Getting Discouraged

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jmellc

Senior Member
Location
Durham, NC
Occupation
Facility Maintenance Tech. Licensed Electrician
I'm not quite ready to close the doors, but who knows? I not only compete with every other electrician in my region but have to compete with leaf rakers, painters and handymen who "also do electrical work". I price work as fairly as I can, but I can't give it away. I price a job and customer says he'll call soon, then gets a leaf raker to do it for half my cost. I get a few repair jobs from the leaf raker's messes. Not many remodels or other projects being done. And I've had 2 people call that decided to call someone else because I couldn't get to them that same day. Someone else wants to loan me a farmhand as a helper to save $. Someone else wants to be helper so he can learn how to do it. Others "don't want to spend much but it needs to be well done and safe". An old flower child pulls out a bag of used devices she wants me to recycle, though they are not code compliant. A coworker of my wife is supposed to call and ask me to obtain a permit for them to do their own electrical work on their remodel. He's a GC in their town; wonder if he asked any of his regular electricians? I'll shut down before I pimp out my license. If anyone around here starts hiring, I just might let it go. My family has to eat and my wife's salary is stretched thin.
 
R

Rich R

Senior Member
in these rough times, salesmanship is everything.

It also could be where you are advertising. Are you advertising in those local papers ? I know when I used to do that the cheapest of the cheap were only customers I got out of it.
 
A

AV ELECTRIC

Senior Member
Put a renewed second effort into your business . When I go through times like these I remember my past looking for a job getting one finally then getting laid off as work gets slow then starting the process all over again . Not able to go to my kids events, working far from home at times and of coarse the politics . Then I realize its time to get back on the hoarse .
 
cowboyjwc

cowboyjwc

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Simi Valley, CA
It's always darkest before the storm. If you want to see a rainbow you have to stand a little rain. The grass is always greener....OK all that is just crap.:roll:

Hang in there, almost everyone is in the same boat. I'm actually surprised that so many people are shocked that they're slow. We have states, counties and cities going bankrupt with budgets of millions or even hundreds of millions of dollars.
 
growler

growler

Senior Member
Location
Atlanta,GA
It helps when discouraged to sing the lyrics to "Always Look on the Bright
Side of Life" from that great Monty Python movie "Life of Brian".
 
K

Kdog76

Senior Member
Location
The Dairyland State
I myself am pondering my estimates lately. Not my prices, but the process. So many of them take a lot of time and trying to weed out the ones who aren't serious is my new goal in salesmenship. I'm learning to ask the right questions before diving into the details.

Knowing when to drop out or stick another couple hours into a giving a price for a job requires a separate skill set. Salesmenship is #1. Can you turn this into a sale? I'm still learning on that one.

Are you a salesmen only secondary to your electrical skills? I was for my first 2 years on my own. I am turning things around fairly quickly and am adopting a different approach to my customers then I had in my past.
 
GUNNING

GUNNING

Senior Member
Location
Gainesville, Florida
Show trials .... and advertise...

Show trials .... and advertise...

Someone here said "everything comes to an end." I'm thinking that April 15 will bring in the work like before the housing bubble. I'm thinking increase your advertising and get out there and beat the bushes and find customers. Drive around at nite and find lights out at strip centers and stores. Drop a flier off at birthing centers offering to add afci smoke detectors and tamper resistant recetpacles and give a price list. Get a web page and advertise in (choke) Craigslist. Make it look good and hit those leaf rakers where they live. Advertise in your church or community newspapers. Offer senior citizen rates, (they have kids too) and are very cliquish. The word will spread and soon you will have enough work to pay for your over head.
It is tough out there right now. The money mess has really hammered everyone except the banks. You would think the Government would have prevented this mess instead of helping. Who would of thought Credit card debt would be held in the same reverence and traded the same as mortgages. Show trials we need show trials and let the media hire lots of gaffers to light the stages.
 
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Riograndeelectric

Senior Member
Location
Lakewood Colorado
It is so bad with my Business I am looking at taking a job( that is if I Can get one) at one of the bog box home improvement stores.
at least it would be a steady check with benefits ( I hope)
some one calls and asks me what my rates are per hour for service and I tell them they say that is to much and they will call some one else or Can you come down any on your rates . I bought a $70.00 ceiling fan and it is not worth paying $200.00 This is not a true figure just throwing this out as example) to have new wiring run and fan installed.

I think the old days of construction were one could make a decent profit and live comfortable are long gone never to return
seems like you Can go to the big box stores and they will give you all the advice on how to do electrical no charge but then do not give you the right advice.

1 customer told me they were over budget and wondered if I could come down in price other wise they were going to keep calling Electricians who could do the work that would fit there budget.
I did tell the customer I could come down in price if they were willing to change & delete a few things like dimmer switches, halogen flood bulbs different style can trims etc. never heard back form them.
 
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Riograndeelectric

Senior Member
Location
Lakewood Colorado
I look into being a home depot preferred installer but ran into issues with their contract for subs. they also set the pricing for installations so not much money in being a home depot or Lowe's installer
 
W

WinZip

Senior Member
Riograndeelectric said:
It is so bad with my Business I am looking at taking a job( that is if I Can get one) at one of the bog box home improvement stores.
at least it would be a steady check with benefits ( I hope)
some one calls and asks me what my rates are per hour for service and I tell them they say that is to much and they will call some one else or Can you come down any on your rates . I bought a $70.00 ceiling fan and it is not worth paying $200.00 This is not a true figure just throwing this out as example) to have new wiring run and fan installed.

I think the old days of construction were one could make a decent profit and live comfortable are long gone never to return
seems like you Can go to the big box stores and they will give you all the advice on how to do electrical no charge but then do not give you the right advice.

1 customer told me they were over budget and wondered if I could come down in price other wise they were going to keep calling Electricians who could do the work that would fit there budget.
I did tell the customer I could come down in price if they were willing to change & delete a few things like dimmer switches, halogen flood bulbs different style can trims etc. never heard back form them.
Click to expand...


Riograndeelectric ,

If your having problems with lets say a price of 300 - start off with say 450 then when they ask you to do it cheaper drop to the 300 price , who knows it might just work.
 
480sparky

480sparky

Senior Member
Location
Iowegia
Riograndeelectric said:
.......I bought a $70.00 ceiling fan and it is not worth paying $200.00 ..... to have new wiring run and fan installed..............
Click to expand...

"Then you didn't buy an expensive enough ceiling fan. Take it back and find one for $700. THEN it will be worth $200 to wire it.":D

I've run into the same problem... "But I only paid $20 for the light!" Well, truth be told, my expenses to come install it are not dependent on what you paid for the light. Whether you paid $20, or two grand, it costs me the same to wire and install it.
 
petersonra

petersonra

Senior Member
Location
Northern illinois
Occupation
engineer
electricmanscott said:
Plain and simple, it is UGLY right now.
Click to expand...

yep.

you may need to start considering whether your business is worth enough to you to go into survival mode for a few months or maybe years.

few businesses are making record profits these days. many are just hanging on by cutting to the bone.

if what you have built is worth something, you need to cut where you can, even it is painful, just to stay afloat.

if what you have is not worth fighting for, go to work at HD.
 
brantmacga

brantmacga

Señor Member
Location
Georgia
Occupation
Former Child
480sparky said:
Time to learn a new trade: Sales.
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I've had my eyes opened to a lot of new things during the recent weeks, something to which i can't speak of at the moment but will share down the road, and sales is certainly part of it.

i've always fancied myself a good salesman; and i am.

but more important, i think, is the entire product.

selling, value, and product, are words that i've seen tossed around on this forum quite a bit and didn't really understand the true nature of it in the electrical business until recently.

your product is more than your installation. its the advertising, the initial phone call, the approach, the greeting, the diagnosis, the pitch, and much more.

there has to be a "wow" factor, as i think i've heard simon cowell say, when you meet with the customer. they have to remember you most among your competition; what are you doing to make them remember you, and more importantly buy from you?


Riograndeelectric said:
I think the old days of construction were one could make a decent profit and live comfortable are long gone never to return
seems like you Can go to the big box stores and they will give you all the advice on how to do electrical no charge but then do not give you the right advice.
Click to expand...

no!!! i was starting to fear that as well, but i'm telling you, there are customers out there eager to pay whatever it costs for a true professional.

i've been slammed with work, and going as fast as i possibly can to keep up.

anyhow, i'll stop here; hopefully i've given you something to think about.
 
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