The N Word

Painting contractors frequently complain about niggardly customers. Actually, they don’t use that word. They usually call such customers cheap, but the meaning is the same.

There are certainly cheap customers. There are also cheap contractors. Customers who want high quality at a low price are cheap. Contractors who are not willing to invest in the marketing, image building, training, and systems are cheap.

If you were offered a brand new Ford F-150 for $10,000 you’d likely jump at the deal. You know that such a vehicle is worth a lot more, even if you hate Fords. Our customers however, do not always know the value of a professional paint job. And this is particularly true if the value we offer isn’t made clear.

Cheap contractors tend to attract cheap customers. Cheap contractors emit a certain aura—in their image, their demeanor, their marketing.

It may be cliché, but you have to spend money to make money. You have to invest in yourself and your business if you wish to grow and prosper. If you don’t, you are being just as niggardly as those customers you complain about. If you think customers are cheap, a good place to look for a solution is the mirror.

© BEP Enterprises Incorporated 2008