[WGB]

Lads have been speaking to a few guys on here about leaflets that u post and the custy puts up in window if they want a quote. Now im going to be doing a mass leaflet drop this year but havn't decided to go for an regular one or this one. Just was looking a bit more feed back on this from people who have tryed it, pros, cons, tips and what the return on them are?

Many thanks, Wayne.

[richard jagger]

I dont believe leaflets delivers good results. Door knocking is still the most successful.This industry is falsely or not  mistrusted by members of the public and seeing you face to face is the best way to set the Public at ease. Many will attack me for saying this but its a misguided image.

[home6442]

Smithie its not just window cleaning its all trades.
Watch any cowboy builder tv show and they will tell you the easiest
way to get ripped off is by getting work from a phone call or leaflet.

[Dani J]

I dont believe leaflets delivers good results. Door knocking is still the most successful.This industry is falsely or not  mistrusted by members of the public and seeing you face to face is the best way to set the Public at ease. Many will attack me for saying this but its a misguided image.

That’s an interesting perception, but if you have a professional leaflet made, you will still get a very good result.

[andyjm1]

It's a method that has it's place but it is possible another window cleaner can nick the jobs.

[WGB]

It's a method that has it's place but it is possible another window cleaner can nick the jobs.

Yea have heard that before, think the best thing to do would be to follow up with a knock asap.

[C o z y]

Don't know if this will help you mate, but this is what one of my competitors does where I am. He comes from over 60 miles away to the areas I work in. (Soldiers houses). He sticks a note on each door on each street that says "WE are in this area tomorrow to clean windows, if you would like them cleaned please tick the box, Price is XX " This guy is part time by the way.

This means he comes down to the areas one day, goes home, comes back the next day and sees who has ticked the box and remembered to stick the note back on the door or window. From what I've seen, he gets about one in thirty that haven't already got a window cleaner. So a crap result. If he'd knock doors and ask, he'd get a lot more, but door knocking makes some grown men cry with fear, so he never gets any regular customers.

He's cheaper than I am, and cleans to an OK standard, but has this mortal fear of knocking and speaking to people. Got another bloke that is mostly full time gardening and does some windows on the side. He takes on any Brit custy he can get and tries to link jobs together that are miles apart and miles from where he lives. So never gets any sort of order to his window work. Keeps losing his window custies because he's unreliable. Another great guy to have as competition.
These guys are great to have around. Makes life so much easier. Notes in windows etc has all been done, and may work to a certain degree, but I suppose the moral is, try not to cut corners, just knock and ask. It's what separates those with a big list of custies from those who don't.

[Klean07]

Well said!

[Johnny B]

Yup, door knocking is the way to go. You get to meet your potential customers and they get an impression of you.

I find it a bit of an irony that we are in a service industry, yet we don't want to meet the very same people who extend the hand that feeds us. 

John

[C o z y]

Erm, I'm really pleased for you. I've got 350 customers all within walking distance of eachother because I knocked. There will always be some who say leafleting is the way forward. I'm just really glad that my competition thinks that too.

Some people are just scared of rejection, so they have no choice, they leaflet and hope. I've read cr@p on here where some hero tells people they built a compact round on leaflets alone within a few months blah blah..

Lee Pryor stuck 25K into leaflets and so far has got about 15K on one offs and an extra 600 custies, over a period of about 3 months. Some think that's a good result, so you can stick 25K into leaflets, or you can build up enough guts to knock on some doors!!  I don't care, you're not in my country  

[davids3511]

Erm, I'm really pleased for you. I've got 350 customers all within walking distance of eachother because I knocked. There will always be some who say leafleting is the way forward. I'm just really glad that my competition thinks that too.

Some people are just scared of rejection, so they have no choice, they leaflet and hope. I've read cr@p on here where some hero tells people they built a compact round on leaflets alone within a few months blah blah..

Lee Pryor stuck 25K into leaflets and so far has got about 15K on one offs and an extra 600 custies, over a period of about 3 months. Some think that's a good result, so you can stick 25K into leaflets, or you can build up enough guts to knock on some doors!!  I don't care, you're not in my country  

Ok, you obviously know best.

[C o z y]

I didn't say I know best. Try not to get upset because someone sees things differently to you. Just try to understand that some people aren't afraid of rejection, and because of that can build faster and more compact rounds than just dropping leaflets and hoping for the best. Imagine how many custies you would have had by now if you plucked up the bottle to actually knock and ask if they needed a window cleaner.

Seems strange to me to go into a service industry where customer contact is everything, and be afraid of customer contact. It's like getting into window cleaning and not being able to clean insides or working at height etc.

As I said, your not anywhere near where I work, so knock 'em out mate  

[SPE]

Yup, door knocking is the way to go. You get to meet your potential customers and they get an impression of you.

I find it a bit of an irony that we are in a service industry, yet we don't want to meet the very same people who extend the hand that feeds us. 

John

I would agree with this (although I have never doorknocked myself - too much of a wimp)
but what of those who use a canvasser ? I don't really get this, afterall the customer does not meet you to form an impression, but some other bloke who says he knows a good window cleaner  

Sorry for the sidetrack, as to the original post,
I dont know, give it a try
you may want to think about what they put in the window - it could be an invitation for others to try and rob you of potential customers, or could attract other trades, religeous nut jobs etc. to try their luck  
How about a thumbs up symbol ?
Simon

[davids3511]

I didn't say I know best. Try not to get upset because someone sees things differently to you.

Your're joking right, your're being ironic after your last reply?

Just try to understand that some people aren't afraid of rejection, and because of that can build faster and more compact rounds

They can't build faster rounds if the leafletting is done properly with modest investment. I built 350 regulars in 3/4 months last year with 2k. You'd be door knocking for a long time to get that on your own. You are confusing fear of rejection with efficient use of my time. Maybe I'm just a hero talking crap!! Maybe it's easier to think it's crap than to reasess your own ways of working.

than just dropping leaflets and hoping for the best.

What's door knocking other than knocking and hoping for the best?

Imagine how many custies you would have had by now if you plucked up the bottle to actually knock and ask if they needed a window cleaner.]i've done it in the past when I was skint.

Cheapness and slightly more compact work are the only advantages I see. It's not quicker if you have a little money.

Seems strange to me to go into a service industry where customer contact is everything, and be afraid of customer contact.

deja vu

It's like getting into window cleaning and not being able to clean insides or working at height etc.

yada yada yada

As I said, your not anywhere near where I work, so knock 'em out mate  

You're lucky your close competion is so feckless. Maybe you're not as good as you could be because they are not pushing you. Knock a few doors, get a few customers, job oxo.

[C o z y]

Now try relaxing and take deep breaths, and breeeeaaath 

[davids3511]

Now try relaxing and take deep breaths, and breeeeaaath 

I'm tired and emotional. Went to bed too late last night.

[C o z y]

Must have been all that leaflet printing!!!!! 

[davids3511]

Must have been all that leaflet printing!!!!! 

That'll be it

[Steve Sed]

I sometimes door knock, but mostly I have leafletted. I nearly always meet the customer when I quote. Personally, I think when you knock you are on the back foot re: pricing. Knocked work is usually a product of desperation and the pricing and retention rate reflect that.

[Steve Sed]

I should add that I had the luxury of time to build my round. If I needed the work quickly, and without the funds to pay someone to leaflet drop, I would have knocked.