Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Sunshine/Cleaning on August 23, 2010, 04:09:29 pm
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Sorry to see your thread closed slumpbuster, but I think you have missed the point on marketing.
It's not about the company and its back story. What a customer always asks is What's In It For Me.
Good marketing gets the customer to think about how their life is improved by accepting your service. They don't give two hoots about your story.
I wrote a flyer and had a marketing expert look at it, the first thing he did was to ask me to re-write it and never use the words I or we but rather use the word YOU.
Try it, it works.
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Stuart that is interesting and I will put that into practice soon, thanks
ps why was the other post locked
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I think it depends on what your canvassing.
Commercial - professional telesales call. Buying data lists that give you the amount of people that work at the building - unless you know of the premises personally. Or make a list of the companies that you do want to win the contract for.
Domestic - its more personal, they want to see the person that is going to be at their house. Although there is scope to "think out of the box" making yourself different.
Voucher scheme, so many cleans - and then offer something different. Just my humble opinion, but you have to stand out.
Trust
Reliablity
Price
Hope that helps
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A few years ago there were a couple of self appointed gurus on here who promoted "killer" marketing and leaflets that I thought were rubbish.
In my opinion what the customer wants to see is a straight forward reliable sort of window cleaner.
"I is nuffink but a poor, yet honest working man" is the approach that works. All this fancy marketing and glossy leaflets runs the risk of giving the impression you are just a spiv on the make if you are not careful.
Thats not to say the "I is nothing but a poor but honest.........." approach is not clever marketing. Its actually very clever marketing.
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Vince, thats what Im stating, dependent on what you are canvassing for.
Its two different markets.
Commercial have budgets, its dealing with two different sectors/tenders.
Maybe something for the domestic, we will put you into our prize draw for Christmas for a hamper, its just an incentive.
Maybe a bit of seasonal promotions, coming upto Christmas?
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Read a few marketing books over the years but the best by far IMHO is Guerrilla Marketing by Jay Levinson ... good section on canvassing and he uses a window cleaner as an example.
Great info on having a marketing plan and sticking with it also diffeernce between advertising and marketing very important too,
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A few years ago there were a couple of self appointed gurus on here who promoted "killer" marketing and leaflets that I thought were rubbish.
In my opinion what the customer wants to see is a straight forward reliable sort of window cleaner.
"I is nuffink but a poor, yet honest working man" is the approach that works. All this fancy marketing and glossy leaflets runs the risk of giving the impression you are just a spiv on the make if you are not careful.
Thats not to say the "I is nothing but a poor but honest.........." approach is not clever marketing. Its actually very clever marketing.
I also tried some of their suggestions and they really work, the reason being is that they are different to anything else being put through the door. However, they do need to be used alongside a strategy and not in isolation.
It is said it takes 7 exposures for any marketing to take effect. If you can arrest the attention of the homeowner somehow you can get that down to say 3. That still means you need to do 3 marketing shots whether that is leaflets or an advert in a paper in order to illicit a response. Many leaflet drop or advertise once and wonder why they get no calls.
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To be honest, like I have said before your not "just window cleaners"
A Your part of the community
B Your providing a professional service
C People look for loyalty schemes
D Its a volume based industry, based on price
E People "buy" trust.
Thats domestic
Commercial
A Price
B Budgets
C CRB checks
D Ability to have an account
Lol I have a couple of hours free on Wednesday, I would be quite prepared to do some canvassing for any commercial work. FOC. As long as you have a list thats TPS and TPC checked. It may provide some useful results for commercial work
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Kate do you do telesales? if so mail me on steve@clearmagic.co.uk
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Lol I have a couple of hours free on Wednesday, I would be quite prepared to do some canvassing for any commercial work. FOC. As long as you have a list thats TPS and TPC checked. It may provide some useful results for commercial work
that is a very kind offer, and would be interested to see what leads can be produced in a few hours. pity I don't have a list handy unless the yellow pages count
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To be honest, like I have said before your not "just window cleaners"
A Your part of the community
B Your providing a professional service
C People look for loyalty schemes
D Its a volume based industry, based on price
E People "buy" trust.
Thats domestic
Commercial
A Price
B Budgets
C CRB checks
D Ability to have an account
Lol I have a couple of hours free on Wednesday, I would be quite prepared to do some canvassing for any commercial work. FOC. As long as you have a list thats TPS and TPC checked. It may provide some useful results for commercial work
Have you done commercial telephone canvassing for window cleaners before Kate? I think I personally would much prefer this route to a doorknocking company,.. and I would expect the results would be better too.
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Nat
Ive done lots of industries, commercial selling for window cleaning will be no different to PAT, same formula, get past the gatekeeper (receptionist)
Speak to facilites management.
But I would need a list with the person who is in charge of that.
I can do some asking around once I get through - thats no problem
But for a trial, its not a great length of time, I cant guarantee anything until I speak to at least 50-100 people, but it may help you guys on here to guage how it works
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I think slumpbuster's biggest problem is lack of personal belief. I've never known a person give so much credit to anything 'bar himself & is blinded by it. I reckon he's got what it takes but will never do it, instead just continue to look at others!
This strategy, that strategy, this book, that book, george, WCW, gadgets galore etc.
If one spent as much time "doing" rather than "thinking" one might see the results one desires!
Actions are what is required, thinking, talking & looking up to others will not do the job & the funniest thing is, it is all really simple, slumpy just refuses to believe so! ???
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I don't think you can call the random bloke standing next to you in the chip shop queue a marketing expert but victor'remington' kiam"it was so good i bought the company" was.The two wc guys off dragons den racing to be the biggest in the uk off the back of a website that's most prominent and central feature is videos of them, them, a bit more them, and then people talking about them should perhaps listen to you a bit more and duncan a bit less.
I don't remember mentioning leaflets, or door knocking, or tele sales, althought i'm sure they all work.Someone else mentioned networking and i'm sure that works too.
What i said was i am working with a text book for two weeks.The book is called the referall engine.It's not a book that caught my attention, it's a book (audio book) that i sought out because i had plan, and wanted to execute it with some kind of informed advice in the field.
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I don't think you can call the random bloke standing next to you in the chip shop queue a marketing expert but victor'remington' kiam"it was so good i bought the company" was.The two wc guys off dragons den racing to be the biggest in the uk off the back of a website that's most prominent and central feature is videos of them, them, a bit more them, and then people talking about them should perhaps listen to you a bit more and duncan a bit less.
I don't remember mentioning leaflets, or door knocking, or tele sales, althought i'm sure they all work.Someone else mentioned networking and i'm sure that works too.
What i said was i am working with a text book for two weeks.The book is called the referall engine.It's not a book that caught my attention, it's a book (audio book) that i sought out because i had plan, and wanted to execute it with some kind of informed advice in the field.
But you & the team from dragons den are two completely different business's which require two completely different approaches.
There is a 99.9% chance that you will never be where they are or even where D.Morris is for that matter. So, IMO, the most important thing is to concentrate on what is achievable to you personally within your scope of willing action!
These kind of people get there by themselves. ;)
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Hi Guys
Dont be fooled by size, just because a cleaning contractor is a big outfit does not always mean they are making any money.
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I think being tuned in is a good way to market too. I have obtained new customers in a variety of situations that were nothing to do with window cleaning e.g. at a medical appointment, while waiting for my tyres to be changed, eating lunch in a café. All sorts of every day situations can bring in work if you are switched on to it.
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I think being tuned in is a good way to market too. I have obtained new customers in a variety of situations that were nothing to do with window cleaning e.g. at a medical appointment, while waiting for my tyres to be changed, eating lunch in a café. All sorts of every day situations can bring in work if you are switched on to it.
I agree :)
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Ok
Im offering two hours free telemarketing on Weds
Commercial only
Its really not an ideal trial, would take more 4 /5
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Ok
Im offering two hours free telemarketing on Weds
Commercial only
Its really not an ideal trial, would take more 4 /5
do it for me Kate
07788 732 789
01480 354 615
www.windowwashers.co.uk
Ian
I will pay for work no probs and be honest with results.
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where would be get the list from that u need?
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Are you about now Ian?
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I just don't get this marketing malarkey. I don't do anything except work - picked up three today and I'm dumping as fast as possible. I mean I don't do anything
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where would be get the list from that u need?
thats the real test
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you buy the data
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Are you about now Ian?
I am
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Are you about now Ian?
I am but I dont want to buy data, I want some to sell canvass for me,
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you buy the data
did you miss my question kate?
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Nice talking with you Kate.
design@windowwashers.co.uk is email
please forward all details.
kind regards
Ian
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Nice talking to you Ian, if you can get your list together
Johns about tomorrow
No probs putting your data into Midas for a play around
Just ring
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i take i must be invisable :)
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CM,
I emailed you
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lol
apologies ;)
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no probs,
Hopefully Im going to be doing a trial with Ian
Will post results
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no probs,
Hopefully Im going to be doing a trial with Ian
Will post results
I will provide what you need Kate, and we can both provide results ;)
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Guys Ive committed to Ian now, but it will be a good experiment on how commercial sales go.
Will post results.
It will be a good excercise, Im doing it for free. It will give a good trial run on how to obtain business
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cool
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It always amazes me when ever marketing is discussed there is so much speculation. Most of all this is sales. Marketing is how to attract certain customers and to do this you need to know your market ( customers needs and wants) and how to approach them. A strategy might only work on e small group of customers. Knowing what makes them tick is so important. As in one street you might have 3 or more types of cuties. So you might need 3 types of approaches. I have so often told of my persistent leafleting in one area and have been shot down in flames. But if your leaflets are bated for a different group the will deliver each time you drop. The one I focus on me, Mr Nice guy. The next on your detailed workmanship. And the next one, something else like image, uniform and van how people perceive me, impress them with the knowledge of what you do.. The last on is my price/ quote one its for the value price aware custys. They are always last and I will want to loose a lot of these mean assed types so will use them as I need income only. As my needs might be. Using all of these on one leaflet will just distract the focus of a custys. Its not about you and your window cleaning business we all do that. This is not rocket science.
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It always amazes me when ever marketing is discussed there is so much speculation. Most of all this is sales. Marketing is how to attract certain customers and to do this you need to know your market ( customers needs and wants) and how to approach them. A strategy might only work on e small group of customers. Knowing what makes them tick is so important. As in one street you might have 3 or more types of cuties. So you might need 3 types of approaches. I have so often told of my persistent leafleting in one area and have been shot down in flames. But if your leaflets are bated for a different group the will deliver each time you drop. The one I focus on me, Mr Nice guy. The next on your detailed workmanship. And the next one, something else like image, uniform and van how people perceive me, impress them with the knowledge of what you do.. The last on is my price/ quote one its for the value price aware custys. They are always last and I will want to loose a lot of these mean assed types so will use them as I need income only. As my needs might be. Using all of these on one leaflet will just distract the focus of a custys. Its not about you and your window cleaning business we all do that. This is not rocket science.
so so true, but one point I dont agree with but leave that as I agree with most you say, I love beinfg shot down by people :)
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It always amazes me when ever marketing is discussed there is so much speculation. Most of all this is sales. Marketing is how to attract certain customers and to do this you need to know your market ( customers needs and wants) and how to approach them. A strategy might only work on e small group of customers. Knowing what makes them tick is so important. As in one street you might have 3 or more types of cuties. So you might need 3 types of approaches. I have so often told of my persistent leafleting in one area and have been shot down in flames. But if your leaflets are bated for a different group the will deliver each time you drop. The one I focus on me, Mr Nice guy. The next on your detailed workmanship. And the next one, something else like image, uniform and van how people perceive me, impress them with the knowledge of what you do.. The last on is my price/ quote one its for the value price aware custys. They are always last and I will want to loose a lot of these mean assed types so will use them as I need income only. As my needs might be. Using all of these on one leaflet will just distract the focus of a custys. Its not about you and your window cleaning business we all do that. This is not rocket science.
I agree and the oriiginal threas addressed this by only attempting to attract one certain type of customer.In other words i would be shut off from quite a few.The problem on here is that you have to explain so much basic stuff, and then people find fault with that too.I'm just going to go it alone like i did with hot and the reel, stuff the ignorant bleeders.
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I spent some time teaching which is pretty much what we do on here and a good teacher will establish at what level your pupils are. The reason there are so many objections is that some will be left behind in the dust due to not having a basic knowledge of the subject discussed. We all thing we know everything, but our everything is not the same.
Forum make us all equal and yet we are not, depending on our education, background experience, our reading exposure and applications of knowledge.
That is exactly why at time there is no respect on forums as we see all as have a equil say even when we don’t know one iota of what is on the table.
The smart guys are the ones who sit quietly and digest what is been said and go and try it on there area.
When I joined this forum I sat and read every posting on the forum and knew who were the shaker and mover before I posted my first thread.
I find shearing with my fellow W/C. never threatens me as I know some will never apply what they read.