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Post by freshstart216 on Nov 7, 2008 15:17:32 GMT -5
I have been preparing to start my business for about a year now, I am licensed bonded insured and have all of my advertising in place. I created a website, designed brochures, flyer's, and am trying to gain my first account. I have a background in sales and have no problem going door to door soliciting my business. I have been hitting the pavement for a couple of weeks now just handing out information and trying to drum up business but haven't had much luck yet. I live in a large city and it seems that it is a little saturated with people owning and trying to succeed with a cleaning business. Another challenge I have is most of the large commercial buildings lease out office space to business owners and they take care of their own janitorial work, so my question is does anyone have any tips on getting in with the building management to help service their accounts? I have posted up ads on Craig's list and also another similar sites, haven't had one hit yet. I also ran across a company that will do telemarketing to set appointments for me, they charge 700 dollars for ten set appointments in my city. Has anyone had any experience with this type of thing? I am confident with the basics, bidding, offering promotions just waiting on that first account is a little frustrating. If anyone has any helpful suggestions I am open thank you, Ray
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Post by logan5127 on Nov 7, 2008 16:34:57 GMT -5
I have been preparing to start my business for about a year now, I am licensed bonded insured and have all of my advertising in place. I created a website, designed brochures, flyer's, and am trying to gain my first account. I have a background in sales and have no problem going door to door soliciting my business. I have been hitting the pavement for a couple of weeks now just handing out information and trying to drum up business but haven't had much luck yet. I live in a large city and it seems that it is a little saturated with people owning and trying to succeed with a cleaning business. Another challenge I have is most of the large commercial buildings lease out office space to business owners and they take care of their own janitorial work, so my question is does anyone have any tips on getting in with the building management to help service their accounts? I have posted up ads on Craig's list and also another similar sites, haven't had one hit yet. I also ran across a company that will do telemarketing to set appointments for me, they charge 700 dollars for ten set appointments in my city. Has anyone had any experience with this type of thing? I am confident with the basics, bidding, offering promotions just waiting on that first account is a little frustrating. If anyone has any helpful suggestions I am open thank you, Ray Just sitting here reading this and thought of a new twist. What if you called the tenants of these companies that lease out and tell them you would like to give one week of free office cleaning to all new renters. It could help them by offering a little extra more to their new potential clients. Kinda like a welcome wagon. Let them know you are insured and all that stuff. Tell them the service is good only after the tenants are moved in and up and going or that it is good only for one week in the first month that they have moved in. You could even get some other type services to put a package deal together such as coffee/machine servers; water dispensers; copy paper or office supplies; and so on. Get a nice welcome package together and I bet these big commercial renters would look twice and see a great potential in marketing this to their new clients. its just a different thought to the ordinary.
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Post by dustandshine on Nov 24, 2008 19:32:19 GMT -5
I have the same problem. I set up my business, got all the things ready, just waiting for this first client. It's frustrating. I will be sending letters to local businesses. I think paying $700 for few appointments is a lot of money and you don't even know if they will end up with the contract. I would rethink that part. Good luck!
Joanna
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Post by Kevin on Nov 25, 2008 8:59:25 GMT -5
Do not wait for clients, go get them.
My advice to any new business is the following.
1- Go to the dollar store and buy $100 worth of items you like.
2-Put items into duffel bag.
3-Dress up and put on good walking shoes.
4- Drive to nice suburban area about 7 miles from your house.
5- Start knocking on doors, and sell every item in your bag for atleast $5 per item.
Do this until the bag is gone, or until 5 days later.
If you sold the stuff in the bag, you will do fine. If you cannot sell $5 items to complete strangers, how do you think your going to sell 50K contracts to complete strangers.
This 5 day test will give you more experience in sales than any book you can read or class you will ever attend. Your ability to make a sale will be the driving force behind your business success or failure.
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Post by freshstart216 on Dec 3, 2008 2:33:45 GMT -5
Yea thanks for the suggestions, going door to door would be very helpful. I have much experience in sales, including door to door. The key is consistency and patience I have learned to this. In the last two weeks I have bidded on one facility, and have another to bid on this month and one more in the spring. I'm just going out looking for a need and filling it, so hopefully I can close a deal soon. Thanks for the help
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Post by Ms. Janitor CEO on Dec 4, 2008 16:25:08 GMT -5
Good luck with gaining those contracts!!!
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Post by nomo714 on Dec 5, 2008 0:51:34 GMT -5
the way I got my first two accounts, I went through a janitorial broker service. These company's find new accounts and sell them for 3x monthly price, and take out 12% per month to manage the account. They send you the check monthly. It's a good start, but you can't have a lot of these jobs, they take too much money, for your work.
noah noah's cleaning service
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Post by dustandshine on Dec 12, 2008 20:15:10 GMT -5
What's the name of that broker company? I wonder if they are in my area. Could be a good start... Joanna
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Post by sparklingsolutions on Dec 17, 2008 23:28:35 GMT -5
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Post by gemma36 on Jan 14, 2009 17:18:21 GMT -5
Keep knocking, nothing in the world can take the place of persistence!!!
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Post by jimmygreer1 on Jan 14, 2009 17:30:23 GMT -5
I landed my first contract by knocking on doors. Phone book ad's don't do much for my business. I agree persistence is the key.
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Post by Silver City Cleaning on Jan 17, 2009 14:04:16 GMT -5
Patience and determination are key when promoting a new service to prospects.
In his excellent book, "Guerilla Marketing Attack", marketing guru Jay Conrad Levinson cites a marketing study that claims "a maketing message must penetrate the mind of a prospect a total of nine times before that prospect becomes a customer". And, he goes on to say "the bad news is that for every three times you expose your prospect to your marketing message..it gets missed or ignored two of those times...so you've got to put out the good word about your company a total of 27 times in order to make those nine impressions".
Also consider this I came across in another excellent book "Ogilvy on Advertising" by David Ogilvy. It goes like this:
"I don't know who you are. I don't know your company. I don't know your company's president. I don't know what your company stands for. I don't know your company's customers. I don't know your company's record. I don't know your company's reputation. Now--what was it that you wanted to sell me?"
So it seems that promotion produces the best results when we consider it as an ongoing, long term investment. As long as we have properly selected our target markets and carefully put together a promotional plan to effectively get our message to our prospects, with time, it should start produce results.
Don't lose faith and keep promoting your service day after day.
Michael
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Post by sparklingsolutions on Jan 29, 2009 22:46:00 GMT -5
the 1st one is the hardest
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Post by sparklingsolutions on Jan 29, 2009 22:46:53 GMT -5
Being persistant pays off. I agree 100%
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