[md_cleaning]

How many of you are on the Alltec fast track program?
How are you finding it?
I know it's expensive but I have heard good things from some I know that are on it.
Has anyone done it, worked at it and found it did not work for them?
 Dave

[Dave Parry]

If you'd spend about £ 4500 you would say its brilliant too, wouldn't you.

[ollie]

I listened to a cd i received from them ages ago with Martin  Riley or someone talking about their success. I listened to the cd and read between the lines and its what im doing anyway and really building my business. I deliver fliers with info about why carpets should be cleaned. I include articles from the world health org etc.
People dont want their carpets cleaned until they look dirty- educate them as to why they need them cleaning and why they should use a trained cleaner etc.  My response is now 11 out of 1000 leaflets up from 3 calls per 1000.
regards
ollie

[mark_roberts]

Ollie

If your consistantly getting 11 quality jobs per 1000 flyers then you should teach marketing and I'll be your first customer.

Mark

[ollie]

Mark, Im not lying, Ive struggled for a year trying out loads of leaflets etc, ive even lost my partner   .  Maybe its because i live in an area with only one real competitor? but on average over the last 2 month I have received 11 Calls per 1000 Leaflets.  You added the word "quality" although I do try and target quality areas.
regards
Ollie

[ollie]

Also I didnt say consistantly.....just thought i would prempt your reply.
Ollie

[ollie]

Mark, If your serious, I will sell you my flyer and leaflet designs. Thanks for the interest, obviously you are of the persuasion that all ccs earn the same and advertise similarily.
Regards,
Ollie

[Ian Gourlay]

The other point to remember about Fastrack is you have actually got to do it.

I believe you get a business plan

But you need the resources to carry out the strategies.

As it takes time for them  to work.

Im still looking for someone who uses the Quick Start Strategy.


Ollie all I can say is well done, If I was you I would keep your method secret and build a Carpet Cleaning Empire.

[craigp]

just like to point out Mark Roberts has changed

 **11 calls**  into  **11  consistent quilty jobs**  per thousand

  how did you manage that, theres a big difference. oillie said 11 calls per thousand.

[John Kelly]

Very few people work at their marketing as well as they should, myself included. Basically self employed people are on the whole a lazy bunch (hard to believe but its been proved)
A good advertising mix followed on with a pro-active referral scheme and regular contacts with existing customers. Thats all it takes. Sounds so easy doesn't it.

[craigp]

to get back too md-cleaning post, what i would say about fast track (speculating here) is although there turn over may well rise to a handsome figure, they expeniture do to, they spend loads!!! on adverts etc. and time.

so therefore each week they must do alot of work just paying for that, and you could look at it, if you didnt spend it you not got to earn it back.

to a point.

so am i right that fast trackers put them selfs in a position where they GOT to work doubley hard ?

[mark_roberts]

Criag p -  I assumed he converted the calls into jobs but even 11 calls is good.

Ollie - yes I will take you up on your offer. Thankyou.  My address is

Ultraclean
53a Comber Road
Dundonald
Belfast
BT16 2AA

Fastrack is about business building not just getting work. 

Mark

[A+CleaningService]

Then how good is the alltec,  Pink flyer, I hear so much about? 

[garyj]

I personally think the Alltec pink flyer is embarrassingly bad, its to American.

The one I have is about 'Donna' ( name changed for her protection : ) and how she was ripped off by another carpet cleaning company who said they would charge her £9.95 per room. She then gets a bill for £695 once all the extras are added. To cut a long boring story short, 'Donna phones the cops and they cannot do anything, she then calls our Fast Track friend who comes along and recleans the trashed carpets and saves the day :.

If that is the sort of stuff you think your customers want to read, then the Pink Letter is for you

[craigp]

lol gary, superhero fast tracker!!

it does sound bad when you hear it summed up.

[garyj]

LMAO, do you think he wears a mask and cape as well.

Right at the end he signs all the cops to a monthly maintenance plan and also gets the contract to clean the cop car seats of jam from the doughnuts.

[stains-away]

Bet he didnt take the contract for cleaning the puke from the police vans though, the acid would play havoc with his 24 carat wand

[NigelD]

I did FastTrack, and the reason I did it is because I had no idea how best to market my business.
I would agree that some things are too American in their tone, but you can amend that, once you get a feel for what they're trying to do.
FastTrack is also about a lot more than pink flyers and Yellow pages and you will be told that these on their own will not build a profitable and sustainable business. But there are many other avenues you should follow. It also gives you a professional method of dealing with customers, from how to answer the phone, through to the first meeting, how to behave when you are on site cleaning and keeping in contact with customer.
I know that my biggest problem is organising myself and having the belief that people will pay, but they do!
As for the success of some of the people using this, I have met them and have no reason to believe they are lying. And if they can do it what stops you?

Nigel
 

[Ian Gourlay]

Nigel D

If you are better off and more confident it has worked for you.

I do not know how long you have been on Fastrack or if you finished the programme.

But I am concerned when you say you have met some of them.

All Fastrackers should be earning and neting a very profitable income.

I have no reason to believe that anyone lies about Fastrack but I do wonder if everyone on the programme achieves.


Others will correct me but I think there is a saying in  Direct Sales that 75% of the Sales turnover is acheived by 25% of the Salesforce.

[garyj]

I'm with Ian on this. I have no reason to doubt the success of Fast trackers either  and if it is working for them then all well and good.

I can't help thinking its over priced though, I know information is only worth what people are prepared to pay and going on this sort of course kick starts the careeer of many carpet cleaners.

The problem I have though is I don't need to be told how to behave in  front of clients or answer a telephone. And as I said earlier it is very American and I just cannot see it working with my customers.
I have a copy of all the Fast Track stuff and personally I would use very little of it. If people were prepared to spend half hour searching Google there is some fantastic FREE marketing advice available and some really good sales letters.

We all do our marketing in our own way, some works, some doesn't and while there is always great advice to be found on this forum and some fellow carpet cleaners who are more than happy to impart their knowledge the marketing side of it is kept remarkably quiet.

I have collected marketing material for years, I know how to impliment a programme and I would not be happy with a return of 1 or 2 customers per thousand leaflets. I am confident I can create my own material and get customers all day long but i do suffer the same problem as 90% of the people on here.

I need a rocket up my bum.

And more than anything I think that is what Fast Track gives you. After all, if you have spent  £2-4,000, then you HAVE to do something, even if you are uncomfortable with the material you are sending out.