Clean It Up
UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: andy east sussex on November 28, 2013, 07:07:10 pm
-
I tried leaflets last month no price on it no calls and now gone back to prices and yet still no work getting bit worried of what to do next :(
-
Google Adwords? :)
If you spent the cost of the leaflets on adwords, done correctly it should bring you more work for less trouble all from the comfort of your computer :)
-
ive tried Google ad words but didn't bring in the work possibly didn't do it right but don't really want to be paying a company to do ad words as cots loads which I don't have
-
think maybe also half my trouble as well is dad died in my arms few months ago and dunno feel like I lost abit of the spark as he worked so hard all his life and never had chance to realx sorry guys
-
Sorry to hear that Andy, that's a difficult life event to get over!
Work can help by giving you a 'diversion' while you come to terms with your loss. But, of course, you need to see some point in it.
I'm not sure why you're not seeing the returns on your marketing. Maybe you could look at doing some marketing training? Or just trying a different tactic.
This time of year is traditionally a busy time in our industry - so when you're ready you need to review why you're having a tougher time that you expect.
Best wishes anyway...
-
Andy,
Feel for you on the death of your dad, tough one that to deal with.
Marketing wise I'd say that leaflets are only part of the answer. If you think of marketing as a wheel with spokes which are the different forms of advertising you do which go to the hub in the centre, which are sales. If you only have one spoke you aren't going to generate many sales. So add more spokes to the wheel. Website, leaflets, Thomson Local, Yellow Pages, door knocking, emails, Adwords, Facebook and the most important of all, repeats and recommendations etc etc.
Simon
-
I think for the last 2 years recommendation's have gone abit more quiet 4 years ago we use to get plenty of recommendation's but here in Eastbourne now is overwhelmed with cleaners and maybe their offering services cheaper im really not sure we always ensure job and completed to high standards. and with advertising its all self taught up until now but maybe I need training now for all this new advertising internet area as not confident with it
-
Andy, really sorry to here about your Dad, must have been tough for you.
Simon has hit it on the head, marketing is a bit like fishing and the more rod's in the river the better chance you have of catching fish (or customers :) )
-
I know it's not much consolation but we are probably having the worst run up to Xmas in 23 years domestic work just isn't happening. I normally have a good conversion rate but been missing jobs on price, we live and operate around North Yorkshire quite a well of area but people just aren't spending thank god we have a good commercial base and it is that work that has us nearly booked to Xmas a reasonable start to 2014. We are about 70/30 commercial to domestic these days the regular work we do for letting agents etc does help ease the pressure.
Hope things pan out and turn around sounds like things have Been rough but I am sure you'll turn the corner.
John
-
Andy,
Don't get involved in trying to compete with other cc'ers on price. Professional carpet cleaning is not about price, it is about quality. There are lots of people in Eastbourne that are very willing to pay really good money for a quality job and those people should become the focus of your entire marketing effort.
It is entirely possible that the reason you are finding sales difficult to come by is that you may be too cheap, offering prices that believe it or not most people would not consider paying because they have learned, often through bitter experience, that low prices often mean poor quality and a waste of money.
So maybe you need to re-model yourself and look for a new type of customer.
Simon
-
Andy get out for a day with someone charging more.
-
Andy get out for a day with someone charging more.
how will that make his phone ring?
-
You don't need it to ring so much.
If you can't get quantity go for higher job tickets, and make money out of what you do get.
-
IMO You need it to ring even more though as the conversion rate will be less.
Of course it helps if your good at selling, which ever price range you aim at.
Sorry to hear about your father Andy.
-
Andy
I looked for you on google place can't find you
Register if you haven't .
Start a blog on your website write as much good info you can.
Go out and network tell everyone what u do .
Get rid of all the stickers that arnt carpet cleaning on your van
Delete all the photos on your FB page that say acs and get rid of the prices
Put your email address every where u can offering free advice
Register your services with every free directory that is relevant
Print leaflets for 10 doors either side where you work delivery before you start
Do add words but put a small amount on it will improve your ranking
Txt all your past customers now
Cut and paste your recommendations onto your web site and bump them to the top of FB
Last of all join the gym and swim and go every other day my mate has just don £200 of work from people there and he is happier and fitter
If post more but I've school run good lucky Andy
-
<snip>
Last of all join the gym and swim and go every other day my mate has just don £200 of work from people there and he is happier and fitter
...That's an interesting one I've not heard mentioned before.
I'm a member of a cycling club, and that's brought me about 12 jobs over the past year :)
Networking works.
-
Over the years I've been on CIU I've realised its Impossible to give an answer to Andy's problem, people are different, what works for a me won't work for someone else.
I'm a bald 50yr old who goes and quotes every job, I have a background in direct sales and I'm the most well known carpet cleaner in my town! my knowledge of carpet cleaning means I can answer any question posed , I get 90% of the jobs I quote at high prices
Andy might be nothing like me so me saying "do what I do " is not going to work.
He needs to find out what his strengths are and capitalise on them
-
Yes, but he is getting exposed to other ideas of how to approach building a successful business, and that's kind of the point.
Simon
-
Mike - I'm 40 with hair. Is this a disadvantage? ;D
-
Mike - I'm 40 with hair. Is this a disadvantage? ;D
It might be useful for agitating delicate fabrics, but then you'll end up bald, like the rest of us ;D
-
45 and still a good mop on top ;D
Sorry to hear about your dad Andy it took me a year to get back to normal after mine passed on make a list of what you do for advertising just now and then make a list of every other idea you can find and start testing them to see what works for you as for prices they depend on where your prospective customers see you in comparison to your competition if you want high rates you need the kit and image to match and advertise in the right places if you want to compete with the cheap as chips brigade then blast your prices everywhere.
-
It's common knowledge that the best carpet cleaners have very little hair (if any)
Yul Brynner and telly Savales both worked as carpet cleaners before becoming actors.
My point is to give relevant advice we need to know more about what Andy has done so far and what his strength are.
he might be an Internet novice, so To give him the advice to use Adwords would be wrong. he might be competing with other adword users offering 'half price cleaning'or '£9.99 any room offers'
Or he could set up a campaign and not set any geographical boundaries so his advert shows 50 miles away.
He might be a '£20 any room' company....... so to tell him to call into high-end Interior designers would be pointless.
It's like me telling simon to drink cider vinegar to help with his menstrual cramps, this is good advice...... if given to the right person...... Absolutely no use to Simon, but still good advice
-
thank you thank you all for your advice everyone :)
-
Mike,
I think you are missing the point.
Many people in this business come into it thinking / believing that being competitive is about price when in reality it is about quality and that low prices are a real turn off to a lot of people. The great thing about forums like this is that people can be exposed to a diversity of different ways of doing things. That doesn't mean for a moment that they should suddenly change tack and go a certain way, but that exposure and the awareness that people do things differently can empower people to try some and perhaps apply it to their business model. No one is being preached to, at least not by me, but for all we know Andy may be sitting at home right now looking at things a little differently than he did before, perhaps not, but if nothing else he knows he has fellow cc'ers around him willing to share their experience and knowledge with him and that he only needs to ask and hey presto a wealth of goodwill coming his way. Nowt wrong with that.
Right, I'm off for a pint of cider vinegar as I've suddenly got period pains coming on. ;D
-
;D
-
Andy, I lost my Dad suddenly last year. My mom was rushed into hospital last week and I was told to fear the worst (thankfully a false alarm) A couple of prominent members on here have also lost close relatives in the last year as well.
How you are feeling is perfectly natural / normal after such an event. Some days you will feel good and others you will question why you are bothering to to anything in this world... a kind of "what's the point?" approach.
I think it is important to realise when you are having a bad day and make allowances.
I left the hospital a couple of days ago knowing I had to build a couple of websites and write some advertising copy. I know now not to do anything "creative" on a bad day because I will mess it up. Instead of working I went for a long walk. Maybe it is best to look at your business when you are feeling Ok? On a bad day, go and do something physical (work, exercise, whatever). It's OK to feel lousy now and again. Just be aware that it may affect your outlook or judgement on that particular day.
-
Email sent Andy, incase it went in your junk box.
-
If you charge low prices, people treat you with pity and always display low respect towards you.
If you enjoy being treated like something stuck to a shoe, charge £20 a carpet.
The only time you will ever have a traumatic experience with some nutter will be the time when you put adverts out at silly prices.
Others on here will verify that.
-
If you charge low prices, people treat you with pity and always display low respect towards you.
If you enjoy being treated like something stuck to a shoe, charge £20 a carpet.
The only time you will ever have a traumatic experience with some nutter will be the time when you put adverts out at silly prices.
Others on here will verify that.
:-\ Very Strange
-
But also very true... :o
-
But also very true... :o
I dont believe it is,
People do not disrespect you all of the time because you may have lower charges than someone else, its ridiculous statement.
-
No it isn't :P
;D
-
Blackeys right,
People don't value whats easy to get (cheap)
Those cheap end customers will make your life hell.