A customer finally "Got It"

J Phipps TN

SGF, Supreme Grumble Framer
Joined
Jul 14, 2004
Posts
1,423
Loc
Kingsport TN
I had a customer come in to compare pricing with Micheals.

It was so wonderful to see his face when I read how the coupon truely read. He was shocked and pleasantly suprised to see that I was still less expensive and had a better moulding choice.

Made the sale and gained a loyal customer!

:D
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Jennifer

Makes one feel good, beating someones prices, doesn't it. The only problem is - sometimes it just means we're not making any profit. Can you really beat Michael's 50% off everything (not just moulding) or the $150 off promotion & still make a profit. (Its not us who need the answer!)
 
This was only the 50% off entire framing order...(with purchase of frame)! He realized what a rip it really was.

Our Micheals around here hasn't done 50% off of everything yet. It's been one or the other. If they did, I don't think they could make much proffit either. But to answer your question, no I would not be able to beat that one.

I'm just thankful for the one I could beat and will probably keep from now on.
 
Hey Jennifer-Now it's time for us to "get it" and use that fact to some type of advantage.

Great-You converted one customer. Now, how do you parlay your "competitive" advantage to convert more?

"Get it?"
 
Congratulations on educating your customer to the marketing ploys used by the big boize.


Also, maybe it could be a wake up call that you may be leaving some money on the table and should take this opportunity to really examine your pricing.

If you are reassured that your pricing structure has the integrity (profitability) you need then tastefully market the fact that you offer more value at very reasonable prices.

Dave Makielski
 
Bob, how do we "get it?"

Aside from asking the customer to tell their friends when we convert one, and all the sort of general stuff we've typed about ad nauseum;

What is it that any of you do to convince the "not in the door yet" prospect what the facts are?
 
Seems like every customer that's been in the last 2 weeks has told me I was the cheapest in price, so I got their business. The down side as has been mentioned is if it's time to give myself a raise. Sounds like it may be. The side I'm not sure about is 95% have told me they had been to Hobby Lobby and Michael's first to check price. Makes me wonder why they went there first, but I guess the only thing that really counts is at least they came here. Even the lady that wrote down the mat and frame corner numbers to compare elsewhere. I hate it when that happens, but what you gonna do...

Rock
 
Hey Cliff-Another one of those "magic bullet" answers, huh? If it was just so easy

You remember what we do, don't you?

Everybody can do something, butI would love to hear other's ideas, too?

The point is that we do possess an advantage

The key is to make sure that advantage gets a little further than telling each other

Rock talks about the ones that went "there" first an dthen came to him. Pretty scary to think about th eones that went "there" first and never came to us at all-to the tune of about 4-5 times more than us

If we truly have an advantage, we need to exploit it, to leverage it.

So, how do we "get it"
 
Rock,
When a <strike>shopper</strike> customer starts to write down moulding numbers etc, I say "hold on, I'll print an estimate for you". Before I hit the print key I casually put the samples up and then print a BLIND estimate. Haven't had anyone pull the samples back down :D (yet).
 
Originally posted by Rogatory:
Rock,
When a <strike>shopper</strike> customer starts to write down moulding numbers etc, I say "hold on, I'll print an estimate for you". Before I hit the print key I casually put the samples up and then print a BLIND estimate. Haven't had anyone pull the samples back down :D (yet).
HA! I do that too! I thought I was the only one.

I would rather do that than get miffed about it.
 
Bob, -- I wasn't just asking you ... was hoping for people to spout ideas. :eek:
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I know there isn't a magic bullet, but I keep hoping someone will have a bullet that I haven't tried that will work for me!
thumbsup.gif


The trick I haven't "solved" is to get "them," the "not in the door yet" ones, to try me first.

Had a customer today, bar license to go on her husband's office wall. She had done his other stuff at a chain store. Saw what I had done on a friend's wall and decided to give me a try. Thought I really knew what I was doing AND I was reasonable priced (she said this with incredulity!). Great!
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But, do I have to wait for everyone to see a previous job before they try me!
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The Michaels near me has a very limited selection of mouldings, much more limited than my selection, and the quality is clearly inferior. Plus, they have no fillets, and the framed certificates of their staff's qualifications are all crooked. The overall effect is rather shabby. So there's no direct product-to-product comparison possible, and if someone chooses Michaels over my store, after having seen both...well, I doubt they would be a good customer.
 
There is a parallel in the Real Estate business, the ever popular discount brokers, who generally do a lousy job and full commission brokers who (for the most part) "work hard for the money"! It's true for them, and for us, "you get what you pay for".

Michael's level of quality is something that I believe, is not what most people want for their money. People who care are willing to pay and would never consider Michael's as an option.

As for people who care...we had a customer come in to our gallery with a pillow. She walked around the room until she found the art that was just right for the pillow and said, "can you deliver this to my house?"

Yes we did cash the check...it is not a perfect world and I'll bet our customer shops at Michael's!!!

Joel
 
I wonder how many people get the coupon,
drive to the BB,
walk across a sea of asphalt,
walk ALL the way to the back,
get mediocre service,
get the price,
get sticker shock,
then think 'if I don't get done here, I have to reverse this whole process and do it again somewhere else'... " :( yea... go ahead and do it... "
 
Originally posted by Rogatory:
I wonder how many people get the coupon,
drive to the BB,
walk across a sea of asphalt,
walk ALL the way to the back,
get mediocre service,
get the price,
get sticker shock,
then think 'if I don't get done here, I have to reverse this whole process and do it again somewhere else'... " :( yea... go ahead and do it... "
Or even worse, they simply don't realize that there is an option. And or course "If it's this much at Michael's where everything is cheaper, it must be really expensive elsewhere."
 
Last week a woman called and asked if I could stay a little later than my closing time, she was at Michael's and couldn't find "just the right frame". The framer had given her my card and told her "She'll find what you want".

We did, exactly what she had envisioned, but had to do some looking. She said "I'm so glad they told me about you, I didn't know this shop was here!" (We're working on that, previous owner's well-kept secret!)

Michael's was having their 50%-off-entire-order sale. I quoted her my full price. She was happy because she'd "found what she wanted", and then brought back two more.

I called and thanked the M's framer for referring her. It pays to be on good terms with these BB stores. We frequently refer folks to each other when we know they can do what we can't. They don't have to be the Enemy, and you don't have to be theirs! Go in and introduce yourself, give them some of your cards (I know of many M's stores where this is allowed), send someone to them now and then (drymount a huge poster? I don't have a big press, etc)

And it isn't always about the price, as this incident shows. I'm sure she'll go back there when she wants "the deal" that I would lose most of my profit if I tried to match(their 70%off!), but when she wants "just the right frame", she'll be back to my shop. I love it!
 
Hardly a week goes by that we don't receive at least one good order referred by one of our craft store neighbors.

Last week was exceptional -- we framed a quilt and a baby dress, both brought in by referrals from craft stores, totaling more than $1200.
 
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