How to Get Rid Of Web Blinds....

[kipling]

euroweb said:

I have discovered that one of the local competitors who regularly quotes 20-25% less than our list price, has told customers to get our quote first, before he goes in, I found this out when a customer told me that they had been to measure up, but hadnt, and had booked another apointment after I was booked in to see them . . . .

This is becoming more and more of a problems with loads of small local companys doing the same. We're always in first, because of our stupid fixation on 3 days. I've tried saying that these sort of companys aren't interested in finding a solution, or supplying a decent fabric or service - theyre just interested in who can turn out crap blinds cheapest. Ask customer why othr company is scared of quoting without knowing our price - so they can raise prices on there cheapest fabrics when they know what they can get away with.
Sometimes works, mostly doesn't but at least i get a few of them

[russell]

desmorse said:

Christ Russel. you almost make this sound like a business ;D

Disagree on one bit though, I do 3 leads every 3 hours, but manage my postcodes to reduce my travelling. Agree about 25 leads/week max for sale & fit

Sorry des i meant 3 leads per 3 hours i was getting confused with 4 slots per lead my availability is mon to fri 12,12,12 sat 12 with the odd evening thrown in sat afternoon is reserved for the self gen i couldnt do in the week or fits fir the same reason ,but mainly finish about 1 sat i need time to shop ;D

[farmer]

russell said:

farmer said:

SAME HERE. 9 LEADS OUT OF 35 IN SO FAR FOR NEXT WEEK.
6 WEEKS IN A ROW NOW WITH LESS THAN 10 LEADS.

COME ON .

IF YOU WANT ME OUT HILLARYS JUST SAY.............

Oooo whats that just come in ? ASERVICE CALL FOR ONE OF THE NEW ADVISORS CUSTOMERS..................................FCUK OFF

I rarely get more than 12 leads a week because of advertising etc so i cant understand why in your right mind you would want 35 in one week thats "cherrypicking".

I regularly take 6k plus a week this week 9plus on 11 leads OK so I had 6 self gen but surely thats the name of the game if you haven't got any self gen you cant be any good thats a fact!

I'm not on a wind up here just pointing out sometimes you have to look within ,I used to get 20plus leads a week and still took 7k because i never chased self gen .My point being anybody and i repeat anybody who has more than 25leads a week cherry picks you cannot commit the time to a sales call if you have more than 3 in any four hour slot unless they live next door to each other .With the exception of people who have fitters (which i dont) if you sell and fit 20 leads a week should give you as a company average 5to6k a week .

So Ive set the challenge i bet not 1 person that sells and fits needs more than 25leads a week if you do you either cherry pick or your conversion needs a serious think.

The new way of things is that those with a good conversion and good av order value are fed more leads and rightly so as this is a business this is the way we are moving gone are the days old timers get all the leads ,i know of poor converters who's leads are drying up it sounds harsh but if they up their game they will get them back .

So the moral of the story is get your own leads convert the ones you have by hook or by crook (my discounts are a tad high )and spend more time with the customer selling not worrying about getting to the next call

Now for the fallout

Well explain this Russell.

I had 2 weeks off around 6 weeks ago, 1st break for for 4 years.

Prior to the holiday sales were quite good around 5 or 6k a week.

Since coming back i have not had more than 11 leads in any week since.

I don't understand what you mean by cherry picking.
I thought that was were you decided if you were going to travel 50 miles to sell a £20 roller.

I have more self gens than you probably.

But i am not going to start another slagging match on here, it just isn't worth it.

You are obviously doing o.k down there, ?

IN this town i have now got the 60 leads a week we get shared netween 5 advisors, not 2, is that not the reason ?

I take offence to you saying i probably dont do my job right, but its not worth even posting on here to start slagging each other off is it.

we can all start boasting with figures and the like, im not going to waste my time getting in to all that.

If i didnt know better i would think you are one of the Hillarys hierachy.
then again i dont know better.

as i say maybe its time for the change................

[farmer]

farmer said:

russell said:

I rarely get more than 12 leads a week because of advertising etc so i cant understand why in your right mind you would want 35 in one week thats "cherrypicking".

I regularly take 6k plus a week this week 9plus on 11 leads OK so I had 6 self gen but surely thats the name of the game if you haven't got any self gen you cant be any good thats a fact!

I'm not on a wind up here just pointing out sometimes you have to look within ,I used to get 20plus leads a week and still took 7k because i never chased self gen .My point being anybody and i repeat anybody who has more than 25leads a week cherry picks you cannot commit the time to a sales call if you have more than 3 in any four hour slot unless they live next door to each other .With the exception of people who have fitters (which i dont) if you sell and fit 20 leads a week should give you as a company average 5to6k a week .

So Ive set the challenge i bet not 1 person that sells and fits needs more than 25leads a week if you do you either cherry pick or your conversion needs a serious think.

The new way of things is that those with a good conversion and good av order value are fed more leads and rightly so as this is a business this is the way we are moving gone are the days old timers get all the leads ,i know of poor converters who's leads are drying up it sounds harsh but if they up their game they will get them back .

So the moral of the story is get your own leads convert the ones you have by hook or by crook (my discounts are a tad high )and spend more time with the customer selling not worrying about getting to the next call

Now for the fallout

Well explain this Russell.

I had 2 weeks off around 6 weeks ago, 1st break for for 4 years.

Prior to the holiday sales were quite good around 5 or 6k a week.

Since coming back i have not had more than 11 leads in any week since.

I don't understand what you mean by cherry picking.
I thought that was were you decided if you were going to travel 50 miles to sell a £20 roller.

I have more self gens than you probably.

But i am not going to start another slagging match on here, it just isn't worth it.

You are obviously doing o.k down there, ?

IN this town i have now got the 60 leads a week we get shared netween 5 advisors, not 2, is that not the reason ?

I take offence to you saying i probably dont do my job right, but its not worth even posting on here to start slagging each other off is it.

we can all start boasting with figures and the like, im not going to waste my time getting in to all that.

If i didnt know better i would think you are one of the Hillarys hierachy.
then again i dont know better.

as i say maybe its time for the change................

Go.... tell me to go then.

Seriously though, no one scrutinises my performance more than me, but even in Yorkshire, there are affluent areas, like parts of Leeds, and Sheffield, harrogate, etc, but i would challenge you to sell a £400 order on some of the areas we sell in. Where the are mainly unemployed ethnics, who see £99 and think they are paying for the world.

i am always happy to listen to succesfull people. I agree 20 leads is about right.
I have done 30 -35 leads for years as Tony Boyd asked me to, because the turnover of advisors in huddersfield has been imense, and i suppose i have got used to doing it.

it doesn't help when one of your biggest competitors is an ex- advisor who knows how we works, sells the arena collection, always asks the customer if we are going in, and them makes sure he goes in after;

As for myself, i am either in a shirt and tie, or Hillarys workwear.

I walk the streets posting brochures, cards and the like, so i have plenty of self gens. Customers ask for me personally, i could go on.


My problem is, that i am probably too vociferous, and it isn't liked.

No way is my average order, down in the 100's, more often than not its high 200's and 300's, is that not about average.

So carry on passing on your tips, i'll certainly take them on board,
but please dont patronize by saying im not doing my job right.

[hereticus]

farmer said:

we can all start boasting with figures and the like, im not going to waste my time getting in to all that.

Farmer.....I don't think anyone's boasting or gloating, because we all feel vulnerable to the whims of Hillarys, who can undermine our leads, throw in 3 for 99, etc at the drop of a hat. I read of your problems and just wonder who's next, so I feel every bit as insecure as anyone else.

I'm sure Russell didn't mean to patronise, as there is no way that he (or Des, or I) can claim to be better salesmen than you. How can we compare ? If you were working my area would you do as well as, better than, or worse than, my figures - no way we will ever know. And if I worked your area, I probably wouldn't survive two weeks. We all have our own way of working and we all work in areas with different problems and oppurtunities.

I think the point that is being made is that no matter how badly or how well we are doing we can all (including Russell) learn from others and work better or work smarter. Any North / South divide is due to market conditions - please let's not drift into a North / South divide between advisors and our attitudes towards each other.

[thelloydgang]

Hi Des and Russell

As you know I just sell and my availability is:

Mon 16, 12, 0, 16
Tue 16, 12, 8, 16
Wed/Thu 16, 12, 0 0
Fri 12, Shopping, nails etc!!!

Alan's available to fit most times but one of us has to be there for the kids, pick up from school etc.

I'd love to not work evenings, particularly now the nights are drawing in and being a woman on her own going who knows where?! But have always felt pressurised to be available for evenings. I've always managed to stand my ground tho about working weekends....definately time for the family and the dreaded paperwork!!

I must admit, I do end up rushing my am appts if I have 4 leads booked in, particularly in the evening, and I'm sure this must effect my conversion rate. Maybe I should reduce my availability and give myself more time to "sell" better to the customer.

Not sure if my Manager would be happy with me reducing availability tho.......even tho it's never filled up these days. Just got 3 showing Monday AM and 1 Tue epm.

Karen ;D
Perhaps we could have a chat on Wednesday and maybe you'd let me pick your brains about working smarter and not harder!!!

[thelloydgang]

As for myself, i am either in a shirt and tie, or Hillarys workwear.

Farmer, are you a male. Or a Female as you post on here?

Just wondering as I wouldn't be seen dead in a shirt and tie or any hillary's workwear!! You might catch me snuggling up in alan's hillary's fleece on a cold evening watchin TV but certainly not when selling to customers! ;D

Karen

[greenpesto]

I too find 4 leads in the morning too much of a rush!!

I hate evening calls after being on the road all day.

Weekends a 'no - no'!!! for me & have been for some time.

The problem is, is that if you don't take evening availability during the week then you find that the computers priority selection of available Advisors means you can lose out.

This comes back to the same old problem of CLG booking the appointments & letting the computer dictate who is next to get a lead.

The old showroom bookings were always better in this case because you could always have your diary booked up as a priority when needed.

[russell]

hereticus said:

farmer said:

we can all start boasting with figures and the like, im not going to waste my time getting in to all that.

Farmer.....I don't think anyone's boasting or gloating, because we all feel vulnerable to the whims of Hillarys, who can undermine our leads, throw in 3 for 99, etc at the drop of a hat. I read of your problems and just wonder who's next, so I feel every bit as insecure as anyone else.

I'm sure Russell didn't mean to patronise, as there is no way that he (or Des, or I) can claim to be better salesmen than you. How can we compare ? If you were working my area would you do as well as, better than, or worse than, my figures - no way we will ever know. And if I worked your area, I probably wouldn't survive two weeks. We all have our own way of working and we all work in areas with different problems and oppurtunities.

I think the point that is being made is that no matter how badly or how well we are doing we can all (including Russell) learn from others and work better or work smarter. Any North / South divide is due to market conditions - please let's not drift into a North / South divide between advisors and our attitudes towards each other.

Agree with all mike says

What i mean by cherry picking is this and it cannot be denied if you have lets say 25plus sales a week and you sell and fit, within your visits you will go for the larger sales obviously to the detriment of the smaller ones it makes sense,BUT............what this dos is alienate these customers who next year have a conservatory or want the whole house or have a friend who wants blinds or who's company wants blinds I could go on and on,So if you are on a short time frame EG if you have 12 sales in a day YOU WILL ( and i used to im no better than any of you ) rush the sale because you know its only worth a few quid .

Myself des and mike amongst others work very much the same way we arnt inundated with leads so we spend time with the customer we chat and i know we are down south but that matters not we achieve a high conversion and high ave order value when I'm quiet i have turned many small sales into large ones or at least got a recommendation out of it.

I'm not trying to teach you to suck eggs but you are mainly a negative person,I also suffer lack of leads doers etc etc and am also hampered by living on a island my delivery's are a nightmare .But i repeat myself in saying i used to get 30plus leads a week and earned no more who would not want to do half the calls and earn the same .So please i may come across as arrogant and i hope I'm not but in my round about way I'm trying to help really...............

[russell]

thelloydgang said:

Hi Des and Russell

As you know I just sell and my availability is:

Mon 16, 12, 0, 16
Tue 16, 12, 8, 16
Wed/Thu 16, 12, 0 0
Fri 12, Shopping, nails etc!!!

Alan's available to fit most times but one of us has to be there for the kids, pick up from school etc.

I'd love to not work evenings, particularly now the nights are drawing in and being a woman on her own going who knows where?! But have always felt pressurised to be available for evenings. I've always managed to stand my ground tho about working weekends....definately time for the family and the dreaded paperwork!!

I must admit, I do end up rushing my am appts if I have 4 leads booked in, particularly in the evening, and I'm sure this must effect my conversion rate. Maybe I should reduce my availability and give myself more time to "sell" better to the customer.

Not sure if my Manager would be happy with me reducing availability tho.......even tho it's never filled up these days. Just got 3 showing Monday AM and 1 Tue epm.

Karen ;D
Perhaps we could have a chat on Wednesday and maybe you'd let me pick your brains about working smarter and not harder!!!

I may get mugged on weds Karen as i dont know who im talking to on this forum half the time .Am looking forward to it though i wonder if greenpesto will be there id love to meet him his posts are amongst my favorites .I Also cant wait to see des give you the big pink one !!!!! :oWILL ALAN BE THERE

[farmer]

hereticus said:

farmer said:

we can all start boasting with figures and the like, im not going to waste my time getting in to all that.

Farmer.....I don't think anyone's boasting or gloating, because we all feel vulnerable to the whims of Hillarys, who can undermine our leads, throw in 3 for 99, etc at the drop of a hat. I read of your problems and just wonder who's next, so I feel every bit as insecure as anyone else.

I'm sure Russell didn't mean to patronise, as there is no way that he (or Des, or I) can claim to be better salesmen than you. How can we compare ? If you were working my area would you do as well as, better than, or worse than, my figures - no way we will ever know. And if I worked your area, I probably wouldn't survive two weeks. We all have our own way of working and we all work in areas with different problems and oppurtunities.

I think the point that is being made is that no matter how badly or how well we are doing we can all (including Russell) learn from others and work better or work smarter. Any North / South divide is due to market conditions - please let's not drift into a North / South divide between advisors and our attitudes towards each other.

Fair do's.

Like i said in an earlier posting. i am fed up, uninspired and stale.

hillarys need to pull something out of the bag big time, to put some inspiration back into the job.

I will try to be positive from now on.

[kakalanka]

russell said:

euroweb said:

I work mon to fri selling and fitting 9 to 6 and sat 9 to 1 am a specialist awning and shutter trained.As i said used to have 25plus leads a week and can honestly tell you i used to cherrypick.My fsm then dave kent challenged me on this i got the wrong end of the stick but agreed to try less leads and it worked i still earn the same but work smarter.

[kakalanka]

Russell

What do you mean by "cherry pick"?. If I get 25 leads I attend them all, giving each the appropriate attention. I don't fully understand what you are saying................

Incidentally I'm running at 36% capacity which, as a full-timer in the South, is the worst I've experienced in my time with Hillarys.

kakalanka

[reginald]

Why are we having a go at each other? we all know that there is a vast differance in sales areas. I would dearly love to be able to accept only 12 leads and still make a decent living, but round here that is bloody impossible . I work three days selling with 10 leads per day availability(4am,2lpm, and 4 ev) I then fit for the rest of the time. I find it difficult to keep above 3k in sales each week . I am now working longer and working harder to stay ahead of the game. Also I have always worn smart trousers with a shirt and tie.

[russell]

kakalanka said:

Russell

What do you mean by "cherry pick"?. If I get 25 leads I attend them all, giving each the appropriate attention. I don't fully understand what you are saying................

Incidentally I'm running at 36% capacity which, as a full-timer in the South, is the worst I've experienced in my time with Hillarys.

kakalanka

RE cherrypick read my posts and sorry but you cant give all 25 the same amount of attention if you sell and fit