[tom_currie]

following on what andy just said most major commercial have h/e policy that states all contractors working on site must have at least 5 mill public 10 mill employres

example FOCUS diy chain as i have there h/e in front of me

[Sarah Sarill]

Thats OK David - debating w/c issues and sharing info is what this site is all bout - all our views are as important as the next w/c and anyway who says one of us is right anyway !!!

I have just done my letter template which almost mirrors the wording suggested by Poleman and Tom-Currie - cheers both.

Will target hotels and restaurants this week and change  business type weekly thereafter. 

NOTHING VENTURED NOTHING GAINED !!!

Have a good Sunday all.

[thewindowcleaner1]

I've used the letter with Bussines card at btm and have just started to use the smaller post card, keep it simple, tell them the problem, and give them the solution, so far only droped 40 cards in 10 days recieved 12 nc's all commercial.

[H h20]

That looks great,hope i gets you more business,Gaz.

[thewindowcleaner1]

That looks great,hope i gets you more business,Gaz.

Was always taught keep trying new idea's if only 3% work out of every 10 idea's your onto a winner.

Taught to me by a "potter"

[H h20]

Hi,Alan,well you know im from the potteries,and it looks like the rest of the "potters" are keepin there trade secrets to them selves nowadays mate.Gaz.

[Sarah Sarill]

"I've used the letter with Bussines card at btm and have just started to use the smaller post card, keep it simple, tell them the problem, and give them the solution, so far only droped 40 cards in 10 days recieved 12 nc's all commercial."

Thanx - that sort of pick-up rate is just what i'd love too!!

 Have just included the quote as the opening paragraph of my mailshot letter !!  Me thinks its gonna do the job - fingers crossed.  If nothing else it SHOULD make local businesses question their current w/c's.

I am more than happy to email a copy to anyone who may want to do the same excercise but have to warn you it is 2 pages long so you'll need a clear head to digest it all  !!!

Thanx

[Moderator David@stives]

i wouldn`t mind having a gander mate

chears

david@dmorris20220.wanadoo.co.uk

[Trademark WC]

I would like a look to please !!

Trademarkwindowcleaners@btinternet.com

Thanks

Rob

[Sarah Sarill]

Sorry but dont send info to 'cowboys'  David.

I assume I'm forgiven then eh !!!

Noticed another thread that sort of digressed onto this very same subject  but Im keeping out of the debate given I started it at the start of this thread and it just wont go away. But just to remind you of my opinion..............

"Hi Guys,

Just logged on and boy have I opened a debate on 'Cowboys' eh !!

Perhaps I used the wrong word to describe these 'companies' but the definition is very specific.  These guys really are rogues - they turn up, may or may not do the job at all or frequently below standard of respectible w/c.  I have many stories of them taking payment for months in advance and not ever turning up, scratching the glass with the metal on the blades, breaking potted plants, no insurance (when a new client asked to claim for a damaged conservatory window, vans with no tax.

Yes david they also have vans and printed t-shirts so they dont look like 'cowboys'. My opinion is based ONLY on their ability to do a fair job.  I have no snobbery about using a sponge, a wooden ladder or fairy washing up liquid after all I have used these for over 7 years myself and would not judge anybody of their equiptment (or lack of funds to buy expensive ones). I do however agree with you on one point that id matters not how long you have been w/c but how good you are at it - like you I feel I am qualities of the most reliable, courteous and honest w/c in my area - and will continue to build my business on these points.  Dai & Gaz clearly know a few of these and know where I'm coming from on this point !! "

It will take me a couple of days to email you the letter - its not quite finished but wont forget you have both asked for it.

Your comments would be gratefully received though - if it can be improved before I sent it then all the better.


 

[Moderator David@stives]

sorry sarril those comments were to all the posts where you get belittled for being the small poor guy.crap car etc.things just get muddled and end up blowing a fuse on a certain thread on a certain day . nothing personal .i was just talking generally.

you seem like a nice bloke as do all the guys on here.
us "small guys" need a bit of loving sometimes.

chears mate

[Sarah Sarill]

Rob/David,

Have just mailed template.  Your comments and improvement suggestions gratefully accepted.

[Ian_Giles]

A good thread Saril, it almost got moderated as it was starting to drift off topic into discussing cowboy cleaners!

Poaching was of course a rather strong way of describing what you want to do, I would personally call 'poaching' the way of getting work in an underhand way.
It certainly isn't poaching to get your name out there, or to send out leaflets advertising what you do and looking for new business.

Office blocks and so on can make you damn good money, so be very, very careful you do not under price, and don't offer to do the first clean for free either, it reeks of desperation, apart from which, it's the first clean that is often the hardest, often taking way longer than a regular clean.
And if you are talking about a job that may well be several hours long, or even a day or two long, offering a free clean is going to leave you seriously short of cash!
If you do a leaflet, don't post it, call in and ask for the manager, offer your service direct and then leave them with your flyer.
If they have a window cleaner, and are unhappy with the service they are receiving, they may well ask for a quote there and then, and you'll stand a better chance of them retaining your card for future reference if you call on them rather than just drop a flyer through the letterbox.

Don't offer to undercut or beat their price, in the long run you are cutting your own throat.

I don't do really big commercial stuff, when the jobs get more than a day in length to do, the sort of money you can get isn't as good as the office or hotel or whatever that'll only take you a couple of hours.

With some hotel chains they will get in quotes and generally choose the cheapest price (ask Tosh!) and you can be working flat out for 3 or 4 days, and then waiting 3 or 4 months for your money.

Thats the downside, the big jobs can often mean waiting a long time to get your money in.

Gotta go, running late for my shops now!

Regards,

Ian

[Sarah Sarill]

Thanks Ian,

Noticed this sensitive subject of 'cowboys' came up on another thread the other day so I kept out of it having unintentionally fuelled the subject on this thread !!

In your experience would it be an option to just mail shot this letter as my intention WAS to get our Company name in front of many businesses as possible and locally there are over 80 hotels, B&B's and restaurants alone. 

Secondly because of the graphics to personally deliver most of them would take many days and dont wish to waste valuable w/c time when the sun is out.  I know you have to speculate to acumulate but was thinking of the easiest and most cost effective option.  Of course if it does not work its been a waste of time anyway - hence my thread asking if these types of letters/leaflets have worked (or not) for any of you guys.

Finally, my thoughts were then to target another section of the Yellow Pages ie health clubs, Doctors Surgeries and continue going over time until I had exhausted all decent sized businesses.  This is, as you can tell an a long term marketing plan.

Thanks for your comments/ideas it may well be I follow up the initial letter with a personal visit to prime customers.

[godzilla]

if u want to poach work , then find out the price thats been charged at the  present time threw any , and i mean any means possible and then place your self some where so u can observ the work taking place .This way u learn how the other person does it and can work out how u will .The last thing you do is cut his throat by this i mean under price them and continue to do the job as it was always done . not that im saying its a tried and tested method , just saying its worth thinking about.

[daniel b]

Hi sarill the is a good thread,could i please have a look at your letter too.
my email is info@dsbcleaningservices.co.uk

Thanks
Dan

[windows_chepstow]

With some hotel chains they will get in quotes and generally choose the cheapest price (ask Tosh!) and you can be working flat out for 3 or 4 days, and then waiting 3 or 4 months for your money.

Thats the downside, the big jobs can often mean waiting a long time to get your money in.

Yes, agree with Ian.  Facility managers of large, prestigeous buildings always phone around and get three or four companies to quote for them.  They'll go for the cheapest company who they believe can do the job, which isn't necessarily the cheapest quote.

However, just say I know about a few of Ian's jobs and how much he charges (which I do) and decided to present myself as a professional window cleaner to these companies and offer them the same or better service for a cheaper price.

I doubt I'd get any of them; only those who disliked Ian, or his work.  He's been doing some of them for so long, I doubt they'd want to change, and if they didn't like Ian or his work, they'd have changed him a long time ago.

I only got the Hilton Hotel job when a new 'thrusting' hotel manager took over.  He didn't like the previous window cleaning company and although I underquoted; they seriously underquoted; did a shoddy job and just didn't 'look the Hilton' (so the manager told me).

I think it would be difficult to poach commercial work purely on price if the current window cleaners have built up a half-decent rapport with their customer and provide at least a half-decent service, and if you could get the contract; purely on price; how long would you last before someone else chanced their arm?

[Sarah Sarill]

and the thread continues...................

As you all know  have only been a cleanitup member for a few months now and when I originally posted this thread I did not expect it to open up such a can of window cleaning worms !!!

First there was the 'cowboy' debate then the 'poaching' debate and now we have ended up with an 'undercutting' debate.  Way to go guys - we must all lead very boring social lives cos we pick up and banter on single words sometimes used out of context.  I'm guilty cos I used the words cowboys and poaching but think I have managed to redeem myself with my reply of Aug 30th - David !!!

Now to put the record straight with Ian and Godzilla I have not intention of undercutting my competitors - there will be only one winner then - the customer !!!.  I want to pick up new business based on the fact I perceive myself to be a reliable, honest and professional w/c (and no david I dont have a shinny nice new van).  Most of all I want to convey that in all aspects of our industry I conform to any legal guidelines and am therefore a front runner WHEN a customer is looking to emloy a w/c.

I take on board your comments Tosh - although I build in a payment requirement timescale when quoting these customers and it NEVER longer than 7 days for receipt of payment.  To date they conform  - if they did'nt I  would drop them as I dont need that tyoe of  business.  My creditors dont wait 3 months for me to pay them do they !!!

Ironically back to the thread topic (Poaching New Busness) I want to be in a position where I can really be selective with the jobs I do and the speed in which I get paid and am hoping this marketing letter yields some results for me to say  's-d off if you dont pay quicker I wont be doin' your windows any more'  (obviously not in thse exact words).

 Am sending your copy out now Daniel - any suggestions to improve it would be gratefully received.

[Moderator David@stives]

 
sarril

for your information i am only half a cowboy now as i have just installed my shiney new wfp. 

and will soon have a shiney new van   

dont worry about upsetting anyone , most people here dont.

anyway we soon forget and go after something else
 

[Rick]

david with a WFP?

david im afraid im going to have to ask that you return you ten gallon hat, boots and your horse