[dustdees]

Anyone else having a bad time for getting new clients.
I am seriously thinking of winding up this business at the moment.
I have done everything possible to get new clients, i.e letters, phone calls , tramping the streets, had a look at my charges, thomson etc.

The girls I have do a wonderful job and my clients are really happy and are willing to give referances.

HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[George-Reid]

Lost a tender today we were under bid by around 50%
The company that won it are buying the work to get a uk presence.
It makes you sick and I guess I will be ped off for a day or two but then its back to normal.

Letters, phone calls, thompson etc are all a good part of your marketing arsenal.
But nothing beets door knocking. with a programmed follow up of quotes etc.
Door knock door knock then door knock some more.
Cheers

George

[CMS]

When it looks like I'm going to beaten on price, particularly when it's a deliberately low one to 'get a presence' I put this to the Client...................

I ask them if they understand the following concept -

"Every cleaning operation has a time value attached to it and therefore MUST contain an element of cost"

When they tell me that they do I explain to them .................

Mr X -  there are two ways that our competitor can make this contract work - he can ask his staff to do some of the work for nothing or he can leave something out and hope that you don't notice...................and then I ask the Client a direct question.........

Mr X - which do YOU think they will do?

It usually does the trick for me. Once that Client has acknowledged that (i) Everything has a price and (ii) The other company will probably leave something out - there's no way he'll choose them. He'll look an idiot!

[Prestige1]

Hi Dustees
Don't feel down, you can try to hard and come across to potential clients as being desperate and switch them off, heres one to try, are you registered on Ebay? if so look at where you have slots  available and auction the slots off, you need to atract people from Reading so put this in your title with other stuff to attract customers, ie "Home cleaned in Reading slot available must see" advertise your self as a new company and are able to ofer fantastic cleaning, also say reason for the slots that are availble canceled due to illness or somthing. if you are paying your staff you might as well keep them busy. Have you got a good quality leaflet? I know people go on about the sucess rate of leaflets but I have invested in good quality leaflets full colour A5 open brocure, I have had printed 20,000 I have about 4,000 left! these have lasted me 3 years. if I need work I leaflet I get a good hit rate, 1 customer for every 60 leaflets droped, my problem is keeping the jobs I have because good cleaners are so hard to find. marketing your business is all about quality in your approach, if you get that right you will find you are able to charge more and only attract the right customers ie with money to spend, I am sure you can and will turn it arround. good luck kind regards Phil

[George-Reid]

Cheers CMS I will add that to the thought process for the next meeting.

George

[CMS]

No probs George.

Dustdees - this happens to everyone from time to time but it can become a problem.

You see, NOTHING spreads faster than negativity. I'f you're feeling negative it will show to your Clients, your Prospects and to your staff. No matter how bad you are feeling about things you MUST stop it in it's tracks as soon as you notice it.

That's easy for him to say, I guess you're thinking........................

I've already said that negativity spreads like wildfire but there is something that spreads faster - ENTHUSIASM.

I'd like you to try something for me for the next few days - trust me on this one.

1. Act enthusiastically about EVERYTHING you do. Whether it's cleaning, writing a letter, making a phone call..........absolutely everything! If you act enthusiastically it will rub off on others just as your negativity will. You're Clients/Prospects will see that you are enthusiastic about what you do and they will be enthusiastic too, as will your staff.

2. Don't surround yourself with negative people. Hang out with people who you KNOW are successful in what they do.

3. Read everything you can about successful people. It doesn't matter what field they are in. Go to the library and pick up as many biographies as you can. Richard Bransons biography (The Virgin King) is a cracker! I promise you that if you read a chapter or even a couple of pages each day his attitude will rub off on to you and affect how you do things for the rest of the day.

If you do all of these things I promise you that you will feel differently.

[preston powerblast]

Look at it this way, you put in your best quote.
You would probably be an idiot to do it for any less.
In this day and age, you get what you pay for.
Quality comes at a price.
Like I always say, if you pay peanuts you get monkeys.
There will be other clients and there will be other contracts.
I myself got to the stage last month where I was seriously considering throwing in the towel.
I had a cash offer to sell the van and everything else associated with it.
But I sat and thought long and hard about it.
What would i do next?
Could I get a job that i would enjoy as much as pressure washing.
No.
I love my line of work, as you do by the sounds of things.
Ive done the whole advertising, door knocking, leafleting thing.
And maybe got one or two jobs.
Now I am not advertising and the phone is ringing.
Dont give up, stick in there something will come along sooner or later.

[*Chris Browne]

Hey Dustees!

This business is all up, down, up, up, down, down, down, up,up,up, take advantage of the quite periods.
Three weeks ago we won an award,........ last week was one of the worst weeks iv'e ever known..i thought why am i doing this?............why dont i just get my self a nice little non stressfull job?................today as been the busiest monday  i can remember! 3 quotes in one afternoon, one was a fluke i was just delivering t-towels to one of my clients (we launder them at a price1) and realized i had two leaflets in my jacket so i popped them in to the buildings next door and gave them one of my special smiles,...and bobs your auntie the one company were phoning me as i walked through the door, now thats a good ratio  of one responce out of two leaflets!!....yep its all about being in the right place at the right time.....hang in there ...who knows what tommorrow will be like?

Chris

[exoclean]

Hi Dustdees,

I'm not an expert in cleaning or marketing but one thing that always works for me is smiling

I've accepted I'm not going to be the next Bill Gates but I know I wont lie down and accept defeat either. A few weeks ago I posted a thread on how I should get new business. I had some real positive feedback, it cheered me up and went out and did what the pro's suggested. So I went armed with a few leaflets and knocked on a few doors. The response wasn't brilliant but I kept going. Eventually I got one call from that call I got another 3 jobs. From those 3 jobs I got 2 more confirmed and 2 possibles that friends of the first 3 recommended.

Years ago I did a bit of recruitment and my sales manager taught me something I have always held onto. That was " Every no you get your closer to that next yes" Keep plugging away, accept there all not going to be positive responses but make sure you convert most of maybe's and the yes's will look after themselves.

Good Luck and keep smiling
 


Paul
 

[blacksheep]

"When defeat comes, accept it as a signal that your plans are not sound, rebuild those plans, and set sail once more toward your coveted goal." -- Napoleon Hill 

not good with words, but come on dusty, get up ,dust yourself off and start over you of all people can do it, youve kept the rest of us going. we all feel like that some times we all love ya and will give you as much support as you need. that e-bay idea is a good one give that ago, you can do it girl DONT PACK IT IN  keep going and think positive

[Jan K]

Hi Denise!

We have all been there and we have all had to ask ourselves if it is as bad as it really seems.........a guy that really picked me up when I was down quite a few months ago, Carloso (I hope you are listening as I think Denise needs you now too), gave me some tips and encouragement. I am now at the stage where, if it is quiet, I do as the other posters suggest and re-think my strategies, do a little competitor research and just knuckle down and trudge the streets (or the computer).

I have said it many times before, my Yellow Pages/Yell.com brings in most of my work and I wouldn't be without my adverts. The new book doesn't come out until January (at least down here anyway) but should you wish to advertise in it, get on and do it now......you don't pay for the ad until it goes live, but you will see a difference...........remember your competitors are already in the book and you are having to vie for the same business as them.......if you aren't it in you haven't got that chance to compete! It will get better, I assure you, it really will! 

Jan

[dustdees]

Hi Jan,

Yep, I have done the Yellow pages, it comes out Feb 2006 here. Just waiting fo rthe paperwork to come through.

Thanks for the advices matex

[carloso]

you have email

[Ian Gourlay]

Denise,

I do not want the answers, are you loosing money?

Do you have enough to live on?

Do you still want a cleaning company


If the answers are No , Yes Yes keep trying

[dustdees]

JAN,

I got it thanx!! You little minx!!!

Cheered me up mate .

Chat soon

Denisexx

[ValueValeting]

I've been a little quiet too for the past few weeks, not many phone calls etc (been quite pleased actually coz I moved house 10 days ago so thats all sorted now ) However the phone has been ringing off the hook this week for no reason what so ever - be patient it will come

regards

Phil

[Jan K]

Denise m8, it all takes a little time but it will happen, I assure you........Carl you old devil...you working wonders again!!

[REGINA]

Here I go again...
One of the very first contracts I made was with my massage therapist.. all business of course. Talk about value for money! It goes both ways! (No silly! Not my therapist).

I like to think that when all is quiet it is a time for me to sit and work and tend to other important business matters.

Ciao! GINA