottom of the barrel by Gabe. According to him I am not to be counted amongst the worst of the worst. If you want real framing information...don't listen to me..just ask Gabe!
Huck, join the crowd!
It's not uncommon for skilled tradespeople to be weak in sales. It's the number one reason why our "business" is so lousy.
I think Paul can speak with more authority about this subject, but here's what I might suggest for you. I would ask the clients that went with another company to document that decision in writing and explain how/why they wish they had chosen you. Then, use those letters in your presentation.
Working hourly is fine, but it's not something that would work for me.
blueJust because you can, doesn't mean you should!
Warning! Be cautious when taking any framing advice from me. Although I have a lifetime of framing experience, all of it is considered bottom of the barrel by Gabe. According to him I am not to be counted amongst the worst of the worst. If you want real framing information...don't listen to me..just ask Gabe!
My thoughts on "It's the number one reason why our "business" is so lousy."
I don't think the business is so Lousy.
I think a big #1 reason is all about $ and how much dollar load you bring into the game. It's not the building industrys job to bail out failed high tech debt.
Like all new companies if your overloaded with debt at the start, the end is a given.
And the best sales in the world won't overcome the execution end of the business.
And at some point there is physical reality as to how much can be charged.
And it is still called Work, after that it may be called banking but that's another line of work.
I'm really thinking the name of the game is juggling.
Congrats on getting the job! I wish you success and thank you for sharing this experience with us.
Your professional demeanor obviously came thru even though you were disappointed privately about how things were going with these clients.
"I was glad that when everything finally hit the fan I was holed up in a little beer joint in Robstown, Texas called the El Gato Negro."
Paul,
What I'm feeling my way through is how to adapt what I've learned to this new career
I think your sales skills will transfer nicely. One of the salesmen at the cabinet shop I do some installs for, didn't have a construction background. He did however have a year and a half at IBM in sales. He can sell circles around the other sales people who are trained as designers. Observing him was a great way to learn.
A book I recently read might interest you, for transfering your sales skills. "How to Become a Millionaire Selling Remodeling". By Phil Rea. I hate the title, and I found his methods to be a little aggressive, but it might be worth a read for you.
Also, Buck and JMO have good points. You don't have 100% by-in from the husband. Somewhere there is a "pain" for him. You don't need to ask directly, but keep your antena tuned, and try to pick up on it. Could be he is feeling left out of the process, because the wife is pushing hard. Could be that he fears anything going wrong that will turn into a confrontation with you. Maybe he thinks the wife is spending too much for this.
If you can pick up on it, and address his "pain", I think your project will go smoother.
Bowz
Bowz...that sounds like a good book.
What didn't you like about the guy's tactix?
blueJust because you can, doesn't mean you should!
Warning! Be cautious when taking any framing advice from me. Although I have a lifetime of framing experience, all of it is considered bottom of the barrel by Gabe. According to him I am not to be counted amongst the worst of the worst. If you want real framing information...don't listen to me..just ask Gabe!
Blue,
I am generally pretty laid back. So some of what I view as aggressive tactics, might be seen as normal to someone else. Basically I would not feel comfortable with some of what he does.
For instance: (Quoting from the book here)
The "What Do I Have To Do Close": I use this one as much as any other. "Mr and Mrs Prospect, we share something in common. I have siding, and you need siding. Tell me what I need to do for us to get together." If they say "nothing", I say, "Now I can't do it for nothing, but that is a start. Short of nothing, what can I do?" Stay on it until you find out what the prospect wants......
The "Getting Other Estimates" Close: When the prospect says, "We need to get other estimates." You say, "How many estimates did you want? That's fine. I can provide you with at least that many." Not exactly the answer they were looking for..........
(end of quote)
To me, he seems too high pressure.
I thought it might be good for Paul to read about some actual situations, and then figure out how to adapt his sales skills to them. Then when he has it figured out, he can let us all know!
Blue, don't get me wrong, I don't sell day in and day out. I am a one man band, but having a few of these techniques has helped in the past just to get jobs, to control customers expectations, and in the last year or two, has helped to raise my prices.
Phil's book is available at http://www.builderbooks.com and click on Sales and Marketing. Then go to the third page. There are a lot of other books there that you might be interested in also.
Bowz
I feel for you. The ones I absolutely hate are the husbands / wives that don't communicate with one another ! One of them will call with a question or a change or some such, I'll patiently walk them through the whole deal, in detail. Then the other one will call with the same dang question ! !
Greg
Paul,
This happens to most of us at some point.
I had a customer that wanted to trim out their large Mc-mansion. We met a few times, decided on trim profiles and species. Alot of custom run stuff. Since they were freinds of mine, I didn't bother with a formal contract or deposit.
As the start time was approaching, I call to let them know an exact date. Also to get the final approval to order the materials. I had the milling lead time, and stain and finishing time set up to meet the start date. The HO replied that they had decided to wait, since the money had been otherwise spent (toys).
So there I was with a 5 to 6 week hole in my schedule, coming in march. I was lucky enough to find a job to cover the void, but I was scared for awhile.
Life goes on, there is almost always another job, if you look hard enough. Glad to see that this may work out for you.
I try to keep a few small jobs lined up to fill these times now. By the way, the trim job is in progress now, two years later! Never say die !
Brudoggie
PaulB
Don't confuse wealth with cash flow, especially after Christmas. I have a freind who could buy and sell me many times over who doesn't have a cell phone because of cost. Go figure.
One of the most important aspects of selling yourself is finding out where you are in the decision making process so you can answer the objection. i.e. is it cost?, timing? quality? competition? specifications? What is it that Charlie said he would do that leads you to think he can do a better job than I can? Did he put it in writing? Can we compare so that I can see where the differences are? Etc.
Cheers
Mac
Only the lead dogs view changes
I'm sorry Dude, but I'm afraid you've gotta get the worst news from us here,{what every one fears from their viewing of documentaries about unscrupulous repairmen and contractors is striking you}You need a millionaire-supporter who will tell your clients how good you are (nothing can cross "caste" borders)...
Scribe once, cut once!
Actually, I'm very content with my current situation. I have enough work to stay busy, and most of my work time now is productive, billable time, which is good for my bottom line. And savvy customers know they are getting a deal by paying me hourly: no fees, no markups. My jobs now tend to be smaller projects, but thats fine with me. The risks, liability, and headaches involved with larger high-dollar projects were robbing me of my joy. I quit the business for a few years, but now I'm back, with a new game plan that seems to work well for me.
I remember one large custom home I bid back when - the lowball bidder got the job, and when he ordered his lumber it cost him more than his entire bid! The owner complained to me, but coughed up the extra dough to get his house finished, and ended up paying what I bid in the first place. The low-bid contractor, meanwhile, ended up in rehab after snorting his income up his nose. What a world.
That last paragraph is a perfect summation of this whole BID universe we work in, from both sides. It should be a classic reprint!
I keep it cost plus and SELL my value and worth.
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
Glad things worked out. DanT
Thanks Dan...much appreciated.