"can u lower your quote?"

[Stephen M.]

NO dice. Having a job just to have a job isn't worth it unless you are meeting your overhead and making money.

I've screwed up a few quotes by underbidding, so I'm not going to intentionally underbid myself to get a job. While BobbyGedd and his employee are out sweating for a few dollars less than what he wanted, I'm turning down the unprofitable work and landing plum jobs that pay high with less sweat equity.

[MASTERMOWER]

no, we are talking mowing only. the property was initially estimated as a weekly visit, and the property will still be visited weekly. HOW did i lower my price, and yet, make more $$ on the job? come on now will ya

WaT I DoeS iS Tell DeM a SkYHiGH PricE - - - TheY FreK Out - - - THeN I SAyS, "WeLLs, I cAn OffER YaS A GooD DIScouNT, HoW DOEs $Xxx SounD?" TheM BitE oN The 'DIscOuntEd' PriCE anD So U See I AcTUalliE GoT MorE MonIE ThAn I woULd HavE If I qUoTED A FaiR PriCE UpFrONt.

HeHE he, IM SneAKY.

It took awhile, but I found where you hid your answer. Gotta say, your quite the genius for thinking that method up!!

[Bobbygedd]

you are all wrong, every one of you. chew on it a bit longer

[l&r]

I bid the job on what it would cost to do the job during the spring, price it accordingly because we all know spring growth is the worst. then in the summer when growing slows down you don't spend as much time their to make it look good.

Who is this guy anyhow?????

[chriscampbell]

when i go and give a potential client a price, you should know where the market is at and what your overhead is. If it is priced right i tell them it is "priced to sell." If someone tells you that your price is too high then your story is to short. Emphize why your company is different. When a customer calls for a brick patio we do a soil test, takes 5 mins. Then they start to say that the other companies didnt do that. Then you say, well how long do you want your patio to last? 2 ,3, 5 years or a lifetime. Lifetime right? Then you have to know what kind of subbase you need to make sure it lasts that is why we have a warranty on our installation. You have to educate the customer as to why you are the best. Another trick when we are installing a brick driveway, and they have 3 bids for 60K then you say, what if i gave you a indepent study from an engineer that it was installed correctly would that seal the deal for you. Sounds expensive right independant studys, engineer? like $200. Well worth it for the job. You are a little more but you will give them the service that they desire.

[Scott]

customer calls for lawn service. not the best looking house on the block, but, SOMEBODY has to cut the grass. you quote it at $98.93 per month, for 9 months. you base this on 28 cuts @$30 each, plus 6% n.j sales tax, divided into 9 equal payments of, $98.93- the customer says he can't swing it. "can you come down any?" what do you say? can you come down, and make it worth while?

I smell me a lowbawler..

I'd show up 15 mins later, offer $120 a month, get the job and call you personally to tell you Mr. Smith has decided to decline your bid due the big dawg on the on the other end of your line that sold him on; stability, geunine concern for his needs and salesmanship.

did I win a giftbasket?

[mariner]

Tell them you'll make it an even $100 to make things easier and call it good!

I like this one the best!


P.S. Why are you charging sales tax? Not sure how it works in N.J. but 'round me, you don't have to charge sales tax on services.

[Bobbygedd]

did i say only TWO NEW CLIENTS? i meant to say THREE NEW CLIENTS, since YESTERDAY, and the advertisement just hit the mailboxes YESTERDAY afternoon!!! i recieved 5 calls, quoted 4, signed 3, and never made contact with the other. 2 of the 3 signed, were after negotiations, and i will make MORE PROFIT on these 2, by LOWERING my original asking price!!! does the word, genious, come to mind?

[Stephen M.]

...does the word, genious, come to mind?

NO!!! But "stupid" comes easier to mind.

Sure, I've priced work higher intentionally so that if any "negotiations" are happening, I hope to nail the price I've wanted. Such a stradegy works in some cases, but can backfire. Most likely, I will intentionally price higher work I don't want to pick up.

But, in my opinion, most people who want to "negotiate" a lower price are themselves lowballers and people we don't want as clients. To them, everything is about price and not about quality of workmanship or about service.

[jagmagic]

I find the people on here funny when they say not to discount you services.

If this potential customer is on a fixed income as them simply what they can afford.

Ask them for referrences and if any pan out maybe you can get down to say $80.00 or $85.00/month.

Thier is always a way to work it out. It's all how look at it.

[Bobbygedd]

there are two stores. #1- offers the best quality name brand clothing, at a price that most average folk, cannot afford. #2- offers a lesser quality clothing, at a cheaper price than the top quality clothing, and can cater to a broader client base. store #1, can't sell thier clothing cheaper, because it's top quality clothing, and if it were reduced, they couldn't make a profit. is store #1, making MORE PROFIT, than store #2? is store #2, making more PROFIT, than store #1? are they both making the same profit? if store #1, pisses off 100 people, will it effect the profit? if store #2 pisses off 100 people, will it effect the profit? i never said i "discounted" anything. i simply said, i lowered my original asking price, and by doing so, i am profitting MORE. thank you

[hardboiled]

I would have to tell them I have an old used mower they can have for less than what one month of my maintenance would cost them and they could mow it themselves all summer for $80.

Genius does come to mind as in .... It doesn't take a genius to realize there are more than 28 weeks in a 9 month period.

[CleanCutMaint]

there are two stores. #1- offers the best quality name brand clothing, at a price that most average folk, cannot afford. #2- offers a lesser quality clothing, at a cheaper price than the top quality clothing, and can cater to a broader client base. store #1, can't sell thier clothing cheaper, because it's top quality clothing, and if it were reduced, they couldn't make a profit. is store #1, making MORE PROFIT, than store #2? is store #2, making more PROFIT, than store #1? are they both making the same profit? if store #1, pisses off 100 people, will it effect the profit? if store #2 pisses off 100 people, will it effect the profit? i never said i "discounted" anything. i simply said, i lowered my original asking price, and by doing so, i am profitting MORE. thank you

I knew there was a reason I like this site so much better than the "other" site. Please go back there. I have read some of your posts in the past (Why, I don't know) and really hope I don't see them on this site.

[Bobbygedd]

I would have to tell them I have an old used mower they can have for less than what one month of my maintenance would cost them and they could mow it themselves all summer for $80.

Genius does come to mind as in .... It doesn't take a genius to realize there are more than 28 weeks in a 9 month period.

when, did i say, there were not more than 28 weeks, in a nine month period? what is the purpose of this statement?

[Stephen M.]

I find the people on here funny when they say not to discount you services.

If this potential customer is on a fixed income as them simply what they can afford.

Ask them for referrences and if any pan out maybe you can get down to say $80.00 or $85.00/month.

Thier is always a way to work it out. It's all how look at it.

WELL IT DEPENDS ON WHAT MARKET YOU WANT TO WORK FOR.

There is a market selling to the fixed income bracket of senior citizens, and if that floats your boat, fine.

Discounting works for my brother-in-law who sells sports "medicine" and vitamins, but he is selling product and not time.

I don't give discounts, not even the senior discount. My market is not to the fixed income people who want "Wal-Mart" pricing.