Hey guys and gals, I have been an on and off again lurker of this forum for a while but something has been bugging me and I don't see much talk about it (correct me if I am wrong) so I am forced to bring up the subject.
If any of you guys have been in sales for a while then this Q is geared towards you.
Do you pre-qualify/vet/screen potential clients over the phone?
By this I mean, over the phone do you...:
a) see if they are the right fit for?
--some customers just aren't the right fit, perhaps you like to specialize in big jobs but they have a small job or vice versa. Or another example, through pre-qualification you learn that the DBH is in the 4+ foot range and you just don't have the equipment for it. Or perhaps you can just clearly tell that they are going to be a pain in the ***. I know some tree guys don't like walking away from jobs but for your sake and everyone's sake, this should happen more if a customer is not a good fit.
b) Discuss a budget range at all with them?
--Yes, yes, I know there are a million variables that can affect the final cost of pruning/removing a tree. But by asking a few questions over the phone, do you think it is possible to give a reasonable price range for a job. "Based on that little bit of information you have given me sir, you are looking at something in the $1,500 to $2,000 range. We can certainly come out and have a look at it to give you an exact quote but based on what you have told me this appears to be a fair price range for the work. With that being said, are you still interested in us coming out for a visit?"
Or something along those lines.
Many of us drive here, there, and everywhere for quotes only to take up tons of our time and energy and in the end not get the job. Could this pre-qualification work?
If so, what 4 or 5 questions do you think would be the most important questions to ask to determine a price range. After all, I don't want to patronize them by asking, "and how wide is your side gate?" "how many feet would you say from the back of your house to the trunk of the tree?" "is there dog crap in your yard?" I am just curious what you would say are the 4 or 5 most important questions to ask over the phone. I would imagine they would have to be basic questions, rather than asking the height of the tree in feet (because people can suck at this), ask if it is taller than a stop light, or city hall or something.
My guess if I were to give 4 at the top of my head although I am sure I am missing some important Q's:
1) "do you know what kind of tree it is?"
2) "front yard or backyard? (if backyard then good to see how far back)
3) "what is under the radius of the tree?" (fence, shed, house, etc.)
4) How big is the trunk, can a normal adult wrap their arms around it? (probably a better way to word this)
Over the phone, we cannot determine whether a tree needs to be climbed, bucket, or felled although we can get a rough idea, which is why I wonder if we should give a rough idea as to the price.
Thanks for taking the time to read/respond to this long thread.
Aaron
If any of you guys have been in sales for a while then this Q is geared towards you.
Do you pre-qualify/vet/screen potential clients over the phone?
By this I mean, over the phone do you...:
a) see if they are the right fit for?
--some customers just aren't the right fit, perhaps you like to specialize in big jobs but they have a small job or vice versa. Or another example, through pre-qualification you learn that the DBH is in the 4+ foot range and you just don't have the equipment for it. Or perhaps you can just clearly tell that they are going to be a pain in the ***. I know some tree guys don't like walking away from jobs but for your sake and everyone's sake, this should happen more if a customer is not a good fit.
b) Discuss a budget range at all with them?
--Yes, yes, I know there are a million variables that can affect the final cost of pruning/removing a tree. But by asking a few questions over the phone, do you think it is possible to give a reasonable price range for a job. "Based on that little bit of information you have given me sir, you are looking at something in the $1,500 to $2,000 range. We can certainly come out and have a look at it to give you an exact quote but based on what you have told me this appears to be a fair price range for the work. With that being said, are you still interested in us coming out for a visit?"
Or something along those lines.
Many of us drive here, there, and everywhere for quotes only to take up tons of our time and energy and in the end not get the job. Could this pre-qualification work?
If so, what 4 or 5 questions do you think would be the most important questions to ask to determine a price range. After all, I don't want to patronize them by asking, "and how wide is your side gate?" "how many feet would you say from the back of your house to the trunk of the tree?" "is there dog crap in your yard?" I am just curious what you would say are the 4 or 5 most important questions to ask over the phone. I would imagine they would have to be basic questions, rather than asking the height of the tree in feet (because people can suck at this), ask if it is taller than a stop light, or city hall or something.
My guess if I were to give 4 at the top of my head although I am sure I am missing some important Q's:
1) "do you know what kind of tree it is?"
2) "front yard or backyard? (if backyard then good to see how far back)
3) "what is under the radius of the tree?" (fence, shed, house, etc.)
4) How big is the trunk, can a normal adult wrap their arms around it? (probably a better way to word this)
Over the phone, we cannot determine whether a tree needs to be climbed, bucket, or felled although we can get a rough idea, which is why I wonder if we should give a rough idea as to the price.
Thanks for taking the time to read/respond to this long thread.
Aaron
