Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Davew on December 16, 2007, 05:51:32 pm
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Having spent the afternoon emailing guest houses and hotels and doing leaflet drops in various places, i'm not convinced there is work on tap in my area. I'm having to resort to phoning one or two custys who i secretly decided were going to be dumped after being told to go away because there was rain about a couple of weeks ago. I think it's a myth to think there is a wealth of untapped work out there, well not near me anyway.
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It's just a game of numbers is'nt it....Throw out enough hooks and bait and you'll catch those whoppers....
I bet if you re-canvass and leaflet your existing area's you'll snag a few more customers....Have just recieved 5k more leaflets all ready for the pre-spring leafleting blitz....
Also got another set of leaflets saying 'we cleaned your neighbours windows today' these seem to work....
How's about you target your existing customers with a reward type scheme....I am thinking of ways to do this for next year also...just need to be careful not to cut my own throat with this....
How about Nurserys...loads of yummy mummies around to see you work....
Could you widen your scope, perhaps other estates a little further afield...
Keep the faith DaveW..
Dave.
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:) a couple of whoppers would be nice right now. ;)
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so would a couple of yummy mummies ;)
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Ive built my whole round over a couple of years totally by leaflets.
You do have to put them out in 1,000's tho, and the response is around 0.5%
I have another 20,000 going out just before spring, and will expect to get 100 new regular customers from that.
Costs me £380 per 10,000 printed, delivered to my distributor then put out.
A lot of ppl knock leaflets, i wouldnt do it any other way!! ;)
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Same here Mick....I only use leaflets (just my choice thats all)...and I am starting to find alot more word of mouth accounts coming along and because I am seen in area's....
I think it takes time to build 'trust'..
I have upto date put out aprox 20k leaflets and from 70 weeks averaged 2.76 customers per week. Aimed for a 100 customers this year and as such gained 109....leaflets do work but nowhere near as fast as canvassing but then again...each to their own...
Just a question of plugging away....
I have to admit that Mick has got the hit rate on leaflets about right from my own experiances....I have seen people on this forum quote 5% - 10% hit rates from leaflets......I think those numbers are a little high..
Dave.
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I find that a pretty scarey statistic - 20,000 leaflets is an incredible amount and in my eyes, just shows how LITTLE work there really is. I see people posting on here about dumping one and picking up two more to replace it. In truth work is not easy to come by. Most of mine has been canvassed by my wife - she has a much higher success rate than me. I still pick up some work but when i look back through George i can see a pattern of customers who just use me to clean their filthy houses a couple of times and then having used me drop me until in a years time they do the same to another unsuspecting cleaner.
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I get anywhere from 4% to 8% on a leaflet drop. never had less than 4. but over time that goes up as people keep the leaflet or give it to freinds ect, I got a call from a lady the other day that had a leaflet from years ago.
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window washers could you showus your leaflets because 4-8% is massive 20 x more than mine ???
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Wow Window Washers, are you that old.......Strewth ;D
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Wow Window Washers, are you that old.......Strewth ;D
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ronnie 20 times lower than 4% return ??
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Wow.....4-8% that is good, if you want to share your leaflet....bearing in mind im after a web site in the new year ;) I'll give you my e-mail...lol
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;D
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your 20x times higher mine is about .4% if yours is 85 that 20 times higher!!
are you going to share your secret formula??
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so would a couple of yummy mummies ;)
:) a couple of whoppers would be nice right now. ;)
... as would a couple of yummy mummies with a couple of double whoppers (with cheese).
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If you want scary...then most of my area's are leafleted every 3 months.... so the % stats are very low....but it does not matter....customers are customers and gaining a solid work base that pays well for the time spent is what this is all about....
We have set out our stall and create targets for monthly, 8 weekly 12 weekly, 6 monthly, annually for everything from customer numbers, turnover, turnover v time....in fact I am very anal about the numbers to the point of obsession...( :o )....Keeping an eye on the targets allows you to adjust your advertising and marketing idea's.
I feel that in most area's there is plenty of work...just a case of chipping away and digging those heels in....
I suppose if you have the spare cash you can employ the services of a round builder....if that option were available to me...I would more than likely use it...but alas it is not.
Leaflet % v hit rates in all industries is very low and 4 - 8 % is bucking the common known %'s for marketing....Window Washers if you're getting that...more power to your elbow...
Keep going DaveW....
Dave.
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your 20x times higher mine is about .4% if yours is 85 that 20 times higher!!
are you going to share your secret formula??
I dont get 85%, did I do a typo? I thought I said 4% to 8%
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.4 20times do it on a calculater if you struggle it equals 8.
maths not your strong point??
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.4 20times do it on a calculater if you struggle it equals 8.
maths not your strong point??
lol, or it could be I have just got back from a holiday and everyone is speaking to me, and it was a quick reply, send me your leafet and I will give you my opinion on it m8. ;)
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dont have it on computer but its from a company who a lot of people use on here i think they have loads of templates
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dont have it on computer but its from a company who a lot of people use on here i think they have loads of templates
oh, mine is plain text lol..... yet it works everytime. ;)
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Whilst we are all here talking about gaining business ...what other advertsing methods do you use that bring in good returns for the money/time spent getting it..
Dave.
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I'd be wary of anyone quoting 5-10% success rates on leaflets, especially if they didn't have a full diary and a few people working for them!
I'd say an average for all of my leaflet drops has been 1.5%
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I have an add in the local Catholic magazine - cost me £10 and brought in one job! I have an add with yell.com (free) and that's got me another (one) ten pound crap job so far. My best paying work i've got through luck mostly - i haven't gone looking for it i've just been very lucky with a contact who was at the right place at the right time. Idealy i need about a dozen more large commercial jobs throughout the year but they don't come easy.
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knocking doors is always the best way to get new custies , the only time i use leaflets is if i,ve knocked and they are out basically those that use leaflets only are scared of knocking on doors , that should stir them up but its true
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knocking doors is always the best way to get new custies , the only time i use leaflets is if i,ve knocked and they are out basically those that use leaflets only are scared of knocking on doors , that should stir them up but its true
or they dont have the time Alan, we dont all have time like you m8, you need to remember that.
I pay people to knock doors for me, but leaflets give a very good stream of new work, this is fact.
Oh by the way you have not stired me up, you made me laugh :P
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I have gotten some very high returns not unlike window washer on leafleting and on a couple of occasions I got no return at all. I think it depends on a lot of variables like quality and novelty value of the printed material, when the competition leafleted, how may w/c in the area, the weather your reputation etc. I get the best return by hitting the same area three times in about 6 weeks.
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I invested in some work wear was meaning to do it for a long time.
I have two fleeces with, window cleaing, gutter cleaning, grass cutting embroided on the back.
It's working too good as now when I go into shops etc.. I take them off as I am often stopped.
Worth the money even though the set up costs are high at first but best bit of advertising yourself, plus you look smart.
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Same here Mick....I only use leaflets (just my choice thats all)...and I am starting to find alot more word of mouth accounts coming along and because I am seen in area's....
I think it takes time to build 'trust'..
I have upto date put out aprox 20k leaflets and from 70 weeks averaged 2.76 customers per week. Aimed for a 100 customers this year and as such gained 109....leaflets do work but nowhere near as fast as canvassing but then again...each to their own...
Just a question of plugging away....
I have to admit that Mick has got the hit rate on leaflets about right from my own experiances....I have seen people on this forum quote 5% - 10% hit rates from leaflets......I think those numbers are a little high..
Dave.
I have managed close to 5% in certain areas such as a new estate but those figures are definitely a blip. I've found it's more like 0.5% - 1% over all. I take the view that each leaflet that I put out will generate a turnover of £1 a year. If you consider that getting a job or two in a certain area will eventually generate a bit more work, that £1 is thereabouts in my experience. Of course sometimes you will put loads out and hear nothing. Other times you may get a 2 or 3% hit rate (or as in a new estate, possibly more). I am assuming that an area is only covered once. Of course, the £1 may not be generated in the same year that you distribute the leaflet but if you get into the habit of delivering, say, just a couple of hundred a week that is 10,000 leaflets in a year and it will produce a steady trickle of enquiries.
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Yes I would say averaged out its around 1% over a period of time but you have to look at it as part of a long term campaign.
Look at it another way, I can pop out leafleting for an hour or so in the evening and that will probably result in one or two new customers. Do that a couple of evenings every week and it soon mounts up.
The problem comes when you are starting out and you want customers NOW not a gradual build up over time. Then its best to go knocking.
Knocking produces more names but I have found a lot of them are not really committed to the idea of having their windows cleaned and never thought about it before you knocked on their door.
They have their windows cleaned a couple of times but then it becomes a financial burden and they lose interest. I call them air heads.
On my leaflets I have my home address and phone number. This is deliberate, so many customers have commented on this being the reason they phoned me in the first place. Many leaflets just have a first name and a mobile phone number and customers are suspicious of them.
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I have gotten some very high returns not unlike window washer on leafleting and on a couple of occasions I got no return at all. I think it depends on a lot of variables like quality and novelty value of the printed material, when the competition leafleted, how may w/c in the area, the weather your reputation etc. I get the best return by hitting the same area three times in about 6 weeks.
sounds like you do simalar to me Bluez.