I just started my new business here in Denver, I have been installing high end for years but now is the time that i need to learn to sell my own jobs. I was wondering if anyone had any advice as to places to contact to get leads or advice on advertising. Any advice is welcome. I need to learn to be the sales guy now.

I'm sure you won't get any advice from AVDude, seeing as though he's your competition out there...Good luck with your company though. Are you a one man shop?

Sometimes LEADS groups can be a way to get jobs - these are groups of business owners who meet once a week and try to find each other leads to customers.

Yes i am a one man shop. Thanks for the encouragement. I am sure AVdude is worried.

Step 1: Attend several Dale Carnigie style Sales motivational training courses.

Step 2: Visit new construction sites and offer to do Basic Phone/Cable/Network jacks a $24.75 a pop. Builders love to save money.

Step 3: After several of these jobs, you'll be in debt to a point where you will want to heavily discount a large project your quoting against just to get the deal.

Step 4: Use deposit on above system to pay off outstanding debt.

Step 5: Continue using steps 2/3 to pay for the last job you did with the new jobs deposite money.

Step 6: In an attempt to get ahead, take on a project(That you quoted with the hope of making about $32 profit) or 2 that you have no business looking at (Advanced Automation is a great place to jump to)

Step 6:Fail Misrebly at project, THis includes, but is not limited to,
Substituting products like a Faroudja scaler for a DVDO without client consent.
Fail to get the [insert automation you quoted here] account you figured you could get and thus have no product for the client
Raise the price quoted significantly for completion... Labor ran over for various reasons... You failed to include [insert varouns components here], but need it to complete job....

Step 7: File Bancruptcy, Destroy any signage, business cards, letterhead you may have had, close up shop, disconnect cell phone and dissapear for 3 months minimum

Step 8: Refile business under new name and start over

OR

Step 8b: Go back to work for someone.


This seems to be the trend here in Chicago anyway. Seems like a pretty good play.

Let me ask you something.............

Did you do ANY research or a Business plan before going out on your own??? The Marketing Plan should be the number one priority in your business plan. And a successful business NEEDS a plan.

Asking for advice from other dealers is NOT going to net you many good suggestions more than likely. Talk to Reps and suppliers first.

See if there are any small local publications that serve the areas dripping with money. See if you can advertise there, and be ready with an answer if you have fifty calls and can only get to three jobs... we advertised here in Beverly Hills about five years ago, were overwhelmed with response, and were not ready to gear up to meet the demand. If we had been ready (business plan calling your name here), we would have hustled to get additional people, even farm out some jobs to friends who are installers, to reap the profits of more jobs...even lower margin on more jobs is more total income.

you want more business? Do the jobs you currently have, NEATER, CLEANER, BETTER and more technically correct than your competitors. Your clients will see the difference and THEY will get you leads. We've been in business for 55+ years and our phone tells you to get lost 'we're to busy to accept new clients'. We only work for existing accounts or referrals from our best clients. We are a small outfit with 3 employees and I probably make more $$$ than most outfits 3 times my size. My 2 cents

I have no problem giving advice on this topic, to a "competitor" in Denver. A little healthy competition is good, what has happened in Denver is not.

You can't drive five miles in any direction here without seeing AT LEAST three diffrent vans with the names of different A/V companies on the sides of them. That doesn't include all the subarus, volvos, and 1976 dodge diplomats with "bob's house of wire and plasma" painted on the ladders tied to the roofs.

I just spent one week working on two different jobs (for family and close friends no less) in CA...we drove from Mill Valley, north of San Fransisco, to Long Beach. In that ENTIRE time, I saw FOUR vans with an A/V Companie's name on the side of it...all four were at In-And-Out in Mill Valley, and they were all from Magnolia...and one of the guys was picking up an application!


anyway, back to Denver!

First, look eleswhere!

It's that simple. The work is not in Denver!

In the last 6 months, we have not done a SINGLE install in Denver...

We've been in the Springs, Ft. Collins, San Francisco, Santa Barbara....everywhere but Denver.

We took on a new dedicated sales guy three weeks ago, he works SOLELY on comissions, and he has turned up exactly $0.00 in business. He hasn't even cultivated any new leads. There are simply too many installers (good bad and other) and not enough people to buy their services.

Best advice I can give you is good luck, and hopefully you find a marketing strategy that we haven't tried...at a price point that allows you to become and remain profitable.

Everything that has been mentioned above is stuff we've tried, it just seems whored out...

You might try calling the Home Builders Association, and the Troubleshooter's Network...therse are two things we haven't tried, for various reasons, but they both may prove lucrtive for you.

Good Luck. You can feel free to drop me an e-mail if you'd like more info, I been gettin beat up in Denver for years now, so I can offer some advice.

avdude

avdude
if thats true move east. i hand pick my jobs and have turned down a $50k job last week and a few little ones to! (10k each). im just to busy.

it is true. EVERY WORD OF IT....

it seems that peeps see an opportunity, and get one or two big jobs out of the gate...or the"side jobs" and off they go..THEN those jobs trickle off and blam...done.

It's happening in lots of places from what I gather.

I'm not looking to move east OEX, or move into anyone elses territory...that's not my style! But hey, if you WANT me to move out there, and attempt to compete with you, can you please tell me where and how to find housing, leads, employees? Can you tell me everything about licensing, insurance requirements, local codes and where your suppliers are? Then, I wonder if you'd just go ahead and give me you entire contact book!

Just jokin, and jabbing uneccesarily...but it was fun!

Don't worry, I have something else up my sleeve!

avdude

Rabbit ??

nope...that's in my hat!

An arm?

AVDUDE,
there is plenty of work to go around. my labor when compared to the local big guys is typically a half to a third of what they charge. on average i get $125 per hour on every job and sell hardware at full retail, except video i cut them a break but still run at least a 30% margin.

Believe it or not i would have no problem assisting in setting you up.

Oex, are you saying the "big" guys in your area charge $375/hr? I'd live in Hoboken for that. Anyway, Powers, I am also in Denver and don't know what the secret is. I've tried many different things and old fahioned networking seems to be the best out here. I don't share AVdude's extreme pessimism, but there does seem to be a high ratio of trunk slammers to customers here. Hopefully you have some staying power (cash) becuase it will be a matter of time to get established.