Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Ian101 on February 12, 2011, 10:01:42 am
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Now got round up to decent numbers i just need another 50 customers or so to make it really full.
From Monday going to start asking customers for referals either face to face or leave a little note.
Anyone done this and if so did you get a decent percentage ??
Antone got an example of a letter I might have a look at ?
email is ian_hornby13@hotmail.com ..... thanks fellas :)
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might be a idea if you offered some money off their bill for doing it ;D
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Hi
I would suggest referrals are a very personal thing and so would be better on a face to face basis - that's what we were always taught in sales training courses. I doubt you will get many direct responses from email/letter request unless someone they know has just recently asked them if they know of a good window cleaner.
We were taught that the best time to ask for referrals is after an inital foundation or relationship had been built up with your customer. It's a trust thing. So if you are in conversation with them and they tell you what I good job you do, then this is your que. First thank them for their kind comments and reiterate back to them that "as they are happy with the level of service you provide, would you know of any of your friends nearby who would also appreciate this kind of service as well."
In conversation with another less talkative customer, you may firstly need to just confirm that they are happy with the standard of service you provide first before asking. If they then have a problem which was to small for them to bring up, say, you always leave my door wet after you clean it, then better to address that issue before asking for a referral at a later date, if at all.
You will find that some won't give referrals at all, that could be their nature and no reflection on your service, where other's will network for you and give you lots of 'qualified' names. ('Qualified' is a sales term for leads where people definitely want the services you provide and not just a name of someone to try to sell your services to).
I have a mechanic and his wife on our round that between them, have put at least 20 people my way, and some of those have also been a further goldmine of referrals. I have never raised his window cleaning price and always pay him to service both the vans and our family car, as I am grateful for their support in those early days.
We have 2 rounds, one for each of us and 90% of the second round we have has been built up on referrals. But unfortunately, they are very really next door to each other, so you won't develop a compact round with referrals. I would also recommend knocking on the neighbours doors on each house you do and slow work out from that so at least you keep work closer together.
Spruce