[Rob.Hall]

I like Matts idea. Its simple and effective.

As the saying goes. 'Work smarter not harder'.

[Clive McDonald]

Ever since starting i don't get much time (is this just an excuse?) because I operate another business and only have a window between nine and three when I can work.

In the early days if i only had £40 booked in would spend the rest of this time leafleting. My early attempts did well, but my later leaflets have largely failed.

My website is very poor and has led to very little work. Nathaeneal put it up on the worst website ever thread.In the new year i will be improving this side of things.

Is £700 a lot of money? I didn't include signwriting my van at £200. I've read that yellow pages can be more than this for one add.

With what we've got coming our way I would be happy to spend the same again just to stay where I am.

[matt]

people ask for advice

people give advice

person who asked for advice, reads the advise given from the people who have given it, then they decide on what advise to use

its a discussion forum

you simple dont understand it do you  : : :

Thanks for clarifying that; maybe you should take your own advice then!

you really are something, discount asked about marketing, i replied with my advise, funny enough he thanked me for my advice and said he would put my advise into action,

thus, he asked, i have advice, he liked advice and will use it, Ive helped at least some1 with my advice

then tonight Rob.Hal says " i like matts idea" so he might gaim something from the advise i gave

it might just be that others read my advise and think " good idea, i will try that "

yet you still knock me and post the post you made " maybe you should take your own advice then! "

you really do not even try to help others, your just far happier posting your sly little put-downs, grow up and use this forum for what its for, helping and advising each other

[ftp]

Ever since starting i don't get much time (is this just an excuse?) because I operate another business and only have a window between nine and three when I can work.

In the early days if i only had £40 booked in would spend the rest of this time leafleting. My early attempts did well, but my later leaflets have largely failed.

My website is very poor and has led to very little work. Nathaeneal put it up on the worst website ever thread.In the new year i will be improving this side of things.

Is £700 a lot of money? I didn't include signwriting my van at £200. I've read that yellow pages can be more than this for one add.

With what we've got coming our way I would be happy to spend the same again just to stay where I am.

It's only a lot of money to me, no doubt others spend in excess of this. Funny thing is when i started the favourite sayings were things like "there's more windows than cleaners" "stacks of work out there" "fill yer boots" - Maybe there isn't that much work about after all?

[Feen]

I don't have one I just go out and work. Never had a new job for a month or so. Got one last Friday by word of mouth. Got 4 today by being seen working No logic or pattern. Personally I would find "marketing" in whatever form a hassle, let alone the expense. I put my emphasis on being reliable and polite. Sure I lose customers, but I gain more than I lose through word of mouth or simply by being seen. When I've done my work, I go home. No hours spent leafleting etc.
Not necessarily advice for all, just saying how I work

[Clive McDonald]

The fancy word for gaining and losing customers is called 'churn'. High churn, or low customer retention is bad, but those of us that are newer will lose more than those longer established. I reckon i will lose 25% of all new work I get.

Not all of tbis is my fault, as you all know very often they only really want a one off, or as it doesn't appear to get dirty anymore they think they don't need you.I believe this churn may rise as this recession bites.

Funnily enough we get people on here who rubbish high earners as fantasists whereas i tend to beleive. The ones i can't believe are the ones who never lose a customer.

[Feen]

I can't believe you will lose 25% of all new customers. Sure there are some who want a one-off. If they say that's what they want (and I assume you ask them), they don't count as lost. They are a completed job. The ones who say they want regular and then change after one clean are the wind-ups. Nothing to be done about them. But 25%

[matt]

Funnily enough we get people on here who rubbish high earners as fantasists whereas i tend to beleive. The ones i can't believe are the ones who never lose a customer.

If i lose any because the sell up and move, i ALLWAYS go out of my way to put a card though, then if that doesnt work, i sometimes tap on the door, introduce myself, once again, keeping it compact and not having gaps in my round 

[windowswashed]

If you're going to have a marketing plan, stick to it. Keep it realistic, so it's achievable. Once achieved, make another.

[Moderator David@stives]

It is far cheaper to sell more to your existing customers than to find new ones.

With all forms of marketing you have to identify, qualify and and quantify

[macmac]

You always seem to talk like there is ONE plan, ONE strategy, ONE rule for all. Its not like that.

Life isnt like that. Business isnt like that. Is yourhome life like that?

There are shades of grey and colour, things differ.

Stop analysing, get a grip and get on with it. There isnt A plan! Theres loads of them. Theres as many plans as there are individuals, just adapt your circumstances to what you want to achieve.

Tiring all this analysis. You dont know what you want do you. If you did you'd go out there and strive for it and not sit there questioning everything. Get off your arse and carry out YOUR decision.


When it comes to business I firmly believe we are masters of our own destiny. Therefore, if you believe there is A plan out there then its your fault you havent found it. Sitting here wont discover it for you.

Well said that man, TOP POST (ewan won't get it though)

Tony

[macmac]

Good decision, maybe some of the more successful will post more and part with there advice, and not have to put up with poor and insulting comments from those doing the job just as long but don’t have the right answer’s for the people asking the questions.

Doing the job a fair few years doesn’t give you the right to insult people.

For your information this isn’t the first, second or third time I have been self employed doing other things. So I do have a certain amount of knowledge, not that any of you geniuses picked up on that.

Like you keep saying the window cleaning part isn’t rocket science.   

1. I have all the right answers, you just have the wrong questions
2. If you've been so unsucsesfull in the past, change your tactics
3. Marketing isn't rocket science either, yeah, realy, it isn't!

 

[peter holley]

It is far cheaper to sell more to your existing customers than to find new ones.

With all forms of marketing you have to identify, qualify and and quantify

thats one of my my goals, making sure all my existing custies know that i also do fascias , con roofs etc....sure its on my van and stationary, but i am giving them a free written   qoutation  that is valid for 1 yr.
i'l let you know how i get on

[Rob.Hall]

WFP means you can do so much more than just windows.

Look outside the box. When I explain to my custys what I can do as extras I get comments such as, 'I never knew you did that as well'.

This is good for customer retention.

Offer more, do more, get more.