Kitchen companies with field sales reps/designers.

[appguy]

I'm in the early stages of building an app for kitchen companies with designers who visit homes, and I'm trying to figure out if it's actually worth building before I spend months on it.

I'm not selling anything, the thing doesn't exist yet.

The basic idea is that after each appointment, your designer records a 30-second voice note on their phone. Over time, AI spots patterns in why deals are being lost.

Whether that's a specific objection, a type of customer, a price point... The AI spots the repeatable reasons deals are lost, and makes suggestions within the app to the sales rep based on your own sales methodology.

The manager gets a dashboard showing it all across the whole team and individually, so they will always know why deals aren't being closed.

If there are any kitchen company owners with field reps here I would love your input.

Would it be valuable to you? Even a one line reply would genuinely help. I can also add anything to the app, so if you think that's it's valuable as long as it does XYZ too, that would be great feedback.

And if it wouldn't be valuable to you, it would be great to know why. What it's missing etc.

If it does sound useful, I'll give you and your team free access when it's ready as a thank you for your response. It's going to be custom installed for each client to meet their needs. Totally hands off on your part.

I appreciate your time.

 

[Ozzy]

Purely adding this comment to help and avoid you spending money and time that may not be worthwhile.

This sounds like the sort of thing almost every CRM that I'm aware of has in place already. Not AI driven, and I don't feel AI would be a solution here, but every CRM I have used in the years I've been around, always have a reason for none closure for lost opportunities - and they always have reports that allow management to drill into the data behind the reasons.

My immediate response is that I feel you're largest issue here is encouraging people to use this and not their existing CRM's

 

[appguy]

Purely adding this comment to help and avoid you spending money and time that may not be worthwhile.

This sounds like the sort of thing almost every CRM that I'm aware of has in place already. Not AI driven, and I don't feel AI would be a solution here, but every CRM I have used in the years I've been around, always have a reason for none closure for lost opportunities - and they always have reports that allow management to drill into the data behind the reasons.

My immediate response is that I feel you're largest issue here is encouraging people to use this and not their existing CRM's

I appreciate your response, thank you!

Yea the AI side allows actual dissection of why a deal was lost instead of just checking a box that says 'price' for example.

They would continue to use their CRMs, this would connect directly. More about granular sales performance than just stats.

Thanks!

 

[Paul Kelly ICHYB]

The AI spots the repeatable reasons deals are lost

You ask the people who you did get business from how you could have lost their business - what could have put them off!

 

[appguy]

You ask the people who you did get business from how you could have lost their business - what could have put them off!

Huh?

 

[Paul Kelly ICHYB]

If you do not ask the customers you lose why you lost the business, you ask the customers you got how you could have lost their business!

 

[fisicx]

All the major CRM players already offer this sort of analysis.

I doubt you would get much traction from kitchen companies - who probably already use a CRM.

 

[BusterBloodvessel]

Why specifically for kitchen companies? How many kitchen companies are there in the uk that have field sales reps, and how many of those in turn would see enough value in this to pay for it?

Seems like a slightly random reason to try and use AI for something to me.

 

[DontAsk]

I suspect a lot of lost customers will not tell the truth, or simply not answer when asked why they went elsewhere.

I always ignore follow-up e-mails in this and will ignore their calls if I spot the number. To me, it's Karma for all the trades people who never return calls.

 

[Lucan Unlordly]

I once sold 'new and innovative' products and the company was offered the opportunity to market a tape recording briefcase. The sales rep would do his pitch, ask to use the Loo, step outside to retrieve something from their car or even 'forget' the case and return to pick it up 10 minutes later. Back in the office they would listen to the recording of the buyers conversations and get genuine reasons for not closing the sale. Most reasons for not buying, given face to face, were not those recorded on tape. I don't see how AI can do any better?

 

[Mark T Jones]

It does look like AI is being shoehorned in here


Solid, professional sales people are already doing this - and will actually understand better than the customer what triggers or opportunities are being missed

The other kind (arguably the majority) will look for excuses - and AI is very good at providing them

 

[fisicx]

My brother used to be in sales and was chatting to him over the weekend about incomplete sales. He said he could tell within minutes of the meeting starting if a sale was likely. Body language was important along with recognising their personalities. Red, blue, yellow and green all needed different approaches.

He wouldn’t have needed AI because he was a really good salesman.

Which suggests the kitchen designers aren’t very good at sales. Their expertise is kitchen design.

 

[ctrlbrk]

It does look like AI is being shoehorned in here

Not necessarily related to OP but it does look like AI is being shoehorned in lots of places!

 

[Lucan Unlordly]

He wouldn’t have needed AI because he was a really good salesman.

In the 20 years I've been working for myself I can count the fingers on one foot for the number of good salesmen I've met.

 

[Paul Kelly ICHYB]

Good sales people are few and far between. The days of the classic confectionary, tobacco and drinks training, along with understanding about relationships, are long gone.

AI is unlikely to replace this, especially the 1:1 environment.

 

[Mark T Jones]

Good sales people are few and far between. The days of the classic confectionary, tobacco and drinks training, along with understanding about relationships, are long gone.

AI is unlikely to replace this, especially the 1:1 environment.

Although the notion of 'good salesman' is highly subjective.

Devious f**ker who always smashes target vs honest guy who hits target and doesn't leave a trail of destruction?

From observation, personally Id far rather the latter, but I guess if you're in a certain environments, integrity and empathy are a disadvantage

 

[Paul Kelly ICHYB]

Devious f**ker who always smashes target vs honest guy who hits target and doesn't leave a trail of destruction?

The best are probably a mixture the both!

 

[Lucan Unlordly]

Although the notion of 'good salesman' is highly subjective.

Devious f**ker who always smashes target vs honest guy who hits target and doesn't leave a trail of destruction?

From observation, personally Id far rather the latter, but I guess if you're in a certain environments, integrity and empathy are a disadvantage

I worked for the MIRROR newspaper on a section who's aim was to sell ad space irrespective of whether it worked or not. The idea that selling ads that work brings repeat business was lost, as long as revenue targets were hit. I didn't last long but having threatened to throw a colleague (Devious F as above) through the 9th floor windows of 1 Canary Wharf - the tower- the writing was on the cards