ohio_grad_06
Well-Known Member
- Reaction score
- 581
Op, raise your prices. Seriously. If you are attracting the same traffic that Craigslist people attract, you are targeting the wrong people.
Me for example, I charge 40 just to look at something. If I am going onsite to work, I charge 40 to go out, 75 an hour, which is actually on the lower end. If I'm doing something like a reinstall or a cleanup and it's something they brought in, I charge 135. So they would have paid 40 up front, then 95 when they pick up. Even if half your clients flew the coop, if you are making say 60 bucks a job now, you would make the same money and half the work.
The key is people look at prices, sometimes especially middle age/older people have realized that you get what you pay for. In other words, if they think you are just another cheap tech, that's how they look at you and treat you. What you really are needing to do is to brand yourself as a professional.
Buy the better drives, offer them a year at least warranty and tell them if they have trouble, come back and you'll get it taken care of, which shows confidence in your work. However, make it clear that it covers issues with the drive, not if they download viruses etc onto their machines(extra cash for you).
In my opinion, don't even put your prices on your website. People may ask why, but if your prices aren't there, then people will call to ask prices and then you can give them your sales pitch. Getting them on the phone is half the battle.
If when you get people on the phone, if they say well X on craigslist is half your price, plant a seed of doubt about the craigslist person, and say "They may very well be able to fix your computer, but they may also make things worse. I have 2 successful stores and do a large volume of business, and that for their rates, they have to be barely making a profit. We know what it costs to do the job right."
Something to that effect. But you are basically saying the guy on craigslist may be able to fix your computer, but if they were that good, they'd have a shop, or make the customer realize the craigslist guys are most likely cutting corners, and do they want their machine fixed cheap, or do they want it fixed right? You aren't selling pricing, you are selling quality. If you get a client that is ready to walk, let them. Show you are the owner, if they gripe about the price, tell them look, I charge the same price for everyone across the board, I can't give you a price break and be fair to the other people. Raise prices, stick to your guns, and you'll start weeding out the cheap clients as they'll go to the guys on craigslist.
When you raise prices though, do it in increments. In other words, if your cleanup rate is 60, make it 70 or 75. When people are used to that, in 4 or 6 months, go to 85, and so on until you are where you want to be. But don't be the guy willing to work for peanuts, if you come across like that, you'll attract cheap clients. In my experience, my cheap clients are the biggest pain in the rear to deal with, because if one thing is off in the least, they are on the horn and want it fixed then and there. My normal clients, I fix their computer and don't hear from them for a year or so, but they are happy, and many of them when they have a problem, give me a ring.
As far as advertising I agree. In our town, there's a paper that people read almost religiously. Take out 3-4 classified ads. Even if they say the same thing. Let them end up the classifieds so it's there a few times, that way people are more likely to see it. The more they see your name, the more they think of you when they have problems.
Me for example, I charge 40 just to look at something. If I am going onsite to work, I charge 40 to go out, 75 an hour, which is actually on the lower end. If I'm doing something like a reinstall or a cleanup and it's something they brought in, I charge 135. So they would have paid 40 up front, then 95 when they pick up. Even if half your clients flew the coop, if you are making say 60 bucks a job now, you would make the same money and half the work.
The key is people look at prices, sometimes especially middle age/older people have realized that you get what you pay for. In other words, if they think you are just another cheap tech, that's how they look at you and treat you. What you really are needing to do is to brand yourself as a professional.
Buy the better drives, offer them a year at least warranty and tell them if they have trouble, come back and you'll get it taken care of, which shows confidence in your work. However, make it clear that it covers issues with the drive, not if they download viruses etc onto their machines(extra cash for you).
In my opinion, don't even put your prices on your website. People may ask why, but if your prices aren't there, then people will call to ask prices and then you can give them your sales pitch. Getting them on the phone is half the battle.
If when you get people on the phone, if they say well X on craigslist is half your price, plant a seed of doubt about the craigslist person, and say "They may very well be able to fix your computer, but they may also make things worse. I have 2 successful stores and do a large volume of business, and that for their rates, they have to be barely making a profit. We know what it costs to do the job right."
Something to that effect. But you are basically saying the guy on craigslist may be able to fix your computer, but if they were that good, they'd have a shop, or make the customer realize the craigslist guys are most likely cutting corners, and do they want their machine fixed cheap, or do they want it fixed right? You aren't selling pricing, you are selling quality. If you get a client that is ready to walk, let them. Show you are the owner, if they gripe about the price, tell them look, I charge the same price for everyone across the board, I can't give you a price break and be fair to the other people. Raise prices, stick to your guns, and you'll start weeding out the cheap clients as they'll go to the guys on craigslist.
When you raise prices though, do it in increments. In other words, if your cleanup rate is 60, make it 70 or 75. When people are used to that, in 4 or 6 months, go to 85, and so on until you are where you want to be. But don't be the guy willing to work for peanuts, if you come across like that, you'll attract cheap clients. In my experience, my cheap clients are the biggest pain in the rear to deal with, because if one thing is off in the least, they are on the horn and want it fixed then and there. My normal clients, I fix their computer and don't hear from them for a year or so, but they are happy, and many of them when they have a problem, give me a ring.
As far as advertising I agree. In our town, there's a paper that people read almost religiously. Take out 3-4 classified ads. Even if they say the same thing. Let them end up the classifieds so it's there a few times, that way people are more likely to see it. The more they see your name, the more they think of you when they have problems.
