How Do You Handle These Questions When Selling A Spec Saddle?

[JAM]

Hi, everyone,

Here are two difficult questions that have come up a few times for me, and I'd like to know how others handle them.

You've built a spec saddle and advertised it for sale. You get customers calling who have seen the pics, read the specs, and love the saddle. They want to know:

1- How do I know it will fit my horse? Can I take it for a test and return it if it doesn't fit?

and

2- Will you take less money for it?

How do you field these questions diplomatically?

Julia

Edited March 25, 2013 by JAM

[mikesmith648]

I don't build saddles.......so I cannot answer number 1 question.....although I have thoughts on that one.....

As far as number 2....that would be up to you and how you priced it......if you have some leeway then by all means use it.....but a good product and pricing system should be good enough. Unless you are desperate to sell, I would say that the price is not negotiable.JMHO

[BondoBobCustomSaddles]

I have sold a spec saddle a time or two. Generally, these are saddles I have made for myself, and used for a little while. Part of a way of educating myself on what different styles and types do well in specific riding situations. When I sell them, the first thing is I set a price on them, that I feel is fair and what I want to sell it for. I don't really waggle from that, much, mostly because I like I said I set what I felt was fair. As for can I take it and try it? Usually when I go out to discuss a saddle purchase with a prospective customer I also measure up a horse for templates, I take along the saddle they are thinking of buying, and a couple of saddles of different specs. to show the difference to the customer. A little education goes a long way towards cementing a relationship between customer and maker. At this point you can make the determination whether the customer is serious about investing in a good saddle, or just a "tire kicker". Also if you have a real customer , and you are comfortable with them you can leave it for them to actually try for a couple of days. Be sure to set a prescribed time period they will have it to make a decision. Also, when I go out, I let them know, up front, that I am coming out to measure up their horse and I charge for that. Usually $35 per hour from the time I leave my house to get there and back and mileage. This fee is taken off of the price of the saddle , new custom made or used when they purchase. After all you are giving up your time and wear and tear on your vehicle. If they are serious about buying a saddle from you, they will understand why you operate this way. As a side note recently I did this with a customer that wanted a new saddle made, while on the visit, I found that a spec saddle I had brought along fit her horse the way it should, and let her keep it for a week to try. She called me after a week end of riding trails and the conversation was simple. She said I couldn't have the saddle back, she was on her way past my house and would just stop in and pay the $3500 I was asking for it. Since then she has called me back to make one for her husband, and also refered me to two others that I have now made saddles for.

Sorry for the long winded answer, but; that's what you get when you ask me a question! Hope that helped.

Bob

[Northmount]

I have sold a spec saddle a time or two. Generally, these are saddles I have made for myself, and used for a little while. Part of a way of educating myself on what different styles and types do well in specific riding situations. When I sell them, the first thing is I set a price on them, that I feel is fair and what I want to sell it for. I don't really waggle from that, much, mostly because I like I said I set what I felt was fair. As for can I take it and try it? Usually when I go out to discuss a saddle purchase with a prospective customer I also measure up a horse for templates, I take along the saddle they are thinking of buying, and a couple of saddles of different specs. to show the difference to the customer. A little education goes a long way towards cementing a relationship between customer and maker. At this point you can make the determination whether the customer is serious about investing in a good saddle, or just a "tire kicker". Also if you have a real customer , and you are comfortable with them you can leave it for them to actually try for a couple of days. Be sure to set a prescribed time period they will have it to make a decision. Also, when I go out, I let them know, up front, that I am coming out to measure up their horse and I charge for that. Usually $35 per hour from the time I leave my house to get there and back and mileage. This fee is taken off of the price of the saddle , new custom made or used when they purchase. After all you are giving up your time and wear and tear on your vehicle. If they are serious about buying a saddle from you, they will understand why you operate this way. As a side note recently I did this with a customer that wanted a new saddle made, while on the visit, I found that a spec saddle I had brought along fit her horse the way it should, and let her keep it for a week to try. She called me after a week end of riding trails and the conversation was simple. She said I couldn't have the saddle back, she was on her way past my house and would just stop in and pay the $3500 I was asking for it. Since then she has called me back to make one for her husband, and also refered me to two others that I have now made saddles for.

Sorry for the long winded answer, but; that's what you get when you ask me a question! Hope that helped.

Bob

The right way to do business, respect for the customer, straight forward information and discussion, honesty, and the customer developed respect for you. This is what we should all be striving for. I'm impressed.

Tom

[JAM]

Hi, Bob,

This is a fantastic answer! You mentioned things I would never have thought of.

The customers I've gotten this question from have all been a long ways away (they found me on a website), and eventually I mealy-mouthed my way through it.

A particular set of customers from several states away waited another 4 months and broke down and ordered a custom saddle which will be measured for the treemaker with D Lane's profile cards (by them - I will ship the cards and they will ship them back) and then the saddle will be built and shipped to them.

Another customer found the saddle she liked on a website and was fours hours away but my husband happened to be driving there on a work project, so I did like you did, brought several saddles, a couple of trees (good ones and a bad one for comparison), tried them on her horse, had her ride in a couple, and went home with an order for a new custom saddle. And left one of my older saddles which happened to fit her horse for her to ride in while I built her new one.

I have decided to be firm about the rules - saddles do not get shipped off to be tried and returned, and prices do not change. Answers like yours are very helpful in fortifying my resolve ;-)

[BOB BRENNER]

I think a lot of saddle makers have problems in these areas.

I generally have 2 to 3 spec saddles in the shop at any given time. I use these saddles as display saddles so customers can see the actual end product when they are looking to order a custom saddle. Also, these display saddles are available for the customer that wants to walk out the door with a new saddle. The display saddles are priced at my standard retail price and is not negotiable. If a saddle has not moved or is showing some shop wear, I will discount the price to get it off the shop floor and replace it with another. This insures my inventory is always fresh. As far as the discount, I consider that a cost of doing business as advertising.

As for the question: Will you take less money for it? This has been a problem for our industry for ages. The saddle industry like the automobile industry has had the concept of dickering on the price. The car dealers solve this problem by adding the dicker to the sticker price. The retail saddle shops generally do the same, so if the custom maker is going to follow this sales method you must add the dicker to your retail price. In other words if your cost (materials, labor, overhead and profit) to make a spec saddle is $4,000.00 and you are going to dicker in the price then the list price needs to be more that your actual cost. Let's say you will give a 15% discount. The list price needs to be around $4,800.00.

Now the $64.000 question: test ride for saddle fit? No good answer here. Each saddle maker needs to develop their own policy based on their market. Letting the customer take the saddle home to try it out is like walking through a mine field; all types of things can happen that can cause you to lose money. If the saddle does not fit according to the customer and the saddle is returned there can be visible signs of use and a future customer will consider the saddle as used and want a major discount of the price. How about the situation where the customer is caught in a rain storm during the test ride and the saddle comes back water stained? Now what do you do? My policy is no test rides. I have a method of checking for saddle fit in all cases and have only had 2 saddles returned in 35 years.

That's my short answer and another opinion. Each question could be a book.

Bob

[Ken Nelson]

I don't have the time to build spec saddles anymore but I have in the past. I price it some less, but not a lot less than a custom ordered one. It is not a custom saddle. I quit haggling over price in my shop a couple of years ago. No matter how much you come down, them jerks, and some of the people that walk in are, will beat you up that much more. I don't think I have lost any sales or orders standing my ground. New saddles are paid for when they leave my shop. If they will bring in a saddle that is fitting their horse, I will pull the front of the skirts loose and measure it.. Used saddles, are on a 1/2 day trial for fit, if they leave a bankable check. I hand the check back to them if they bring the saddle back, providing it is same condition it left in. I get a lot of " there is a guy working neighbor to me that is building a saddle for X amount of dollars, but if you will match it I will order one from you. I always say, "You have found your place to shop, Big Boy, Go for it!" Don't know if I am right or wrong but I am out over a year right now. Ken PS. Last time I let a spec saddle out of the shop on an afternoon trial, it took me 6 months to get it gathered, missing the breast collar, flank cinch and been rode about 60 times. Cost me a lot of money and frustration.

Edited July 7, 2013 by Ken Nelson

[SethJ]

I make templates for a sadlle and give to the customer to check fit(posterboard). I have never loaned a saddle out for trial,..just never had to.

On price,..I usually have a little wiggle room, so if I can. I knock off a little if it seals the deal.