Any sales ideas to beat the tv antenna and electrical cowboys out there.

I'm not saying all of them maybe just 95% so if your any good don't be affended.

My company specialises in Custom and it's really frustrating when you lose a job to someone who really does not know what they are doing.

ANY IDEAS

Do a really good job at communicating that you are better, and how that is. If you do a good job at that and still lose the job, don't sweat it. If you do a good job and get the work, remember what it was that worked in the presentation and polish it for the next prospect.

Don't sell custom work based on price. Sell it on quality. I tell my customers - flat out - that I am NOT the cheapest person in town. They are paying for the following:

1) My experience - knowlege is power, and commands a premium. When you do retro work like I do, it's the difference between putting a foot through an attic or hacking apart a bunch of drywall, or leaving a clean install with little or no damage. The trick is to look like you were never there when you leave.

2) My customer service - The fact that I don't let customers go to voicemail whenever humanly possibly works wonders. I JUST closed a deal this week with a customer who wants a 50" plasma and surround system installed in her living room because of the *SIX* people she called, I was the only one who answered the phone when she called, and the ONLY one who set an appointment to meet with her.

3) My quality of product - most of the trunkslammers will try to sell the cheapest product, so emphasize product quality. Initially customers will object to quality vs price because they feel that 'they don't notice the difference'. Explan it to them in terms that THEY can understand, using analogies if possible (I like the Ford Explorer vs Lincoln Continental...both made by the same parent company, but huge differences in features and performance).

4) Be PERSONABLE/build RAPPORT - You'd be amazed how few people can actually bond with customers. If you make friends, you will win almost every time. People don't like to disappoint friends. Also, if they trust you (and you deserve their trust), they'll be willing to spend more money.

Just some tips from years of sales experience. Hope they work for you.

Regards,

Fred Forlano
Higher Definition

Excellent thoughts!

Do your best
Tell the truth
Return calls
Know what you know
AND what you don't know

if you cant dazzle them with your brilliance...baffle them with your bullshit.....


my 2 cents

Fred, thats some good advice.

Don't be an "I can get that for you" or an "I can do that for you" type company.

I am not saying that you should not branch out into other categories, just take baby steps to get there.

Diving headfirst into a new category in this business can easily break your company's neck!!

Write a business plan and outline the services and goals for your company. Include your detailed thoughts at that point in time for the best way to achleve each of these goals. Don't go for the "pie-in-the-sky" style, be realistic and write this as if you plan to submit it to a banker or vendor to establish a credit line.

Re-visit this plan once per year and modify it based on your current perspective. The exercise of drafting and revising your business plan helps me to collest my thoughts and move forward.

As Fred says, know what you don't know and don't use your biggest client as a guinea pig. You will lose money and piss off a client.

Also, if you are coming up against hacks, you have to sell yourself as a better solution. This field is growing out of control, and there are going to be a LOT more of these people throwing their (cowboy) hats into the ring.

Also,
Whenever you get a call to mop up a disaster install, take pictures and write a detailed description of how bad it was.
Document the hours AND COSTS of testing, new pulls, re-terminated or replaced cables, etc. to SERIOUSLY convey the amount of re-work it took on a pricy T&M basis for you to bring this up to acceptable standards and make the client happy.

Make a book of these and make it a part of your presentation.

Fred Harding...

What you wrote should be the law!

I think we should call it Fred's Law of CI!

Your a good man for posting this