Recently another upholsterer said that it was becoming increasingly harder to convince people that reupholstery was a better option than buying new. This upholsterer was afraid that he would have a hard time charging enough.
Early in my career as an upholsterer I used to try to compete with the price of new furniture. There were times when work was scarce and finances were extremely tight. Often when I would give an estimate, as I was feeling desperate to to get the job, I'd beat myself down in price before I even told the client the price. Then the client would often say, "I'll think about it." We went through some years of pretty tight times.
It took me a long time to get the message that there is something bigger than myself that is my provider. I have learned to trust that enough work will come if I'm proactive about seeking new clients, am faithful in doing quality work, treat clients like I would want to be treated. I no longer try to compete with the cost of new furniture. I try to just focus on what is in my control.
In this world of high pressure sales tactics many clients run for the hills. While some sales people would frown at my "lack of closing tecniques" I purposely have thrown away any attempts to "make a sale" with the clients. Instead, I treat the clients as I would a friend. While we are discussing their potential upholstery job I also casually ask them about themselves, their families, their hobbiies, their job etc. At the same time I share those some things about myself and my family. We also talk about the good times and the bad times. I don't try to "convince" the client of anything. I just talk to them as friends.
As part of my "presentation" I teach them what they need to know to make an informed decision and get them involved with aspects of what their renew furniture would contain.For Example:
The jobs I mainly get are from clients who:
I do also get some clients that have regular run-of-the-mill furniture that I wonder why they are having it done. They could probably buy a new piece for less money, but they have me do it anyway.
There are a number of people who only want the cheapest price, and we wouldn't get those jobs anyway, so why worry about them. While cost is an important issue, it's not the only thing that is important. A major selling point, as I see it, is that we, the upholsterer, can give the client something that new furniture store can't give them. We can restore their beloved furniture into "Better than new" condition, with a much wider selection of fabrics that is possible with a new furniture store.
Another piece of the puzzle is that for many years we spent about $250 to $300 per month on advertising (a small display in the local phone directory and also in the larger area phone book (which we recently discontinued) , and in two small newspapers) When you get a lot of calls it is easier to get more jobs. Of the calls we get, I figure that about 1/2 to 3/4 of the people who call us have no idea as to the cost. Some are blown away by the cost. I can imagine their eyes going wide when they hear a price quote. But the remaining 1/4 to 1/2 ask more questions. A lot of those will go a step further. The point is, if you get enough people calling about their furniture, you have a much higher probability of getting more work. If you are proactive in this way, and are able to get more work, you will be less concerned with "competing" with new furniture.
I realize that I won't get every client that contacts us, and that is OK. We will get enough. Many just want a price to see if it is something that they can even get consider.
So, my parting message to you is, do your best to provide quality workmanship, treat your clients well, and be proactive in trying to get clients.