Odd sales call

[danieltree]

Its been glacier slow for me since Thanksgiving which is the usual this time of year. Well yesterday I get some calls and am fairly excited, Go to one job and get it, Great. Then I go to the next at the designated time to meet with the customer about a backyard pine that needs to be removed for an addition. I knock on the door and am told that the customer went on an errand and will be back in a few minutes. So I look at the tree and write up the proposal and wait on the customer. I sell better face to face and had nothing better to do so no worries. While I am waiting this guy pulls up in a really nice Mercedes So I think great Homeowner is here. That was not the case, It was another tree company. The guy gets out and asks who I am , I tell him and we make small talk. The usual you know , how much work, Insurance prices all that. When the customer arrives we both approach and introduce ourselves. Well I am completely thrown off here didn't really know how to handle the situation so I just hand over my proposal and ask the customer for her Info so I can get my Insurance info to her. I explain how I will remove the tree and let her know about how long it will take. The other guy is standing there talking shop with me while I am trying to focus on the customer I am able to partly ignore him but not completely and he would interrupt the customer sometimes with talk of other jobs. So I feel that I could do all I could do and decided it was time to leave, I thank the customer for considering me and shake the other guys hand then he follows me to my truck to offer up his equipment if I come across any jobs that he might be needed on. I say that if there is something that comes up I would give him a call and again say goodbye. I leave and he walks back over to the customer and begins talking. opinions on how to handle this if it happens again, I probably will not get the job because the other guy saw my price and It is beatable. I figure my price is my price and try to sell myself as being worth that.​

 

[treemandan]

When I am walking around the yard with a new client they ask" WHere is your clipboard, aren't you going to write any of this down?"

I usually give a verbal rough estimate while with them then go back to the office and "wait it out" so to speak.

 

[lxt]

kinda the same way I approach it to Dan, Im not gonna take my time to write it down, explain it, etc.. if they are unrealistic in the cost of it!

Funny.....my competitors dont create small talk or drive mercedes!



LXT................

 

[treemandan]

I think the guy who showed up second ( no matter what) should have driven down to get a cup a coffee and waited for his turn... after politly smiling and waving that is. I would have. Some of the guys around here are nice and we chat but no Benzes. The guy sounds a little like an ass for what he did.

 

[danieltree]

I think the guy who showed up second ( no matter what) should have driven down to get a cup a coffee and waited for his turn... after politly smiling and waving that is. I would have. Some of the guys around here are nice and we chat but no Benzes. The guy sounds a little like an ass for what he did.

Thanks Dan, that is exactly how I felt. I got there first so I get first crack at the customer. The reason I spend time with a customer is to establish some kind of relationship with them and establish a sense of well being, they can not get that from a piece of paper.​

 

[Wishie22]

Just demand your privacy.

Politely turned to the other tree salesman "I need to speak with the "customers name" for couple of minutes. Can we continue our conversation after, so I don't hold up the customer from their family." If he or you wanted to continue small talk you could invited one another out for a beer, brunch, or something after.

At that point you have established that you want to give the customer your full attention, values, and the task at hand.

Business is business.

 

[mckeetree]

These dumb ass Mexicans around here are the worlds worst to show up second and try to talk to the customer and the guy that got there first at the same time. You don't want to say something too bad to them right in front of the client and make yourself look bad. I told some of them last summer if they drive up to a job and I am already there, don't get out or I am going to stomp their ass into the asphalt.

 

[capetrees]

I'd actually be surprised if the owner takes the second guys price. If I were the homeowner, the Mercedes would throw me off. What's next, a suit? I'd rather talk to the guy that will be in the tree as opposed to the gigilo that's doing it for a hobby. Hope you get the job or at least a second chance to beat his price considering he knew yours prior to giving his price.

 

[Rftreeman]

I'd call him and ask out over for a beer then kick his ass.........

how did he see your price???

 

[treemandan]

I'd actually be surprised if the owner takes the second guys price. If I were the homeowner, the Mercedes would throw me off. What's next, a suit? I'd rather talk to the guy that will be in the tree as opposed to the gigilo that's doing it for a hobby. Hope you get the job or at least a second chance to beat his price considering he knew yours prior to giving his price.

In some of the ritzy-er neighborhoods the people do not want to talk to the guy who does the work. No sir.

 

[danieltree]

He looked at the proposal as the customer was reading it. And as far as ritzy goes this was not, but even when I do a job for a wealthier client they still usually have someone there to hire the contractor.​

 

[treemandan]

How old was the guy? He wasn't no treeworking man was he?

 

[danieltree]

He was in his mid 30s said he owned the business and did his own climbing. It was just an odd situation, In the past I would have probably showed my ass but now days I have a live and let live attitude. the job was small and is not going to be the end of the world if I do not get it. It sorta showed me how bad things are right now, I am small as far as tree services go and this guy has tons of equipment so I would say he is a larger company, but to just stand there and cock block like that was just weird.​

 

[NCTREE]

it's a dog eat dog world

I would of ask the guy to go back to his car untill i was finished, if not I would ask the customer if i could come back later. Sometimes it's best to be the last guy there when comparing apples to apples.

 

[John464]

I would of asked the guy to go back to his car until i was finished

I wait my turn, I usually drive around the block so the competitor doesnt see me. They will usually call back and ask what my price was and try to beat it if they know i was there. I think it was bad move on your part by not telling him that you will be a few minutes with her and then you can have her shortly. It was definitely rude of the other guy to not wait his turn.

I would not hand in my proposal while the other guy is there either. Id fax it over and email later and then do a follow up within 24hrs of the bid.

and yes, real treeman can drive a benz on the weekend, CLS55 AMG, but I wouldnt ever take that or my other cars to an estimate. just show up in a regular pickup truck

 

[danieltree]

I should have left. I was thrown off by the whole thing but tried to be polite to both him and the customer. I feared what would happen if I asked him to leave and what that would have looked like.​

 

[danieltree]

And around here the competition usually beats your price without even seeing it, the customer tells them in hopes that they will beat it.​

 

[ozarktreeman]

Not to similar but same animal,pulled up to potential clients house seen this other guy was there.pulled out gave em, a call let em know I was not late just going to take a ride for 30 min.and be back.Turns out the ass was bad mouthin me and the people did not go for that crap.Got the job no biggy though but a job.
You handled pretty smoothly,better than most.Like you said your earlier days would have been Different:deadhorse:.

 

[Sunrise Guy]

I would have been friendly to the guy and been upfront as to what was going to happen when the ho pulled up: "OK, I was here first, so when the ho gets back, I want you to go back to your car and give me ten minutes alone with this guy/gal." If he balked, I would just get in my truck, phone up the ho to let him/her know the situation, and then set up another time to do the bid.

 

[BRCCArborist]

Here's another question to ask: If you were there at the designated time that you AND the customer set, why were they out running an errand? And why was another contractor there? Maybe he just showed up there and maybe not. Seems like the client was a bit rude as well by being gone at the time, and possibly scheduling another meeting at the same time. I tend to want to stay away from customers like that.