Turnover

[samsnake]

I read in a previous thread which I cannot find again that some of you are turning over around £350,000pa.
As a struggling newcomer, finding it difficult to reach £10k per month, could you give me a few pointers on you get to these figures, e.g. number of leads, sales, average per sale, etc.
Thanks, Samsnake

[RED]

ardent said:

I read in a previous thread which I cannot find again that some of you are turning over around £350,000pa.
As a struggling newcomer, finding it difficult to reach £10k per month, could you give me a few pointers on you get to these figures, e.g. number of leads, sales, average per sale, etc.
Thanks, Samsnake

Hi Sam
I am a full time and used to do around 25k a month a growing.
Now since Sam came in and diary booking I am lucky if its £10k a month. Not enough to live on.
So don't build your hopes up just yet it happens over a few years or so as you get more referrals if you do a good job and have a good relationship with your customers but watch Hillary's, If they think you are a good salesman they will knock you off your pedestal before you get too big.
Red

[samsnake]

Red,
Why the big drop?
Is this due to less appointments with the diary system?
Sam

[hereticus]

Sam - I've never hit the heights of £ 350k turnover but I think that will only be very few agents anyway. For the last six years I have averaged around £ 250k, working entirely alone (i.e both selling and fitting myself).

My diary availability gives Hillarys about 45/50 hours each week but is not always full so I probably work 40 hours on average. A typical month would break down approximately as follows :

Head Office Leads - 60 leads x 80% conversion = 48 orders

Self Generated - 20 leads x 95% conversion = 19 orders

Total 65/70 orders, average three blinds per order, average order value £ 300/320 = about £ 20k+ per month.

This year has not been so good - Hillarys had big problems at the beginning of the year due to some ill advised changes in advertising strategy, and whilst some areas have recovered I have suffered from continuing problems of ads not appearing, etc. Add to this the fact that average order values are being dragged down by aggresive promotional pricing and I'm looking at my worst year since 1998, probably achieving £ 195k. Obviously I'm not happy with this but I don't think its as simple as blaming SAM or the diary booking system - there are many factors at work including the economy in general.

The longer you do the job the easier it gets - not only in terms of time management, route planning, fitting skills, etc., but also in recognising the point at which you can close a sale - my average sales appointment time is about 25/30 minutes but does not involve rushing the customer in any way, just recognising and responding to their needs and knowing when they are ready to proceed.

Also in my experience the first half of the year is the best - every year for the last six years at least my sales January to June have been 20/25% higher than my sales July to December - so plan your availability, family holidays, etc accordingly.

You will never get rich working for Hillarys but if you work hard, get yourself organised, and care about your customers then you can earn a good living, meet a lot of nice people, and enjoy most of the advantages of being your own boss.

[RED]

ardent said:

Red,
Why the big drop?
Is this due to less appointments with the diary system?
Sam

Hi Sam
The diary booking system will not allow them to book me for a certain postcode area which always produced around 60% of my sales. No one knows why or perhaps they do but just decided to not let me have the area. Who knows? All I know is that on the present income from Hillary's I do not make a good living, but am fortunate as I have money behind me so for now I am ok but I will not and can not continue full time on part time money but no ne seems to give a d**n.
I have been on diary booking twice and each time my income has plummeted, only on coming off it the first time did my income go through the roof again so I do know what I am talking about. I knew that diary booking would do this to most agents, I did warn my fsm 2 years ago and he said it would not happen, but of course it did.
Red

[farmer]

nice one.
i am fortunate enough to do around 350k. and again fortunately, i am not far off that this year. UNFORTUNATELY, i am having to work a lot harder, and longer to keep this up.
I will say this, Hillarys has given me everything I have asked for over the years.....................but.......................Thats when Tony Hillary was at the helm...................The last 2 years haven't been as enjoyable. I doubt if I will carry on reaching those figures, if things stay as they are.

I only hope that someone in the head offices takes this on board.

When it comes down to figures adding up though, profits etc, I don't think we stand a chance

[greenpesto]

I've been with Hillarys 7 years+. First year I hit £130,000 net. Never been achieved in this area before apparently. Everything fine ... business growth over following 18 months was to be around £250,000 & more after that. Problem was, we had a change of FSM who decided to recruit for surrounding areas ... problem was it was only my area that had any takers!!!!
Result was a drop in business for me & surrounding areas still dry.
Next, Tony Hillary retired & we had another change of FSM, this one was a D**K Head!!! Business suffered.
Business has never grown to the levels I have set myself. And not for the 'Want of trying'
I'll be lucky to hit my first years figures for 2005.
Another FSM change now with one of the most 'Clueless' individuals I've ever met.
My income has dropped by around £10K & I'm hanging on for 'Grim death'
I have enjoyed my time with Hillarys despite the problems .. Now however I must seriously consider my future with them!!!!
I feel 'let down' by Management at all levels. I am like so many of you posting comments out there that want to do the best job we can & have a secure future for all concerned.
Are these people running the company REALLY that 'Thick Skinned' as to not realise the damage they are doing to the company, their future as well as ours???

[YOYO]

Hi sam , i bet that advisor does not work in the midlands, 6th dec and only one call to do and yes its an evening call after 7pm !!!!! . Where has all the work gone too

[miss measure]

as a longstanding advisor i think this forum is the best thing too happen to us but can anybody tell me have any of the problems raised on this site actually been addressed by hillarys brcause i see the same moans day after day havent seen any positives please tell me somebody at hillarys is helping not just agreeing with us

as i thought no so where does this get us most members never post they just sit there letting the rest of us have our say really we are about 60 pro active advisors only no wonder we are largly ignored use this forum or let it fade this great tool maybe our only chance of ever getting our voice heard if your a member and dont post then dont moan when its too late no excuses i do 300k plus a year i have time lets make a differance this company is a great opportunity if we work together ;D

[madman]

agree with you cheated advisor ive been 10 years and unfortunately listening is easy action RARELY HAPPENS!

[russell]

agree madman we are in danger of becoming a hippy culture yeah man thanks for listening dont worry if you dont do anything bout it thats cool :-/not

[grumperbear]

l am a member of another forum, nothing to do with blinds or Hillarys.

members =1700+
active members = 101

And l believe that that is about the normal ratio. The silent advisors will always remain silent whilst the few will express their veiws.

Sad Yes. But true.

[ricko]

Hi grumperbear
I suppose I am one of those silent Majority. I am a recent member of this forum but read it at least twice a day. I read all the comments and the vast majority of them say exactly what I have been thinking. I have made a few posts but everything I want to say has been said before and probably in a better way than I could put it. I have been an advisor for 6 years and proir to Tony Hillary selling the company earned a very good living. But since I have seen it go down year on year and am working harder and harder to earn less and less. Doesn't seem to make sense. I used to love what I did by now feel totally demotivated. I can live with short term promotions ( if they are short term) like the £99 rubbish that has been going on in my area since September, but it is being called a CONMAN by regular customers that I really can't handle. The current management of Hillary's have no idea what it means to motivate a sales force or its employees, and to be honest I don't think they care. I put through the biggest single order that Hillary's had EVER had £ 68000 and never got a well done let alone any sort of incentive to do it again. That was the beginning of the end for me. If I had of done that for any other sales company I would of been the bell of the ball but not with Hillarys.
There are numerous things that we all think that Hillarys are doing wrong at the moment but the biggeat of all is the Ghetto blinds offer. The best solution to this is the brilliant suggestion by grey van man, that they be on a supply only basis. Simple for Hillarys to do. But we would be better off without it because it only alienates customers and in the long run will only do damage.
So maybe I am not in the silent majority anymore as I have had a say.

[scotton]

Nice to have you on board ricko. If this site does nothing else it makes you realiser you are not the only one and whilst a lot of things are repetitive if more and more agents say the same thing hopefully things will slowly change.

[grumperbear]

Hi ricko,
l saw your post for best order, if Hillays can not say well done, at least l can.

"Well done ricko"

lf a FSM ever says to me that " its only you " then thats victimisation.