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Post by farmer on Oct 2, 2006 10:23:17 GMT 1
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. Reginald, no one is having a go at each other. Some advisors achieve a far higher conversion and AOV than others. Some of that is down to areas, but I doubt that's the only reason. I'd rather see this forum as an exchange of ideas helping each other to be more successful, than just a whinging post - and I do my fair share of whinging. If there's something you, or anyone else, does that would make me more successful, I'd like to hear about it. If there's something I find which helps me, I'll post it, but you don't have to try it if you don't want to. If some people want to sit back and say "it's not my fault, it's where I live", that's fine, it's their prerogative. But if anyone wants to improve their earnings, and I do, we can learn from each other. AS for the comment about smart trousers, if you read my original posting, it was aimed at one person, and one person only - ME. I realised I'd become too casual and taking my customer for granted as I was doing very well at the time. O.k BVM & RUSSELL. I totally agreewith your idea of working smarter, if i could earn enough from 12-15 leads a week, i would be happy. I am all for working smarter. I am going out now to service the sales calls i have in for today, i know one is a definite quote, as it is a company i have serviced for years, and they have to put it forward to the powers that be, before sanctioning the order. The other is in one of the local slums. Then thats it for today. 2 leads is all i have in this week !! You cant tell me that its down to me surely. ! I would be interested in how you go about your calls, ie, how you structure them, to see if i am missing something. Lets try and see what each of us is doing differently, and what circumstances might alter things. I agree i am negative at the moment, and maybe that is coming across in my presentations i dont know. So lets work on it then and see if things improve. Lets throw scenarios at each other and see what we do with them. Eg, I will have to speak to my husband, etc etc, Got to go. |
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Post by RED on Oct 2, 2006 11:01:34 GMT 1
OK
I will start with an all too familiar scenario.
Just suppose you lived in an area where 3 for 99 was in your papers.
Now I have just opened up my diary for 32 sales appointments and all I have in so far for the full week is 5. One of those has re-booked 3 times and one is a self gen lead so that leaves only 3.
Now the scenario, The first thing the customer says as you walk in is," I only want the 3 for 99offer."
What do you do. Do you just show them the fabric and hope they either say no or look at something else or do you measure and go through the whole process and try and quote them a much dearer fabric. Remember, these people are adamant on not paying any more than 99 quid.
Also remember my CLG leads are predominantly 3 for 99 as they have been told to ask for them or have seen the adds.
What would any of you do if this was day after day, lead after lead?.
Any help, not just for me but for all the advisor's suffering this scenario is much appreciated.
Red
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Post by desmorse on Oct 2, 2006 12:02:17 GMT 1
Farmer,
have you tried "Is he available on the phone? If he's like most men, he won't disagree with your choice of colour, and if he's happy with the price we can sort your fit date out here and now"?
When this was first suggested to me, I felt it was too pushy, but tried it and got the first 3 orders I tried it on. Doesn't always work, but then neither does anything else. Main thing is I've never had a customer take offence at the suggestion.
Red, don't have 3/£99 but when I did I threw all the decent fabrics away and only showed the awful ones. My pitch was "Oh yes, the clearance range. Let's see what's left." Customer looks and is obviously unimpressed. "We have some new ranges coming in, and we're just trying to clear out some old, slow moving stock. What sort of colours are you after? Perhaps we could you a deal on something a little more to your taste" I then used to discount fabrics like capri, avensis or lace. Again didn't always work, but only ever sold 2 or 3 £99 offers. Of the others, around 50% bought up, 50% went elsewhere. Of the ones who bought up, they were nowhere the order value I wanted, but better than £99.
I think the 3/£99 is one of the hardest to deal with, not because of customers but it's so soul destroying. It's very difficult to go in bright & breezy after months of this.
I remember seeing a program on selling years ago, a dwarf of bloke was selling £1,000 vacuum cleaners door to door, and training others. His approach was, as he walked up to the door, he was saying to himself, "I'm gonna sell, I'm gonna sell, I'm gonna sell, I'm gonna sell, I'm gonna sell! - I'm gonna sell, I'm gonna sell, I'm gonna sell, I'm gonna sell, I'm gonna sell!" Bit over the top, but you get the point.
He had some nice turns of phrase as well. "Look at what's stopping you selling. Is it you yourself, is it your wife?" If it's the wife, his catch phrase was "ditch the pregnant dog". PLEASE DON'T GO THAT FAR, I'M SURE IT'S NOT MRS RED HOLDING YOU BACK
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Post by desmorse on Oct 2, 2006 12:07:08 GMT 1
OK Now I have just opened up my diary for 32 sales appointments and all I have in so far for the full week is 5. One of those has re-booked 3 times and one is a self gen lead so that leaves only 3. Red Ive got 4 leads booked this week. One by CLC which I suspect is yet another error as I think I've already done her whole house, 1 re-booked from last week, 2 self gen. So I'll ring around and bring my fits forward from next week, freeing up time for more leads in the future. If they do suddenly start coming in, I don't want my time booked out for fits which can be done this week. you can see how little work i have at the moment by the amount of time I'm spending on here ;D |
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Post by greenpesto on Oct 2, 2006 12:56:27 GMT 1
Farmer!!!
First!, Don't get defensive with the customers objection.
Most objections are 'Smoke-screens for the 'TRUE' objection which may be Price, getting other quotes or they may not feel comfortable with YOU!!!!
In most cases agree with them as in your scenario of 'I need to speak to my Husband.
However, after saying ''That's O.K., by all means talk to Him & get back to me'' .... I do find saying ( with a smile!!! ) '' If he knows whats best for him the standard answer should be 'Whatever you want dear!!!!' ''
It does help, & the customer can warm to you!!!!
Avoid saying it with a sarcastic tone though!!!!!
The other question is more direct!!!!
''What you are really saying to me is that it is more than you want to pay?''
If they ''No!''
You ask ''Is it the fabric choice?''
If they say ''No''
You ask ''Is it me?'' ( Again a smile helps here! )
They will become slightly defensive & will smile to diffuse the situation & are likely to admit their TRUE objection.
If you can deal with that objection you should be able to get the order!!!
Red!!!
99 for 3p is painful!
As suggested, take the better ones out.
If the customer gets annoyed & says it's a con ... don't argue or get defensive ... again agree & say ''I don't like the offer either but it is genuine but only to move slow moving fabrics.
I can't offer anything else at that price but have a look at some others & I'll see what I can do!!!'
You have diffused the hostility to start with & you look as if you WANT to help.
If £99 is their limit, then apologise for not being able to help & go!!!!
Leave them your contact number as they will find that most offers elsewhere are useless too!
General thought on the topic
As in most cases we can find that we don't always lose business to other companies. I have stated on this site numerous times that we get paranoid about being too expensive & that we lose business elsewhere.
In many cases you'll find that customers haven't bought from anyone as their budget was way out in the first place!!!!
Don't take all 'No sale' to heart ... you can't win 'em all!!!!!!
Hope this helps!!!!
GP
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Post by golfsthegame on Oct 2, 2006 12:58:30 GMT 1
Like many of you I have been trying to find ways of improving my business and have looked back over the past 13 years of working for Hillarys to try and analyse where things have changed to my detriment.
In these times of low lead levels we all tend to be negative as we end up with too much time to worry about where the next penny is coming from. However my figures have brought up some surprising facts.
1. Over all these years my average orders per week are only 15 yet I have managed to make a reasonable living.
2. The periods where leads were abundant did not give me a huge boost to my income.
3. Self Gen leads are a major contributor to my income, even though they are a small part of my total leads.
4. Ideal no. of leads per week is approx 20 which allows for the right amount of time to spend on both sales calls and fittings.
5. The ability in the past to organise your own diary gave peace of mind which helped to reduce feelings of negativity.
I find the current system where leads are piled into your diary at the last minute to be disruptive because it reduces your ability to plan your working day in a constructive way. Also to ensure that you get your fair share of available leads you have to make yourself available virtually 12 hours per day in all postcodes you work in because if you don't the other advisors covering the same postcodes as you will get the leads regardless of experience.
I used to do hardly any evening calls and never after 7.00pm but now find myself eating my dinner at 9.00pm nearly every night because of the present diary booking system.
At the present time I can see no way of improving my lot which in itself leads to negativity but I shall keep on looking for a way of improving things and WILL NOT LET THE SYSTEM BEAT ME IN THE LONG TERM.
My positive thought for today is that some of my best weeks of business have come from the least no. of leads, on that basis this should be a good week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
GOLF
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Post by RED on Oct 2, 2006 13:34:41 GMT 1
OK Now I have just opened up my diary for 32 sales appointments and all I have in so far for the full week is 5. One of those has re-booked 3 times and one is a self gen lead so that leaves only 3. Red Ive got 4 leads booked this week. One by CLC which I suspect is yet another error as I think I've already done her whole house, 1 re-booked from last week, 2 self gen. So I'll ring around and bring my fits forward from next week, freeing up time for more leads in the future. If they do suddenly start coming in, I don't want my time booked out for fits which can be done this week. you can see how little work i have at the moment by the amount of time I'm spending on here ;D BVM, Just a thought. In all the years I have worked for Hillary's never has this quarters trading been so quiet for so many. Is it maybe, because this 3 for 99 offer which is predominate in most areas causing irreparable damage to everywhere including affluent areas by devaluing the brand so much. Or is it because their is a down turn in the economy. I personally see no down turn myself as every one I speak to say they are snowed under with work. I have been through recessions with Hillary's before and never has it effected Hillary's that much. If it is the offers they are doing and it is sending out the wrong signals to the customers then we are all in serious trouble after Xmas. After all, you would not expect Harrods to sell knock down prices or Marks and Spencers to offer 3 pairs of shoes for 10 quid if they did they would start to loose the loyal middle income customers and they would replace them with Pound land type customers. Is this not the road Hillary's have set themselves on?. The damage may be so deep rooted now that even if they dropped the offers and went back to the old offers it would take years to get the customers back. I dont have a degree in business but I can see the pit falls in what is happening and so can many other advisor's. Red |
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Post by farmer on Oct 2, 2006 14:40:19 GMT 1
Farmer, have you tried "Is he available on the phone? If he's like most men, he won't disagree with your choice of colour, and if he's happy with the price we can sort your fit date out here and now"? When this was first suggested to me, I felt it was too pushy, but tried it and got the first 3 orders I tried it on. Doesn't always work, but then neither does anything else. Main thing is I've never had a customer take offence at the suggestion. Red, don't have 3/£99 but when I did I threw all the decent fabrics away and only showed the awful ones. My pitch was "Oh yes, the clearance range. Let's see what's left." Customer looks and is obviously unimpressed. "We have some new ranges coming in, and we're just trying to clear out some old, slow moving stock. What sort of colours are you after? Perhaps we could you a deal on something a little more to your taste" I then used to discount fabrics like capri, avensis or lace. Again didn't always work, but only ever sold 2 or 3 £99 offers. Of the others, around 50% bought up, 50% went elsewhere. Of the ones who bought up, they were nowhere the order value I wanted, but better than £99. I think the 3/£99 is one of the hardest to deal with, not because of customers but it's so soul destroying. It's very difficult to go in bright & breezy after months of this. I remember seeing a program on selling years ago, a dwarf of bloke was selling £1,000 vacuum cleaners door to door, and training others. His approach was, as he walked up to the door, he was saying to himself, "I'm gonna sell, I'm gonna sell, I'm gonna sell, I'm gonna sell, I'm gonna sell! - I'm gonna sell, I'm gonna sell, I'm gonna sell, I'm gonna sell, I'm gonna sell!" Bit over the top, but you get the point. He had some nice turns of phrase as well. "Look at what's stopping you selling. Is it you yourself, is it your wife?" If it's the wife, his catch phrase was "ditch the pregnant dog". PLEASE DON'T GO THAT FAR, I'M SURE IT'S NOT MRS RED HOLDING YOU BACK I have tried that a few times, with no success. this is what happened on this call tthis morning, 1 of only 2 for today !! sLOTS AVAILABLE 12. As i said in an earlyier posting, this customer was on one of the least desirable streets in town. Arrived 10 :55. after waiting for her to get out of bed to open the door 5 mins, she let me in and , i introduced myself, usual small talk. Difficult to make myself heard over "spiderman" on the grotty snotty nosed kids video. So with the noise, and the kid delving into my bag, and pulling everything out, i tried to get on with measuring whilst she looked at the verticals, after discussing what bind we were going to have, etc, 3 of the windows were difficult to get to because of junk, ...the usual...... She wanted specific colours, red in the lounge (acacia Bazzaar) grey in kitchen (acacia charcoal) blue in a bed (capri navy) and acacia hessian in another bed. Now she was asking how much it would before i started measuring, so i had an idea what we were up against ! Upon giving her the price, she nearly fainted. £589 for 6 verts. "the girl on the telephone said it was 3 for 99 no matter what ", she replied. Even though i dont know whats on offer at the moment, (haven't had any info) I showed her the swatch. of course it wasnt what she wanted. explained it was like the clothing rail in the shop where they put the items that are cheap 'cos they dont sell. She then rang her mother, and explained the situation to her. Spoke to mother on phone, she had just had 7 windows done by hillarys for £385 last week, (why the daughter rang), she had her invoice in front of her, bigger windows all done in acacia ivory. So what was i to do now ? I asked her if she had a budget to work to. Yes £250 of which £50 of that was now to pay a congestion charge after her visit to London this weekend. So in reality £200. So i now went into bulling up our company mode, promising her i would do a good job etc, etc, to cut the story short the deal was struck at £300 cash up front. She was a little reluctant to hand over the cash, but the deal was done . I left the house At 11;45 which is 45 mins, what i always have worked to. That means 3 calls in a 3 hour slot, 12 calls a day, 3 days a week 36 calls, comfortable.What else could i have done in an extra 15 mins. She had no more windows. I leave a brochure labelled upwith my name, for her to show friends and family. Just answered the phone now from the company i have been to and they have orderd 4 rollers @£385 Now i know its only 2 orders, but they average over £300. So have i done right at £300, or would you have got the £500, if so how would you have done it. bearing in mindthe kind of customer we are dealing with. So to say it was a 3 for 99er, i dont think i have done too bad. Going back to my negative posting yesterday, its not that i cant sell, its the fact that for the last 6 weeks i have had no more than 11 leads. so if its an average order of £300 commission £44 x 11 =£484, knock off all the running costs --- not a lot is it, especially when you divide twixt the Mrs and I. So I reckon 20 leads is about the right level for me anyway. Try this scenario i want a vertical in lounge, and a chocolate brown roller for my bathroom, trouble is, i dont like your jonquil chocolate fabric as it is see through. Oh and this, I fitted 3 verts in bedrooms, then as i was waiting for the cheque she asked me why the 3 symphony cream verts @£99 that the new advisor had fitted earlier that day had gaps, i took the spacers out and hey presto gaps were covered. She pulled the louvres back, AND THE BLIND FELL DOWN. What would you have done> |
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Post by gloryboy on Oct 2, 2006 20:50:55 GMT 1
Ive got 4 leads booked this week. One by CLC which I suspect is yet another error as I think I've already done her whole house, 1 re-booked from last week, 2 self gen. So I'll ring around and bring my fits forward from next week, freeing up time for more leads in the future. If they do suddenly start coming in, I don't want my time booked out for fits which can be done this week. you can see how little work i have at the moment by the amount of time I'm spending on here ;D BVM, Just a thought. In all the years I have worked for Hillary's never has this quarters trading been so quiet for so many. Is it maybe, because this 3 for 99 offer which is predominate in most areas causing irreparable damage to everywhere including affluent areas by devaluing the brand so much. Or is it because their is a down turn in the economy. I personally see no down turn myself as every one I speak to say they are snowed under with work. I have been through recessions with Hillary's before and never has it effected Hillary's that much. If it is the offers they are doing and it is sending out the wrong signals to the customers then we are all in serious trouble after Xmas. After all, you would not expect Harrods to sell knock down prices or Marks and Spencers to offer 3 pairs of shoes for 10 quid if they did they would start to loose the loyal middle income customers and they would replace them with Pound land type customers. Is this not the road Hillary's have set themselves on?. The damage may be so deep rooted now that even if they dropped the offers and went back to the old offers it would take years to get the customers back. I dont have a degree in business but I can see the pit falls in what is happening and so can many other advisor's. Red my view is that the 3499 was very short sighted desperation. the longer it runs the more customers will expect it as the norm and the harder selling up will become. it is time someone did what they are paid for and come up with fresh marketing ideas. m&s don't advertise their cheap muck on tv. audi/bmw etc. don't show their cheapest entry level models in their press adverts, why do hillarys feel they need to highlight cheap to get business?? why are the number of 50% offers increasing? i don't want customers to buy at half price, but if there is a beige/cream at half price i'm pretty d**n sure most people will take that option over full price, after all 'it's only a blind'! |
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Post by RED on Oct 2, 2006 21:23:05 GMT 1
Gloryboy.
What do the numbers under your avator mean. It cant be your birthday can it ?.13th March 1926.
Or are you 80 years old. ;D
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Post by desmorse on Oct 2, 2006 21:49:29 GMT 1
Personally, I think Farmer did bloody well to get £300 out of her, and I doubt any of us would have done much better, many a lot worse.
The only thing I would say, is this a typical customer, or just the type of customer you remember?
We all get them, we all remember them, we all despise having to visit them, but are they 50% of your calls, or 5%? Today it was 50%, but over the month?
I've been to a call where there was used sauce sachets on the floor, trodden on and squeezed out. Everything you touched was covered in grease, I even stuck to the wall when I lent 1 arm on it to steady myself whilst drilling. I remember it like it was yesterday, but it was actually 12-18 months ago.
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Post by RED on Oct 2, 2006 22:02:22 GMT 1
Personally, I think Farmer did bloody well to get £300 out of her, and I doubt any of us would have done much better, many a lot worse. The only thing I would say, is this a typical customer, or just the type of customer you remember? We all get them, we all remember them, we all despise having to visit them, but are they 50% of your calls, or 5%? Today it was 50%, but over the month? I've been to a call where there was used sauce sachets on the floor, trodden on and squeezed out. Everything you touched was covered in grease, I even stuck to the wall when I lent 1 arm on it to steady myself whilst drilling. I remember it like it was yesterday, but it was actually 12-18 months ago. At this present moment in time, these type of customers are accounting for at least 80% of my very few CLG leads I get. I had 3 of them today and managed to get one of them up to 217 quid. The other 2 were adamant on 3 for 99 so I walked. Strangely though, the one I got up to 217 quid was the grottiest house of the 3. A few years ago I would not have even priced him a blind but there I am in a smoke filled toilet bowl living room selling our crappiest blinds and that was the highlight of my selling day. Incidentally, one of my customers I fitted for today said to me " What is wrong with those idiots at Hillary" Why said I. Well after me placing my order with you someone rang me to offer me a discount if I order today. Instead of 260 pounds they could do it for 114 pounds but once they realized I had already ordered they put the phone down on me.Then she said, you are not ripping me off are you and charging me over 140 pounds just to fit them. I was totally lost for words. I thought they were their to help us build our business not run us into the ground. Red |
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Post by gloryboy on Oct 3, 2006 8:16:59 GMT 1
Gloryboy. What do the numbers under your avator mean. It cant be your birthday can it ?.13th March 1926. Or are you 80 years old. ;D its my best time for running a marathon, got it at london this year. (sad tw@t i know!!  ) i probably looked 80 at the end ;D |
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Post by RED on Oct 3, 2006 8:19:53 GMT 1
Gloryboy. What do the numbers under your avator mean. It cant be your birthday can it ?.13th March 1926. Or are you 80 years old. ;D its my best time for running a marathon, got it at london this year. (sad tw@t i know!! ) i probably looked 80 at the end ;D 3 days, 13 hours and 26 mins is better than I could do it in. ;D Red |
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Post by gloryboy on Oct 3, 2006 8:38:42 GMT 1
its my best time for running a marathon, got it at london this year. (sad tw@t i know!! ) i probably looked 80 at the end ;D 3 days, 13 hours and 26 mins is better than I could do it in. ;D Red but i'll bet you'd do it in style ;D |
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