Odd sales call

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diplomacy? what's that? I guess I've always said it like it is even if it ruffles a few feathers. :)

I know it is, in best cases, a bit to the side.

My point was, go ahead and be an example towards other treemen that your work is worth a fair pay. Better to raise the awareness of pricing right, than to have a cutthroat competition where nobody wins. Not even the customer in long terms.
 
Thought about this subject when

I was following behind an older El Camino that drew me into a quick daydream, the way it the suspension hovered that vessel down the street and all.
 
Yeah, I know why.

I would be laughed out of town if I tried that scene up here.


Used to be a guy in Dallas that drove around giving estimates in an old Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser. He was a little short guy that wore overalls and this big cowboy hat all the time. We had some good laughs at that cat.
 
couple weeks ago i showed up to an estimate with another tree company there. homeowner asked who i was and who sent me. like he had no clue i was coming. i told him who i was and that he told me to be there before 5, because he leaves for work then.
i just hung out in my truck until the other guy was done.
another thing, over the years of being in business, first appearance means everything. i drive trucks to estimates only, it does make a difference and the client will even let you know sometimes.
 
Drive a truck to offer pro-bono jobs

While I don't make a living at tree work, I use what skills I have to help folks that I know (or who are recommended by friends) who don't have the money for tree work.

The funny thing is that I find folks will turn down free tree work if I show up in my Corolla but seem to respond more warmly when I am in my beat up old F350.

I was talking to one lady at my daughter's horse vaulting practice, she was all excited about having some trees that were down removed then she noticed my little corolla nearby and went a bit cold to the idea.
 
It definitely hurts sometimes. but with all these smaller jobs, mostly pruning, it seems to actually help my "low overhead" spiel. We're not driving a beat up hooptie, at least its clean. but we are getting good gas mileage. we drive 100+ miles a day, easily and that adds up when we're lowballing to stay busy. add that to the truck fuel I buy for the haulers.....

but when bidding a big job, with multiple removals, I'm not surprised when they go with someone else.
Come warm weather, this won't work.:(:( gotta buy a truck.
 
There was a crew of guys here a couple of years ago that drove an old LTD. They had a log dolly strapped to the roof and a pole saw sticking out the window.​
 
There was a crew of guys here a couple of years ago that drove an old LTD. They had a log dolly strapped to the roof and a pole saw sticking out the window.​

My first year in business was during my senior year of college. I drove my zx7 ninja motorcycle to bid jobs - cheaper on gas and better looking, I thought, than my pontiac grand am. The bike was not too warmly accepted by customers - I could see it in their faces when I pulled up, so I sold the bike and got a pickup. Sad day for me - good day for the business...
 

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