"...But we don't want to spend a lot..."

[Gino]

Robert, there comes a point in most peoples' lives in which enough red flags go up, so you know what to do without asking unnecessary questions. When one is faced with several options, then it's time to have a pow-wow, but not if the guy comes to you and right off the bat, and tells you something stupid like that. Going dr phil on him will just make you as batty as he is.

I just heard this the other day, if God gave you only so many words to use in your life..... are you gonna waste them on stupid questions or make them all count ??

What do I care about some cheap-skate that wanders in the front door. I'd have about 2 minutes to give him and that about a minute too long, when I already know the outcome.​

 

[Troy Lesher]

Good things are seldom cheap, and Cheap things are seldom good.

Andy -IMO asking for someones budget is just showing proper respect for the project. Sales is a very noble profession and a good salesperson knows that budgets pretty much drive the bus. If a persons expectations or wants exceed the allotted budget, its an opportunity to come up with alternate solutions or change the expectations with clear and honest information. Makes for much better and longer term relationships. And it does happen that you might have to refer them to a competitor, thats OK in some instances.

 

[Robert Armerding]

Robert, there comes a point in most peoples' lives in which enough red flags go up, so you know what to do without asking unnecessary questions. When one is faced with several options, then it's time to have a pow-wow, but not if the guy comes to you and right off the bat, and tells you something stupid like that. Going dr phil on him will just make you as batty as he is.

I just heard this the other day, if God gave you only so many words to use in your life..... are you gonna waste them on stupid questions or make them all count ??

What do I care about some cheap-skate that wanders in the front door. I'd have about 2 minutes to give him and that about a minute too long, when I already know the outcome.​

Gino If you already see enough red flags, then a simple "No" is all that is needed. On the other side, if the person talking to you seems they might be a good client, then simply letting them know you want to listen to them will be a surprise the likes of which they have not seen in a long time.

 

[Gino]

Gino If you already see enough red flags, then a simple "No" is all that is needed. On the other side, if the person talking to you seems they might be a good client, then simply letting them know you want to listen to them will be a surprise the likes of which they have not seen in a long time.

Wait a minute, Robert..... you're re-inventing the storyline and adding your own baggage to begin a new story. Like I said the other day, the facts are the facts and the baggage you bring to the table doesn't enter into the scenario.

"...But we don't want to spend a lot..." this is the title of this thread and what has taken place and where the conversation has escalated to. Before that, we can only guess, but from here on out..... is what matters. Evidently, by listening, you should know, things are not gonna go well for you or your business, so do you waste time making conversation ?? Or cut your losses and make the customer decide if he's gonna cough up the money or just leave ??​

If I am going to be the one to enlighten someone and give them an audience, they need to be showing me more than lip service and a bad attitude.

I'll give you, there are times when you need to engage in conversation(s) and pull things outta of a potential customer, but this hardly seems like the one. They need to be showing signs of listening also, and hear what you're saying. Not demanding how you run your business, especially in the billing department.

 

[Notarealsignguy]

Problem is that after doing something for so long, 99% of the time people all fit into some sort of category that you have dealt with in the past. There is no reason to run out the singles every single day in order to capture that 1% you may have been wrong about.
Cheap usually doesn't mean that I want wholesale prices. It usually means dont waste my time trying to sell me a Porsche when I came to buy a Kia and I wont waste your time joyriding and running numbers on porsche's to turn around and buy a Kia. It doesn't mean I want to buy a Kia for 50% off. That's not to say those people aren't out there but it seems that's what the conversation is more referring to.
A good lesson that I have learned is that you can not adjust your quality so don't even try in order to hit a customers price or expectations. The real picky ones, even when they will pay you whatever it takes, are money losers just the same as the guy that wants chit for nothing. Know where you are at and stay there.

 

[James Burke]

"...spend a lot..." could mean a hundred different things. Let me suggest a very simple question.
"Interesting. What more would you like me to know?"
And then see where the conversation goes. Just the fact the you want to listen to them will be a rare treat.

I took BASIC a computer programming back in high school, and I learned about IF>THEN statements.

Applied to this problem, it looks like this:

>IF price is the customer's FIRST, ONLY and ALMIGHTY issue...

>THEN I try my hardest to scoot them out the door or get them off the phone....quickly.

It's bad enough to potentially lose money on a job, let alone waste time trying to come up with a solution for their price point.


JB

 

[Robert Armerding]

On the far side, I know of sign makers who have clients who do not want to even discuss the price. The client sometimes will say, "Send me the bill." More often the client will not say anything of the kind.

Wait a minute, Robert..... you're re-inventing the storyline and adding your own baggage to begin a new story. Like I said the other day, the facts are the facts and the baggage you bring to the table doesn't enter into the scenario.

"...But we don't want to spend a lot..." this is the title of this thread and what has taken place and where the conversation has escalated to. Before that, we can only guess, but from here on out..... is what matters. Evidently, by listening, you should know, things are not gonna go well for you or your business, so do you waste time making conversation ?? Or cut your losses and make the customer decide if he's gonna cough up the money or just leave ??​

If I am going to be the one to enlighten someone and give them an audience, they need to be showing me more than lip service and a bad attitude.

I'll give you, there are times when you need to engage in conversation(s) and pull things outta of a potential customer, but this hardly seems like the one. They need to be showing signs of listening also, and hear what you're saying. Not demanding how you run your business, especially in the billing department.

Gino If we stick to the story line, what if they meant, "We don't want to spend a million dollars, maybe something more like $950,000."

 

[kheebl]

How about the customers that say if you give me a good deal I'll send all my friends your way lmfao.

 

[Notarealsignguy]

On the far side, I know of sign makers who have clients who do not want to even discuss the price. The client sometimes will say, "Send me the bill." More often the client will not say anything of the kind.

Gino If we stick to the story line, what if they meant, "We don't want to spend a million dollars, maybe something more like $950,000."

But that doesn't happen. Usually cheap customers are always cheap. You are missing what everyone else here already knows. These cheap people, will waste an endless amount of your time. They do not value their own time which wastes yours and plays into them expecting everything to be cheap. No need to reinvent the wheel. The older guys on this board are giving people sound advice because many of them found this stuff out the hard way. I know that I did.

 

[James Burke]

My dad owned an auto body shop and had a pastor inquire about what kind of "Christian discount" was available. Talk about a grievous way to be salt and light...

JB

 

[Gino]

My dad owned an auto body shop and had a pastor inquire about what kind of "Christian discount" was available. Talk about a grievous way to be salt and light...

JB

Haha...... I've actually had that one, too. I always say to that and others that bring that stuff up..... I'm a Christian, I'm just not a good one. So, I'd say to this guy, not a good discount, padre.

 

[Robert Armerding]

But that doesn't happen. Usually cheap customers are always cheap. You are missing what everyone else here already knows. These cheap people, will waste an endless amount of your time. They do not value their own time which wastes yours and plays into them expecting everything to be cheap. No need to reinvent the wheel. The older guys on this board are giving people sound advice because many of them found this stuff out the hard way. I know that I did.

Notarealsignguy My response to cheap people is very simple, "No."

 

[Robert Armerding]

Here is another response that I have heard from many others.
"If you have to ask the price, you are not our type of client."

 

[De.signs Nanaimo]

This reminds me of an old boss I had whenI was working in a sign shop in a mountain tourist town 20 years ago. The town had specific sign instructions for all businesses, no lit signs and the design had to conform to the overall style of the town. The way this town works is only one business is allowed for each type of manufacturing industry due to space issues. So one painter, one contractor, one sign shop ,so a bit of a monopoly.

My boss had designed a sign according to his usual style, carved cedar, hand painted with One Shot and gilded with 24kt gold, he made beautiful signs. He had quoted a sign for a hotel in the $5000 range and the customer asked: "What would the sign be without the 24kt gold on the letters"? My boss firmly answered back: "Not available".

 

[Gino]

So, how do you know they're cheap, if you do not have a dialog about their being cheap-minded ?? Don't you need to listen to them first, by asking a dozen or so questions ?? If they hafta ask price, does that alone make them cheap ?? What defines cheap ?? Does the sign makers inexperience relate to the customer being cheap, if he cannot provide good examples ?? Who's problem is it, if the customer wants to be cheap and the sign maker doesn't know the various tools of the trade ?? What is this customer doing in a sign shop, if the sign shop owner is a dolt ?? Are either of these two parties a democrat ??

 

[Johnny Best]

Now I know what to call my discount because when they see the bill they say "Jesus Christ"! That's about as Christian as you can get.

 

[Notarealsignguy]

Here is another response that I have heard from many others.
"If you have to ask the price, you are not our type of client."

Yeah now theres a great way to gain clients. Be a pompous a-hole. Can we just be normal? That's what people want, normal vendors, normal sales reps and normal customers. None of this weirdness

 

[Johnny Best]

Robert: you start listening to customers so much they think you are their friend. Then they think they get the friend's discount.
You worked for a sign supply place for a long time and you got paid to listen. When you run your own business, "time is money".

 

[Robert Armerding]

Robert: you start listening to customers so much they think you are their friend. Then they think they get the friend's discount.
You worked for a sign supply place for a long time and you got paid to listen. When you run your own business, "time is money".

Johnny Best Some do want a "friend's discount."

And then you bring up, "time is money." Please put up with me, but great listening skills save you a lot of time.

I have talked with sign makers who have life-time clients. Some have told me that often those "business friends" just say, "Send me the bill."

 

[Baz]

It's easy talk online and we can assume the customer in question is a waste of time.

But often enough - It can be a customer who, like Notarealsignuy said. Wants to buy a Kia and not a Porsche.

"I don't want to spend much" gets answered with: That's ok, the price for what you want starts at this much and can go up to this much.

Don't forget to get a deposit!