How many salesmen do we have here? - Page 3 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Skid Row Joe · #31 03-31-2009, 04:31 PM

35 years.....as an independent sales commissioned regional manufacturer's sales representative. 10 years in apparel sales. 25 years in ceramic tile / stone flooring field of sales.

Considering branching out into the specialized appearance products for motorcycles/cars/RVs/ boats field.

Hatterasguy · #32 03-31-2009, 07:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dee8go

I didn't realize you had quit selling real estate, Hattie. What did you not like about it? Periodically, I think about it, ut so far I have not done anything about it.

If you like sales IMHO its one of the best places to be. You can make a lot of money selling houses. Average split is 2%-3% in my area, 2% of a $500k or $1M house is very nice. Or if you sell your own stuff you get 5%-6%.

I enjoy putting deals together when I'm a part of them, and building stuff. I'm not a big fan of trying to convert FSBO's or carting around buyers all weekend.

Ever since I was little I have wanted to form a RE investment company, RE sales was just a learning step for me to do that. When it was all said and done I actualy made a bit so cheaper than college!

If you give it a try get with Re/Max, they are the best.

davestlouis · #33 03-31-2009, 07:21 PM

People are still expiring at a normal rate, and completed suicides are on an upswing. What we're seeing is that some families simply have NO MONEY and are choosing really inexpensive services, even direct cremation. We have a crematory in one of our buildings, so we're glad to cremate, BUT the problem is one of cash flow. Our company is budgeted based on a 20% cremation rate, and it is creeping toward 50% lately. Obviously a $1995 direct cremation puts less money in our coffers than a $12,000 traditional service. The cremation family also doesn't really NEED cemetery space, their loved one can go home and sit on the mantle, so we lose the cemetery sale. The bigger issue is this: we have served some of these families for 70+ years, every 7 years or so, statistically. We hate to see those families set a precedent of choosing simpler services, because the next time we see them, they will likely choose simple services again, and the time after that, and the time after that, etc. Long term that's bad news for my whole trade...big buildings and shiny Cadillacs aren't free, ya know.

Hatterasguy · #34 03-31-2009, 07:38 PM

I ain't dieing until I can get taken to the cemetery in a Mercedes. Transport me in a Caddy and I will haunt you to your grave.

davestlouis · #35 03-31-2009, 08:04 PM

We have a Harley Davidson too, 2008 Road King trike pulling a glass-sided trailer, if a white Cadillac hearse doesn't do it for you.

Hatterasguy · #36 03-31-2009, 08:09 PM

CLS please.

davestlouis · #37 03-31-2009, 08:14 PM

Gawd, no vinyl top and no landau bars, what's this world coming to? We still get whitewall Michelins on our coaches.

SwampYankee · #38 03-31-2009, 08:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hatterasguy

CLS please.

Not one of the more attractive hearse conversions.

SwampYankee · #39 03-31-2009, 08:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by davestlouis

We have a Harley Davidson too, 2008 Road King trike pulling a glass-sided trailer, if a white Cadillac hearse doesn't do it for you.

Cool! I've always wondered if there was a market for renting out diesel dually hearses for hick funerals.

Maybe not now but when things turns back around.

And thanks for the info. I was wondering.

I serve on the board of our local cemetary association (stones back from the 1600's to present). While we've had to expand by filling some adjacent swamp land for additional burial plots, the big push has been to acquire land to build a mausoleum to hold the cremation urns. We've moved forward by taking part of the church parking lot for the mausoleum and acquiring additional land to make up for the lost parking. A little easier to sell the neighboring properties on hidden parking than a bunch of cremated bodies (although they already neighbor a graveyard).

davestlouis · #40 03-31-2009, 08:41 PM

We have several columbaria that house cremated remains in niches, great use of space, very efficient, but leaves very little room for custom memorialization because the niche plates are only 8 inches square. So-called "green burial" is something I'm warily watching too, not quite sure where that's going yet, or how fast it's going to become an issue.

On the subject of mausoleums, we have the ability to custom design and build a private maus for an individual family. The only issue is cost...a 4-crypt granite unit starts at about $160K, a 12-crypt unit with a sitting area inside could easily creep into the $1.5-2 million range. Haven't found anyone willing to part with that much money.