Post by Kevin on Oct 1, 2008 17:10:59 GMT -5
Dear Kevin;
Thank you for the message! I am in residential cleaning in California. I actually am aiming for commercial-businesses so i won't close my own. My problem like many others is the pricing for bidding and how to bid to be a winner. It is not my intention to look desperado!
but my team will leave me if i don't move fast, they are three wonderful hard loyal working ladies. Can you give me advice? ;D
Thank you for your support!
Respectfully,
XXXXXX
Dear Desperado,
This seems to be the question of the week. First lets talk about crossmarketing your residential business with commercial. Your residential customers work somewhere, ask for a lead. Simply say you were thinking about branching out to commercial cleaning and you were wondering if they could provide the contact info to you on who is in charge of the cleaning contractors where they work. Ask if they know any business owners in the area that could use your service, Ask if their friends know any business owners who could use service. Ask whatever you want, but ask. In your mailers or whatever promotions your sending out. (hopefully your sending something out) Address an equal amount of space to commercial and residential services. Then mail an equal amount to residential and commercial prospects. On your website devote an entire section to commercial cleaning and the services you perform and link it all over the web.
Let`s talk about networking, now you probaly have a business group in your area, chamber of commerce, local networking group. Many that allow free membership for guests before you decide to join. Go check-out the meetings, take your business cards, take your promo items. Go meet some people that own businesses. Don`t be a pushy networker either, work yourself into it. Your conversations strongpoints should be, what do you do, where are you from, where did you grow up, blah, blah, blah... Take some time and read up on networking and how to do it before going to any network meeting. Good link here on networking
Door to door, it sure seems lately that the talent has been lost. Where have all the good door to door salespeople gone? In my opinion many are tucked away behind a computer screen. Traded in their walking shoes for a new keyboard, selling online and not in person. It still works well for the cleaning service owner. Make up a list of specials for commercial businesses, can be window washing, whole commercial building cleaning specials, carpet, floors, pressure washing..etc. Sell it, walk into these businesses ask to speak to who is in charge of the cleaning, and tell them about your specials. Sure you will get regected, just be polite and leave your materials. Some companies make a nice little basket about $2 worth of goodies for the office gate keeper, a nice little bribe never hurts. It can be anything though. Make a good special up, how about free window washing outside special. Buy the inside and receive the outside, or how about for your smaller doctor offices or attorneys offices, which are always the dream cleans. Free yearly carpet cleaning with each new contract. However you do it. Be creative, be positive, and don`t let no`s or not intrested get you down.
Now! You read this far. Lets talk about the big boys, the franchises and the method behind their madness. Take your first 5-10 accounts at no-profit, build solid references. Keep working your way through town increasing your profit at each account, rape them when they want extra services. Keep increasing profits at each account, and drop accounts that do not purchase extra services. Go back to the first accounts and tell them their price is to low for the work they request, try to increase their price, if not drop them, cut the labor or supplies or keep collecting a check till they drop you. Simple franchise way to get accounts. Once you have either raped the entire town or received all the good paying accounts in the town, move on to the next town.
PS: Just from experience you might want the commercial business, but your three wonderful hard loyal working ladies might not. Everything changes when their cleaning the local bar at 3AM, make sure your upfront and honest and have their support before branching off in your new services.
Best of luck,
Kevin
A Few Good Links
Which is better residential or commercial cleaning?
Big Business Or Small Business
How To Bid commercial cleaning accounts
Thank you for the message! I am in residential cleaning in California. I actually am aiming for commercial-businesses so i won't close my own. My problem like many others is the pricing for bidding and how to bid to be a winner. It is not my intention to look desperado!
but my team will leave me if i don't move fast, they are three wonderful hard loyal working ladies. Can you give me advice? ;DThank you for your support!
Respectfully,
XXXXXX
Dear Desperado,
This seems to be the question of the week. First lets talk about crossmarketing your residential business with commercial. Your residential customers work somewhere, ask for a lead. Simply say you were thinking about branching out to commercial cleaning and you were wondering if they could provide the contact info to you on who is in charge of the cleaning contractors where they work. Ask if they know any business owners in the area that could use your service, Ask if their friends know any business owners who could use service. Ask whatever you want, but ask. In your mailers or whatever promotions your sending out. (hopefully your sending something out) Address an equal amount of space to commercial and residential services. Then mail an equal amount to residential and commercial prospects. On your website devote an entire section to commercial cleaning and the services you perform and link it all over the web.
Let`s talk about networking, now you probaly have a business group in your area, chamber of commerce, local networking group. Many that allow free membership for guests before you decide to join. Go check-out the meetings, take your business cards, take your promo items. Go meet some people that own businesses. Don`t be a pushy networker either, work yourself into it. Your conversations strongpoints should be, what do you do, where are you from, where did you grow up, blah, blah, blah... Take some time and read up on networking and how to do it before going to any network meeting. Good link here on networking
Door to door, it sure seems lately that the talent has been lost. Where have all the good door to door salespeople gone? In my opinion many are tucked away behind a computer screen. Traded in their walking shoes for a new keyboard, selling online and not in person. It still works well for the cleaning service owner. Make up a list of specials for commercial businesses, can be window washing, whole commercial building cleaning specials, carpet, floors, pressure washing..etc. Sell it, walk into these businesses ask to speak to who is in charge of the cleaning, and tell them about your specials. Sure you will get regected, just be polite and leave your materials. Some companies make a nice little basket about $2 worth of goodies for the office gate keeper, a nice little bribe never hurts. It can be anything though. Make a good special up, how about free window washing outside special. Buy the inside and receive the outside, or how about for your smaller doctor offices or attorneys offices, which are always the dream cleans. Free yearly carpet cleaning with each new contract. However you do it. Be creative, be positive, and don`t let no`s or not intrested get you down.
Now! You read this far. Lets talk about the big boys, the franchises and the method behind their madness. Take your first 5-10 accounts at no-profit, build solid references. Keep working your way through town increasing your profit at each account, rape them when they want extra services. Keep increasing profits at each account, and drop accounts that do not purchase extra services. Go back to the first accounts and tell them their price is to low for the work they request, try to increase their price, if not drop them, cut the labor or supplies or keep collecting a check till they drop you. Simple franchise way to get accounts. Once you have either raped the entire town or received all the good paying accounts in the town, move on to the next town.
PS: Just from experience you might want the commercial business, but your three wonderful hard loyal working ladies might not. Everything changes when their cleaning the local bar at 3AM, make sure your upfront and honest and have their support before branching off in your new services.
Best of luck,
Kevin
A Few Good Links
Which is better residential or commercial cleaning?
Big Business Or Small Business
How To Bid commercial cleaning accounts
