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Why I hate Lowballers
- Thread starter Locals Find!
- Start date
Locals Find!
New Member
Gino, I never said my product was better. Hell, if you make something better than me and I lose a sale on quality. I know why I lost the sale. You were better than me. I lost because I didn't have the skills.
Now, as for your discount store question. I guess I view my shopping at the discount store differently as it has the exact same products shipped from the same warehouses from areas outside of my community. Whether I pay $12 or $4 for that bag of dog food or the kids shampoo. $0.75 of that dollar leaves my community and doesn't come back.
So, when I cut corners at the dollar store I spend that savings locally. I go to a local restaurant to eat, or shop at a local store. I spend it in the community. That is how I justify my shopping at the discount store.
Now, maybe I am wrong maybe they are right on their pricing. I just know I look in the signcraft 2011 price guide and the lowest point I see for an aluminum sign is suggested at $80 for a double sided sign. Now, I know that is not the bible on pricing. I know you have to adjust for market conditions, etc..etc.. I just can't help but think if I can get $50 for a full color 2 side 4 mil coroplast & frame why the hell can't they get more for a better product. I look like I ripped someone off for selling them a good product at a fair price because, the guy down the road is giving better product away for less money.
How, can I compete with that? Please honestly tell me, I am totally confused. I am seriously to the point I feel like what is the friggin point of trying to be in business. At those prices I could be picaso and it wouldn't make a bit of difference.
Now, as for your discount store question. I guess I view my shopping at the discount store differently as it has the exact same products shipped from the same warehouses from areas outside of my community. Whether I pay $12 or $4 for that bag of dog food or the kids shampoo. $0.75 of that dollar leaves my community and doesn't come back.
So, when I cut corners at the dollar store I spend that savings locally. I go to a local restaurant to eat, or shop at a local store. I spend it in the community. That is how I justify my shopping at the discount store.
Now, maybe I am wrong maybe they are right on their pricing. I just know I look in the signcraft 2011 price guide and the lowest point I see for an aluminum sign is suggested at $80 for a double sided sign. Now, I know that is not the bible on pricing. I know you have to adjust for market conditions, etc..etc.. I just can't help but think if I can get $50 for a full color 2 side 4 mil coroplast & frame why the hell can't they get more for a better product. I look like I ripped someone off for selling them a good product at a fair price because, the guy down the road is giving better product away for less money.
How, can I compete with that? Please honestly tell me, I am totally confused. I am seriously to the point I feel like what is the friggin point of trying to be in business. At those prices I could be picaso and it wouldn't make a bit of difference.
Circleville Signs
New Member
Addy,
You are focused on a market that is notoriously cheap and doesn't give a rats *** about quality (realtors). If you continue to focus on that market, you will continue to lose, unless you start producing in house and match or beat the competition's prices. You aren't selling anything that someone can't get somewhere else. That's commodity selling. Commodity selling is all about price.
You need to do what Gino said - figure out what YOU can provide tithe market that your compendium doesn't, or can't.
You are focused on a market that is notoriously cheap and doesn't give a rats *** about quality (realtors). If you continue to focus on that market, you will continue to lose, unless you start producing in house and match or beat the competition's prices. You aren't selling anything that someone can't get somewhere else. That's commodity selling. Commodity selling is all about price.
You need to do what Gino said - figure out what YOU can provide tithe market that your compendium doesn't, or can't.
Locals Find!
New Member
I do have something in mind I would like to talk to you about privately and get your feedback on. I am not quite ready to post about it in the open just yet.
Circleville Signs
New Member
Shoot me a PM or an email man 
MakeMyGraphic
New Member
the way I see this... I see it as businesses going "Fishing" Hope you land a big one ;-)
4R Graphics
New Member
Wow alot of goood info in there.
Addy as for your issue I can tell you that outsourcing will almost always make you more than in house.
You really should look at your business and consider a model change.
If you want to outsource then you need to find products and customers that are a niche market and be the best.
Realtors shoot me now there worse than race car people.
there will always be someone cheaper or better thats life you need to figure out what works for you.
Consider this you said you could charge lower prices so why dont you on SOME products this may keep some customers that may spend more in the future or just put a few bucks in your pocket.
STOP measuring yourself against everyone else local or otherwise.
As was stated earlier really look at what you have done what you can do and perhaps restructure your model to pick up some loweball work on easy cheap products and or go only after niche and high paying.
You will go mad if you worry about everyone else. You need to design a model that you can actually implament and then do it and dont worry about who your losing or what not only focus on your model and working it if the model is good you will know if its bad you will know and can adjust as need be.
Addy as for your issue I can tell you that outsourcing will almost always make you more than in house.
You really should look at your business and consider a model change.
If you want to outsource then you need to find products and customers that are a niche market and be the best.
Realtors shoot me now there worse than race car people.
there will always be someone cheaper or better thats life you need to figure out what works for you.
Consider this you said you could charge lower prices so why dont you on SOME products this may keep some customers that may spend more in the future or just put a few bucks in your pocket.
STOP measuring yourself against everyone else local or otherwise.
As was stated earlier really look at what you have done what you can do and perhaps restructure your model to pick up some loweball work on easy cheap products and or go only after niche and high paying.
You will go mad if you worry about everyone else. You need to design a model that you can actually implament and then do it and dont worry about who your losing or what not only focus on your model and working it if the model is good you will know if its bad you will know and can adjust as need be.
Craig Sjoquist
New Member
Wow popped up again
Although I laugh at the ..lowball prices.. compared to here in Orlando that is above average price for all the normal wham bam shops.
So quite alot I'm the bad guy ..till they find out what they bought did not work well
Although I laugh at the ..lowball prices.. compared to here in Orlando that is above average price for all the normal wham bam shops.
So quite alot I'm the bad guy ..till they find out what they bought did not work well
BargainSigns
New Member
Welcome to owning a sign company in Florida. We've been doing it 22 years and I lose out low-ballers all the time. I lost to lettering the local police cars to a guy working out of his garage.
4R Graphics
New Member
I agree Florida is the Mecca of lowballers there everywhere and in every field.
Locals Find!
New Member
Well, guys since you dug it back up. I quit competing with these guys. I managed to find a full time job that pays decent (not great but decent) and now only take on the jobs that are either fun or profitable. I don't worry to much about what others price anymore. I just bid my jobs and if I win them great If not well. my bills are still getting paid either way.
I really like having the option of being able to say no and not cringe inside. Thinking to myself I really could have used that money. Now, its all about how much do I want the money? It's a great feeling.
I really like having the option of being able to say no and not cringe inside. Thinking to myself I really could have used that money. Now, its all about how much do I want the money? It's a great feeling.
ThinkRight
New Member
That is a great attitude.
Kinda reminds me of the saying ...
"If you do what you love , you will never work another day in your life."
How is everything?
People here have missed you.
Brad Knight
New Member
I know I'm new here and late in the conversation, but - I think I know what Techman is getting on about.
I've got a client - someone we go to church with - that I'm basically giving some work away to (designing and cutting a bench) for her hair salon. Well, I might be working for free on that, and it's not too terribly hard, and it's a fun challenging project in itself, BUT - she calls a few days later and wants a surfboard - so, $20 in mdf, 10 minutes at the computer, and a couple days later (my wife actually ran the file, painted and finished this thing when she had time) - we had a $200 surf board sign.
The point is, you can advertise and sell on low/almost no margin products in order to capitalize on higher margin products when customers walk in the door OR after they decide "Hey - these are my guys!!" You can also make just as much, with higher volume and lower margins as you can with lower volume and higher margins.
You know, this is all about capitalism at it's best... we should all look to be the best we can be, and if we're not looking at ways to become more efficient and offer better/more cost effective products to our customers, then someone else will. Some times that means bringing stuff in house, some times that means sending it out.
Some times, that means getting a day job. (That's from someone who is still working a day job in order to fund my shop)
I've got a client - someone we go to church with - that I'm basically giving some work away to (designing and cutting a bench) for her hair salon. Well, I might be working for free on that, and it's not too terribly hard, and it's a fun challenging project in itself, BUT - she calls a few days later and wants a surfboard - so, $20 in mdf, 10 minutes at the computer, and a couple days later (my wife actually ran the file, painted and finished this thing when she had time) - we had a $200 surf board sign.
The point is, you can advertise and sell on low/almost no margin products in order to capitalize on higher margin products when customers walk in the door OR after they decide "Hey - these are my guys!!" You can also make just as much, with higher volume and lower margins as you can with lower volume and higher margins.
You know, this is all about capitalism at it's best... we should all look to be the best we can be, and if we're not looking at ways to become more efficient and offer better/more cost effective products to our customers, then someone else will. Some times that means bringing stuff in house, some times that means sending it out.
Some times, that means getting a day job. (That's from someone who is still working a day job in order to fund my shop)
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JR-Folientechnik
New Member
JR-Folientechnik
New Member
btropical.com
New Member
Why don't you just run a couple of loads of coke from cape coral to some northern state and make up all this lost business . Diversification is the key .