"Fear of Loss" is a well known high pressure sales technique. No car salesman ever admits the car they are trying to sell you isn't wanted by anyone else.
There is a plot device in thousands of movies wherein one person pretends to be squeezing the other person onto their busy calendar although their calendar is really empty. I think this is based in real psychology.
Realtors don't drive expensive cars for no business reason.
I could go on and on.
Going back and reading Radar's original post, I don't think letting the potential client know that you really need this job is going to hurt your chances of getting it like it might when things are busy and it might indicate that you don't have enough work because you aren't any good. People know that our business is down. The problem with letting them know you need it is that they will surmise that you will take it for less than what you told them it would cost. Not that you would, but they might think that.
The other part of Radar's question about methods of getting jobs that you really need, I don't know other than convincing the client that you are the best, most qualified and experienced person to do what they want done. You don't have to say this part but that implies that hiring somebody else will result in severe delay and disappointment and therefore higher holding cost and delayed return on their project, whatever it might be. How to get that point across without bad-mouthing other professionals is tricky. Sometimes I have picked a remote area and told clients that if they had a project in that area, I would be the last person for them to hire because I know nothing about working there, but on the other hand I have handled projects like yours successfully many times.
> "Fear of Loss" is a well known high pressure sales technique. No car salesman ever admits the car they are trying to sell you isn't wanted by anyone else.
>
> There is a plot device in thousands of movies wherein one person pretends to be squeezing the other person onto their busy calendar although their calendar is really empty. I think this is based in real psychology.
>
> Realtors don't drive expensive cars for no business reason.
>
> I could go on and on.
Likewise, rather than waste time developing an estimate for a project that you know is going to be more than the prospective client's going to be willing to pay, it's a better idea just to say "I'm awfully busy right now. I'd be kidding us both to say that I could get to your project as quickly as it sounds as if you need to have it done." You weren't going to be hired, so you've lost nothing, but what you've gained is you've imparted the idea that there is strong demand for your services.
Kent - Nothing wrong with that idea but it would only work if that potential client talks to other potential clients that have different criteria for hiring of surveyors. If they talk to people that want to hire somebody that is backlogged because they're so good, it works. If they talk to other people that want somebody to come out and flag their lines tomorrow, it doesn't work. I guess I answered my own question, didn't I?
I had a civil engineer partner for 15 years. He and I differed on the image thing. He thought having a fancy office and wearing suits and ties and stuff like that would attract the kind of clients that we wanted. Having helped to run the business for 15-20 years or so before I partnered with him, I thought that jeans and work boots portrayed the image that our clients were accustomed to. We had our ups and downs no matter what, so who knows? I still am of the opinion that if I don't look like I am ready to go out and work, clients will suspect that I'm just a fat-cat skimming off the profit without contributing to the product they're paying for. Of course, when I represent them at public hearings and such, I scrape the mud off my boots and look respectful to the people I'm addressing.
> Kent - Nothing wrong with that idea but it would only work if that potential client talks to other potential clients that have different criteria for hiring of surveyors. If they talk to people that want to hire somebody that is backlogged because they're so good, it works. If they talk to other people that want somebody to come out and flag their lines tomorrow, it doesn't work. I guess I answered my own question, didn't I?
>
No, the point is that you haven't lost anything, but if that client ever calls again, they return with a new appreciation of what you are offering. Being "too busy" is a much better answer than quoting a fee that is five times what some desperate optimist will quote. Better to be "too busy" than "too expensive", even if you are expensive.
Kent
OK, I think I see what you're saying. If that person you tell that you're too busy ever needs your services again or if they talk about you to anybody else, they'll know your services are in demand, but they won't think or know that your fees are higher than the guy that gets that job. Did I get that right?
Kent
> OK, I think I see what you're saying. If that person you tell that you're too busy ever needs your services again or if they talk about you to anybody else, they'll know your services are in demand, but they won't think or know that your fees are higher than the guy that gets that job. Did I get that right?
Right. Fees are dynamic. Who knows? The next time they call, the desperate surveyors may not be so desperate and fees may have rebounded. You don't want to be carrying the tag of "too expensive" without having anything to show for it. In the meantime, you've laid the groundwork for being "expensive, but worth it".
Kent
I have noticed that cold calls respond better when you treat them politely but like they are in line and their order is just being processed like they are one of many, just follow the routine like everybody else, NEXT!
Strictly speaking of cold calls, it seems that all sorts of extra personal attention sorta runs them off to check prices, makes them feel uncomfortable. It comes across as desperate or out of the norm.
BL
I don't know about that. I don't treat cold calls like they're on an assembly line. I listen to their unique story of why they need a survey and do specific research and ask questions that indicate I'm thinking about their situation. You probably do too but your post sounded like you keep the contact less personal.
However, when they get to the point of asking when I can do the job, I don't look at my watch and say we'll be there in an hour. I usually say we can probably get to that next week so they don't think or know that we're caught up on field work. That is unless they are desperate to have something relatively simple done and there's an immediate deadline. Then, I'll say well maybe we can shuffle some things around and get out there tomorrow or whatever.
