Hi, Larry... I've been on both sides of this situation, so that entitles me to throw in four cents worth:
(1&2) As a Web-based dealer, we get requests (from our own customers and from strangers) to recommend a local installer. We have our own list of installers who have asked us for referrals; but if we don't have anyone in the right area, we'll check the Panasonic list, and make some phone calls to our distribs, or to a Pana regional sales manager. Sometimes we can make a strong recommendation. Sometimes we don't know anything about the installer, and we just provide names and numbers. We don't want any money for the referral and don't get involved in the transaction. Sometimes we are asked what a "fair" price would be, or if the proposed price is OK. But since we don't know the local market, or the jobsite conditions, we try to avoid getting involved in the specifics, unless a proposed price seems unusually high or low. We recognize that we may lose some customers to the installers we recommend, but we can live with that. All we ask is that any installer we recommend treats the customer right. (3&4) As an installing company, it's not unusual to get a call from someone who bought a system from another local dealer and is unhappy with the service, or from someone who just moved into a house or office and found a Pana system, or someone who inherited a system from grampa, or found a bargain on ebay, etc., and needs our help. In cases like this, if we have the time and the job doesn't seem like a suicide mission, we'll certainly do it. We're helping someone who needs help, and we have a chance for future business and referrals. If other local dealers have turned down the job, and the customer seems really desperate, this is a good opportunity to be a hero and get paid for it. In short, Larry...TAKE THE MONEY. It's pointless to moan about sales that are already lost. It's better to make 100% of 25% than 100% of nothing... and you have no liability for the equipment you didn't provide, and there is a potential for future business. When the economy is bad and you're selling one system a month instead of a few each week, you'll have to pay salaries and rent from moves, adds and changes -- so the bigger your customer base is, the better your chances of survival. Sell your services. Impress the folks with your knowledge, promptness, clean truck and clean hands. Offer some secret tips that the other vendors may not have pointed out (like dialing 330 for all-page) or do some cool programming (like setting up automatic time correction from Caller ID). Installers have much more to fear from products like the KX-TGA420 than they do from web-based dealers. As I've been preaching to this group for a long time: If you want to be in this business 10 or 20 years from now, you have to find a way to make money by selling knowledge and experience and expertise and hand-holding and problem-solving, not by delivering boxes of phones or poking holes in walls. Michael N. Marcus AbleComm, Inc. www.ablecomm.com now in our 25th year selling phone systems ----- Original Message ----- From: larry <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Friday, October 19, 2001 11:07 PM Subject: KX-T: making lemon-aide > I hope this doesn't start the long, nasty threads that > the subject seems to start. I'm looking for > constructive ideas. > > We have been approached about installing systems > bought over the internet. From a buyer, not the > internet seller! Have you developed dual rate cards? > We're not going to install these systems for the > preferred rates we give customers where we do the > total sale. And all the free follow-up we provide. > > I can see advantages, we don't carry tens of thousands > in receivables! And we could charge for all the time > we spend with this customer, even for telling him what > to buy! And he gets to hassle with all equipment > failures. > > I see a reasonable return here. Have you found a good > way to make money from this business? What have I > missed? > > Thanks > > -larry > > > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Make a great connection at Yahoo! Personals. > http://personals.yahoo.com > > > ********************************************************* > * To unsubscribe, e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] * > * The KXT-Digest Home Page: http://kxthelp.com/ * > ********************************************************* > ********************************************************* * To unsubscribe, e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] * * The KXT-Digest Home Page: http://kxthelp.com/ * *********************************************************
