[Shaun_Ashmore]

Not all customers are price shoppers, but they don't know what to ask for apart from the price it is therefore for you to inform them of what you offer or don't offer, they wouldn't call if they weren't looking to (may be) buy, but I would highly recommend a visit to see them.

So you think Dave would get his prices if he didn't?

Shaun

[carpetguy]

When you call a service supplier..................do you honestly not ask what the service will cost, or at least ask for a guide to their charges.

I recently needed the services of a gas fitter and after confirming, they would carry out the work, I asked the obvious and normal / usual question.

" Can you give me an idea of what it will cost ?"

As I never advertise ALL of my work comes via the phone and some ask, what will it cost. Most are repeats and expect the price to have gone up a little, others are referrals and, although referred, don't necessarily have a clue about the cost involved.

My response is always,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,," when can I call to have a look " unless it's clearly a small job, in which case, I give a " about £x and should be no more than £y.

Been caught out a couple of times...................but, I always stick to my word.

Final word................there are people making a damned good living, by charging half, what some of you claim to charge.

[Doug Holloway]

Hi Guys

The only sure way to beat the price shoppers is to quote very low.

Ask yoursellf do you want to work at the bottom of the market?,  I certainly don't,  so just let them go.

Difficult I know if you are short of work but better in the long run.

Different forms of advertising lead to different quality of enquiries, I have found the internet gives me high quality most of the time.

Cheers

Doug

[carpetguy]

Hate to repeat myself, but, and this is only directed at new, or comparatively new startups.

Unless you are a Colin Bright, or Mike Halliday and I mean a very strong personality, who has total belief in your self and your abilities...............you might have to simply WORD HARD for LESS than others otherwise, you may fail through lack of CASH FLOW.

THE LIFEBLOOD OF ANY BUSINESS IS CASH FLOW

If it's not there from day one and you are unuble to pay for Fuel / Advertising / etc, you will never get off the ground.

It's all very well being told to pitch your prices to the top end, but, unless you are very well funded / extremely lucky / or can live on fresh air, YOU HAVE TO BE REALISTIC.

When your HARD WORK has added some cash to your bank, or your stash, then you can become more selective in who you target.

There have been a number of posts over the past year, from people with different strategies, enabling them to target all sectors of the market and building successful businesses.

Working hard while learning the business doesn't always make you a busy fool and you will learn much more quickly, doing 3 -4 jobs per day, than 2 or 3 per week.

I'll guarantee that most of the people on here started with low prices and only raised them when they felt confident and competent in themselves.

I started that way and one of the most successful operators on here simply followed in her fathers footsteps, but through gaining personal confidence and encouragement has raised her game and is enjoying the benefits.

This is aimed at beginners and relatively new starts, anyone whose been around for more than a couple of years should be in the middle price range, nibbling at the higher quality sector, but you have to walk before you run.................otherwise you might suffer a nasty fall.

[Phillip Mold]

I beg to differ

I am in my first year, and convert 81.2% (currently on my log) of all calls to jobs, how does that compare to the industry average !!

How?

I NEVER quote over the phone, I see every job and talk to the client.

If they push for a price I will tell them straight up that I will not be the cheapest and do not want to be, and suggest that if they do want cheaper they will find them in the local paper. 

[brights cleaning]

I don't concider my prices to be high but excellent value for the work that has to be done, there will always be companies who will undercut you but you have to be confident from day one.
its all about the service you provide and that is the key, you also have to explain the job in detail to your custys and why the price is what it is, repeat and referall work this year has gone through the roof, which also tells me that my customers are very pleased with the service i provide
that should go for everyone
it is a real struggle to start with but stick to you guns and soon the work will steadily flow in
DONT CUT YOUR PRICES, because the only one who will suffer is you and your business.

[Susan Dean (1stclean)]

On thing I would like to know is why would you want to convert a price shopper in the first place.  For indeed if its only a little they want to pay why would you want to clean for them?  Only a thought.

Best, Dave.

i was one of the cheapest in the u.k and deffo in my area when i first found this site many months ago and im not new to the game at all ,   if i got a sniff of a price i would under cut them just to get the job weather i made money or not ,

just to get right up my competers noses    and keep my 5 vans out there running around its good to go into a custys house and they say " i see your vans all over the place you must be good everybody gets you  "

how ever now being one of the dearest in my area , i fine im busyer and ive found out off a few new custys that i didnt get there job last time because i was to cheap !!!!  thought i was a cowboy !!!!!!!!! not all prices shoppers go off the cheapest how ever its a little easyer to for me to start lifting the price due the the massive custy base i have

and why moan about price shoppers ??  i do  it myself ? and a bet everybody does in some way

i dont buy all my bits from the dealers for my vans i get them  else where why ? cause of the price 

if your starting out you have to cut yourself in to a market and get your customer  base up ,   ok working cheap isnt good but as long as your makeing min wage at the end of the week and the bills are paid and a few quid put in the bank youll be ok,  but you must try and up the prices say after a year or six months  when repete work starts comeing in and dont wait 20 years like i did 

[carpetguy]

Spot on Susan and it was you I was using as an example.

Philip

If you are converting at that rate, you are in the Same  ( mould ) as the Colin Brights etc, but, that represents about 1 or 2% of the total.

[Mike Halliday]

lets get this back to the original question How can I win over price shoppers?

so the phone rings and they ask " how much to clean my 14ft x 14ft living room?"

first thing I say is "where do you live?" when they say "Main St in  Leven" I say "I'm in Leven tomorrow teatime ( white Lie ) I'll pop and have a look at it, then I give you an exact price"

if they say i only want a price over the phone I ask them questions they will not know the answer to, when they can't answer them I tell them that there's no way any reputable & professional  company could give a price without that information, and I would be misleading them if I gave them a rough price and then found unforeseen problems when I arrived (which meant a higher price)

then ask for a home visit again, but add when you visit their home you can explain the special offers you are giving at the moment.

in the end it would take a book to explain all the ways to combat priceshoppers.

Mike

[carpetguy]

Very well stated Mr Halliday

You have put it very concisely, the way most experienced, not necessarily expensive operators would respond to the situation.....................in other words, coming across as a professional business, without sounding condescending, or patronising to the enquirer and keeping their interest, by tempting them, with a carrot.

[Neil Grainger]

I find that getting Jobs is very much like going for a Job interview. They make their mind up in the first few minutes about you.

Over the phone you just cant get this across to them in the same way, When I got busy I got lazy and started quoting over the phone and just could not convert in the same way.

I always go and quote now and if they wont except me in their home for a quote I just wont go. This normally makes them think about why I want to see them and they change their mind and let me come and quote. If they dont they are not worth having as customers anyway. Quoting in person gives me higher job tickets as well.

[Mike Osbourne]

Totally agree with Neil.

Quoting in person probably accounts for 30% of my profits. Both in terms of conversions and price quoted.

Therefore I'm always eager to go and do quotes.

Something perhaps that is never brought up but will effect our earnings is how you look. If you 'look' trustworthy you are more likely to get the job. If you look like a part time cage fighter with tats up your neck, quote over the phone.




   

[ianharper]

John

http://cleanersnetwork.wordpress.com/2007/02/20/problem-with-cheap-cleaners-in-your-area/

respect

Ian Harper