Clean It Up
UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Paul Clapham on March 09, 2012, 04:00:33 pm
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I had nothing booked into my diary for next week, so this week between the few jobs I had, I delivered around 1000 flyer's, had 3 phone calls this morning, visited each today , quoted, and all 3 have booked in for next week.....Phew !
I know its really boring delivering flyer's but this week I did a job for a couple who's friends carpet I had cleaned a couple of weeks ago, so on the back of 1 flyer I got 2 jobs worth £450, so this week as I put each flyer through letter boxes I kept saying to myself " this one might be worth £450"..........
That pint of Guinness is going to taste a lot better tonight!
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Paul,how long would you say it took you to deliver those 1,000 fliers ?
Lewis Doubtfire
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Around 7.5 / 8.5 hours spread over 3 days, most of the house were on new estates with no garden gates , so that made it a lot easier.
I know you can pay people to do this but when I do it at least I know they have been delivered, having said that, I will be taking delivery of 10,000 new flyers next week , and my son will deliver a lot of them for me during his Uni Easter break, @ least I know I can trust him, as he knows that if they don't get delivered no money will arrive in his bank account at the end of the month !
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well done mate.
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Nice one Paul, at least you've been productive with your spare time delivering leflets. Its easy to sit on your backside doing nothing waiting for the phone to ring. Its tough out there at the moment whatever industry you're in especially ours. Keep up the good work mate and keep that phone ringing!!!
All the best,
Jason.
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Its about having Fishing Rods in the water the more you have the more fisg you get.
But this is so elementary
Sorry its early in the morning and i have just kicked the cat
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Paul,what made me ask about how long it took was,well,,,,,,
You say your diary is empty for next week.
It`s possibly,I only say possibly mind,but it`s time like this
That taking on a Groupon `Gig`might be the way way to go ???At least ya are getting paid something. 8) :-X
Ya don`t get a bean time spent leaftlet dropping.Also of course
There`s no guarantee of getting even one say £30 carpet cleaning
Job. :-\ :-\ :-\
Seriously considering it myself,and taking Jason up on his advice.
I just wonder in reality,how many members who have `had a go`
And I mean `have a go`at Jason over the past few months or so, :o
Regarding his stance over Groupon,are like myself starting to
`Mellow` and are more than tempted to `test the Groupon waters`.
Anyone willing to hold their hands up ? ???
Lewis Doubtfire
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Jason L
Has a strong belief system and knows the Market having had several successful Cleaning related enterprises.
Hence he knows how to up sell . What works for him may not work for others
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Lewis,
I would strongly urge you not to do that, for a number of reasons.
1. You've just had a perfect example from Paul about what to do when you've got an empty diary, a situation he has now reversed, managing to fill his diary with full price paying customers and well done to him for that.
2. I know a lot of people who have tried groupon for the very same reasons you have stated and it has been a complete and utter disaster. And there are innumerable examples of that in back topics on this forum.
3. We are coming to the end of the winter period, a time that is always quiet for carpet cleaning, but spring is nearly here and the market will pick up. If you fill your diary now with possibly hundreds of jobs where you're barely making a profit you won't have the time to take advantage of the market when it does pick up.
4. I would be very guarded about making business decisions based on claims made on a forum. Often there are egos at stake and egos lead to exaggerations and augmentations of the truth to flatter those egos and so to act upon them could be a huge mistake. And even if those claims are true that does not mean that you could replicate that success in your area, far from it.
The best thing you could do is do what Paul has done and keep doing it and the phone will ring with people willing to pay your price, not one imposed upon from which you can make almost nothing.
Simon
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Dare i admit it!!!! but thats a good post by Simon!!!!! i reckon someone else must of wrote it for him!!!
;D ;D ;D
but it is very good!!!
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Lewis,
I would strongly urge you not to do that, for a number of reasons.
1. You've just had a perfect example from Paul about what to do when you've got an empty diary, a situation he has now reversed, managing to fill his diary with full price paying customers and well done to him for that.
2. I know a lot of people who have tried groupon for the very same reasons you have stated and it has been a complete and utter disaster. And there are innumerable examples of that in back topics on this forum.
3. We are coming to the end of the winter period, a time that is always quiet for carpet cleaning, but spring is nearly here and the market will pick up. If you fill your diary now with possibly hundreds of jobs where you're barely making a profit you won't have the time to take advantage of the market when it does pick up.
4. I would be very guarded about making business decisions based on claims made on a forum. Often there are egos at stake and egos lead to exaggerations and augmentations of the truth to flatter those egos and so to act upon them could be a huge mistake. And even if those claims are true that does not mean that you could replicate that success in your area, far from it.
The best thing you could do is do what Paul has done and keep doing it and the phone will ring with people willing to pay your price, not one imposed upon from which you can make almost nothing.
Simon
i totally agree..............................................................
with billy, someone else must of wrote it ;D ;D ;D
but seriously though, definately an excellent post.
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Simon,like Billy Russell said,it is a good reply /post.
Although,having said that,there`s an old saying “ Ya
Don`t know if ya don`t try “. 8) :-\
If it`s a complete disaster,ya can always pull out after
A week or two.
The secret to Groupon is up selling when ya there,and
Like it`s been written before,it`s all outlined in previous
Posts.
Lewis Doubtfire
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Dare i admit it!!!! but thats a good post by Simon!!!!! i reckon someone else must of wrote it for him!!!
;D ;D ;D
but it is very good!!!
It were me
I worked Simon with me foot
;D ;D ;D ;D
That said, as one of those that did groupon and sold 401 cleans I have to agree with everything he has written.
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Dare i admit it!!!! but thats a good post by Simon!!!!! i reckon someone else must of wrote it for him!!!
;D ;D ;D
but it is very good!!!
It were me
I worked Simon with me foot
;D ;D ;D ;D
That said, as one of those that did groupon and sold 401 cleans I have to agree with everything he has written.
Good job it wasn't your hand!!!!!! You'd have to use a nailbrush and sanatise your hands!!!!
;D ;D ;D
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Lewis,
There is some element of you never know until you try, the problem is trying something that is widely known as a potential disaster and ignoring the body of opinion against it seems reckless in the extreme.
The truth is the only people who can afford to do groupon are the well established cc'ers who can afford to take the losses, in the hope of retaining the customers next time around,(which is a gamble in its own right) so for someone only doing it to earn a few bob when they are quiet and not using the time to generate full price paying customers smacks of either utter desperation or complete incompetence when there are other avenues far more profitable to explore. Sorry to be so blunt, but business is a pretty unforgiving profession and one wrong move, espcially when you are at your most vulnerable can be catastrophic.
I'm not sure you can back out after a week, not when hundreds of people have bought the voucher, I may be wrong on that though.
Simon
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My god, Simons on a roll today!!!!!!
Well said Hector i mean Simon!!!
;D ;D ;D
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Billy,
;D ;D
36 years of business experience coming to the fore ;)
I must get a proper job sometime ;D
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That is providing you do groupon the groupon way!
I noticed a cc doing groupon offering 10 sq metres for £20 (or something like that) then £7 a metre thereafter, how many rooms do you get at 10 sq metres ? If someone asks for 2 rooms 16 sq metres each that's 22 m (32m less the offer) @ £7 = £144 plus the groupon bit.
Shaun
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The problem with that is you've got people who think they have bought a carpet clean, only to find they haven't and have to pay a lot more to get it done which can cause a lot of resentment feeling they have been duped, even if it is their fault for not reading the fine print, you're still left with a customer who is less than happy and that cannot be good for future sales and referrals.
Groupon type schemes work because people think they are getting a bargain and saving money and I think finding that is not the case may mean you never see them again which kind of defeats the object.
Simon
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(http://www.cleanitup.co.uk/smf/1331382249_goodpost.gif)
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Hector get a room it's embarrassing. ;D
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;D ;D ;D ;D
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I agree that if you don't read the small print it could become problematic IF I were to do it I'd have a dedicated website explaining the benefits of my clean with the pricing structure you could do this with a free website from weebly or whoever, the take up would be far less but the profits would be greater.
Shaun
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Loads of guys have said it already, but here goes, AVOID GROUPON! all the reasons are above.
Something I do regularly, but is a great way to use your time if quiet, is start to build relationships with people who might refer you. It's what Howard Partridge calls "Doughnut Friday". Buy some bags of doughnuts in Sainbury's, and put a sticker on them and take them to carpet and upholstery retailers. The sticker should just say something like "Thanks for recommending us recently, it's appreciated. Put the kettle on and enjoy these with our compliments. All at XYZ Cleaning" DO NOT put a telephone number or web address on, it's not an advert it's a thank you, and you'll be asked for some cards anyway. I did write a blog article about this on our software website, but here goes...
Walk into the shop and ask for the owner/manager, even better if you know their name before hand. Just say "I was just passing and wanted to drop these in as a small thank you for recommending us recently. I don';t know who it was here but a client told us someone here had recommended us." Pass the doughnuts and smile and say nothing. They always thank you for them but also it starts the conversation along the lines of "oh yes we know about you" or whatever, but it's a soft foot in the door that ask them to start recommending you, by assuming they already have and rewarding them for it. Just try it, they will ALWAYS ask for cards, which you just happen to be able to find in your poaket after a little bit of a search ;) Then just drop in again in 6-8 weeks aain. We have loads of retailers recommending us from this simple approach. This also works with Estate Agents etc.
This uses your quiet time to build the relationships and start the steady stream of referrals coming through. Beware though, you will be drinking a lot of tea, and eating a lot of doughnuts with them ;D Remember to make sure you record somehow who they have recommended when they do start recommending you, if you can go back in and mention Names of people who they have recommended they will be delighted ;)
Al.
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That is providing you do groupon the groupon way!
I noticed a cc doing groupon offering 10 sq metres for £20 (or something like that) then £7 a metre thereafter, how many rooms do you get at 10 sq metres ? If someone asks for 2 rooms 16 sq metres each that's 22 m (32m less the offer) @ £7 = £144 plus the groupon bit.
Shaun
It would be interesting to know if they repeated that offer Shaun, that might work, but it's a bit bait and switch?
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Allan, I bet you could give Dale Carnegie a run for his money
( How To Win Friends And Influence People )
I got the book years ago,when computers were the size of the
Average room and there was no such thing as e,mails and web
Sites.
Could`nt get my head round it somehow,ended up not reading it
All as I recall,should I have done ??? ::)
Lewis Doubtfire
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Lewis that's an old old book the newer marketeer reads men are from arms and women from Venus ;D
Another good read is Magic words that bring you riches, not worked for me yet though!
Shaun
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I thought that was a relate book?
Alan does it work if the retailer has not recommended you and you are trying to convince them they have.
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........and another one , phone call this morning, quoted this afternoon , booked in for next Saturday morning, and this was from an area I have not leafleted yet, she saw the leaflet at her mums last night.
I now have ( for me) not to bad a week in the diary..........now need to start on W/C 19 March !
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Good job Paul, bang out some more now.
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Sounds like your turning things around and as wyyne said keep putting them out.
Just shows how things turn around quick with a bit of footwork if needed..
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Allan, I bet you could give Dale Carnegie a run for his money
( How To Win Friends And Influence People )
I got the book years ago,when computers were the size of the
Average room and there was no such thing as e,mails and web
Sites.
Could`nt get my head round it somehow,ended up not reading it
All as I recall,should I have done ??? ::)
Lewis Doubtfire
Just happy to put something back in Lewis. What goes around comes around and all that. I was a struggling carpet cleaner and learned these things from others, came up with some myself and now, although it's still tough right now, am doing okay.
Al.
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I thought that was a relate book?
Alan does it work if the retailer has not recommended you and you are trying to convince them they have.
Hi Ian,
If you've been around a while and there is more than one person in the retailers then it definitely works. Someone at some point will have heard about you somehow. When you introduce yourself, and this isn't my original idea, i just implemented it exactly as i was told, you just say "Hi I'm Allan from XYZ Cleaning, I don't know who it was here but a client of ours when she booked in said someone here had recommended us." If you think about how vague that is it could have been one of the delivery guys, the fitter, the sales guys, a mistake on "your clients" part. It is so vague you can 'blag it'. What usually happens is the discussion starts about "Oh yes I've used you before..." or "Our Enid has had her carpets done by you..." It was Howard Partridge that suggested this and you won't believe how effective a couple of quids worth of doughnuts are until you try it. For now I'll save what I came up with for Hairdressers using something similar. Might start a new thread about that one, Referrals from hairdressers. I've written about it before on blogs and had good feedback from others who have tried it too.
Al.
Al.
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Similiar to when we used to Tele Canvas new Customers
Even from the very beginning we use to say you have probably seen our vans around.
On another post I was saying how some of the JP and other American stuff stretches peoples comforts zones
May-bee I'm not a Gypsy. and find it hard to blag ??? ??? ???
Find it hard to understand as door knocks no problem at all
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Yeah, "Blag" is an awful word really isn't it Ian, but you know what I mean. I suppose it's just the confidence in your service and that probably they do already know about you and possibly have recommended or discussed you so it is just possible/probable it's not really a blag? :-\
Anyway, Howard Partridge said do it it works, so I did it and it works ;D
Al.