[jonah]

Have been building up business for last few months , but the hardest part for me is explaining why the former wc has stopped coming !       I have a good idea really when they explain what he charged !  I am almost double and dont want to cast aspersions on his character !  I find myself saying sorry for him even though I dont know him .       How do you explain why he hasnt been back for a while ?

[[GQC] Tim]

When they say what prices he did it for, just say, that's probably why he isn't coming anymore. That's what I do, then explain that costs go up, and they probably never have increased their prices, all of the sudden it isn't doable anymore.

[jonah]

Good point , Used thats why he isnt coming anymore , but it takes a super salesman to get the job for twice the price !  Got 25 but am waiting for him to resurface LOL

[[GQC] Tim]

Hm, a friendly smile and a trustworthy face comes a long way I suppose. I think image has got a lot to do with it aswell, and confidence. If you are comfortable with a good price, people can see that from your bodylanguage aswell. If you add the leather folder, and looking pro, that helps aswell I think.

PDA as a calculator, they can't see it's just a calc hehe, they think oh that must be the way to price a house properly or something.

[frames to panes]

I wonder if age and appearance have a lot to do with it. Teenager with hoodie and baseball cap or middle aged man with friendly face? Would youngsters have a hard time starting out?

[Helen]

Have been building up business for last few months , but the hardest part for me is explaining why the former wc has stopped coming !       I have a good idea really when they explain what he charged !  I am almost double and dont want to cast aspersions on his character !  I find myself saying sorry for him even though I dont know him .       How do you explain why he hasnt been back for a while ?

When i come across this, usually the first thing I say is "ah
 that's a shame, its such a good area! what is the business name?Usually they don't know and go on to say that have no way of contacting him either.......already you have 2 good selling points there!
Then do your price........if you get the gasp of "that's a lot more than what he was charging"...then you can come in with, "I really suspect that that is why the other chap has stopped coming round as he didn't like to increase the price. My prices are competitive with other wc businesses operating in the area"

[windowwashers]

I wonder if age and appearance have a lot to do with it. Teenager with hoodie and baseball cap or middle aged man with friendly face? Would youngsters have a hard time starting out?

if we reverse that a teenager smartly dressed and a middle aged man in hoody and baseball cap the latter would put anyone on edge.

It is harder if you are younger but you just have to sell yourself, I did door to door canvassing when I was about 17/18 (I looked about 15) I did very well because i DID LIKE MOST CANVASSERS DO (of any age), be polite was presentable with a freindly smile, being good at selling helps a great deal.

Dishing another window cleaner only makes the person doing it look bad IMO

[P®oPole™]

DJW,

Age doesn't make the slightest diffrence. Its all down to the individual and how one portrays his company, simple as that.



Pro

[Ian Lancaster]

the hardest part for me is explaining why the former wc has stopped coming !

That's nothing to do with you.  If you knock and they ask "Where's the other bloke?" just say: "I really don't know - I'm nothing to do with him, I'm just expanding my operation into this area."   If  you start trying to give reasons why he hasn't been around, and then he hears about it, you could find he gets annoyed with you - he might be thinking of coming back.  If you deny all knowledge of him and present yourself as a new service in the area, you couldn't then be accused of "poaching".

It's up to the custy to tell you that their other window cleaner hasn't been around, not up to you to tell them.

[Sir Squeaky]

I wonder if age and appearance have a lot to do with it. Teenager with hoodie and baseball cap or middle aged man with friendly face? Would youngsters have a hard time starting out?

Absolutely no question of that.

I have my hair trendy, wear young clothes and get turned down on a house for £20.
Ian Giles or Tosh turn up looking older and get the same place for £30+

If you look young people don't take you as a serious business.

I'm 34, but I get customers calling me "kiddo" or "young man", or the worst "There's a good boy"
You'll never get top prices when that's what people think of you.

[P®oPole™]

Squeaky,

You are so off the mark its untrue. If you think that way in business, it will get you no were.

There are many types of shiner's, we all do the same which is clean glass. However its all about what sort of shiner you want to be. If you dont have the acumen or business skills to get good jobs at top rates you simply wont get them.

I'm 22 and have some very exlusive work in all sectors of the industry.

Pro

[Moderator David@stives]

Yes Propole is 22 but looks 12 !!!  and he still gets good work, The only trouble is he gets paid in sweets

[bluez]

 

[P®oPole™]

David

I dont eat sweets know more as my dentist gave me some good advice once
I have watched recently your posts mate, and been impressed with your attituide towards expansion. I too know the two things that drive business's foward are insight into implementation and expansion through good marketing and PR.

This year is going to be my best year in business, I have built an exellent reputation for supplying the highest level of service and have a prized and established commercial round which some here could only dream of having.

If you want swap some invoices mate we can see who get sweets

Alex

[Pj]

It's more about location really.

If you are doing well in a prosperous part of the UK eg. North London, Central London, The South West
- well you should be!  because that's where all the money is.

But if you're doing quite well and you're in a less than average property value location, then you can say you are smart

[Sir Squeaky]

Squeaky,

You are so off the mark its untrue. If you think that way in business, it will get you no were.

There are many types of shiner's, we all do the same which is clean glass. However its all about what sort of shiner you want to be. If you dont have the acumen or business skills to get good jobs at top rates you simply wont get them.

I'm 22 and have some very exlusive work in all sectors of the industry.

Pro

Well lucky you, but I'm afraid in this case it's true.

My competitors around here have no more in the way of acumen and business skills than me, they're just older so they're taken more seriously.

[Moderator David@stives]

PJ

Come to Cornwall and see if you can spot where the money is ?

I have to look far and wide for the big jobs

[P®oPole™]

Very true PJ,

However its about presentation and good marketing to get into the big stuff. I'm not talking shop fronts and alike I'm talking work that takes a team days to complete. or specialist access maybe hundreds of feet high.

It amazes me how many on here think that there bigger than they are or all they need is a pair of shinny shoes and a smile. Some even think that because there a seasoned shiner of 20+ years that they are an elite.

There are some very clever buisnessmen here and many many dreamers.

[Pj]

PJ

Come to Cornwall and see if you can spot where the money is ?

I have to look far and wide for the big jobs

No discredit to you Dave, I've seen your progress and hard work.  But the property values just 2 miles from you are phenomenal compared to other areas, and a lot of them are second homes/holiday homes. 

Who wants to holiday in Manchester?

There are some very clever buisnessmen here and many many dreamers.

This is very true too

[Ian_Giles]

Squeaky,

You are so off the mark its untrue. If you think that way in business, it will get you no were.

There are many types of shiner's, we all do the same which is clean glass. However its all about what sort of shiner you want to be. If you don't have the acumen or business skills to get good jobs at top rates you simply wont get them.

I'm 22 and have some very exlusive work in all sectors of the industry.

Pro

Well lucky you, but I'm afraid in this case it's true.

My competitors around here have no more in the way of acumen and business skills than me, they're just older so they're taken more seriously.

Sigh!
Roger just doesn't get it does he?

I started Window cleaning when I was in my mid twenties, within 6 months I had someone working for me, another 18 months later I had 2 working for me, at one point I had 4 people working for me and all before I was Roger's age.

Your age has absolutely nothing to do it, if Roger saw Propole in the flesh he'd probably hold his hand and ask him if he'd lost his mummy? 
Propole presents himself professionally in business, and I'll bet if he decided to move to Chepstow and start afresh, within 6 months he'd be earning more than squeaky.
Squeaks has just recently picked up a few accounts, with any luck the ball is now going to start to roll in his favour, but until now we have all heard how he has lost account after account, how he never picks up new work and so on, yet no one else in this or any other area has the level of bad luck that Squeaks has had.
Unfortunately Roger won't accept any blame or see that he is doing anything wrong.
It's because of his age.
It's because of water fed pole.
There just isn't any work about.
And so on.

His unconscious body language lets him down, he doesn't exude confidence  in WFP for a start, he sees a window done trad, all dry and polished and perfect as the ideal.
He sees WFP as wet and messy and too hit and miss to be as good as trad.

He has mentioned these things many times in different threads and if he believes this then his body language is going to show it, it's the same with pricing, he'll feel guilty putting in a big price, will try and justify to the customer, all these things add up and show in his demeanour.

As for the old window cleaner not turning up for months, well you don't have to diss them as such, but if your own price is way, way higher than theirs it's fairly obvious the old window cleaner was just too cheap to make it worthwhile coming back

Ian