Craig’s List
Posted on | October 8, 2007 | 2 Comments
I try very hard to keep reminding myself that everyone in this business probably has a different idea of success and a different reason and purpose for being in business to start with. Now that I’ve said that, I can tell you why I wanted to say it.
I get a lot of calls. A lot of long timers call to stay in touch and new reps call for information and advice. One question I can almost guarantee you I always hear from someone starting out is: “What’s the going rate”?
Well, I wish I knew. And the truth of the matter is that as a business person neither you or I should give a hoot what the going rate is. I really don’t care if you or anyone else makes a dollar more per inspection than I do. What I do really care about is paying my bills and having some money left over as a profit. Just paying the bills isn’t enough for me. And you may actually need one dollar more to break even. Everything’s different all over.
Now here’s the reason I have to remind myself that everyone’s purpose and needs are different. I had a rep call me to let me know about an ad for field reps on Craig’s list. She asked my opinion on doing inspections with pictures and a thirty question form for three dollars each. I nearly choked to death.
Now that I’m back home and recovering from the shock, I realize I may have given her some bad advice. I basically said she should not do them for three dollars. I said that because I know that I would not do them for that. However, and it’s a really big however, I am sure she is in an entirely different position than I am. Three dollar inspections may mean the difference between eating or not eating – I just don’t know.
Here’s another true story. The first and most important one to me is the incident that prompted me to start my web sites, my manual, this blog, the mentoring program and all the other stuff I do to help people. There was a retired couple out west that suffered a huge financial loss because they believed a company rep that sold them a bill of goods – you know, one of those get rich sales pitches. Well, the retired couple took money out of their retirement funds to set up a field service business to do work for this company and not even one assignment ever showed up. They nearly went under. That was when I decided the only way to fight back was by educating people so they would know enough about the business that they would not be taken-in like that couple was.
Here’s another. A lady called and told me about a tragic loss she had experienced. I could tell she was very close to the edge and then she told me that she didn’t need the money – she just needed to stay busy; to keep her mind off things. Well what in the world am I going to say in a case like that? We finally decided that she should try doing insurance inspections because their window for completion is much longer. She could go do them when she needed to keep her mind busy.
Another call was from a rep telling me about a web site that offers to get any person started in the field inspection business. The sales information states that you don’t have to really do anything. They will create your web site and give you some companies to call and the bucks will start pouring in. These are the stories that get me steaming mad.
So what am I saying? I think I am trying to say that I really can’t tell you what to charge or what the going rate is. I get calls regularly from two reps I helped start up earlier this year. Both of them have more business than I do! Looks like they make more than I do too. Neither of them took my advice on what to charge!
You’re going to have to decide for yourself. Do you need a profit to build your business or do you just need to make an extra two hundred dollars a month for prescriptions?
My day in the south end: (32•7.50). And a fringe benefit today. Pakak and I found a nice pecan tree by the side of the road – got a couple of quarts of pecans.
The manual will be ready by the 10th. A few new companies and the manual is printable now – all 288 pages.
Everyone believes that what suits him is the right thing to do.
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October 9th, 2007 @ 10:21 am
Terry-It’s me again I’m not able to get into the rep report.I had it email me my user name and password but it still says they are incorrect.Any ideas-
October 9th, 2007 @ 2:05 pm
I just sent you a new sign-in. Try it again.