You’re standing in line at the grocery store, and you remember that you need a 4-pack of AA batteries. Which battery brand do you choose? Myself, I’m a sucker for the pink bunny Energizer brand, or it’s close rival, the ubiquitous Duracell. Ask me why and I’ll tell you that they last longer. But do […]
Thanks Keven some very good points there. I do my best to keep my pricing near the top. Some people will only buy cheap but most look for perceived value.
Thanks Clark, and good for you, man.
Smart.
The other lesson is that we don’t need to obsess over “quality” beyond the customers acceptable thresholds.
[B]Customer perception is everything![/B]
That’s the sign I have posted just above my employee time sheets.
Smart, Seth.
Developing the ability to look at ourselves and our services through the eyes of our clients is one of the most valuable business things we could ever do.
It really is all about marketing and brand recognition. I also have a furniture business. I build and sell patio furniture. My biggest enemy in making a profit is myself. I spend too much time trying to sand the wood to a quality smoothness. I am trying to remember that it is outdoor furniture, not a piece of fine furniture. I know I do the same thing with clients windows. I need to find a happy medium between quality and speed of my work. My bank account will be better for it I hope.
So true, Phil.
Obsession beyond genuine client satisfaction provides sharply diminishing returns.
Kevin, you have a silver tongue. You make it so much better than I could. By the way, thanks again for the phone call the other day. I am working on your suggestions.
Thanks Phil, that’s kind of you.
And good to hear.
I owe you a couple of links, too, I think.
Your point is well taken.
Though it is beside the point, I use rechargeable batteries. Pink bunny rechargeable batteries…and Apple ones too.
Out of curiosity, why did you choose the pink bunny rechargeables?
Honestly, it was because Target was selling them and a 15 min quick charger-- I’m inpatient.
However, I have always assumed that Energizer and Duracell were the best brands. I never figured there was much difference between the two though. But then again, I’ve never given much thought to battery brands.
I find it very interesting that the cheapy brands are just as good or better. I would have assumed that the cheapies would use inferior raw materials or processes… or something. Something to cut cost.
Who would have figured that it was the other way around. That the big brands were just jacking the price up for one reason-- because they can.
I like it.
We’re all suckers, aren’t we?
Myself included.
Unfortunately, as a one man show, I kind of have to do both.
I have found that I love the act of selling a window cleaning job or account or landing the job off of the website I built. I find that when it comes time to clean the glass, I don’t enjoy it nearly as much. I would guess this means that I need to build the company to the point where I have an employee(s) and I sell all day.
Kevin,
Great blog. Thanks for sharing it with us all. It’s true, you can waste lots of time detailing every spec of a window and the client only cares about you not dragging dirt in on their white carpet. I was happily surprised to see that Costco’s Kirkland brand scored the highest, since that’s the batteries I buy.
gotta get that book
that’s what works in local area markets, I am putting together a version of that and now I know what to call it: extreme specificty
as an added thought, quality needs to match to what one’s “ideal customer” expects, some company’s ideal customers may be those that are less picky, or plain old not picky at all. It would seem the opposite could also be valid too: that a company’s ideal customer that it caters too could be the most finicky out there, or at least a package option, even though those may be in the far minority vs the overall average of all customers.
I buy the energizer lithium for my cameras because they have the big 8x longer than alkalines on the package, [B]and[/B] they do last waaaaaaay longer, and recharge the flash waaaaaaaay faster.
That’s a good sign, Colm. Sounds like you’re leaning towards the marketer side.
Even if you stay a technician, you can be a marketer first. I know that some guys would never want others to work for them. Under any circumstances.
My pleasure, glad you enjoyed it.
And you’re so right about the unnecessary obsessions…
And nice work on the Kirkland’s!
Yes, you definitely DO have to get that book, it’s amazing. By far the best book I’ve read this year.
When you think about it, the Lithiums offer more for more, but they’re really not a better value at all.
Last 8 times longer, cost 8 times as much.
So they’re really selling convenience.
