Clean It Up

UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: John Kelly on June 21, 2012, 09:08:30 am

Title: Marketing, pricing
Post by: John Kelly on June 21, 2012, 09:08:30 am
Might help someone:

Today at 5pm, the 60% saving ends on my brand new guide to selling to the wealthy and selling at prices higher than your competitors, If you've not yet got it, 'The Secrets of Premium Pricing' is a must - and is here:

http://www.cardellmedia.co.uk/weekly/W15V-Video-Programme-Special.html
but the deadline is 5pm today.

People think that keeping your prices low in a bad economy is the safe option. It's not. It's the worst possible option. It's an approach that destroys thousands of businesses every month. Don't be one of them.

http://www.cardellmedia.co.uk/weekly/W15V-Video-Programme-Special.html
On 'The Secrets of Premium Pricing' you will get full access to everything you need to know to:

1 Implement a price increase of 10% to 40% with little or no resistance from customers.

2 Identify the people in your customer base who you should be creating separate high price offers for.

3 How to use 'bundling' to increase prices.

4 How to implement premium pricing if you don't want to increase the prices of your core products and services.

5 Premium pricing for B2B and B2C

6 How to re-position your entire business to sell to the wealthier customers - and how to find those customers

7 How to charge the prices you deserve in the most price competitive markets

and much more.

Don't miss out on this very important information. It disappears at 5pm today:

http://www.cardellmedia.co.uk/weekly/W15V-Video-Programme-Special.html
Title: Re: Marketing, pricing
Post by: John Kelly on June 21, 2012, 09:11:27 am
Just watch this section and smell the coffee:

http://www.cardellmedia.co.uk/weekly/W15V-Video-Programme-Special.html
Title: Re: Marketing, pricing
Post by: Ian Gourlay on June 21, 2012, 09:20:55 am
Hi John have you become an affliate to Chris Cardell or something.

Style of post similar to 30k emails in my in box

Not a moderator objecting and do realize you have advertising rights.

Just curious

Title: Re: Marketing, pricing
Post by: John Kelly on June 21, 2012, 09:46:56 am
Ian

Not affiliated to Chris Cardell in any way whatsoever.  I simply signed up a few years ago to receive emails from him (I'm sure others on this forum probably do the same).  Tend not to read most of them but with the recent posting regarding price war etc I thought it might be of some interest. 

I am finding a lot of my customers are tending to be charging less than they were in the past.  This has only one consequence in that your business becomes less profitable and it is a slippy downward slope.  Hence the post. 

I thought the purpose of this forum was to try and help carpet cleaners and businesses be as successful as possible by sharing relevant information. 

Are you saying you don't want this type of information posted in the future?
Title: Re: Marketing, pricing
Post by: John Kelly on June 21, 2012, 10:10:46 am
By the way I am not suggesting buying the DVD'S but just watching the video is worth 3 minutes of your time.
Title: Re: Marketing, pricing
Post by: Craigp on June 21, 2012, 12:50:41 pm
Good post John, For anyone looking to up their price and their profit it would definitely be worth them buying th DVD.

The guy sounds just like Robert Saunders, not what he's saying but the English come American accent.  ;D
Title: Re: Marketing, pricing
Post by: garry22 on June 21, 2012, 01:06:35 pm
Wasn't Chris Cardell a member of Dan Kennedy's "Inner Circle". They pay him a fortune and then the info goes down the chain.

In saying that, he's got far more real world knowledge that most agencies stuffed with marketing graduates.
Title: Re: Marketing, pricing
Post by: garry22 on June 21, 2012, 01:28:17 pm
Just remembered this book...

http://www.amazon.com/Sell-Prices-Higher-Than-Competitors/dp/0963192302
Title: Re: Marketing, pricing
Post by: Garyj on June 21, 2012, 01:41:53 pm
Have you seen in the members special offers area there is a chap claiming to be a marketing genius. Same chap is trying to drum up business on the general cleaning forum. Take a look at his website! If nothing else its a lesson in what not to do.

I used to listen to Chris Cardell years ago, no doubt he is good but like all these marketers uses a hundred words when one will do and ends up boring me to death.
Title: Re: Marketing, pricing
Post by: Jim_77 on June 21, 2012, 01:56:12 pm
Ian, maybe John should have put the text in a quote, and mentioned he was "passing it on" as info to other cleaners... I think most people could work out straight away it wasn't directly written by John :)

I used to get Chris Cardell's emails but at the end of the day all he's doing is marketing his own business and trying to get you to fork out huge sums of money to be in his "VIP" club or whatever he calls it now.  Sure, he throws you little tit-bits of info but tbh it's all common sense basic stuff you can read in a million other places on the internet.

I unsubscribed from his emails after a while as it was just the same BS being re-regurgitated in slightly different ways

I am extremely cynical about miracle marketing in a box you can buy off people like this.  All they are doing is poking your pain, suggesting to you that just by parting with some cash you can suddenly transform your business and start making 100 times more money or whatever.

The truth is, if you've got it in you to carry out these strategies you're buying, you could do it off your own back anyway - it's all about motivation and drive.  I wonder how many people sign on the dotted line and then go on never to achieve any good, because they just don't follow through (I would be like that, don't mind admitting it!)
Title: Re: Marketing, pricing
Post by: garry22 on June 21, 2012, 02:56:12 pm
That's interesting Jim.

I remember when I did my copywriting training. One top US copywriter reckoned that 50% of his high price packages still sat on peoples' shelves (still in the cellophane). He thought that people were happy to own the systems / courses without ever implementing them.
Title: Re: Marketing, pricing
Post by: John Kelly on June 21, 2012, 03:14:43 pm
Some good points Jim. I have listened to a few of his webinars and tried not to fall asleep, however I do digest some snippets of info which can be very helpfull.
The reason I posted is because I believe carpet cleaners, probably more than other services, seem to have a mental blockage when it comes to pricing. I was one of them when I first started and once I got over the low price mentality my business took off. I wasn't expensive just charging a decent rate for the work I did.
Trouble is I see people on a weekly basis who are charging half what I was charging in 1994. I try to get them to se how travelling to a job and charging 20 quid is actually costing them money. Some are listening others aren't. They seem stuck in this low price cauldron and strangely it seems to be the guys at the bottom end who are struggling the most at the moment.
Title: Re: Marketing, pricing
Post by: Gary Longley on June 21, 2012, 03:34:32 pm
Some good points Jim. I have listened to a few of his webinars and tried not to fall asleep, however I do digest some snippets of info which can be very helpfull.
The reason I posted is because I believe carpet cleaners, probably more than other services, seem to have a mental blockage when it comes to pricing. I was one of them when I first started and once I got over the low price mentality my business took off. I wasn't expensive just charging a decent rate for the work I did.
Trouble is I see people on a weekly basis who are charging half what I was charging in 1994. I try to get them to se how travelling to a job and charging 20 quid is actually costing them money. Some are listening others aren't. They seem stuck in this low price cauldron and strangely it seems to be the guys at the bottom end who are struggling the most at the moment.

Sign of the times I'm afraid. We've gone backwards with pricing. Is it anything to do with Eastern Europeans being allowed in, setting up and undercutting?

When you do quote after quote and you keep getting knock backs because the customer tells you you're too expensive then it's time to drop your prices until such time as the economy picks up.

John, are you worried because cc's are not charging enough (in your opinion) that may in turn reflect on your business in terms of sales??

Are you trying to 'beat the drum' here?

If cc's want to charge £10 per room and they're making 'a living' then let them. Don't forget some have minimum charges such as £60!!??


Title: Re: Marketing, pricing
Post by: Hilton on June 21, 2012, 03:44:52 pm
Its interesting, I dont know the fella or anything about him so just one observation.

He's trying to impress on you how important it is to to up your prices not cut them,especially in the current climate.

Then promptly lobs £300 of the price of the DVD's etc.

Surely if he was confident in his ability to show you how to boost prices and sales he would have the courage of his own convictions and up the price or keep it at its true value, instead of cutting his prices, the very thing he is telling you not to do.

Interesting though all the same.....
Title: Re: Marketing, pricing
Post by: Warren Aldridge on June 21, 2012, 03:50:02 pm
I agree with Hilton and that is an observation that highlights the complete BS.

Never spend money on people who make money telling others how to make money
Title: Re: Marketing, pricing
Post by: Garyj on June 21, 2012, 04:05:06 pm
Its interesting, I dont know the fella or anything about him so just one observation.

He's trying to impress on you how important it is to to up your prices not cut them,especially in the current climate.

Then promptly lobs £300 of the price of the DVD's etc.

Surely if he was confident in his ability to show you how to boost prices and sales he would have the courage of his own convictions and up the price or keep it at its true value, instead of cutting his prices, the very thing he is telling you not to do.

Interesting though all the same.....


Some eople just don't get it do they? Is it even worth pointing out the obvious??
Title: Re: Marketing, pricing
Post by: Mike Halliday on June 21, 2012, 04:19:38 pm
IMO...

the problem with discussing marketing ( especially within carpet cleaning) is people who talk crap or don't tell the full story, especially on these Internet forums. They make out they are the big success and hand out advice while they are on the bones of their arse

let me give you some advice which you can take or ignore.....

only  take advice from someone who  runs a company that you want to emulate,

why take business advice from someone who charges  £10 a room or £60 a suite? if you want to run a company that charge 3 times that price.... does the MD of M&S ring up the local  corner shop for advice?........ The hard thing is finding out if they are the type of company you want to mimic because if you notice a lot of 'successful' carpet cleaners on here are very quite about how much they charge,

 I've had people criticise me about how much i spend on marketing but why would I take notice of anyone who charges £80 to clean suite when I'm charging £160?


if Chris cardell is a millionaire and he earned it from what he sells  then he might talk a lot of crap but if being a millionaire is where you want to end up then I would listen to him,....... would you attend   a seminar on 'how to become a millionaire' hosted by someone who isn't?
 
Title: Re: Marketing, pricing
Post by: John Kelly on June 21, 2012, 04:30:57 pm
"John, are you worried because cc's are not charging enough (in your opinion) that may in turn reflect on your business in terms of sales??"

Gary, no not at all. I just try to help my customers as much as I can. Most of the really cheap guys use another local supplier anyway.

A lot of carpet cleaners come into the business by default much like myself. They do not have much of an understanding of business. I didn't either but did a business studies course and have gone on learning ever since. Still not that good at it and will never be a millionaire, mainly because I am not really motivated by money, which in my opinion to be rich you have to be.
The main problem I see is a lot of us are from a working class background and our families never had a surplus of cash. Everything our parents did, holidays etc had to be budgeted for. That mentality sticks with you later in life and can make you frightened of charging higher rates for your services, in my opinion anyway.
However there is a vast swath of people (potential customers) who have have had a relatively comfortable upbringing and now have a comfortable lifestyle and are prepared to pay decent money for a good service.

Good post Mike.
Title: Re: Marketing, pricing
Post by: Hilton on June 21, 2012, 04:36:33 pm
Its interesting, I dont know the fella or anything about him so just one observation.

He's trying to impress on you how important it is to to up your prices not cut them,especially in the current climate.

Then promptly lobs £300 of the price of the DVD's etc.

Surely if he was confident in his ability to show you how to boost prices and sales he would have the courage of his own convictions and up the price or keep it at its true value, instead of cutting his prices, the very thing he is telling you not to do.

Interesting though all the same.....


Some eople just don't get it do they? Is it even worth pointing out the obvious??

Yes please do, share it with us I'm here to be educated.
Title: Re: Marketing, pricing
Post by: clinton on June 21, 2012, 05:02:40 pm
Seems a good post john and worth a look at what you quoted..
Title: Re: Marketing, pricing
Post by: derek west on June 21, 2012, 05:24:23 pm
Its interesting, I dont know the fella or anything about him so just one observation.

He's trying to impress on you how important it is to to up your prices not cut them,especially in the current climate.

Then promptly lobs £300 of the price of the DVD's etc.

Surely if he was confident in his ability to show you how to boost prices and sales he would have the courage of his own convictions and up the price or keep it at its true value, instead of cutting his prices, the very thing he is telling you not to do.

Interesting though all the same.....


Some eople just don't get it do they? Is it even worth pointing out the obvious??

is it £500 somewhere else?, or has chris set the bar and lowered it himself, i think thats what gary couldn't be assed to explain. them videos probably cost him a tenner to make, you do the maths.
Title: Re: Marketing, pricing
Post by: Shaun_Ashmore on June 21, 2012, 06:21:51 pm
John you've hit the nail full on the head when you stated about many people being working class and being used to budgeting, what we have to remember is we are not our customer so don't expect to know what they want to spend, you are not just cleaning you are also saving the customer Money on replacement which is where the big saving is.

Most cleaners are afraid of rejection but as you get more experienced you can market yourself so that you can be more unique not just any old cleaner but a fixer of problems or not your average cleaner someone who can be trusted.

Knowledge is power look at this chris cardells mind set he is selling to carpet cleaners in our case who are looking how to get higher prices but can't so he is playing a mind game and offering a reduced rate to 'price conscious cleaners' that is the market he is looking for, it's a bit like the ncca looking for old cleaners to join their association there is no need or want but they have a high take up of new want to be cleaners wanting to be trained that is their real target market.

Shaun
Title: Re: Marketing, pricing
Post by: Hilton on June 21, 2012, 07:00:46 pm
Its interesting, I dont know the fella or anything about him so just one observation.

He's trying to impress on you how important it is to to up your prices not cut them,especially in the current climate.

Then promptly lobs £300 of the price of the DVD's etc.

Surely if he was confident in his ability to show you how to boost prices and sales he would have the courage of his own convictions and up the price or keep it at its true value, instead of cutting his prices, the very thing he is telling you not to do.

Interesting though all the same.....


Some eople just don't get it do they? Is it even worth pointing out the obvious??

is it £500 somewhere else?, or has chris set the bar and lowered it himself, i think thats what gary couldn't be assed to explain. them videos probably cost him a tenner to make, you do the maths.

Not sure what point your making, maybe i.m thick
Title: Re: Marketing, pricing
Post by: John Kelly on June 21, 2012, 07:05:48 pm
Think Dereks getting at there isn't a price to compare with so the lower price is just a marketing ploy. Think Shauns post hit the nail on the head.
Title: Re: Marketing, pricing
Post by: Peter Sweeney on June 21, 2012, 08:04:50 pm
Wheres Mr Liahona when you need him?

Granted, he is at the other end of the scale but without taking on k
his logic I wouldnt be at the start of a £170k contract for the olympics.  ;)

Pete
Title: Re: Marketing, pricing
Post by: John Kelly on June 21, 2012, 08:27:00 pm
Thought you were keeping that secret ;)
Title: Re: Marketing, pricing
Post by: Peter Sweeney on June 21, 2012, 08:30:10 pm
shush you. and if Lynn wants to know the other secret she only has to ring, would gladly share it with her. Not telling you because you will just shrug your shoulders  ;D
Title: Re: Marketing, pricing
Post by: PaulKing on June 21, 2012, 08:38:12 pm
You know its totally right, I charge a decent amount but I'm happy to bend over a bit more and take a bit more time and generally make sure everything is what the customer wants, hey its no bother at all, as I already incorporated it into the price and the customers paying for it. Of course it all falls down if you don't deliver.

So I'm happy with what I'm charging and customer is also happy with the job, Cracking, Happy Days. All round win win etc


In the 23 years I've gone from charging £20 for a three piece suite to nearly ten times that, and honestly the top end of the market is easier, nicer, and has much better tea and coffee and best of all chocolate biscuits.

That said I can always discount my prices, for whatever reason, and when i comes to getting the job to beat a competitor I've generally got a lot of wiggle room.










Title: Re: Marketing, pricing
Post by: Shaun_Ashmore on June 21, 2012, 11:34:08 pm
And boy can he wiggle!

Shaun
Title: Re: Marketing, pricing
Post by: Ian Gourlay on June 22, 2012, 10:44:58 am
Ian

Not affiliated to Chris Cardell in any way whatsoever.  I simply signed up a few years ago to receive emails from him (I'm sure others on this forum probably do the same).  Tend not to read most of them but with the recent posting regarding price war etc I thought it might be of some interest. 

I am finding a lot of my customers are tending to be charging less than they were in the past.  This has only one consequence in that your business becomes less profitable and it is a slippy downward slope.  Hence the post. 

I thought the purpose of this forum was to try and help carpet cleaners and businesses be as successful as possible by sharing relevant information. 

Are you saying you don't want this type of information posted in the future?

John

Of course not I just thought the style was not your usual, did wonder if it was a Hi jak or as you  had become an affiliate. Was fresh in my mind because Howard Partridge wants affiliates.  Anyway i am in Semi Retirement these days
Title: Re: Marketing, pricing
Post by: John Kelly on June 22, 2012, 01:36:20 pm
"John, are you worried because cc's are not charging enough (in your opinion) that may in turn reflect on your business in terms of sales??"

Gary, got me thinking there. If they put their prices up they'll be doing less work for the same money. Thats means they will be buying less chemicals.

I need to stop doing this, cheers Gary :-X

Title: Re: Marketing, pricing
Post by: Paul H on June 22, 2012, 01:53:29 pm
IMO...


 I've had people criticise me about how much i spend on marketing but why would I take notice of anyone who charges £80 to clean suite when I'm charging £160?



maybe the £80 price difference is marketting costs?.... so in theory you both make the same ... not a criticism just a theory why some may charge more or less than others...
Title: Re: Marketing, pricing
Post by: Mike Halliday on June 22, 2012, 02:16:07 pm
you're right paul,

 this is why earlier I made the piont that unless you know the full  facts about how people market thier business you can't  really take what they say to be absulute truth.

I know a carpet cleaner on here who is quite cheap,  has a T/M and buys all the latest gear you would think looking at his success that being cheap is a good business plan, but the full story is his wife is a seniar manager with a big company and earn a big wedge,She  pays all the household bills he keeps what he earns. I know a few carpet cleaners like this that their wives are the main bread earner and their carpet cleaning business is just beer money..... how can you listen to their advice unless all you want is beer money?
Title: Re: Marketing, pricing
Post by: Craigp on June 22, 2012, 03:04:24 pm
Mike, that reminds me of this story I heard, my facts might be hazy here so if anyone else know the story please correct me, but some carpet cleaner in the uk some where, won the a lot of money on the lottery, so anyway he didn't want to stop work as he'd get bored, so he's carried on and bought a TM and all the best gear, but now charges top prices like £150 to clean a lounge and customers who say "oh no that's to much!" he's just like "ok fine" because he's loaded he don't care!  ;D

Nice position to be in.

But remember Garry called 'cleaning co' on here, he was very cheap but subsidised by his mrs who had a good job, people thought he was successful but later on he admitted on here if it wasn't for his mrs he could never have survived.
Title: Re: Marketing, pricing
Post by: Paul H on June 22, 2012, 05:48:02 pm
you're right paul,

 this is why earlier I made the piont that unless you know the full  facts about how people market thier business you can't  really take what they say to be absulute truth.

I know a carpet cleaner on here who is quite cheap,  has a T/M and buys all the latest gear you would think looking at his success that being cheap is a good business plan, but the full story is his wife is a seniar manager with a big company and earn a big wedge,She  pays all the household bills he keeps what he earns. I know a few carpet cleaners like this that their wives are the main bread earner and their carpet cleaning business is just beer money..... how can you listen to their advice unless all you want is beer money?

Depends how much beer money you want ;D....

£50 on a friday night & £50 on a Saturday night is beer money if you drink in the city....

£25 - 30 maybe a good night in the local

£15 - 20 in a social club

Now if you throw in lapdancers casino & champagne as "beer money" thats what i'm talking about  :D

Title: Re: Marketing, pricing
Post by: Hilton on June 23, 2012, 08:04:34 am
Still waiting for some one to point out the obvious, itcant be that obvious as obviously some one would have pointed it out.....but all we get is what people `think' he means..

I'm dying to know....