General Cleaning Issues - Floorcare, car valeting, buying and selling businesses, pricing, staffing, market research, etc.
door canvasingPosted by Scots_cleaner (Scots_cleaner), 3 February 2004
Hi Chaps,
Just had a canvasing chap at the door for dominos pizza
you buy a voucher for £20 and you can save up to £235 on food bought by 20th June this year.
I just wondered if anyone had done something like this on a smaller scale.
Like
Hire a self employed canvaser to target 120 houses per day pay him the £10 per customer that signs up to a savings scheme or that places an order or requires an estimate.
This could be used for carpet cleaning , Domestic House or power washing driveways etc.
Just a thought would like some feed back.
Regards Barry.... Posted by DP (DP), 3 February 2004
Apperently there are 112 ways to sell a cleaning service.
So thats 1 who knows the other 111, lets see if we can keep this thread going !
Remember nothing bad will happen if you join in (well if it does just blame CIU 
sorry admin 
)
Im getting in quick with the easy ones 
2 door stuffer's
3 Y/P T/D
4 van signage
5 local newspapers
6 silent salesman
7 telephone sales
8 door knocking
9 direct mailing
10 repeat business discounts (or is that the same as 1)Posted by Fox (Fox), 3 February 2004
Heres my contribution
Word of mouth
Uniforms (make them wear them where ever they are!)
Advice line
Web site
Networking
Ummmmmmmmmm - have to get my thinking cap on - lolPosted by Les (Les), 3 February 2004
Having,(in my previous life in the motor trade) 
been in charge of a team of salesmen/women, I know from bitter experience that they tend to lie, (sorry, tell 'Untruths') 
when they get desperate,(which seemed to be quite often)
They also talk alot of 'bull*$it' if they think it might get them a sale and give duff information about things they aren't sure about.
I don't think I would want someone to quote on my behalf, but that's only my personal view.
I started with local advertising, tried 'talking pages', but found that most of the calls where from miles away, ( I don't mind travelling if it pays well).
The Van signwriting has always been a good draw as has 'word of mouth'. I also pick up alot of business from being seen doing the job,e.g. did a car valet in town on Sunday 
afternoon, (catching up due to bad weather last week) and with large number of people passing by, I picked up 3 more jobs 
I sometimes feel a bit like the Ice Cream Man... you don't really want one until he turns up outside your house but then succumb to the temptation.
Same happen to anyone else 
(about the cleaning I mean, not the ice cream) Posted by Ian_G. (Ian_Gourlay), 4 February 2004
Shows ie Fetes Country Farees etc demo amazing cleaning system
Sandwhich Board
Posters
Leaflet distributors in town centresPosted by squeaky (squeaky), 5 February 2004
I try to always put a board up by my truckmount van side loading door offering special offers etc to passers by and I also have a plastic flyer dispenser on the board so they can take a flyer ( works well when cleaning in town centre )
We always try to do a leaflet drop in the street and sometimes surrounding streets that we are working (if we have the time)
I nearly always wear a company jacket or shirt displaying the logo whenever I can.
Mark 
Posted by cleaningbloke (cleaningbloke), 7 February 2004
DP says in his list of ways to sell "silent salesman" What's that?Posted by DP (DP), 7 February 2004
There are a number of versions of this term, however all seem to relate to something being left with the client i.e. a promotional card, or a list of you services, but the concept is that they will want to keep it, so usually a money off voucher etc.
Another type is your receipt to the customer with works carried out but also listing all of your services.
Nothing spectacular but effective.
Now for that info you have to add one more to the list Posted by goodhand (goodhand), 8 February 2004
How about merchandise with company logo!
pens , cups ect and supply them to important contracts ectPosted by squeaky (squeaky), 8 February 2004
I had 250 coffee coasters made , I had the company logo and a list of what we do with a free phone number on it and distributed them amongst our customers that we clean offices for,now as we always ask people where they have got our number from we can work out what form of advertising works best for us , the coasters have been very good and at only £200 we have probably got that back 20 times or more,I am going to try pens and mugs next.
Mark
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