Why I hate Lowballers

[Locals Find!]

People have wondered why I feel so strongly about low ballers and questioned my comments about my anger towards them. Well, here is why. I been waiting for this company to go out of business for going on 8 years.

They went out under one Name and started over with another name.

I blocked out parts to not give them unnecessary exposure. I am sure you can figure it out on your own without posting it openly.

 

[Gino]

Out of curiosity.... how many years have you personally been in business under your present name ??

 

[HulkSmash]

People have wondered why I feel so strongly about low ballers and questioned my comments about my anger towards them. Well, here is why. I been waiting for this company to go out of business for going on 8 years.

They went out under one Name and started over with another name.

I blocked out parts to not give them unnecessary exposure. I am sure you can figure it out on your own without posting it openly.

Addy, I thought we've established you're a lowballer, by pointing out things on your site you're advertising. And those prices... aren't even that low.......good job blocking out the name... I have NO CLUE what that company is.

 

[CanuckSigns]

How can they sell a ACM panel AND a PVC frame for $10 less than a set of vehicle mags?

Give someone enough rope...

 

[Techman]

Hey that just about matches the pricing on one of my fliers from about 9 years ago.
If you see this flier and know what the plan is one will know what is actually going on.
There is an enlightened process.

The deal is...Get the phone call and upsell. UPSELL is the key.

The enlightened process is...

Phone call,,, that leads to an.
appointment,,, which leads to the,,,
profile,,,, the clients needs so you can fill those needs..so you can
praise,,,, your ability to find and meet his needs which allows you to successfully
prompt,,,, for the higher average sale ticket..

Selling decals at an average of $25 bux each is fine. But take that same sale contact and increase the average ticket price to $100 gets you the way to double your income with the same amount of work.

Using this method... I just made a sale where the client complained about the price of the cheap deal he wanted. But then happily agreed to pay 7 times his original mindset....

Let see here.. 84 bux lead in,,, follow the plan,, led to a 560. bux sale... yes that's about right.. 7 times his original idea...

All of this leads to a total customer value of about 900-1200 bux a year..
That is the way to work it. Get an average client. Meet his needs, sell him more products over the year and increase his customer value to about a grand a year.
200 clients like that means 200 grand a year.

Then fill in the spare time with the whale accounts and make a whole lot of cash.

 

[AnotherSignManiac]

those price are incredibly low for my area, I really hate when people lowball like this but luckily the type of clients we service come to use because they know they are getting quality and amazing service!

 

[AnotherSignManiac]

Hey that just about matches the pricing on one of my fliers from about 9 years ago.
If you see this flier and know what the plan is one will know what is actually going on.
There is an enlightened process.

The deal is...Get the phone call and upsell. UPSELL is the key.

The enlightened process is...

Phone call,,, that leads to an.
appointment,,, which leads to the,,,
profile,,,, the clients needs so you can fill those needs..so you can
praise,,,, your ability to find and meet his needs which allows you to successfully
prompt,,,, for the higher average sale ticket..

Selling decals at an average of $25 bux each is fine. But take that same sale contact and increase the average ticket price to $100 gets you the way to double your income with the same amount of work.

Using this method... I just made a sale where the client complained about the price of the cheap deal he wanted. But then happily agreed to pay 7 times his original mindset....

Let see here.. 84 bux lead in,,, follow the plan,, led to a 560. bux sale... yes that's about right.. 7 times his original idea...

All of this leads to a total customer value of about 900-1200 bux a year..
That is the way to work it. Get an average client. Meet his needs, sell him more products over the year and increase his customer value to about a grand a year.
200 clients like that means 200 grand a year.

Then fill in the spare time with the whale accounts and make a whole lot of cash.

sooo your saying sell yourself on the cheap end to get a cheap customer to start with? Ya I think I'll stick with showing my customer the REAL price right from the get go, if they don't like it they aren't worth my time.

 

[Circleville Signs]

Hey that just about matches the pricing on one of my fliers from about 9 years ago.
If you see this flier and know what the plan is one will know what is actually going on.
There is an enlightened process.

The deal is...Get the phone call and upsell. UPSELL is the key.

The enlightened process is...

Phone call,,, that leads to an.
appointment,,, which leads to the,,,
profile,,,, the clients needs so you can fill those needs..so you can
praise,,,, your ability to find and meet his needs which allows you to successfully
prompt,,,, for the higher average sale ticket..

Selling decals at an average of $25 bux each is fine. But take that same sale contact and increase the average ticket price to $100 gets you the way to double your income with the same amount of work.

Using this method... I just made a sale where the client complained about the price of the cheap deal he wanted. But then happily agreed to pay 7 times his original mindset....

Let see here.. 84 bux lead in,,, follow the plan,, led to a 560. bux sale... yes that's about right.. 7 times his original idea...

All of this leads to a total customer value of about 900-1200 bux a year..
That is the way to work it. Get an average client. Meet his needs, sell him more products over the year and increase his customer value to about a grand a year.
200 clients like that means 200 grand a year.

Then fill in the spare time with the whale accounts and make a whole lot of cash.

Seriously - these types of posts are what make this place worth constantly checking in. GREAT stuff.

He isn't saying "go get cheap customers". He's saying "get a customer, and make them into the kind of customer you want them to be".

 

[Techman]

sooo your saying sell yourself on the cheap end to get a cheap customer to start with? Ya I think I'll stick with showing my customer the REAL price right from the get go, if they don't like it they aren't worth my time.

Are you grossing over 50 grand a year?

No,
You just do not get it at all. Sorry for that..

This kind of thinking is what is holding back the progress of a business person. Look beyond the wrapper and into the soul of the plan. If you see the light then you will know there is a way to make bigger bux. If one cannot see the light then its time to get some specific training in marketing a product.

Lets try this one.
I sell honey from my hives. I sell it 100% higher than any one else in my area for a certain size. Some other sellers think they have to sell low and wonder how I get 100% more...I sold out last year,, AND,, already sold out in advance for this year..

What does that say for the marketing plan? Does it say I CHEAP myself I have CHEAP customers?

 

[Pat Whatley]

Hell, I'm tempted to order from them. I can't buy a PVC frame with a blank dibond panel in it for $49.

 

[AnotherSignManiac]

Are you grossing over 50 grand a year?

No,
You just do not get it at all. Sorry for that..

This kind of thinking is what is holding back the progress of a business person. Look beyond the wrapper and into the soul of the plan. If you see the light then you will know there is a way to make bigger bux. If one cannot see the light then its time to get some specific training in marketing a product.

Lets try this one.
I sell honey from my hives. I sell it 100% higher than any one else in my area for a certain size. Some other sellers think they have to sell low and wonder how I get 100% more...I sold out last year,, AND,, already sold out in advance for this year..

What does that say for the marketing plan? Does it say I CHEAP myself I have CHEAP customers?

Well I am glad that you have educated me about how much we "gross" here a year. When you do not even know the name of the shop I work for.... maybe I don't get what your saying, but personally it seems your like a dog chasing his tail, running in circles. I can understand the fact that you use the cheaper prices to get your foot in the door, per say and then hope to mold them into the more profitable customer. BUT here is where we differ we go after the more profitable customer to begin with, that see spending money to get a good quality product is better than cheaping out and having to replace within the year.

 

[CanuckSigns]

Are you grossing over 50 grand a year?

No,
You just do not get it at all. Sorry for that..

This kind of thinking is what is holding back the progress of a business person. Look beyond the wrapper and into the soul of the plan. If you see the light then you will know there is a way to make bigger bux. If one cannot see the light then its time to get some specific training in marketing a product.

Lets try this one.
I sell honey from my hives. I sell it 100% higher than any one else in my area for a certain size. Some other sellers think they have to sell low and wonder how I get 100% more...I sold out last year,, AND,, already sold out in advance for this year..

What does that say for the marketing plan? Does it say I CHEAP myself I have CHEAP customers?

I think what he's trying to say is that if you advertise to the "bottom of the barrel" crowd, who are looking for a cheap sign, chances are, you are going to have a very difficult time upselling them on something more expensive. Sure you will have some success, but most people who shop on price alone (the kind of ppl this flyer would appeal to) are not easily swayed from their price driven ways.

 

[Techman]

mess

 

[Techman]

I think what he's trying to say is that if you advertise to the "bottom of the barrel" crowd

I am sure he has never ever perused a product because of a low advertised price.. Ya, right,,,

Humans have the same mindset in every corner of the planet. We all want to pay the lowest price for everything. But we pay higher prices for items that have a value to us.

We just updated our kitchen appliances. We spent over 5 grand on nice stuff. But we looked at advertisements that had lower prices on lesser grade products. Proceeded to the store and paid many times what was in the ads.

Think long term. Think large price tags. No more thinking short term. No more thoughts about a client being there just once spending 25 bux.

 

[Locals Find!]

Addy, I thought we've established you're a lowballer, by pointing out things on your site you're advertising. And those prices... aren't even that low.......good job blocking out the name... I have NO CLUE what that company is.

My site is a mess yes! I don't lowball those prices are for the very few people who actually go to my website. Which based on the numbers of signs I have sold at those prices (2 exactly in 6 months). I am not worried about being considered a lowballer.

I have sold hundreds of signs for much higher prices than what is on my website. People don't bother looking at my site. So, I haven't concerned myself with it much. I use that to gauge exactly how badly my site is working. If I started getting lots of calls for them I might take the time to fix it. As of right now my site is the least of my concerns.

My reason for posting this is to show you a glimpse of what I have to live with here. I mean lowball one or two products make the phone ring like techman suggested. Lowball your entire line of products?? No, thank you!

 

[Locals Find!]

Out of curiosity.... how many years have you personally been in business under your present name ??

Going on my 3rd year as Adtechia. I been dealing with these guys since I worked at other shops. They been around a while they bugged me from the get go as they came into my buddies shop. Telling him he was opening up a shop 100 miles away and was looking for advice. My buddy and later to be boss led him through the whole shop suggested equipment, techniques, suppliers, products just about everything. Then the guy opened up 10 miles away.

I have been losing way to many clients to these guys. They have cost me over $15,000 in business lost in the last 2 years. That isn't much to a shop like yours Gino, but to me that is a big chunk of change.

Edit: Everytime they do this I get clients thinking I ripped them off. They get pissed off thinking I am overcharging them. They don't care to understand the differences in quality. They just see the price and figure I am the A-hole who overcharged them.

 

[tsgstl]

I use that to gauge exactly how badly my site is working.

maybe they did that to show how badly it is working for them?

 

[Techman]

My reason for posting this is to show you a glimpse of what I have to live with here.

I posted to show you what he is doing. If you think his only ideas was to sell cheap then you lost it all. Actually you never had it..

In any reasonable bizz plan its not low balling at all. The plan is to make the phone ring to make a conversation to build a rapport. Nothing else. Phone call leads to an appointment. That leads to the sale.. The first part of the plan (low advertised price) has nothing to do with selling any thing..

Apparently it is working well for him. You lost 15 grand of work to him.. See, I rest my case. Watch as I put the trophy on the shelf.

 

[AnotherSignManiac]

I am sure he has never ever perused a product because of a low advertised price.. Ya, right,,,

Humans have the same mindset in every corner of the planet. We all want to pay the lowest price for everything. But we pay higher prices for items that have a value to us.

We just updated our kitchen appliances. We spent over 5 grand on nice stuff. But we looked at advertisements that had lower prices on lesser grade products. Proceeded to the store and paid many times what was in the ads.

Think long term. Think large price tags. No more thinking short term. No more thoughts about a client being there just once spending 25 bux.

OHH okay I see what your saying. Makes sense and I guess I have done the same in the past, gone in for the lower price/product walked out with the higher end price/product because I got to then see and compare and see that it was worth spending the extra money

 

[TwoNine]

Oh my........

I had no idea that you had to compete with lowballers. It must be really hard to do business in Florida.....