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Carrots
How often have you been contacted by a potential customer dangling a carrot?
On Friday I had a telephone call from someone claiming to be a buyer for a major Scottish Housebuilder.
Him. – I understand you sell cheap signs?
Me. (Hackles already up) – long pause…….laughter .. then I replied…We try to offer a good service at a competitive price if that’s what you mean?
Him. I work for ***** (a major scottish house builder), we’re looking for a supplier of signs for some of our sites.
Me. What sort of signs are you looking for?
Him. Oh the usual… you know, safety signs .. that sort of thing, can you do these?
Me. Yes we can.
Him. Can you send out a rep to meet me?
Me. Where are you (I was already cheesed of at the mans general approach and to be honest – I didn’t like the sound of his voice)?
Him. Falkirk
Me. (Having decided I didn’t want anything to do with this fellow – don’t ask me why – but I had taken an instant dislike to him – maybe it was his opening line “I understand you sell cheap signs”) – I’m sorry we don’t cover the Falkirk area.
Him. But I work for ****** (a major house building company) – we have sites all over Scotland so I think it would be well worth your while.
Me. (In a beligerant mood as usual) Why don’t you fax me a list of your requirements – I can then get back to you with some example prices – then if your still interested, perhaps I could come out and meet with you?
Him. Hum… I think we’ll just forget it then!
Me. OK, thank you for your call
End of conversation.
My point is this:-
Did I do wrong, My wife calls me the “Sales prevention officer”, where as I am constantly aware of the need to make productive use of my time at all times. I felt this fellow was just dangling a carrot, and targeting smaller companies in the expectation that I would “Jump” when a big name was mentioned. I have no wish to turn down work .. but at the same time I do wish to make a reasonable profit on everything I make. I felt this fellow was looking for rock bottom prices, and expecting me to jump through hoops for the privelege of quoting them. If he had been serious, why didn’t he just fax me a list of his requirements as I had asked him.
What would you have done?
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6 Replies
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Phill
I’d have done the same
These Guys are just time wasters
Thing is…..its our time they’re wastingHe couldn’t have been serious else he would have complied with your simple request
He’s got to be seen by his superiors to have put the order out to two or three tenders and generally we find ourselves just filling the quota
I used to worry about possibly a huge order I may have just lost but I don’t think about it now as I’m too busy to worry about it.
John
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I had something similar the other day and it’s really annoying when you think you may lose a sale.
This guy phones me at 4.45pm, I’m one foot out the door to the post office with half a dozen parcels that had to go yesterday.
“Where abouts are you?”, I told him and he said, “I’m only 15 minutes away, I’ll call in.”…..”That may be difficult, I’m just off out but let me see if I can re-arrange the appointment”, so I covered the phone, collected my thoughts and having decided that the missus couldn’t do the post office run and that one potential customer against 6 upset one’s, told him that I’d get back to him shortly, and would re-arrange my Diary to see him as soon as possible. “Don’t bother,” he said ” I’ve just consulted my Diary and don’t think I’m going to be able to re-arrange it to give you some business!”
Cheeky sod. I took his number off the 1471 so that when he calls back I’ll be able to put a tenner or so on the price for his insolence!!
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we get them all the time.
last week got a call, asking for the rep to call at his premises. Finally got the info out of him, all he wanted was 12 garments. Now if I had visited him, the profit on 12 garment would not have covered me for the time lost in the shop.
Don`t forget the best blag of all. ” I`m after 2000 signs, but I need 1 to see what it looks like first.”
I think its the case, that some people think that because they are giving business out, people like us will jump through hoops to get it.
Last week also, a BIG truck, pulled up, he wanted the words”Driver” and a name put on the each door of the cab. But the boss wants you to come to the premises and fit it. I was only going to charge £5 to supply the graphics. But because of the distance I quoted £25.
We have to remember, we are in business to make money. We have to cover things like, shop insurance, machine maintanence, fuel bills etc. Then take a wage out of whats left. And hpoefully we`ll have some left over to buy new products or replace equipment.
I personally would rather do jobs around the premises than work for peanuts. Let some other fool do the crappy jobs.
becky
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No Phil
I dont think your Wrong Most people get a feeling that somethings not right or sounds wrong or in your case if you analised it ,you will probably
find that it was not just the sound of his voice you did not like but a whole lot of little things put them all together and your instinct tells you no.The Difference is you took notice of it and made a decision threfore the piece of mind that you achived should far outway the thought that you may have had a nice little earner if you had not been so instictive.
For a Man of your caliber I commend the fact that when he told you who he worked for you did not say “Oh are you the one who sells cheap houses”
Catcha soon …..FB
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Nice one 😆 😆 😆 – Wish I’d thought of it at the time 😆 😆
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Phil,
Gut instinct is usually right. I like the way you handled the situation. Disposing of a potential client can be tricky.
Jeff
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