[Nick W]

Hello

I am keen to develop more relationships with property management firms and commercial letting agents since they have large cleaning requirements in their property portfolios.

Has anyone got advice on approaching them that works? I have sent company borchures to a few and followed up by phone and the response has been "we get approached by cleaning companies the whole time and already have a large list of cleaners, pls leave us alone!" (i am para phrasing!)

[martin19842]

hi there

that is the standard answer, and what they say about being approached by lots of cleaning companies is true, but it is the follow up service that you give, that needs to be spot on.

cold calling, hard work but pays off, the idea is to make sure that your company name is at the top of the reserve list, so when there usual cleaner lets them down you then get your chance.

the other thing about managing agents is that they represent the residents, and they should get three quotes when reviewing services, so offer to provide comparative quotes to them, the other predominant factor at present is that residents are demanding that their service charge either remains the same or infact reduces, therefore the market is competitive.

when you have called them, log them on your system so that in 4 weeks time you can ring them again, and then 4 weeks again after that.

it is about persistence.

regards

martin

[Nick W]

thanks martin, v useful.

In addition to targetting managing agents of residential properties I want to get greater penetration into surveyors - they find new commercial premises for clients and often have a say in who gets the cleaning contract for the communal areas or in the case of a single tenanted building for all areas.

I assume your recommended approach for selling through surveyors is the same - ie persitence, persitence, persistence?

[martin19842]

hi there

persistene and relationship building is key, when you get clients, or potential clients saying to you that you are persistent, is the point that you know that they recognise that you are enthusaitic to do business with them. however at that point you have to be able to judge whether your call is an annoyance or is being taken in a positive way, but only you can judge that.