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Post by noggins on Feb 17, 2007 19:38:28 GMT 1
Hi there, I'm a young advisor only 5 months old  and sadly only just found this site. Is it still alive and kicking or does everyone now use the official site? As I said I'm only a young advisor and enjoying the relative freedom of my job/business and hope to continue however, my sales are beginning to increase and still growing also, I have had a lean late December and January 07 but things are now picking up nicely. I am looking for advice from you older and wiser ones on how to progress my business in in organising my work and diary better with fittings and sales appointments and want to be more organised to fit in more. I have recently had shutter training and well impressed with the product but also aware of the work involved relative to the sale/measuring/fitting vs commission but should hope to be competent after a few goes...whats the score on conservatories as I have not had training yet but may consider sooner rather than later depending on feedback and would welcome views/experiences etc. ;D Cheers Dave |
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Post by Augustus on Feb 18, 2007 0:27:58 GMT 1
Welcome Dave,
Always nice to see new faces.
You will find this site still quite active, many feel they have to be too careful of what they post on the Hillarys forum.
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Post by RED on Feb 18, 2007 9:17:59 GMT 1
Hi there, I'm a young advisor only 5 months old and sadly only just found this site. Is it still alive and kicking or does everyone now use the official site? My god they take them young these days, only 5 months old. Do your mummy and daddy know you go out selling?. Seriously though, yes this site is still very much alive and gets quite lively at times. Managing your time is an art that only experience will give you. Each one of us has different demands on our lives like children, holding down other jobs, and so on. The best way I found for managing my time is to draw out a chart of all the days and each hour in the day. Then fill in every thing you have to do like sleeping, working, times when you need to be at home for kids and so on. Once you have filled it in you can look at it and see clearly where your time for blinds can come from. Dont forget to include a day off for yourself in that chart. I normally find that fitting takes less time than actually selling at a ratio of 2 to 1. for instance, if I sell 2 days then I know I need 1 day to fit them. Some of us can fit them faster than the customer can choose them. ;D We all work differently according to our needs. I myself sell on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I fit on Tuesday and Thursday and use the Saturday morning for any that can not be fitted in the week due to customers working patterns. I always end up doing Saturday by the way. |
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Post by noggins on Feb 18, 2007 12:08:22 GMT 1
I currently try and keep Tues and Weds for fitting (as my delivery arrives on Mondays) and maybe one fitting in each of my other sales days but I'm now also considering keeping my Saturdays for fittings as I don't seem to sell much on Saturdays compared to weekdays, is this odd? I've now been let loose on Shutters so waiting for some leads to get my teeth into so feel pretty confident about them and want to do a few to ensure the time vs the return is profitable.  |
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Post by BlindWizard on Feb 18, 2007 12:16:48 GMT 1
welcome noggins
Yep Red is right it's all about time management, only trouble is I don't have anytime to write out a chart ;D
This site is as active as hillarys own site but people will talk more openly here. I look and post on both sites.
I'm based in essex so if you need any advice/help PM me.
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Post by desmorse on Feb 18, 2007 13:36:36 GMT 1
I currently try and keep Tues and Weds for fitting (as my delivery arrives on Mondays) and maybe one fitting in each of my other sales days but I'm now also considering keeping my Saturdays for fittings as I don't seem to sell much on Saturdays compared to weekdays, is this odd? I've now been let loose on Shutters so waiting for some leads to get my teeth into so feel pretty confident about them and want to do a few to ensure the time vs the return is profitable. I find your comments about Saturday strange. I've been full time with Hillarys for 4 years, and nearly always work Saturday and Sunday, but only selling. In the last 4 years, I can think of only 2 jobs I've had to book as a weekend fitting. Incl. VAT, I've averaged just over £300k of orders per annum By selling at weekends, I see both couples, they can discuss colours and prices. If price is the issue, I'm there to negotiate and take an order. If you go week days and see just 1 partner, you're relying on them to "sell" the product to the other partner. If the other partner doesn't like the description or the price, you're powerless to do anything about it. Yes, you can leave your home phone number and ask them to call, but how many actually do? You can ring them, hoping to talk to the partner, but you can't beat face-to-face. A good example was on a large council estate yesterday. Lady picked a fabric for 3 verticals, priced over £500. Husband immediately shook head, no way was he paying that much. Having seen her choice, I was able to pick a similar fabric in a "3 for" offer and got an order for £327. Not a good order, but an order nevertheless. Try doing that over the phone. Week days I'll sell and fit. I just organise my time around when I'm in an area. And ALWAYS carry an extra set of fits for the area you're in. If you suddenly have a cancellation, you can ring a customer and do a fit, rather than sit in the car for an hour killing time. |
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Post by RED on Feb 18, 2007 13:57:33 GMT 1
I currently try and keep Tues and Weds for fitting (as my delivery arrives on Mondays) and maybe one fitting in each of my other sales days but I'm now also considering keeping my Saturdays for fittings as I don't seem to sell much on Saturdays compared to weekdays, is this odd? I've now been let loose on Shutters so waiting for some leads to get my teeth into so feel pretty confident about them and want to do a few to ensure the time vs the return is profitable. I find your comments about Saturday strange. I've been full time with Hillarys for 4 years, and nearly always work Saturday and Sunday, but only selling. In the last 4 years, I can think of only 2 jobs I've had to book as a weekend fitting. Incl. VAT, I've averaged just over £300k of orders per annum By selling at weekends, I see both couples, they can discuss colours and prices. If price is the issue, I'm there to negotiate and take an order. If you go week days and see just 1 partner, you're relying on them to "sell" the product to the other partner. If the other partner doesn't like the description or the price, you're powerless to do anything about it. Yes, you can leave your home phone number and ask them to call, but how many actually do? You can ring them, hoping to talk to the partner, but you can't beat face-to-face. A good example was on a large council estate yesterday. Lady picked a fabric for 3 verticals, priced over £500. Husband immediately shook head, no way was he paying that much. Having seen her choice, I was able to pick a similar fabric in a "3 for" offer and got an order for £327. Not a good order, but an order nevertheless. Try doing that over the phone. Week days I'll sell and fit. I just organise my time around when I'm in an area. And ALWAYS carry an extra set of fits for the area you're in. If you suddenly have a cancellation, you can ring a customer and do a fit, rather than sit in the car for an hour killing time. I am afraid its the same for me Des. I have tried Saturday and it just does not work for me either for selling, fitting not a problem though. I think it all boils down to geographic areas, life styles and disposable incomes. What works for one is not necessarily the best option for the other and it is down to trying out different ways. I have done my area for 10 years now and know that weekends and bank holidays are a no, no as far as selling goes. Red |
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Post by noggins on Feb 18, 2007 22:21:47 GMT 1
welcome noggins Yep Red is right it's all about time management, only trouble is I don't have anytime to write out a chart ;D This site is as active as hillarys own site but people will talk more openly here. I look and post on both sites. I'm based in essex so if you need any advice/help PM me. Yeah, I thinks I dont get much time too to complete one but I am increasing my fittings per day as I think I can do more just a bit nervous of overrunning to the next fitting, but sometimes fittings pan out perfectly and some days do not and could end up with 'umpy customers perhaps I'm being too sensitive dunno! I'll probably continue selling on Sats for now to see how things go as I do agree with what Des says about seeing both customers can be better, as I have had customers saying they will need to check with their partners I too look at both sites as it's good to see what's going on and indeed speaking to others in same boat and getting advice as it's very usefull getting feedback on how to do things differently (more than one was to skin a wabbit and that). I appreciate your being open to advice/help too - cheers for that  , just for notes I'm Collier working around RM and IG areas, and getting on well the jobs a sinch but need to organise differently selling and fitting to get my income up more that it currently is - Cheers |
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Post by noggins on Feb 18, 2007 22:32:58 GMT 1
I currently try and keep Tues and Weds for fitting (as my delivery arrives on Mondays) and maybe one fitting in each of my other sales days but I'm now also considering keeping my Saturdays for fittings as I don't seem to sell much on Saturdays compared to weekdays, is this odd? I've now been let loose on Shutters so waiting for some leads to get my teeth into so feel pretty confident about them and want to do a few to ensure the time vs the return is profitable. I find your comments about Saturday strange. I've been full time with Hillarys for 4 years, and nearly always work Saturday and Sunday, but only selling. In the last 4 years, I can think of only 2 jobs I've had to book as a weekend fitting. Incl. VAT, I've averaged just over £300k of orders per annum By selling at weekends, I see both couples, they can discuss colours and prices. If price is the issue, I'm there to negotiate and take an order. If you go week days and see just 1 partner, you're relying on them to "sell" the product to the other partner. If the other partner doesn't like the description or the price, you're powerless to do anything about it. Yes, you can leave your home phone number and ask them to call, but how many actually do? You can ring them, hoping to talk to the partner, but you can't beat face-to-face. A good example was on a large council estate yesterday. Lady picked a fabric for 3 verticals, priced over £500. Husband immediately shook head, no way was he paying that much. Having seen her choice, I was able to pick a similar fabric in a "3 for" offer and got an order for £327. Not a good order, but an order nevertheless. Try doing that over the phone. Week days I'll sell and fit. I just organise my time around when I'm in an area. And ALWAYS carry an extra set of fits for the area you're in. If you suddenly have a cancellation, you can ring a customer and do a fit, rather than sit in the car for an hour killing time. It's good advice Des thanks, so I'll see how things go with Saturdays for now, also about carrying extra fits too - have you manage to fit in these extra fits very often though? Thanks again - Dave (Collier) |
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Post by desmorse on Feb 18, 2007 23:24:30 GMT 1
It's good advice Des thanks, so I'll see how things go with Saturdays for now, also about carrying extra fits too - have you manage to fit in these extra fits very often though? Thanks again - Dave (Collier) Varies, I've carried the same blinds in my van for over a week, and then fitted them as planned. I've also fitted many early, which if you use SAM, frees up time for future appointments. Yesterday, I had an EPM cancel on the day (not that anybody at the call centre bothered to tell me), so fitted a set of wood venetians freeing up 4 slots for next Tuesday. Last Sunday, I'd done 4 of my PM calls by 1pm, as they were all very quick, small orders. I was about 25 miles from home, so 3 customers got their fits early before I did the last of my LPM calls. I'd much rather do something useful than sit in the van for an hour killing time |
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Post by brazil on Feb 18, 2007 23:33:03 GMT 1
welcome noggins Yep Red is right it's all about time management, only trouble is I don't have anytime to write out a chart ;D This site is as active as hillarys own site but people will talk more openly here. I look and post on both sites. I'm based in essex so if you need any advice/help PM me. Yeah, I thinks I dont get much time too to complete one but I am increasing my fittings per day as I think I can do more just a bit nervous of overrunning to the next fitting, but sometimes fittings pan out perfectly and some days do not and could end up with 'umpy customers perhaps I'm being too sensitive dunno! What do you mean 'BOTH SITES' ? There are three including the original. I'll probably continue selling on Sats for now to see how things go as I do agree with what Des says about seeing both customers can be better, as I have had customers saying they will need to check with their partners I too look at both sites as it's good to see what's going on and indeed speaking to others in same boat and getting advice as it's very usefull getting feedback on how to do things differently (more than one was to skin a wabbit and that). I appreciate your being open to advice/help too - cheers for that , just for notes I'm Collier working around RM and IG areas, and getting on well the jobs a sinch but need to organise differently selling and fitting to get my income up more that it currently is - Cheers What do you mean 'BOTH SITES' ? There are three, including the original ! |
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Post by BlindWizard on Feb 19, 2007 0:33:42 GMT 1
What do you mean 'BOTH SITES' ? There are three, including the original ! Sorry mate  didn't mean to forget the third which indeed was the original pathfinder. Just referring to the two that I post to. |
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Post by noggins on Feb 19, 2007 0:39:29 GMT 1
Yeah, I thinks I dont get much time too to complete one but I am increasing my fittings per day as I think I can do more just a bit nervous of overrunning to the next fitting, but sometimes fittings pan out perfectly and some days do not and could end up with 'umpy customers perhaps I'm being too sensitive dunno! What do you mean 'BOTH SITES' ? There are three including the original. I'll probably continue selling on Sats for now to see how things go as I do agree with what Des says about seeing both customers can be better, as I have had customers saying they will need to check with their partners I too look at both sites as it's good to see what's going on and indeed speaking to others in same boat and getting advice as it's very usefull getting feedback on how to do things differently (more than one was to skin a wabbit and that). I appreciate your being open to advice/help too - cheers for that , just for notes I'm Collier working around RM and IG areas, and getting on well the jobs a sinch but need to organise differently selling and fitting to get my income up more that it currently is - Cheers What do you mean 'BOTH SITES' ? There are three, including the original ! This one and the Hillarys one is all I know! what's the third one for? where is it blimey it's enough keeping up with these two  |
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Post by brazil on Feb 19, 2007 9:22:17 GMT 1
What do you mean 'BOTH SITES' ? There are three, including the original ! Sorry mate didn't mean to forget the third which indeed was the original pathfinder. Just referring to the two that I post to. You are forgiven my child ! |
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Post by BlindWizard on Feb 19, 2007 13:45:35 GMT 1
Sorry mate didn't mean to forget the third which indeed was the original pathfinder. Just referring to the two that I post to. You are forgiven my child ! ;D ;D |
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and sadly only just found this site. Is it still alive and kicking or does everyone now use the official site? 
, just for notes I'm Collier working around RM and IG areas, and getting on well the jobs a sinch but need to organise differently selling and fitting to get my income up more that it currently is - Cheers 
didn't mean to forget the third which indeed was the original pathfinder. Just referring to the two that I post to.