When Clients Ask For Discounts

How many of your window cleaning customers ask for discounts? Here's Jurgen Appelo talking about affordability & vendors. Why are clients entitled to ask this question?

When Clients Ask for Discounts, Ask Them ... Why? (By JURGEN APPELO, Writer, Speaker, Entrepreneur, CEO of Happy Melly). I bought several new vests recently. One was from G-Star, another from Banana Republic. They were not cheap, but not unreasonably expensive, either. I paid the price the shop asked from me. What I did not do was haggle over the price with the vendor.

As a professional public speaker, I have fees, as well, which are listed publicly on my website. I am not cheap, but I'm also not unreasonably expensive. And I always try to be transparent in my pricing. That means that I prefer not to waste my time on price negotiations. Sometimes, though, potential clients contact me and say, "We'd love to hire you as a speaker. But can we get a discount?" I've found a great way to deal with these discount requests: I ask my customers, "Why?"

My usual reply also includes something alone the lines of, "Is there a specific reason you believe you are entitled to a discount?" Without my directly saying yes or no, I've thus bounced the question back to the customer(s), forcing them to consider what they're asking and to give them a chance to point out something that could be of value to me.

Sometimes, clients tell me they cannot afford my standard fee, so they're hoping to get me at half my regular price. Sometimes, they even ask me to do my work for free. "It will be a great opportunity to present your book!" they say. But this always baffles me. I have never considered asking G-Star or Banana Republic to sell me a vest at half the price, or to just give it away for free: "It will be a great opportunity to show off your t-shirts!"

If I found such vendors too expensive, I wouldn't have shopped with them at all. Instead, I would have checked out H&M or Zara. So, faced with the discount question, my next move is to tell such clients that I will happily refer them to other speakers.

Sometimes, clients are so big or famous and consider themselves so important, that the magnitude of their arrogance itself seems to qualify them for a discount. They say (or at least obviously think): "You will be able to add our name to your list of clients!"

Fortunately, my own arrogance is quite flexible and, when needed, strong enough to match that of the client: "Indeed, I will! And you can tell everyone that I visited your company, after you paid what everyone else pays!"

Sometimes, clients just love haggling, assuming there are always margins that can be squeezed. My problem with this attitude is that such clients assume that I am intentionally overpaid and that, with some negotiation, it should be possible to talk the fee down to the "proper" price. In other words, they assume I have a lack of integrity (i.e., I'm asking too much.)

Another possibility is that they assume that I so desperately need the sale that I'm willing to be underpaid, which (to me) seems like a lack of integrity on the side of the client. They might say, "You probably have a special price for friends," to which I might reply, "I have many friends and my fee is what they pay. I assume you want me to treat all my friends equally and fairly?"

And, last but not least, after I ask them, "Why?", the clients sometimes tell me, "Oh, never mind. We were just wondering." Then they proceed to pay my regular fee. I have no objections to that at all.

Notice that I don't say "no" to people who ask me for a discount. I merely ask them "Why?" because it's quite possible that they have a very good reason! It all comes down to customizing the value exchange.

It happens that some clients, for example, offer me a speaking opportunity right before or after an event that I have already booked in the same city. Having two or three events back-to-back in the same area saves me a lot of travel time and travel expenses. Obviously, that would be worth a #NoTravel discount.

It also happens sometimes that a client invites me for the third or fourth time. Obviously, I value repeat customers who develop a preference for a long-term relationship with me, which is worth a #RepeatBusiness discount.

There are some clients who order large quantities of my books. Despite the fact that authors like me earn very little per book in terms of royalties, I still appreciate that my message is distributed into the hands of many people. And so that scenario is worth a #BookOrders discount.

There is also value for me in being able to pick a topic of my own choosing and to experiment with unconventional ideas and formats in my presentations. Customers who give me the freedom to do whatever I want are entitled to an #Experimentation discount.

And then there is my much-beloved discount to discourage bureaucracy, which reduces my fee when clients don't ask me for contracts, tax records, travel receipts, bank statements, procurement forms, visa forms, birth certificates, etc. This #NoBureaucracy discount is basically a reward for good behavior.

There is something else important to realize here: All the good reasons for offering discounts that I listed above can (and should) be translated to clear, unambiguous pricing rules. After all, if you want to be seen as fair, transparent and honest, you have no other option than to apply the same rules (and discounts) to all your clients. And, yes, the rules are additive, and thus the discounts, cumulative.

When I introduce a new discount rule (sometimes because a client inspired me with a new good reason), I also decide on the start date of the new rule, as if I've just passed a new law. All customers invoiced on or after that date will be entitled to the same discount. They don't even have to remind me.

Today, I sent one of my clients an invoice with a #NoTravel discount. The client didn't ask for it. He didn't even know about it. But he earned it because he committed to adapt his own schedule to an existing conference I was attending so that I didn't have to make an extra trip.

It makes me feel good to offer a surprise discount to those who don't request one for no good reason. To make myself feel even better, I plan to be wearing one of my lovely new not-too-expensive vests.

How I Sell Without Using Discounts: People discount because they get desperate and they want to make some quick money. You’re training your customers not to purchase new things from you when they first come out, but to wait for a discount.  

Living Smart: Should I Get Professional Window Cleaning?

Mike Giustino, owner of Affordable Window Cleaning in Round Lake, Ill. Giustino says he can finish a project that would take a homeowner five hours in less than half the time.

Living Smart: Should I get a professional window cleaning? (By Shannon Antinori) - Clean windows can make your home brighter and improve its overall appearance. A professional window cleaning can also provide an early warning of potentially dangerous problems, according to owner Bill Volkart of Dazzle Services in Cincinnati, Ohio. Here are some reasons you should consider hiring a professional window cleaning service to keep your windows sparkling and functional.

1. Saving time Cleaning your windows can be a time-consuming project, according to Mike Giustino, owner of Affordable Window Cleaning in Round Lake, Ill. Giustino says he can finish a project that would take a homeowner five hours in less than half the time.

2. Spotting general problems A professional window washer can identify problems such as sashes that are painted shut, ill-fitting window screens, wood rot on windowsills or damaged or non-functional windows. Spotting the problems early can often save you a big expense later, Volkart says - and it could even save your life. "Little things like painted sashes and clogged channels might spell the difference between getting out in case of fire or being forced to take another way out of danger in a very stressful situation," Volkart says.

3. Removing insect infestations Bees and hornets sometimes build nests behind window shutters, and wasps can build paper nests between three-piece storm windows, according to Volkart. Ladybugs also can build nests in channels, making the windows hard to operate.

4. Extending the life of a window "Old aluminum screens left in place for years gradually etch a pattern of deposits on the glass, much like lime deposits in the shower," Volkart says. The etched glass is not only unattractive, but it is also more prone to cracks and chips. A professional window washer can restore the glass and extend your window's life with a treatment of muriatic acid or, in less severe cases, Bar Keepers Friend and grade 0000 steel wool, he says.

5. Providing the right window cleaning supplies and tools Professional window cleaners can ensure that the right products are used to clean glass without damaging it. If you have leaded glass or stained glass, you may be unintentionally damaging it by using an ammonia-based window cleaner, Volkart says. With repeated use, an ammonia-based cleaner can cloud leaded and stained-glass windows, and the damage can't be repaired, he cautions. Professional window washers also have the right equipment, such as ladders and telescoping window-washing tools, to safely clean hard-to-reach windows, according to Giustino.

6. Finding the cause of spots on your windows Puzzled about what's causing the spots on your glass? Your mulch may be to blame, Volkart says. "Cheap mulches often are infested with a fungus aptly named shotgun fungus," he explains. "When mature, the fungus shoots out black spores that glue themselves to glass and vinyl siding and are very hard to remove completely." A professional window-cleaning service can pinpoint the cause of the problem, and replacing your mulch with a higher-quality product can help your windows and siding stay cleaner and last longer, according to Volkart.

Before you hire a window cleaner How much window cleaning costs varies, but Volkart says you usually get what you pay for. Anyone with a bucket, squeegee and window mop can call himself or herself a window cleaner. "Ask questions before you hire just anyone," he advises. "A true professional will make sure your windows are not only clean, but functional and will advise you on ways to protect the biggest investment most people ever make - their home."

Giustino, who recommends getting your windows cleaned at least once per year, says it's important to ask for references and read reviews before hiring a window washer. "Ask them how long they've been in the business," he says. Giustino also recommends asking companies whether they clean windows with a hose or a power washer, and what types of products they use to wash windows.

Latest Spotlight On Falls From Height

Eric was injured in a fall from a roof while at work on Wednesday July 11th. He has been in ICU for several days with many broken bones and 2 collapsed lungs but is slowly making a recovery.

Benefit fund established for victim of fall (WENATCHEE) — Friends of a Wenatchee window cleaner injured in a severe fall last week seek donations to help his recovery. Eric Opel, owner of Eric’s Affordable Window Service, fell from a Chelan roof July 11 and suffered broken collar bones, ribs, shoulder blades and one arm, as well as collapsed lungs and a fractured lower vertebra. He remained Saturday in intensive care at Central Washington Hospital, in serious but stable condition. Donations to help his family with expenses can be made to the Eric B. Opel Benefit Fund at Cashmere Valley Bank, 1100 Maple Street, Wenatchee, or any Cashmere Valley Bank Branch.

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Illegal maid's garbage-chute escape ends in death - She plunged from 8th floor after trying to escape. An Asian housemaid plunged to her death from the eighth level into the building’s chute in Abu Dhabi after she tried to escape inspectors coming to the apartment for a washing offence, mistaking them for immigration law enforcers. After she heard the knocking on the door, the 28-year-old maid climbed out of the bathroom window, grabbed the sewage pipe and tried to climb down to the ground floor. But she lost her balance and plunged down to death into the chute.

A 28-year-old maid plunged to her death from the eighth floor of a building in Khalidiya area of Abu Dhabi on Saturday.

The inspectors had asked the maid to open the door to hand her a fine for violating Municipality’s laws on hanging the wash on the balcony but she thought they were there to arrest her for absconding from her sponsor. “This incident illustrates a permanent state of fear and anxiety suffered from the offenders of the immigration and labour laws…they just try to escape by any means even through this could cost them their lives,” said Colonel Rashid Mohammed Bursheed, director of the criminal investigation department. Bursheed said preliminary investigation ruled out criminal act but it was not clear whether the maid was on her own in that apartment. “We appeal for all people and establishments not to employ illegal migrants and to shut all doors that will encourage them to stay in the country illegally,” he said.

Mystery behind worker's horror plunge: A 20-year-old construction worker was fighting for his life last night after plunging at least six floors from a central Auckland building - in full view of his colleagues and horrified university students. The man, a contractor for Fletcher Construction, fell while working on the Auckland University of Technology's new 13-storey design and creative technologies building yesterday. Work was suspended at the site as police and Department of Labour investigators examined the scene. One colleague said he couldn't understand how the man could have fallen as he would have had to pass through a barrier to get outside. A witness said it appeared he fell from scaffolding on to a bin full of metal pipes. Students coming to and from class in another building saw the fall, and others heard the man hit the ground. Some onlookers thought he fell from at least the eighth floor, although a St John Ambulance spokesman said it was about the sixth floor.
The site was shut down about 2pm and the 250 workers sent home.

The student initially thought the worker was dead. "They covered him over him completely with jackets and we thought that was the end. No one did any CPR so we were pretty sure it was all over." The man "looked so young". "He was completely grey - all the colour had gone out of him. He had tattoos on his chest and they stood out heaps because he was so white." She said the workers who were first to their injured colleague took off his shirt straight away and then covered him with jackets.

FALL SURVIVORS

February 2012: Window cleaner Louisa Kuypers, 18, fell 30 metres from the roof of the Lion Breweries office building in Carlton Gore Rd, Newmarket. She was critically injured.
December 2011: Mikaela Blayney, 20, plunged six storeys during an acrobatic abseiling group's performance above Aotea Square. She broke only her cheekbone.
June 2011: A Wellington window washer fell from the fifth floor of a building and on to a car, only fracturing his big toe.
July 2010: A 15-year-old survived a 50m plunge from a balcony at the Proximity Apartments in Manukau, through a carpark roof on to a concrete floor. The teenager suffered broken bones and internal injuries.
August 2010: A North Shore 18-year-old fell seven storeys during a night of drinking and taking Ecstasy. She suffered breaks in her vertebrae, a punctured lung and three broken ribs.