Clean It Up
UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: derek west on January 08, 2009, 08:50:35 pm
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i'm a newbie as you all know and all though the phone isn't dead, i'm not prepared to go through this next january so heres my idea.
your thoughts gentlemen please.
a letter to all those who had there carpets cleaned in december 08
dear blah blah
thank yo for using blah blah
the importance of regular cleaning blah blah
if you have the same carpets cleaned in january 2010, as this is a quiiet period for us we can offer you X amount discount for our services, blah blah diddly do.
yours derek
i know i can fill my books with new customers next december (ive just done it) so i'm not worried about that, but if i can convince my clients into january then i'm guessing this will be good business.
comments please, including geoff, go easy mate. i know you think i'm full of poo, but i'm working on that, just had a curry ;D
derek
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You could do worse than listen to GEOFF mate he only offers genuine advice in my opinion.
CHEERS TONY
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Derek
This is good solid marketing. I wouldn't use the term "quiet period". If you had to say anything at all, I'd use "low season", but even try to avoid that too.
Safe and happy marketing :)
Ken
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tony
get a sense of humour mate, it was a joke and i'm sure geoff got it, even though he is a yorkshire man. ;D
ken
yeah did think it was a bit dodgy writing that in, good point.
derek
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NEVER admit you're not busy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"Why isn't he busy?" they ask themselves. "Because he's no good?" they might presume.
If you're insistent on trying to shift work over to January, why not put a different spin on it? Why not try the angle that December is always very hectic and they have more chance of getting the day they want, or some other reason like that. Marketing is 50% BS but as long as it's believable BS you can carry it off :)
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Any contact with previous customers is good contact, the best results will be with an incentive and this comes in many guises a discount or an addition ie free scotchgard or a free spotter.
Why not try
Your carpets are crying out for HELP !
Remember when they looked like new?
Walked on trodden on Xmas tree needles embedded even your vacuum cleaner won't get them out!!! but we can.
Affordable Carpet care 01234 567890
Call now and get a professional strength spot removal system worth £9.99 absolutely FREE * whilst stocks last.
Shaun
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Shuan polish ;D
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My wife is feeding me up to my fighting weight after my enforced diet, must be brain food :o
Shaun
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Shaun
Another thinking out of the box idea :)
Your geting good at this marketing stuff :)
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derek
Are you asking people to book a year in advance or have i read it wrong?
Col
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20 years apprenticeship should be bloody good!
Used to try sweet talking the wife to bed now she does it to me God I'm gullible.
Shaun
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Hi Guys
When I was doing lots of leaflets I always used to advertise away from Xmas and for example have my special offers finishing end Jan or Feb.
This was on the basis that Xmas largely took care of itself and Jan/feb needed a bit of help.
Cheers
Doug
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We use leaflets with offers to boost sales in quiet times but as has been mentioned there is always a finish date to get the calls now rather than open ended offers that cause people to stash the leaflet until they are ready which is no good when the aim is to get bussiness now.
Col
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Whatever you say Derek
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colin
not asking them to book in advance, only just thought about it so not to sure thats why i put it on here.
i was thinking instead of a yearly reminder, which i'm guessing i wouldn't need in december as its busy, i thought i would send last decembers clients a letter saying we can refresh the carpets they had cleaned, but if they wait til january 2010 then we can offer a 10 / 15 / 20% discount on the price we charged last december.
these will be sent out,
late novenber early december 2009
to be honest not sure, like i said, it just come to me so i thought i'd put it on here and hope you guys would play around with it adding bits and taking stuff out.
like ken has.
derek
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Derek the way I do it is like this
October I send Xmas reminder letters out saying it's going to be very busy book now! Some will book for October most for November and organised ones December but I aim for October as most just want it done as the letter drops.
First week in January I send another letter, the idea is to keep intouch every 3 months, Joe Polish says every month but he doesn't have to pay for stamps!
I do another in May ish time, yes it makes a profit, yes it's tedious, but I can get work in at the times I want it and I get referals from it.
Shaun
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Derek so your prepared to write of december bookings so that january 2010 is busy but people who book in december want there stuff clean ed before xmas not in january. seems a little irish to me.
Col
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shaun
does joe polish really say every month, i thinks thats bordering on harrassment.
i'm sure it works but its not for me.
i was just suggesting ideas to buck up january.
derek
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Derek , if you had done me an ace carpet clean in Dec then sent me a Letter saying it would be cheaper if I waited till Jan next time I would be a bit put off maybe thinking if he could do it cheaper then why not now ?
JUST my opinion
is the the mrs feeling better ?
Ricky
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That's nothing Derek some say alot more.
It's make contact, not necessarily try and sell them something. ;)
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Derek he advises Newsletters which are info based with other things apart from CC abit like a readers digest (no not your readers wives!)
Shaun
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Derek the timing of database is one of the most important things, you have to have it ready to go when you know you are going to need it, have the Missus (when she's better) stuff letters in envelopes and then put addresses on them all a month in advance from when you want to send them.
Shaun
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Shaun , with all these letters to be sent out do you send them 1st 2nd or franklin ?
Ricky
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got a point there ricky, taken on board.
she's out of hospital but bed ridden, ive never done so much housework interupted by texts saying "can you bring me a brew up darlin" "can you do me some weetabix baby" "can you eat my" actually no, that was a dream i had. ;D
she's worth it though.
colin,
theres a few irish lads on here posting good honest clever comments, hope they don't take offence.
them comments went out in the 70's chief.
shaun
were you in the boy scouts, i'm not that organised, but i think its time i was, yes my misses will get stuffing as soon as shes better. ;D
think i'm getting double' en tendre disease. :)
derek
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Cheers for that Derek,i was going to comment on that remark but why should i worry about idiotic remarks like that :P
Ryan
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I'm part Irish and it never even crossed my mind, it's just a saying. The same as the welsh shag sheep and the scotts are tight (but not as much as yorkshire folk) :o
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SOME people are easy offended Mike ::) ::) Whats that about Yorkshire Men ;D ;D ;D
X Tony
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NEVER admit you're not busy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"Why isn't he busy?" they ask themselves. "Because he's no good?" they might presume.
jim.
this letter will be to clients that used my services in december 08, so they will all ready know how good i am. doh!
derek
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Shaun
When you say that you are writing every 3 months, is it a letter you are sending or just a leaflet with offers on?
Cheers mate.
Dan
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Derek,
You will always get mixed messages from others. If in your heart you believe it to be a good marketing tool, then do it. What is the harm in trying?
There are lots of similar ideas banded around with Pirahna marketing and lots of these ideas DO WORK. I would give it a try NOW as we are early into January and test the water. Remember some people will say things dont work, but for others they do.
It is the doers in this business just like any other business that make things happen and are moving on!
Gary
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I did used to write to my clients once a year but stoped about 6 years ago ???
If i was starting now in c cleaning i would be doing one.
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Hi Derek what about offering another service other than just carpet cleaning. We're busy with end of tenancy cleans which includes all the carpet cleaning too. You could contact letting agents and hire a cleaner to provide end of tenancy cleans.? Just an idea
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Did some leafleting today, thought I might have to go to A&E with frostbitten fingers. Leaflets went through letterboxes easier though. ;D
Got a nice 'batch' of email addresses today :) No takers on my Jan letter yet though. :'(
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babara
had a lot of advice on expansion into other areas but i think its a bit early to expand when i'm still only new, i feel as though ive only scratched the surface of carpet cleaning and want to get recognition for this first, i believe theres a lot of carpets out there waiting to be cleaned even in this downturn, enough to fill my books twice over, and thats why i'm looking at ways of filling months like january and alleviating months like december.
your idea is certainly something i may look at in the future though, i think expansion wise, this business has no limits,
nice website by the way,
derek
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Derek, your probably wasting your time looking at filling january and you defo won't fill it with people who ring you in december because they want it done before xmas and not after. January is january no one is busy in january best get used to it.
Col
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I've got quite a few that wanted December and cleaned for them this week.
Shaun
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yeah your right colin, theres no way on this earth i'm gonna get clients who have had there carpets cleaned in december to wait a month and save a few quid.
i'll give up now, if "you" can't fill january then what chance has a newbie like me eh! i'll book a holiday next year, barmers here i come. ;D
derek
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Mike,
How did you get the Email addresses ??
Did you buy them if so where from and what sort of cost are they ??
Thanks Paul
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Derek ;D
Ryan
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Thanks Derek glad you like the website I'm getting some SEO work done on it so hopefully that'll help people find us better. Hope your wife gets better soon, being pregnant isn't easy.
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Derek, your probably wasting your time looking at filling january and you defo won't fill it with people who ring you in december because they want it done before xmas and not after. January is january no one is busy in january best get used to it.
Col
Im a newbie but my biz aint and im not working on the 23rd 28th but the 8th 22nd 30th 31st training and the rest im working not as good as oct nov & dec but yes its still work.
some one once said to me " if you believe you cant-Then you cant ! " " believe you can and You can "
That stuck with me ( prob old sales crap ) but its self belief . last year in jan I worked 7 bloody jobs :( and believed that would never happen again .
Derek , there is a few extra things you could do to open jan into a bit more of a worker just with the data base you already have , your clever and to the point so use that to advantage with YOUR already clients
Ricky
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will do ricky,
barbara
can't comment on the pregnant thing, doesn't look easy.
ive got a new website being built and that will have seo, my other website is run using add words, i'm gonna run the 2 side by side this year and see which gets the best results.
derek
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Derek
We will both have new web sites :)
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new website buddies ;D
derek
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;D
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Derek, Why don't you offer every customer a free easter egg for every carpet cleaned in January? At least you know they're on the supermarket shelves already.... Joking aside, our local keebab shop give my wife a bottle of wine just before christmas, white wine ??? Mind you, we are their biggest customers..... literally ;D
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Evening Derek
Personally, I love not working very hard in January. I like to catch my breath after the rush of November and December. It's the time to catch up on paperwork/sleeping-in/planning for the forthcoming year/ doing jobs around the house etc.
I price my jobs throughout the year to reflect January will be quiet and have put money aside on that basis to see me through.
(I do recognise that I could be far more pro-active but at heart I'm a lazy b*gger.)
Having said all that I do recognise that I am in a better position than some. I have an established business and I'll still t/o £4k+. This will be less than some but it more than covers my modest requirements.
And my only advertising will be the monthly bill for YP.
Overall moral: what I do works for me but perhaps not for others. ???
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Rodger , how long you being going if you dont mind me asking ?
Take you have a few staff ?
Ricky
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Roger
As you said you have planed for the quieter months and the same here,maybe it comes with us going for a good few years :)
Y pages works for you and as you know stoped working for me a few years ago ::)
Got a few jobs in for next week and they are all recomds and repeats ???
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Same here a couple of good jobs most days next week which is not bad for jan but they are all repeats & recommends. Its not just january we have to worry about its this reccession too so I feel sorry for the new starters who i think may struggle in 2009, sorry for the gloom but good luck.
Col
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Morning Ricky
The business was established in 1989 and I bought the business in 1999. Made it a limited company in 2002. I increased the t/o by 120% in 8 years whilst also reducing the o/heads by 3% in the corresponding period.
I have no employees except myself.
Roger