Clean It Up

UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Andy Hogarth on November 16, 2007, 03:58:51 pm

Title: Estate agents
Post by: Andy Hogarth on November 16, 2007, 03:58:51 pm
Had a call today from a guy offering me a 'unique opportunity'
He represents an estate agents and will put my cards in the office, ad in all publications and recommend me to all clients.

Very nice of him I thought then came the crunch, from 15-30 quid per week lol, I offered him a percentage of all jobs I get through him and not pay a weekly fee and he said the 'deals on the table'

He recons it's an offer not to be missed but I'm scepticle, He's ringing back next week

Does anybody use this type of advertising and get results??

I'm not too keen on the idea and won't take him up on the offer but would appreciate your views/experience as I could be wrong

Andy
Title: Re: Estate agents
Post by: vangaurd on November 16, 2007, 04:01:36 pm
file it under b i n mate tell him to do one. 8)
Title: Re: Estate agents
Post by: turneylogan on November 16, 2007, 04:04:51 pm
Get this all the time. They are just selling advertising space. Ask yourself why they don't use you to clean their rental properties.
Title: Re: Estate agents
Post by: Mike Osbourne on November 16, 2007, 04:34:16 pm
Andy

If it was any good he would of immediately started negotiating a percentage or offered a few weeks free and said you could pay for it with the jobs you get through it.



Title: Re: Estate agents
Post by: Joe H on November 16, 2007, 05:04:56 pm
Does anybody use this type of advertising and get results??

Nope!
Title: Re: Estate agents
Post by: Andy Hogarth on November 16, 2007, 05:40:51 pm
HaHaHa

So that'll be a no then ;D ;D ;D

Thought so, does anyone actually do work for estate agents etc, whats the best way to approach them?? Is it worth approaching them??

Andy
Title: Re: Estate agents
Post by: Kinver_Clean on November 16, 2007, 06:11:00 pm
Just stick with the recognised ways to ad, so its under your control.
After 27 years I have found that papers are OK for a while.
YP worked for me well for the majority of the time, Thompsons is a nono in this area, although it works in some.
Van signs work moderately well (depends on design and whether you sub for other cleaners, they don't like someone else's publicity on their jobs.)
Local area mags like church mags are good value, I use several and for £25 - £35 a year I do well from them. The locals will support people who support their organisation.
I went into several estate agents and gave them leaflets. The sale agents were a dead loss but the letting agents give me about 30% of my turnover now, don't under price just because they are regulars. Dont bother with calendar display ads they only use you to pay for their main ad. Get to know the letting staff, drop in and ask if they want ant end of let cleans done.
The essential thing is to have a box on your booking form for the source of the job and ask every enquiry whether successful or not where they found your name. Then every month sit down and analyze them. You can then chop rubbish ads.
Sorry if I have rambled on a bit but whole books have been written on marketing.
You will sense the scams, basically dont pay up front for getting a job, Jonathan Aitken went to jail for the same thing!

Trevor
Title: Re: Estate agents
Post by: John Kelly on November 16, 2007, 06:15:03 pm
Wise words from Trevor there. Letting agents can be a good source of work but beware that you can wait a while for your money and also expect some last minute, "can you do it this afternoon" when they forgot to book you.
Hearing good things about those card holders for your van.