Sample Bags

[glen]

P.S WILL NOT USE NEW BAG IF YOU PUT WHEELS ON THE d**n THING. Comments like "the Blind air hostess is here love" springs to mind.

Glen

[gloryboy]

i also take the bag with me and have all books etc. in there, don't take full pads in have an old price table folder with clear plastic inserts with 5 or 6 sheets from each pad in it.

improvements for a new bag.
pockets for printer, brackets, at home magazine (mine regularly get dog eared), order folders, business cards etc. etc.
arms like popeye to carry it! ;D

if you can't get any of the above i'll settle for the page 3 model as well
;D ;D ;D.

[desmorse]

Don't know if suggestion about wheeled trolley for sample bag is real or not, but imagine pulling it across the road through puddles, over the grass and dog pooh, along a muddy pathway and into a living room with cream carpet.

Don't think so, somehow

[BlindWizard]

I too take the bag into every call, it includes all but pleats & woodweave which are in the van when needed.

I agree with Glen's suggestions plus don't forget a place to keep printer where won't be crushed.

I don't believe anyone would even dream of putting wheels on but just in case - No wheels please, customers would love you leaving muddy wheel marks allover their carpets !!!

[greenpesto]

If you are heading this project up then of course you'd say that Ross!
But any one that has sold for a living will tell you that giving too much choice from what a customer has in mind will blow the sale clean out of the water.
Give up your job with Hillarys & give Advisership a go. You'll actually learn the job & be able to make comments that we can take seriously!!!!!!

[ricko]

I also take all samples to every call but over time my right arm has got longer than my left. Also have small briefcase for order pads and mags and printer etc. Always dump the bag in the hall somwhere and carry on as normal with briefcase. Still get a lot of comments like moving in etc. Hate going back out to the car in winter. Suggestion to loose weight-- loose some of the samples from roller and vert books there are a lot in both that customers never choose. HO must know what the non sellers are.

[greenpesto]

Ricko!
If you leave the Samples in the Hall then you aren't exactly taking them 'IN' to the call!!!!
The idea is for the customer to have easy access to the full range of blinds. You might as well not take them in there in the first place.
I don't advocate taking the whole range in anyway. Apart from not being able to get the full bag past the customer who won't move until you get in to the Hall or the door is too narrow I will stand by my previous comments that if you give a customer too many options you'll end up with a quote & NOT a sale. By all means introduce other blind options if the customer is unsure or if their request is not practical .
Do yourself a favour & KEEP IT SIMPLE!!!!!!
Too many options gives the customer 'control' when it is necessary for YOU to keep control & steer them into a positive decision to buy your blinds.
You have to also remember that many of these ideas that Hillarys dream up are from people with Retail shopping experience & NOT Direct selling!!! .... THERE IS A DIFFERENCE!!!!!!

[greenpesto]

Thanks Owl!

If you think about it, Hillarys have produced the 'sample books' based on retail food shopping from your supermarket.
You go in & all the everyday items that we ALL need is in the middle or at the back of the shop ( this does not always apply with Electrical shops except that the T.V's are always at the back).
You then buy other food things as you go around.
So Hillarys logic is to put the most popular colour range in the middle!!!! The problem here is that customers have a budget to work to, & introducing more choice means an 'over spend' & a "I'll take your quote" rather than buy what they wanted.
This causes no end of confussion to the customer. I have re-arranged my samples to show the Whites & Creams at the front. The customers know that is logical & remain calm & comfortable. They can explore the rest if they wish.
TRY IT!!!!!!!

[glen]

;DHi Greenpesto,

Your comments about taking full range in and you not doing this, I DO take nearly all the range in but ask what they want before even opening bag, if they want verts thats all I get out because after all thats all they want I never waste my time or theres by saying oh! have you seen the romans blah! blah!.

We all have our own routine etc. and if your happy going back out to the car because they want rollers and you have took in verts well so be it.

But I am only in customers house for how can I say this "as long as it takes" if my feeling is customer is comfortable with me then will close sale asap.

Glen

[ricko]

GREENPESTO
I object to your reply on my posting.
I have been in sales for long enough to not deserve DESTRUCTIVE critisisim from somebody who obviously didn't read my post correctly.
I don't post my comments very often but do read all comments every day and to get a reply like yours is not very encouraging.
I do take samples bag in to every call and it is there for when I foung out exactly what the customer wants.
I certainly don't show them the entire range.
As for telling me to keep it simple I first heard that about 30 years ago KISS (keep it simle stupid).
I was only giving my opinion not saying it was the right way to do it.
We all do things differently.

[greenpesto]

'Ricko'
Apologies if you are offended by my comments, But this was not intended as a 'jibe' at you!
I was attempting to follow on from your comments & the overall thread of the topic on Bags/Samples etc.
Considering the jibes against Sillarys Management that we all make & the openness of what we all say to each other perhaps you have taken it all 'a little too much to heart'!
We all need to get along so once again in public 'I apologise!'

[ricko]

No probs Greenpesto.
I must have been having a bad day. Seem to be far to many of them lately.
My apologies as well.

[dmm]

rossk said:

Hi
The current bag is being redesigned to reduce its size and to make it easier to manage. Its weight has been reduced over the past 2 years as new sample books have been distributed. Over 7 kg of weight has been removed so that it is now below 15kg.

I am managing the new sample bag project and so all suggestions and ideas would be very welcome.

Regards

Ross Kenney
Regional Sales Manager
07770 646894
[e-mail]

So how has everyone managed with this new bag?
Is it good?

Has anyone ever seen it, or even tested a prototype? After all, it's over a year old now

[Blind Scout]

dmm said:

So how has everyone managed with this new bag?
Is it good?

Has anyone ever seen it, or even tested a prototype? After all, it's over a year old now

I don't even have the current blue bag. Still have the maroon bag in the garage somewhere, but use a pilot case as it is a lot easier to carry into customers houses and doesn't have wheels. Takes the Vert, vens and Rob samples, tape measure, printer and some other paper documents; other samples are in the car and take in if needed.

[keenasmustard]

dmm said:

rossk said:

Hi
The current bag is being redesigned to reduce its size and to make it easier to manage. Its weight has been reduced over the past 2 years as new sample books have been distributed. Over 7 kg of weight has been removed so that it is now below 15kg.

I am managing the new sample bag project and so all suggestions and ideas would be very welcome.

Regards

Ross Kenney
Regional Sales Manager
07770 646894
[e-mail]

So how has everyone managed with this new bag?
Is it good?

Has anyone ever seen it, or even tested a prototype? After all, it's over a year old now

so we finally find out what he does ( new bags kenney)
he's hillarys very own bag lady
has he spent the last 6 months carrying a full bag about with him up and down stairs, in and out the car maybe its full of our stolen commission that would certainly give it some weight.lets just hope the wheels dont fall off he would never manage it