Sheep numbers on the increase

Oct 31, 2013

There was a time when jokes were routinely made about the sheep population in New Zealand - 20 sheep for every inhabitant. Over the years the sheep population has declined dramatically. Low prices for wool and sheep meat and the money to be made from dairy conversions have seen an increasing dairy herd and a declining sheep population.

But we have conclusive evidence that there are now more sheep!

That distinctive trait that sheep have of following the sheep in front is being replicated on TradeMe. Take a look over the last few months' and you will see that almost every ad for an industrial building is "price by negotiation". It probably started with one sheep stating the obvious - that the price would be negotiated. Isn't it always? Or was there once a time when prices were set by royal decree?

We hear stories from agents lamenting their time being wasted. By buyers who aren't really. By tire kickers in disguise as buyers. By buyers who don't know what they want or who can't afford what they would like. Or by wishful thinking on the part of vendors.

But I would have thought that failing to state a price  - or a price range - or a price expectation even - is a sure fire way of wasting an agent's time. And obviously that wastes a potential client's time.

The description and/or images may look of interest. But then the would be buyer has to track down the agent to find out what the price may be. Isn't that even more disrespectful of the client's time?

In business it is accepted that the cost of acquisition of a client is substantially more than the cost of retention. Yet there seems to be this persistence with telling clients that their time is not respected by wasting it.

Perhaps it is time we geared up the freezing works with an early opening this season for some of those sheep who follow trends so blindly?


Recently Posted