Clean It Up
UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: feldon on June 10, 2010, 11:01:59 pm
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I am in the process of starting up, have already ordered machine (Airflex Turbo) have purchase a van and am now looking at my marketing. I will be using various marketing methods including website, adverts (parish mags) and leaflets.
In regards to the leaflets I intend to use DP Printers, however I am unsure whether to use an offer or not and if i do which is the best type of offer to use ie. 3 rooms and the smallest room free, free spotter or a discount or would I be better off not using an offer? I have already decided not to use prices on any of my marketing.
My initial idea is to use postcard type leaflet as they are easier to put through letter boxes and look a bit more classy.
I am also aiming to go down the environmentally friendly route so will be using this in my marketing.
Any advice on the above would be greatly appreciated, and if any of you promote the envrionmentally friendly way and would be willing to email me a copy of your leaflet for ideas etc. that would be a great help, although I quite understand that not everyone likes to share their marketing secrets.
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I used DP as well.
Told Mark who I was, that I was "environmentally green", member NCCA etc, tel no's, web address and said to him as he dealt with a lot of carpet cleaners and gets repeat business from them then he must know what works - design me a leaflet with a couple offers on - and he did.
Offers were clean 3 pay for 2 and lounge carpet free when you have your fabric suite cleaned.
Obviously conditions applied to both.
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postcards are too small to get a full marketing message on, use a minimum of DN ( 3 from an A4 sheet). who cares if they are a bit more difficult to get through a letterbox and it what on the leaflet that makes it look classy.
not enough people are interested in green or the environment to use it as your USP
use same offers as Joe
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Richard
going the eco road will limit the products you will be able to use and at the start of a new business this will be a handicap you will want to do without.
saying you have a eco service as one of your services would be a much more safe road to take.
Have a look at one of my site at the file below its a format used in many different business and was one of my leaflets that i use to build my maid service, which i have just changed for carpet cleaning. you can use as is or change what you need.
(http://carpet-cleaner-southend.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/carpet-cleaners-network-v-the-others1.jpg)
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Hi
Green is not enough to attract clients. It's just another way of cleaning and if that's how you do it fine but its a tricky one to base your service on, we've got green credentials and some customers have even said it makes no difference to them. Be careful, even though its becoming the number one trend, try and be as green as possible anyway.
Even price is not the number one issue, you've got to have a sense of your business identity, how you do your work and what sort of quality are you offering. There's any number of people out there who can do what we do, but what is it about your business that customers want?
Grant
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Hello, I hope you all don't mind that a window cleaner is
wandering around on your carpet ;D
Anyone not putting an offer on their ads is losing money.
I am sure most know this
'Green' is not an offer, nor is it a reason to hire a service
unless we were being compared to another (and nothing
else separated the two but "green".
The above template full of "I'm better" is not a good way to
go. When we write our own ads we think about our issues
(like competition). The ad above is not focused on what
the customer needs.... which is a solution to their problem.
To say all of the others do not do these things is a lie, isn't it?
No other company does any of those things in your area? When
we advertise a lie it never turns out well. Even if it were true,
would I believe the company who is biased against all others?
Now to the offer: I am not real familiar with what carpet
cleaners can offer up (other than discounts). I know of the "get
3 rooms cleaned and get ______ free" type of offer, but not
much else.
I don't think there is a perfect answer. Whatever you 'give away'
be sure to give it value. In the case of the "get 3 rooms cleaned"
offer put a value on whatever it is you're giving them.
If it is a stairwell, extra room, stain treating, pet deodorizer,
protectent, or whatever, give it worth.
"Free stain treating ($49 value)"
'Free' is worthless unless we give it value.
I would make an offer (or put two on the leaflet) for those who
may not want more than 3 rooms done.
It cost the same amount to advertise, so why not do a 'high-low'
You may as well increase the amount of opportunities.
Please excuse my American slang :)
I hope this helps
Paul
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Thanks for all your replies. My main question was concerning offers, but I see most of you seemed to have responded to the environmentally friendly aspect.
Paul, 'Green' was not intended to be an offer but the type of service I do.
Safeclean one of the largest franchises now badge themselves as Organically Safe Cleaning and environmentally friendly, it obviously seems to work for them and whilst I'm not knocking more conventional cleaning methods there does seem to be a growing trend in this direction and several green carpet networks seem to be promoting this type of cleaning.
However to get back to my main issue with regards to offers, I can see that having an offer seems to be the way to go and my initial thought is to lean towards the 3 for the price of 2 offer. Of those of you who use this type of offer do you price your service accordingly, ie say for example you normally charge 35p per square foot, would you charge 45p per square foot with the free room offer to make up for the "free offer". Please note the prices quoted are for example only and not what I intend to charge.
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Safeclean one of the largest franchises now badge themselves as Organically Safe Cleaning and environmentally friendly, it obviously seems to work for them
how do you know? just because they have re badged doesn't mean it works.
as for highering your prices to allow the deduction, this is dishonest. it needs to be a genuine discount.
I used the 3 for 2 and it does work well
but now i have a £10 discount voucher that can be used in a specific postcode( a postcode that the leaflet is being delivered in) this works better
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Safeclean one of the largest franchises now badge themselves as Organically Safe Cleaning and environmentally friendly, it obviously seems to work for them
how do you know? just because they have re badged doesn't mean it works.
I agree. 'Green' may have some relevance but there is no way of knowing if
it is increasing market share, or market awareness.
Never assume
All businesses (including the bigger ones) are always looking for
new angles. They fail just as much as the little guy does.
Go green because you want to and all is well. Go green to make a buck
and you may be in for a surprise.
In my opinion
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Mike I don't know for sure, but there is a Safeclean franchise in my village and he has recently purchased another territory so he can't be doing to bad from it and he obvisouly believes in the companies future and whilst big companies are certainly capable of making mistakes I would say on balance they would be in a better position to carry out exentisve market research before going down that route.
As for making prices artifically higher then yes that can be in breach of trading standards, but after running my own retail business for many years I know many large suppliers who effectively do just that. They introduce a product at a higher recommended price sell it at that price for a certain number of weeks and then introduce a never ending special offer prices, just look in your local supermarkets or electrical shop for no end of examples. I'm not saying its right, in fact I think it is wrong. But are you saying that every carpet cleaner who uses a 3 for 2 offer on a never ending basis does not take their pricing model into account.
Paul has hit the nail on the head in that I believe in being green in as much as possible, (no i'm not a long haired vegetarian hippy) but I personally belive that using eco-friendly products is safer for children and pets
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I agree that most will inflate their price to cover the free room. but I think if you price your self right ( meaning premium priced) then you can cover a free room...... after all how long does it really take to do an extra room (especially when its a smaller room)
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Mike that's exactly what I was refering to. As i am yet to start trading I am in a position to set a realistic premium price which will also allow me to make a living / profit if and when I choose to promote a special offer for example a 3 for 2.
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Richard Premium pricing is good.
But people will phone you up and ask you a price fora room
How are you going to deal with them without them hanging up the phone?
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Hi Ian, I would initially offer to do an on site survey and tell the client that without being able to do this I would be unable to give them a quote, if they would not be willing to do this then I would offer to give an estitmate over the phone but explain that it would be just that and subject to an on site survey it would be liable to change.
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Hi Richard,
I haven't done flyers before and am interested to know more about who your using to print and design yours as i think i need to go in that direction...any info appreciated.
Thanks
Tim
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It's great when you start getting referals, but to start with those leaflets are all you have to generate confidence in you as a carpet cleaner.
Mike is right it is what is on the leaflet, the content. Some of the things you are saying "the others" don't do, "the others" actually do, lots of carpet cleaners give free spotters, and some customers who get your leaflet will know that, and then they will not trust the rest of your leaflet.
Good luck with the new business.
Richard.
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Hi Tim
I am thinking of using DP Printers in Hull, if you do a search on google under carpet cleaning leaflets this will lead you website specially aimed at carpet cleaners, once you have registered you can access samples of leaflets. Hope this helps.
Just checked your profile, first registered in 2004 and only now posting your 1st post, what took you so long? :) Also will help if you fill in some details on your profile i.e where you are located.
Richard
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Thanks Richard, I'll check them out.
I guess i registered then never really followed it up, until now that is.
Thanks again
Tim
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No problem Tim.
As regards to offers, I think I am inclined to go with the 3 for 2 offer on my leaflets. I am also going to be running some adverts in parish mags do others use offers on this type of advert as well, having looked at the competition in my area none of them have any offers in this type of mag, any thoughts or advice on this?
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Surely the green thing WILL work IF you are targeting the right people. It's true most couldn't give a monkeys.
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Wynne
And you base this on? Sorry more and more people are becoming enviromentally aware, at least around my area. Yes you will always get some who don't care, but just as many or more who will be interested in eco products.
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To be honest, if they are so interested in ECO products then why are they having carpets in their houses?
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Hi
I'm going off my experience and, well common sense.
If you sell zimmer frames would you mailshot new 2-3 bed housing estates or sheltered housing?
Eco is a 'nice to have' and costs nothing but if you using it as your main selling point and not focusing on an interested group it's not going to give you a game changing result.
I know some suppliers are keen on these product though. ;D
Let us know how you get on with it.
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Wynne you are right if you selectively marketing your services then providing there is a market for your 'selective' service then you can find loads of the right clientelle, if you pepper the market then the results will be less but if you are selective and get no feed back then you do have to question yourself.
Shaun
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In my experience the '3 for 2' or 'free lounge with suite clean' offers may not have been effective since people have very rarely asked me about them. This is after several hundred thousand leaflets have gone out.
I am also finding that my leaflets are producing a poor response compared to 18mth ago and people are responding better to a nice simple postcard with a simple discount on eg. 25% off.
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Richard you may be right about the shift in discount and offers, the only thing that bugs me is that when I used to do leaflets is that you would get previous customers ringing and the first thing they would ask is "got any offers on?" but they expected a discount on a single carpet, I don't do them anymore for that reason and I find on the whole I get a better customer for it, okay you may not get it all right all of the time but through trial and error I will stick my neck out and say it is proving to be the way I will go.
I think Craig Partridge did the same a few years ago not sure if he has carried on with it but he did say it made no difference to his turnover but it did stop a few price shoppers.
Shaun
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Hi Richard
I am in the final stages of getting my first leaflet done and I was thinking along the same lines. I'm going for a 25% discount when 3 or more carpets are cleaned, which I think will be more attractive to customers.
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Hi Richard
I am in the final stages of getting my first leaflet done and I was thinking along the same lines. I'm going for a 25% discount when 3 or more carpets are cleaned, which I think will be more attractive to customers.
Hi Richard
yes thats what I have put also adding 'or 50m2 or more'