[ianharper]

Guys

I use microsplitter that have been made from natural products, and it got me thinking about how to market this benfit.

Many cleaners are using the Ecolabel at the moment. but as pointed out by users on this forum not all setups are Eco friendly, as we don't have any kind of guide or standard to work to its very much a personal view if you are Eco or not.

Much more easier would be marketing the bio approach, if something is made from renewable resources then by using this you would be able to sleep know that you are not using hazard materials in someones home. not that there anything wrong with this as long as you take care.

its just people i think are more interested in what you use (chem) and not in how you use it (machine)

machines, vans etc do have an impact, but this area is much harder to sort out as far as an Eco approach. the time will come when machine makers will be selling their machines on Eco benefits until then it will be hard for us to judge them.

The term "Bio" for me communicates a benefit to a customer and would be more ethical to use than Eco. maybe along side it would give a more clear point of view as to where you are coming from?

Respect

Ian Harper

[jbcleaning]

'Bio' to me says bacteria and biological warfare 

How about 'natural' instead, now there's a good marketing word 

[ianharper]

Jb

i agree that you need other words to position the Bio, and your one links well

[Doug Holloway]

Hi Guys,

Why not green carpet cleaning, afterall 'green' means something to most people nowdays , more so than Eco or Bio .

You don't hear people say they are becoming Eco or Bio do you ?

Cheers

Doug

[ianharper]

Doug

you are right, these words mean some many different things to different people. my question is can we find one that fits with our outlook and most prospects?

I get asked all the time if the products i use are safe for kids or pets, its this market that i want to match my message.

Just like fusion cooking, i think that Bio-Eco is a great marketing fusion message. as i would like to think that it communicates the mix of two messages.

maybe it just depends on how much space you have to explain the message?

Respect

Ian Harper

[Doug Holloway]

Ian,

Our minds obviously work differently because to me Bio- Eco leads to confusion  :

Cheers

Doug

[Mike Halliday]

its all waffle to me, just trying to give an acceptable explanation to customers why you are leaving their carpet full of chemicals

try saying this;

" Mrs smith when I've cleaned your carpets they will be left slightly damp with pure, softened water, within 2-4 hours this specially soften water will have evaporated leaving your carpet dry & totally free from any chemical whatsoever."

You have to remember we are trying to explain pre-sprays which if we clean properly will be removed from the carpet.

we need to stop wasting our time with all this eco crap and concentrate on cleaning carpets.

in the end you are just trying to re-invent yourselves and find a magic solution because things aren't going as good as you like, so you think you need to be different from everyone else and the eco/Bio bandwagon seems an easy route.

I've got to say that its not as important to customers as people would like us to think. if you want to be different from every other carpet cleaner in your areas look for whats really important to people.

Bio cleaning comes well down the list

Mike

[ianharper]

mike

if you have just one message, that's fine. marketing on the Internet requires more than one. as you have no control over the search term. and from my web stats i can tell you people do do searches for this type of service.

having a marketing mix with a mix of messages to different markets means that you speak to these group in words that relates to their situation. for example someone selling their home might not have carpet cleaning high on their to do list, by giving reason you move it up this list, make an offer that relates to this group and you stand a chance of getting them to spend.

I fully understand that you have a great, market plan, but others are not so lucky. many start-ups go out of business in the first few years. doing everything all the time with as many messages will improve their chances of making a living out of it. and lets not forget the Internet is free marketing.

message to market match is a very important part of marketing. plus having a USP that not the same as everyone else. we are all not award winners like you

Respect

Ian Harper

[Mike Halliday]

Ian your right as a part of an overall  message it might be useful, but I'm seeing more & more companies using it as a the sole reason to chose them,

how many websites & leaflets have i seen with loads of info on why they are Eco-friendly, but none of them mention how using  turbo dryers can have suites ready to use in 30minutes or carpet ready within 90minutes, which to the customers is a bigger selling point.

all I'm saying is don't lose sight of what's really important to the customers, of course mention it,  but don't make it the meat & potatoes of your message

Mike

[carpetguy]

Ian

What I've noticed about the Eco type sites, is, they look very attractive, but, like Mike I really think it's more important to sell the " benefit " to prospects.

You must " sell the sizzle " not the sausage and this is relevent in ANY marketing. Personally, I'd leave the Green Awareness Messages to manufacturers and Government Departments.

I prefer to give clients " what they want " rather than " what I think " they should have ".

My wife buys soap powder and cleaning products according to her expectations of their cleaning abilities and I suspect 90% of others do the same............yes I know about the melting ice and would love to help...........but...........by NOT  purchasing products from China I will have a greater impact.

rob

[Andy Foster]

Hi

I have found a lot of my customers like the idea that they are using a company that does its utmost to ensure that it uses the most ecologically sound products and methods it can.
The referrals they give to their friends quite often include the phrase 'environmantally friendly' or the like, therefore, this is something that I make the most of when selling them my services.

You do however have to be very careful when citing that 'renewable resources' are guaranteed not to be 'hazardous materials'... just because you can grow or extract a substance over and over again doesn't mean that it is not harmful.

Using chemicals that do not damage the planet and are safe to use in the home is going to be one of the main concerns of the customer in the not too distant future.  If you don't do this now, then you should consider looking into it fairly soon.

Andy

[Fintan_Coll]

Carpetguy, I like the idea of not purchasing articles made in China as China is doing nothing for the planet. Any more I will look out for Chinese manufactured goods and avoid if at all possible.