Competing on price

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CalicoFraming
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Competing on price

Post by CalicoFraming »

Just had a customer come in whose opening gambit was 'I'm looking for cheap frames'. Groan...

On the one hand I'm just starting out as a business and don't want to risk losing my first customers by quoting too high, but on the other hand I want to compete for custom on the quality of work and service I offer, not on price.

Any advice?

:sweating:
Roboframer

Re: Competing on price

Post by Roboframer »

I tell them I'm competitive and not necessarily cheap - if they want that there's Ikea etc.
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JohnMcafee
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Re: Competing on price

Post by JohnMcafee »

I direct that type of customer to our range of cheap readymades (kept specifically for that purpose).

If it turns out that they really need a bespoke frame, it gives the perfect opening to explain the difference between made-to-measure and off-the-peg, and why they are not similarly priced.
"A little learning is a dangerous thing"

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David McCormack
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Re: Competing on price

Post by David McCormack »

I have never walked into any shop or business and asked straight off for something cheap. Nobody wants customers like that and it is easiest just to send them off somewhere else. But, we need to educate our customers all about professional bespoke framing.

Tell them every aspect of your services, products and all about you and the personal service you provide. Talk about your interests in art, photography or whatever. Tell them what they get for their money and if after all that they still want cheap then send them somewhere else, it’s just not worth doing cheap prices for anyone.

Convert a customer into paying your prices (proper prices for a bespoke framer) and you should have a customer for a life and they will recommend you. Selling lower priced ready made frames is ok but never sell cheap bespoke work just to win a new customer. Never compete on prices but always compete on the quality of your work and service.

It’s all about educating customers so they understand the benefits of bespoke picture framing and if you do (if we all do) then that will benefit all of us. When one of your customers (who enjoys good service and quality framing and doesn’t have a problem paying a fair price) relocates to another part of the country, they will seek out a professional bespoke framer with a reputation and not walk into the first place they find and ask straight off for cheap frames.

It’s all about education education education.
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mikeysaling
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Re: Competing on price

Post by mikeysaling »

Have you worked out a price structure yet ? Lots on forum about pricing. But for us - our price is our price for all the world to see on our website - no deviations ! Tips are accepted of course :lol:
when all is said and done - there is more said than done.
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Re: Competing on price

Post by Jonny2morsos »

Did you set out to be a pile'em high sell'em cheap type of business? I suspect not, so he is not your target customer and no need to lose any sleep over it.

If you want to offer some budget frames then use up your offcuts to make std size ready mades or even buy in some cheap moulding and make a batch.

I have just taken an order which included Anti Reflective UV glass which added £98 to the order. These are the type of customers we all need.
CalicoFraming
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Re: Competing on price

Post by CalicoFraming »

Thanks everyone, I think I just needed to told what I already knew.

My prices aren't outrageous, but they're not IKEA either, or even, possibly, the local high street frame shop. But I think they're justified - the job in question is to build a number of oak tray frames for oil paintings on board. She wants a very narrow face to the rim, say 6mm, and a 2mm clearance between the art and the frame. So I'm going to be routing out oak, which ain't cheap anyway, building sub-frames, all with very tight tolerances, using carpentry skills and equipment, expertise and design know-how, and of course plenty of time making sure it's all made precisely. And it needs to be done at short notice. So proper bespoke framing.

The customer, incidentally is an artist, and has taken the view that she may not sell her work and so doesn't want to spend too much on frames. This is nonsense logic, I know. Also nonsense is that she's previously had work framed in London and is assuming that because I'm not London-based, and also because I work from home, I'll be dirt cheap. I've told her already that this is necessarily a safe assumption.

I'm thinking I might try to get her back to sit down and look at prices and options. I have a feeling if I email her a quote that she thinks isn't cheap enough, I'll never get the chance to justify the cost. Does that sound like a sensible plan?
stcstc

Re: Competing on price

Post by stcstc »

if you dont need real oak, there are oak finish mouldings which can be used to create the look your talking about

and actually they are not that expensive either

arquadia and simons both do a range

also if you buy a bare oak moulding and cut it on its side it will also create the look your talking about without any other work,
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Re: Competing on price

Post by Mary »

Did you get her phone number? I've found that clients I speak to on the phone are a few thousand percent more likely to go through with a job than those I quote by email. Not because I'm good at selling (I'm rubbish) but generally people are lazy about responding to emails or even reading them properly, plus I'm able to put over a more interested and enthusiastic attitude if I'm actually having a conversation. Make sure you ask her about her art, artists love to talk about their work :wink:
CalicoFraming
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Re: Competing on price

Post by CalicoFraming »

Thanks Steve, you're right of course about turning the moulding over. It's pretty much what I'm planning, but I'm going to have to extend the rebate, hence the routing. Also, the boards are only 6mm thick and she doesn't want them glued in, so I think a subframe will be necessary so I can screw it into the moulding. Unless there's another method I've not thought of? Not sure I want to get into imitation mouldings - personal preference ,I guess - and also my pricing relies very heavily on charging for my time and not so much on material costs, so not sure it'll bring down the price that much. Thanks for the suggestions anyway!

Mary, that's great advice about not emailing. I'll definitely call or invite her round. I know she's already impressed with what I do ('I wish I'd found you sooner', she said) but I've just got to get her to overturn her ideas about how much she needs to pay for this sort of thing.

Will let you know how it goes
:)
stcstc

Re: Competing on price

Post by stcstc »

the rebate should cover a 6mm panel

what you could do is put a pice of MDf the size of the internat of the frame flush with the bottom of the rebate, then you have a whole flat surface to attach to, if that makes sense
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Re: Competing on price

Post by John Ranes II, CPF, GCF »

David,

As you are just starting out, it might be important to recognize that many folks walking into a frame shop for the first time, simply declare that they want something inexpensive because they don't know what else to say. They also might want something nicely done, something that gets them excited, but they don't know what that is?

It's your job to show them!
"We've got lot's of framing and pricing options and I'm sure we can find something that will work within your budget. Let's take a look at your picture and start there.... Ahhh, this is interesting. Were you going to hang this at home or in the office? Can you tell me what you had in mind?... "
A couple of key things to remember...
  • Customers engage with people and ideas much more than with products and offerings!
  • Make a shift in your focus and think in terms of helping the customer with what they want and NOT what you offer.
  • Allow your customer to buy and don't sell them.
  • Recognize that custom framing is an emotional purchase.
Understanding these elements in the selling process will increase the likelihood of closing the sale for you, when Price does not become the deciding factor.

John
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IFGL
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Re: Competing on price

Post by IFGL »

this is true, I had someone come in a few months back , he declared the same, something cheap to go round his 4 prints, he actually talked himself into spending over £800 on the 4.
CalicoFraming
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Re: Competing on price

Post by CalicoFraming »

Thanks for all this, much appreciated as always :-)
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Jonny2morsos
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Re: Competing on price

Post by Jonny2morsos »

You mentioned a 2mm clearance between the art and the frame. Have you actually handled the customers work and checked they are square?

Artists are notorious for cutting pieces of board by eye and wondering why our perfect 90 degree corners don't match up with their artwork. I also know of a very successful artist who paints on board and then adjusts the final composition with a saw on his bench!
CalicoFraming
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Re: Competing on price

Post by CalicoFraming »

Yes, J2M, checked for squareness and all ok...

and stuck to my guns and quoted what I thought the job was worth.... but didn't get it. That said, the artist did say she thought the pricing was reasonable, it was just she wasn't confident about selling the work so didn't want to spend money on frames :Slap:

but it's a relationship I'll develop anyway - I figure going the extra mile for a customer even just to get a quote together establishes goodwill and hopefully word will get around.

Bloomin' annoying though, all the same
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Re: Competing on price

Post by nickhood »

I had that when i first started and fell in to the same trap of not wanting to loose the few customers i had. Luckily a fellow framer of many years took me under his wing and told me not to under value my skill. Your framing their picture because they cant!! Ask them how much their last car service cost or if they asked for a cheap service.

Best analogy i heard was " its the price of a meal out for two and will last a lot longer"

I have also had the IKEA price dropped in to conversation, followed by it doesn't quite fit my picture could you cut a new mount and try to make it a litle stronger and change the fixings on the back and put glass in instead of cheap perspex and oh you want me to pay of that as well.

Luckily the vast majority of my customers come back and are happy with the prices i charge and when they say " Wow that's great, its priceless.
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