Comments on: How to thrive when you're being under-priced?

By: Paolo

Paolo — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 20:18:54 +0000

Excellent article. Using technology well can also produce a great competitive advantage.

By: Ronoabodonymn

Ronoabodonymn — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 00:47:34 +0000

Hey All Im New, Iv’e been browsing around this forum for a few weeks as a guest. I found it useful and it has helped out allot. I hope to hang around for a while and contribute.

Cheers.

By: Peter Kay

Peter Kay — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 09:19:08 +0000

You are absolutely right. Business is all about relationships, get that bit right first of all and the rest is made much much simpler.

Thank you Chris for an excellent tip.

By: Chris Budd

Chris Budd — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 08:58:07 +0000

Excellent article, Peter. May I add a tip? Smile! Seriously – people do business with people they like. Be yourself, and be a person people would want to do business with, and people will want to do business with you.

By: Peter Kay

Peter Kay — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 21:24:52 +0000

It is not a case of getting in with them, you do business with them. Understand the subtle difference and you will understand how to be a success in this marketplace.

If your area is dominated by franchises ask yourself what are they doing differently to me, how are they marketing themselves and most of all how can I compete?

Price is an issue but only when you have nothing else to offer.

By: Dave

Dave — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 20:36:18 +0000

Unfortunately not all DEAs can get in with the estate agent or letting agent. In my area they tend to use franchise businesses with employed DEAs. In my case I get work direct, more sellers and renters can see value in this. Nevertheless that market is dominated by price,so everytime the phone rings you have to sell yourself, and not just based on price.

By: peter.kay

peter.kay — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 16:51:32 +0000

Thank you all for your comments thus far. It is good to know that it has been an interesting read and perhaps helpful to some. Many thanks.

By: MikeC

MikeC — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 18:59:15 +0000

Good post, Peter; not much more I can say really

By: Dan Walters

Dan Walters — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 23:01:05 +0000

Some very good points there Peter and anybody reading them will hopefully understand that these are the reasons that your company is so successful and will continue to do so. There are few energy assessors out there that are making a successful business in this industry but if you really want to survive and be better than the rest then they will do well to read this blog.

If I was to add anything then it would be to quote Geoff Ramm from a recent marketing seminar I attended and that is ‘Stick out like a sore thumb’. In a tough market many people reduce marketing budgets and that gives a chance for the competition to step in, take those chances and really be seen as the supplier of EPCs for your area. Again Peter has utilised this effect with the branding of his smart car.

If I can add a point from my own success and that is to become an expert in your field. Quite often I get calls from estate agents checking the EPC regs with me or asking me about validity periods and marketing rules. Just the other day I had to call a solicitor because he had wrongly explained to a customer that they did not require a HIP when indeed they did, he had misinterpreted the HIP regs.

Keep the blog going Peter, your industry needs you

Dan

By: beingsalt

beingsalt — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:22:22 +0000

“Sooner or later, you’ve lost sight of what makes you good in the first place” — agreed, strategy or no strategy, half the problem is mental: you start believing you’re just one of the crowd. Good points.