If you listen to my dad like I do he gives you encouraging tidbits of information about running your own business. And then he gives you some zingers like, “Hey April, don’t get discouraged, running a business is like constantly getting hired and fired!”
With my business I have to put in a lot of work in order to “get” the job and there is no guarantee I will get it. Sometimes I have to drive a longer way, or explain things a little bit more, while investing time going over all the measurements and creating quotes and plans. I enjoy doing these things especially drawing the plans for a kitchen. I love kitchens! But it is a lot of work ahead of time before actually getting the job.
And then Mr. Know-it-All gives me his thoughts and says if I follow up too much I am “bothering” people and I won’t get the job. On the other hand, if I don’t follow up and my competitor does, he might get the job! He could seem more available, more caring, maybe more charming….I don’t know but if you don’t get in there, and give it the exact right amount of attention you are less likely to get the job. Or the fact that maybe they didn’t like you very much. That’s tough, I really hate finding out someone doesn’t like me. Really that is not fun. (That will be another blog post).
Then there are the jobs you do not want to get because after visiting with the potential customer you find that it might not be a good fit for you. Now who’s doing the firing? AKA; a “PIB” customer. If you want to know what that stands for email me 😉 With the PIB” people you just give them a “PIB” price so if you actually have to do it, its “possibly” worth it.
On the other hand, most of the time….I would say 90% of the time you want to get all the jobs you measure and quote for. I have sort of a system where you figure out what is the appropriate time to follow up and realize what is “too quick” of a follow up time. Then I can try to act nonchalant while tossing my hair in the wind and pretending I didn’t want to do the job anyway. That works if your a good actor, and if you’re not, like me you just have to be real and say, “are you sayin’ I have a chance?” (In your best Jim Carey voice).
So I ask Dad, “What’s the deal with getting hired or fired? Is that fun to you?” He said, “The fun part is always being hired, and the hard part is being fired because you feel rejection. But the challenge is your next job, your next bid, and you continually do that on a daily basis. My way of dealing with the rejection is going forward on bidding the next job.”
On the other hand, what Mr. Know-it-All calls the perfect job is where you are responsible for your work to get done in an eight hour time period, get paid, and go home and not have to think about said job until you clock in again. I have to say Mr. Know-it-All has a relaxing version of jobs.
Which one fits you?
I am not sure I fit in to either one. I thrive on competition and getting a job I tried for. I love the challenge of it all. I also thrive on doing something someone told me I could never do. That’s always fun! And if I get paid for it, go home and not think about it till I am back…….that’s a good job too.
But for you….you could be the hire and fire type, you could be the Mr. Know-it-All type, or you could be my type the type that thrives on both. Either or you will only thrive on what works for you best and what motivates you.
All I know is thinking about all of this reminds me of some follow ups I need to make. Back to trying to get hired!
your custom cabinet girl