[andy east sussex]

what do you think is the best way of getting known and having a good response from advitising ive been going 2 years but still cant even get 1 contract but wish to build my residential round but im finding it real hard work

[wightsurf]

I put a add in the local paper get about two domestic a week. If i post a lot of flyers i get about 1 in every 100.
I'm not sure what the % is but it don't seem to be jumping at me.
Its a bit 

[andy east sussex]

if i put out a 1000 flyers i get 4-6 calls and thats it its well anoying

[wightsurf]

I have just paid to have 1000 put out ,this was about two weeks ago now.
NOT ONE PHONE CALL FROM THAT LOT!!!
Starting to think knocking on doors is the only real way forward :
Its hard work getting the jobs but once i have the amount i want i will be real happy as the money i'm getting at the mo is more than i would get from my employer which makes it worth while

[andy east sussex]

ive made that mistake i paid some one to put my leaflets out with no response then i went to the areas they were suppose to be put in and none of the properties recived it the person just dumped my flyers why do people do it to us

[simbo]

i have only used flyers and as a result have nearly 200 customers in about 10 months, you just have to keep at it and i think you get more regular customers and not just the ones that will use you once to be polite from canvassing. some areas you will blank others you won't, thats just how it is but you would be suprised how many times you get one call and go to quote and then come away with a couple of neighbours aswell, had this a few weeks ago , one call and ended up with 5 customers who really "wanted" regular, just stick at it
cheers simbo

[Andrew McCann]

You can not and will not beat canvassing for new domestic customers as a way of building new business quickly and efficiently.

Leafletting does work but it needs to be repeated so that the name gets in front of the prospective customer many times. I cant tell you how many times I have knocked a door to be told "We had a leaflet through from another company but never got round to calling them"

Planned and carried out well you will get the best possible results. OK some times you wont get a sniff but its all part of the process. You just have to keep going. Have a decent leaflet with you to hand to the customer and simply ask if they are in need of a reliable, professional window cleaning service (Not a window cleaner) Present yourself smartly dressed but not over the top. Knock between 5 and 8 in the evening... THats when most folks are in. The daytime is a waste of time... most doors wont get answered. Even at night many wont be in. Leave a leaflet and make a note of the house No/name/street. Go back within a week and that way you will get the most compact work possible.

Leaflets are a marketing tool. You need to get out there and sell yourself. There is a place for leafletting. I have had calls a YEAR after leaving them. The problem is that you are leaving it up to the customer to call you...  some will.. most wont even if they dont have a window cleaner.

Give it a go and prove it to yourself. Think about how you are going to pitch to the customer. Make it short.. friendly and professional and you wont go wrong in the end.

Cheers

Andrew

[stuart webster]

Advertising in your local paper may be slower than canvassing, but, the jobs you get will be better.

Those who phone really want you to clean, they have prob not been in to see another WC.
You can set a minimum charge which they wont argue about.

I put an ad in my local 2 weeks ago. I dont need work, but am now WFP and want different work. Lady phones from ad, I dont clean her area. I ask another WC, same lady phoned, he didn't cover either.

Nothing of a job, if local I would charge £15. Didn't want job really so quoted £35. Delighted. Desperate for windows to be done. Even with travelling less than 1hr.

You will get a better class of customer with advertising!

[Rob_Mac]

How many customers do you have??? for two years.

Are your existing customers happy with the service?

Are you getting recommendations from existing customers.

Your quality of service should be your best advertisement and you should be getting recommendations regularly if all is well.

We get no end of extra work, never leaflet, never advertise - all through recommendation.

I think we have about 600 customers at present and it is still growing, this is for 5 years of self employment, 120 per year.

Sometimes it feels like you aren't getting anywhere and then all of a sudden it all starts clicking into place.

If you are offering the customer what they want at the standard you and they are happy with just keep doing what you are doing

Good luck

Rob

[Simply Clean Windows]

i get a few of the school kids to deliver flyers to areas that i tell them,they get paid £5 for every job that i get.it is only when i get the job that they get paid. NO money up front for them.

[JohnL]

I think I might get one of those telephone companies in India to do a telephone marketing campaign on my behalf.

Tha should do the trick  -  NOT                

JohnL

[mick hay]

I use a company to deliver leaflets for me, best thing i did.
I did start door knocking but due to personal commitments (single dad), it became difficult to get the time.
since last october ive picked up just on 200 customers, all priced correctly and from them loads of recommendations!
 Im going to carry this on until im on 400, so by this time next yr i should have done it!!  

[www.mrgutters.co.uk]

hi all

i have done leaflets , door knocking and yellow pages .. and cards in newsagent windows best response door nocking ang newsagent .

i put a small a6 card in window and pay 50p a week have recieved over £120 a months worth of work from that .

went door knocking yesterday picked up 4 properties total £75 .

yelow pages is a waste £300.00 down the toilet


shawn

[andy east sussex]

does any one use the roal mail to do leaflet drops ? how much do they charge a thousand ? i may be contacting them shortly to get them to put my leaflets out

[wightsurf]

have a look in yellow pages at leaflet distributors ,i pay £10.00 per 1000 .
the only thing is with these is that they post upto 10 other leaflets at the same time.With mine it does'nt make a difference if it is A6 or A4 so it's up to me how much i want to spend.
I go for A6 it suits me ,but might go to A5, just means i have to change my leaflet
add a bit more info i think.

[pjulk]

Wrightsurf said -

I have just paid to have 1000 put out ,this was about two weeks ago now.
NOT ONE PHONE CALL FROM THAT LOT!!!

I had 20,000 leaflets put out at the beginning of this month and only got 12 calls from them and most of those are jobs other window cleaners don't want only ended up with 3 customers from the lot.
It was an expensive lesson not to be done again.

Paul

[mick hay]

It goes to show how different it can be from area to area.

 From 10,000 leaflets put out by a company along with no more than 2 other leaflets, ive taken on £2000 worth of work, there was more i quoted on too but didnt get.

 I'm now re leafleting the areas and in the 1st area got another £150 from  1500 leaflets. These figures dont include any 1st clean charges, recommendations, conservatory cleans or cladding gutters etc!

 From results so far, im estimating to getting a total of £4,000, 4 weekly business in another year.

In my experience, its been the best investment i've made, i even done a quote tonight from a leaflet that was delivered last October!!