Example Of What Happens When You Help A Buyer Make A Better Buying Decision

The printed brochure is just one part of the equation.

The sales staff are providing that guide along with another about selecting a framer and the methods that are used when their job is being done. The other material compares how different methods can yield different results and that they should be aware of the consequences of using...usually in our case...an unqualified competitor.

This is also why we branded just one part of the process because other competitors don't and can't offer the process.

We also have a "ten questions to ask your framer before he frames your pictures" guide.

In many cases when we have provided a quote we will actually refer several competitors for the prospect to visit and we usually explain that the reason we are referring those particular businesses are that they have qualified staff and a good reputation.

It will usually be a competitor business that has had some of their staff trained by me in the past or colleagues with who we've be through various courses or events with.

Usually those referrals are for businesses that are out of our immediate catchment and we tell people...look if you are going to shop around at least let me save you the time by giving some of the better operators out there.

This usually accompanied with "We know these guys do a good job" "They may not be the cheapest or the closest but then they are professionals and qualified tradespeople like ourselves"

It is surprising how many referrals we get coming the other way because most of the better operators out there know each other and we do have a general ethical standard and in many cases a reputation or qualification that we need to adhere to.

Because my custom framing business is more about lifetime relationships with both my clients competitors and prospects I'm never concerned to just provide sound advice and work on maintaining our professional approach and if the prospect decides they bond better with one of my competitors then there is usually a reason for that and that is that they were not our ideal fit in the first place.

Much like some of the training I do for hobby picture framers.

My approach is that they are custodians of the art that they are framing and it is my duty to make sure they do the right thing so in my training I don't hide methods or skirt around the best methods of achieving a result.

I give willingly and unconditionally to all the people I've taught over the years and mostly our selling process is educational also because once you have educated the prospect they become that much closer to you regardless of whether you sold them something or not.