What would you do?

[Russell]

A said:

I see nothing has changed here in the year I've been away!

Same old pregnant doging!!!!

I see a particular female member returns to the other site & embarrasses herself with idiotic comments!

I'm glad I set up my own blinds business ... more money in the bank than I could ever have hoped staying with thingyHeadaries!

Those of you that want to stay with them, then fine ... just don't knock those that know the true potential of what is out there WITHOUT the help of Loseries!

Quality products & professional back up from suppliers is taken as read! None of this DOR'ing that occurs week in - week out with this shower!

I don't need to generate the volume of leads that seems to drive many of you forward. I can make considerable money on fewer orders. I have time for myself & my family & have had many a day off & yet still getting calls for business.

One regular customer orders blinds from me by supplying their own sizes whilst asking me to choose the nearest cream, silver or whatever for them. I even get my suppliers to deliver the blinds direct.
One recent order from them was for 11 venetian blinds for £1200. Profit £790!!!! All done over the phone. Delivered within 10 days. Paid in full. All done over the phone whilst out fishing!

So, please don't knock us for getting out there & trying something different.
Don't be swept up with the Silliards brain washing that you can't survive without their help!

You blo0dy well can!

Who are you ???or do you remain anon to your customers too ,as in do you wear a mask as you sell

[red]

I don’t post much on either here or the original board these days and don’t log on as much as I used to as I find it very sad to see so many advisors having a go at each other for what amounts to, just difference of opinion. Those very same advisors would probably get on very well together in a pub.
Every one is entitled to their opinion; its how you deliver that opinion that counts and how you react to an opinion. You can not force your ideals on to someone else; they have their own pre set ideas of what they want from life.
You can debate it but you can not force it. Either side of an argument is always open to conjecture and so it should be. It should never deteriate in to playground stuff so I ask you all to respect each others opinions as adults should, and show a little respect to each other as well. I have met many of you over the years and never, not got on with any of you.
Any way, small rant over.

Now to something I spotted this week that has taken a while to sink in to my fast diminishing grey matter.
I hope it sparks a mature debate to take us away from the usual slinging matches.
We all receive a weekly report of how well each and every one of us is doing against the rest of their own region, (I am pretty sure this is intentionally done to create un-rewarded competition) but that’s another debate.
What struck me was the amount of leads each and every one of us is doing in my region.
When I ran my own business(PRE CLG) I was doing 3 days a week selling and going out to an average of 15 leads a day, so 45 in all, a week. My sale to quote was an average of around 85% consistently. I was always booked up for around a week, and more sometimes, it never affected my sales as it weeded out the time wasters and I found I was only left with genuine customers.
I was not the biggest seller by any means in my area.
When I look at the table now, it shows very few advisors are doing more than 20 leads a week my self included. It shows average sale to quote somewhere in the region of only 60% across the board.
Average order value is down. This has all been a trend for the past 4 years. (Post CLG time if you like).
So if this is a trend all over the country then are Hillary’s still making a profit. If so how?
Are they selling more blinds online?
Is it the specialist stuff that is keeping them afloat?
Are they really worth 200 million plus?
Now we have conflicting evidence of how well or not the company is doing. We are told they are doing well by any fsm but speak to any driver or any one at H/O and they will tell you otherwise. A despatch warehouse that is never as full as it once was is a prime example.

[grumperbear]

My conversion rate use to be about 80% no discounts given.
Appointments 9 per day for 2 days a week, remaining days fitting.
Diary was always full.

Now 60% conversion, bigger discounts given to gain orders.
Some days the diary is empty or nearly empty.
New agents taken on.
Orders made within minutes ( due to streamlining manufacturing........) or according to the service centre they have very little work coming in.
Quality of blinds is not that good.
New owners will be making cost saving before very long.

[hereticus]

red said:

I don’t post much on either here or the original board these days and don’t log on as much as I used to as I find it very sad to see so many advisors having a go at each other for what amounts to, just difference of opinion. Those very same advisors would probably get on very well together in a pub.
Every one is entitled to their opinion; its how you deliver that opinion that counts and how you react to an opinion. You can not force your ideals on to someone else; they have their own pre set ideas of what they want from life.
You can debate it but you can not force it. Either side of an argument is always open to conjecture and so it should be. It should never deteriate in to playground stuff so I ask you all to respect each others opinions as adults should, and show a little respect to each other as well. I have met many of you over the years and never, not got on with any of you.

How refreshing ? Well said, Red.

[A N Other Guest]

russell said:

A said:

I see nothing has changed here in the year I've been away!

Same old pregnant doging!!!!

I see a particular female member returns to the other site & embarrasses herself with idiotic comments!

I'm glad I set up my own blinds business ... more money in the bank than I could ever have hoped staying with thingyHeadaries!

Those of you that want to stay with them, then fine ... just don't knock those that know the true potential of what is out there WITHOUT the help of Loseries!

Quality products & professional back up from suppliers is taken as read! None of this DOR'ing that occurs week in - week out with this shower!

I don't need to generate the volume of leads that seems to drive many of you forward. I can make considerable money on fewer orders. I have time for myself & my family & have had many a day off & yet still getting calls for business.

One regular customer orders blinds from me by supplying their own sizes whilst asking me to choose the nearest cream, silver or whatever for them. I even get my suppliers to deliver the blinds direct.
One recent order from them was for 11 venetian blinds for £1200. Profit £790!!!! All done over the phone. Delivered within 10 days. Paid in full. All done over the phone whilst out fishing!

So, please don't knock us for getting out there & trying something different.
Don't be swept up with the Silliards brain washing that you can't survive without their help!

You blo0dy well can!

Who are you ???or do you remain anon to your customers too ,as in do you wear a mask as you sell

Totally wrong guess!

I would like to add to my previous posting that as far as out-goings are concerned in terms of lead-generation & general running costs .... this is nowhere as expensive as some will have you believe!
If you rely on paper advertising though, you'll fall flat on your face!
You need to have about a dozen methods of generating leads at any one time. Most of these will cost you nothing or very little to do!
Just be pro-active!!!
You don't even have to live off the back of Silliards to get leads ... although it is great when you get to take the business off them!

Happy hunting!

[brian]

[/quote]


Totally wrong guess!

I would like to add to my previous posting that as far as out-goings are concerned in terms of lead-generation & general running costs .... this is nowhere as expensive as some will have you believe!
If you rely on paper advertising though, you'll fall flat on your face!
You need to have about a dozen methods of generating leads at any one time. Most of these will cost you nothing or very little to do!
Just be pro-active!!!
You don't even have to live off the back of Silliards to get leads ... although it is great when you get to take the business off them!

Happy hunting![/quote]

Please PM me, maybe we can swop ideas, I would be interested in talking with you. I'm about ready to make the move and leave this shower