Some cleaning companies cry the blues and get no business
And other cleaning companies spend this time developing relationships with Clients, Carpet Retailers, Realtors, Interior Designers, and other referral sources.
You can get business to turn SLOW periods into BUSY times.
It’s all about taking advantage of the time of year. Turn winter into your opportunity season! While your competitors are taking the easy way out, you can capitalize on their complacency. Most of your competition responds by giving up and taking the bare minimum amount of jobs they can get. While they’re cutting down their marketing or they’re on a low-budget vacation, you can take your market by storm.
I interviewed Doyle Bloss, Marketing and Brand Manager for Hydramaster. We uncovered a very important topic to help you define your market and make MORE money.
Why should cleaners know what the potential of their market place is?
Many cleaners think they can’t make as much in an area with low population, smaller homes, or income that’s lower than the national average. Have you found these factors cripple the chance for success?
What about big metropolitan cities like Houston, Atlanta, Chicago, etc? Is there much advantage in running a cleaning biz in big cities?
How can a cleaner find out what the potential is in his market?
I’m going to give you some examples of what we’re doing to market cleaning services right now.
I don’t normally do this, but I went ahead and posted the actual ad examples that you can see as well.
Client mailers.
I’ll start with this one because this is the FIRST thing you should spending money on advertising each month. Do NOT neglect your clients.
Tri-folded client newsletter
When you market consistently to them, you will get MORE referrals, MORE frequent cleanings from them, and you can charge HIGHER prices. Take that to the bank.
EDDM postcard mailers.
The best way to target your ideal neighborhood is with Every Door Direct Mail (aka EDDM). Here are some examples of fall themed postcards used in EDDM.
EDDM postcard to new prospects
Facebook pay-per-click.
There are more of your clients on Facebook during prime time television viewing hours than all of the major networks combined. So if you want to target them for little money, consider Facebook pay-per-click advertising. You can set this up for as little as $1 per day. Use pictures and graphics to go along with the season and conversation already going on in their mind.
If all you want to do is charge what every one else charges, you don’t need to do anything different. But if you want to be a high-end cleaner, you need to know about this.
4 Tactics to Get Higher Prices:
1. Make sure you’re delivering a top-notch cleaning service. It doesn’t matter what method you use, just clean well. Get educated, buy the best chemicals, and use the best equipment. This is the foundation.
2. Put a STRONG money back guarantee on your cleaning work. Be crystal clear about what your guarantee is and what you’ll do if your client isn’t happy. Of course, always offer to re-clean an area before giving money back, but ultimately do everything you can to make your client happy.
Holiday postcards work great to keep in touch.
3. Keep in touch with your beloved clients. The only sure way to keep in touch is via mail. Postcards can be sent CHEAP! In my coaching club, we provide templates and even do the graphic design for you on hundreds on different postcards. We can get 1000 4×6 full color, glossy postcards printed for you for just $43.
4. Educate your clients about your services. The best way to do this is through educational brochures to be given to prospects BEFORE cleaning or delivered with a sales letter. In the brochure, show what you do and give tips on maintenance. The simple act of presenting what you do in a beautiful, professional brochure may mean the difference between getting $10 a room or $100 for the same room.
If you were charging $250 to clean a fine leather sofa, do you think you’d have an easier sell if you had a professional piece of educational information to give your prospect BEFORE the cleaning? Do you think she’d be more at ease? What about before you do a water restoration job or $800 pet odor removal job? Think about it!
