Anyone watching The Apprentice ?

[Oscar Namechange]

I like some of the girls but what a shambles this year?

The Apprentice 'Finger of Fear' trailer - Series 9 2013 - BBC One - YouTube

And what's with that Welsh guys eyebrows?

Candidate Alex Mills

Attached files

[theia]

Yes, I'm watching. I always find it entertaining but I'm disappointed that they can't seem to find participants with a wee bit of integrity and who are less shouty.

[Oscar Namechange]

theia;1426533 wrote: Yes, I'm watching. I always find it entertaining but I'm disappointed that they can't seem to find participants with a wee bit of integrity and who are less shouty.


I am appalled at some of them Theia. If this Is meant to be the cream of the UK's young business people then the country is In trouble.

I was In sales for years and don't get me wrong, I don't know It all but I did survive many years In a male dominated company that was absolutely ruthless and cut throat.

I had a couple of mentors who were just pure genious but It's why I cringe still at re-runs of The Office because I also encountered many a David Brent but In my company, they had the life span of a gnat.

One of the things that got me about this years Apprentice candidates Is the 1970's tired of cliches. My main job In sales was training and motivating large Tele Sales rooms and that woman who went out first just made me cringe at her so called motivation. You do not motivate people with patronising ' oh well done you ' speak nor does whooping and shouting ' Let's go guys'... awful just awful.

Then last night... the team went to sell Beer at a wine bar... that's just stupidity.

I like some of the girls especially that one the others are all ganging up on. In sales, I noticed she has the gift of the assumptive close.... but the rest, this year are just a room full of ego's especially that Asian chap.

[gmc]

My wife watches it and i admit I do as well. When they put them together it's like none of them have ever had a job at all.

[Oscar Namechange]

gmc;1426555 wrote: My wife watches it and i admit I do as well. When they put them together it's like none of them have ever had a job at all. Another thing that gets me... They must surely have watched previous years series and would know that there are two things Lord Sugar will not tolerate. One Is arguing, screaming and shouting amongst themselves In the boardroom and the other Is bringing In the wrong person back Into the boardroom and wrongly blame them, yet they do it time and time again,

Another thing Is, In a team task, you find out what each Individuals strengths are and then allocate them accordingly yet they are all jumping In together so they can steal the limelight. Awful

[Bruv]

"gift of the assumptive close.... "

I had to google that, sales people are a different species aren't they?

Try and see it first as an entertainment program, hung loosely on the prospect of the supposed prize at the end.

They must mix the contestants up a bit or else nobody would want to watch it

[Oscar Namechange]

Bruv;1426615 wrote: "gift of the assumptive close.... "

I had to google that, sales people are a different species aren't they?

Try and see it first as an entertainment program, hung loosely on the prospect of the supposed prize at the end.

They must mix the contestants up a bit or else nobody would want to watch it The Assumptive Close Is more effective than any others although the Alternative Close works just as well.

The assumptive close Is where you are sending the buyer the signal that you believe you already have the deal, so you would say something like " I can see you want the product so let's talk a figure that you're happy with".

The alternative close Is based on the assumptive close but you say something like " I can see you want the product and I can offer two ways of doing this. I can do you half of the house at ££££ or I can do you the full house at a larger discount of £££... which do you prefer?

Both tend to force the buyer Into negotiating price.. so you end with " I need to make a phone call, but we have a deal at that price then?

The really best salespeople are those who are upsellers. You already have the deal but then you upsell.... "So we have a deal on 3 cases which will give you stock of 3 months but I'll tell you what, as this Is a one off price, to save you missing out on this kind of promotion when you need to buy more stock In 3 months time, I could see If I can get you 9 cases but with a larger discount? Surely that would be of Interest to you yes ????

[Bruv]

I have been in and around the Double Glazing business for many years, but on the production side.

I think sales people are a necessary evil, I don't have a very high opinion of their way of life...........but that is just me.

[Oscar Namechange]

Bruv;1426620 wrote: I have been in and around the Double Glazing business for many years, but on the production side.

I think sales people are a necessary evil, I don't have a very high opinion of their way of life...........but that is just me. That's complete twaddle.

Especially In the Double Glazing Industry, by law, there Is a 7 day cancellation period.

The process starts with the lead. A lead Is made by a cold caller and an appointment Is made within the next three days so It doesn't go cold. If the potential customer Is elderly and alone, they Insist that a relative or neighbour Is with them on ' the sit '.

The lead Is passed to the marketing manager who calls the potential customer the following day. It's designed to give weak leads a 24 hour cooling off period to change their mind about a rep calling.

Then, on the day of the appointment, the sales manager will call again to see If they are still fine with a rep calling. For one, the last thing he wants Is his rep driving 50 miles to be told on the doorstep that they have changed their mind.

If the rep sells on the night, by law there Is a 7 day cancellation clause and by law, the rep must point this out to them. If they call and cancel the deal the following day, It's known as ' Buyers remorse'

Of course the rep Is going to go after the deal, that's his bloody job but all through the process, the customer Is given an opportunity to change their minds.

A large amount of leads come from people calling Into branches or ringing the hot line. They still have to have a sales rep call because you can not give an accurate quote without measuring the windows accurately.

All DG companies can not charge for a quote. If they did, they'd be bankrupt within a year.

How people percieve DG companies Is a world away from the reality.

Take the company I worked for many years. Still thriving with 42 branches since the 70's turning over £300 million a year In sales. If their sales reps were the kind of people some o the public thought they were, simply, that would not be possible would It ?

But then having said that, there Is passive marketing and pro active marketing. Passive marketing see's huge running costs with little net profit. When someone Is phoned by a cold caller pro actively, more often than not, their lead will be someone who wanted high security windows but believed they had to put the entire outlay up front. When a rep can actually show them that they can get what they want at easy low monthly payments, they are the one's who will take the offer.

[Bruv]

I never mentioned DG salesmen......but as you did.....

I have entertained several sales people over the years, the most recent several years ago, that my wife had arranged to return without me knowing.

I told her how the sales talk would proceed ............and it did.

I know about special offers, and the 'One minute sir, lets see if I can get you a discount, I shall just give my senior a call' lot of old testes.

The original price is always cut by up to 75%, if you have a certain package, and have the board outside the house, and because there is a sales push in this area, the busy thoroughfare discount (even in a back street) and it is all time limited.

I had told my wife we would not be buying, I could get the same windows trade and fit them myself (and have done since) but despite my confessing this to the salesman,and he wouldn't take no for an answer when I declined the offer when he was virtually 'giving it away'. They then put you in the position of explaining why point by point I don't want his products at such a good price.

I ended up having to be rude, just to get the man out of the house.

I recently fitted a front door,fully glazed, 4 point locking, letterbox etc etc for about £360 and a Saturday afternoon of labour all up.

Several years ago this gent was quoting the best part of a £1000 for the same job.

Most of it his commision.

Have you had the KIrby Vacuum man around yet?

Don't !!!!

[Oscar Namechange]

Bruv;1426635 wrote: I never mentioned DG salesmen......but as you did.....

I have entertained several sales people over the years, the most recent several years ago, that my wife had arranged to return without me knowing.

I told her how the sales talk would proceed ............and it did.

I know about special offers, and the 'One minute sir, lets see if I can get you a discount, I shall just give my senior a call' lot of old testes.

The original price is always cut by up to 75%, if you have a certain package, and have the board outside the house, and because there is a sales push in this area, the busy thoroughfare discount (even in a back street) and it is all time limited.

I had told my wife we would not be buying, I could get the same windows trade and fit them myself (and have done since) but despite my confessing this to the salesman,and he wouldn't take no for an answer when I declined the offer when he was virtually 'giving it away'. They then put you in the position of explaining why point by point I don't want his products at such a good price.

I ended up having to be rude, just to get the man out of the house.

I recently fitted a front door,fully glazed, 4 point locking, letterbox etc etc for about £360 and a Saturday afternoon of labour all up.

Several years ago this gent was quoting the best part of a £1000 for the same job.

Most of it his commision.

Have you had the KIrby Vacuum man around yet?

Don't !!!!


I'm sorry you had a bad experience.

We actually monitored our sales reps very closely. for eg, a rep who had a high level of cancellations under the 7 day get out, we would know was saying to the customer ' Look just sign tonight and you can cancel In 7 days'... he would sell under the get out clause so he got his commission but they had the life span of a gnat. Each branch should have an average buyers remorse cancellation rate of around 10 %. Anything over that and alarm bells would ring.

My company was part of the Bowater Group and they did the manufacturing but because we turned over so much, we could remain competitive. I don't really want to go into elaborate details because your eyes will glaze over but buying trade and buying through a reputable company depends on what grade UPVC you want. Yes, you can buy cheap windows at cost price trade and fit them yourself but what grade of UPVC Is It ? If It's not Grade A that's had anti-oxidents added to slow down the effect pollution, ozone etc, 15 years down the line, you have yellow frames, they can even go brown. Cheap windows will see blown seals within 6 to 8 years and you'll have no choice but to replace them. then there's the furniture. Cheap furniture Is not going to give you the security. The handles are extremely Important. Buy cheap and you'll be replacing them within a few years. Unless all furniture ie hamdles and hinges are coated with a high grade surgical steel, they will sieze up....... you get what you pay for.

no... never worked for Kirby but I have deterred people from going to work for them. Overrated product with extremely aggressive sales tactics.

[Bruv]

I'm sorry you had a bad experience.


You went straight into Sales mode there................what's to say buying Trade the company is not reputable, does the Bowater group have all the good materials?

I thought this was about Sales people not products anyway.

[Oscar Namechange]

Bruv;1426700 wrote: You went straight into Sales mode there................what's to say buying Trade the company is not reputable, does the Bowater group have all the good materials?

I thought this was about Sales people not products anyway. You said buying trade and fitting them yourself was the cheaper option because you were not paying commission so I told you why buying trade is not always the most economical In the long run. For eg, I'd want to know how many times the UPVC had been graded because that would determine the life span of the windows before they discolour, crack and the furniture siezes up.

Yes, I think windows manufactured by Bowater are the best quality you can get and It's very often the case that manufacturers such as Bowater do not supply to trade and that's why I would never buy trade. Does anyone fitting their own windows fit them to F.E.N.S.A building regulations as the companies do and must?

My niece's husband has been a builder for decades and virtually rebuilt their house but when It came to the windows and doors, he went to my company.

As for paying commission. All you are In effect doing Is paying wages. If companies paid wages Instead of commission, their running costs would be higher and you'd be paying a higher price for your windows. Besides which, trading laws and regs dictate the level of commission. The reps do not set that themselves. I have known reps waver their entire commission down to just 1 % on a big deal just to get the deal.