Clean It Up
UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Colin finney on January 17, 2009, 04:13:28 pm
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Having read some of the posts regarding marketing and leaflets etc, I’d like to propose something a little different. What amazes me is that some of you actually think that its good business to spend good money on advertising and then deliberately do things to dissuade people from even ringing you. Isn’t marketing about encouraging as many people as possible to call your business and for you to do your level best to have them book you instead of one of your competitors.
If your diary is full then this won’t apply to you but for the rest of you here’s an idea that might help fill your diary.
We have three vans manned by myself and my two sons, my wife and daughter work the phones and run the business so it truly is a family affair. Our business makes us lots of money because we are always busy because we adopt a far more open attitude to marketing and sales than the ones mike would have you do. Every phone call is important to us whether its from someone in a council house or a mansion because we want to do business with everyone because making sales is what keeps us in business. Turning your nose up at people because they aren’t prepared to pay your price is idiotic in my view.
So why not adopt a more open attitude to selling and making sales? Yes sell your services at the highest possible price but to those on a budget who freeze at the mention of your price why not sell to them as off peak customers who get the same specification cleaning but get 25% off in return for doing it last job in an afternoon or Saturday either or at sometime convenient to you which helps fill the gaps in your diary. This way you get two bites at the same cherry and convert the potential customers Mike doesn’t want to know about into good paying customers who come back to you time and time again. Say your suite price is £95 you could have an off peak rate of £65 - £70, ok it’s less than you want but it’s a sale and with that initial sale comes the chance of serving that customer again, whats wrong with that?
Col
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Colin
First of all, which Mike are you referring to? Secondly what you say is perfectly valid for you. You want to capitalise on everything that comes your way. Nowt wrong with that. Another strategy is to focus on a particular group, maybe at the expense of excluding other work.
If you have three vans on the go then hats off to you cos not many on here can claim that. But maybe if you just had one van and don't want to work too hard your strategy may not be the best one for them.
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Mike, sorry i meant Mike Halliday.
It's a stategy that keeps a continuous flow of sales and cash and maximises the return we get from our advertising £'s. You have to be a complete clot not to make money out of every job its just some jobs you earn slightly less or more than on other, so what we're making piles of money and have the lifestyle that goes with it. Isn't that what being in business for yourself is all about, making more money than you would holding down a 9 to 5 job and being able to do what you want when you want.
Col
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personally, i wouldn't take any advice from someone who can't even be bothered to fill in his profile, something to hide maybe? you might have 3 vans, then again, you might not?
for all i know you could be a busy fool.
derek
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What you say makes a lot of sense and I think I've been guilty of turning my nose up to some stuff that I've essentially paid for through advertising.
I think the key to this is 'If you don't do that 'cheap' job how else will you spend that time?' If the answer is spend time with my kids and that's important to me, then that's the right answer. If it's I'm speaking to local businesses to persuade them to mailshot their clients with my details, then, that might be the right answer.
If it's sit on my chuff hoping the phones going to ring then, well, only you can decide. :-\
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derek?????
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colin? or john? or bill? or simon? ;D
what?
whats your website called, love to see all the vans flashed up.
or is it really a ford escort estate that you borrow off the brother inlaw? when your renting the RD
who knows?
?
?
?
derek
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Derek
;D ;D ;D
Might be fred :D
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Right Said? or Bet? ;D
Actually Derek-Right said Fred He's to sexy for his .... could be a good tag line on the van ;D
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Mike
Might be fred the weatherman here on granada reports lookalike ;D
The one who goes on that floating map on the morning programe the one with pip schofield and fern ;D
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You amuse me Derek - sometimes - !
Colin,
I agree with your comments, particularly about running a business, rather than playing at it, on a part time basis. Not sure what M H wrote, that you took exception to, he normally has a positive and businesslike approach in his posts and knows what he's talking about
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Well Colin, Derek has put out the challenge.
How about a picture of your 3 vans, and your profile filled in with location and web details etc.
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Mike
Is this what you mean by sexy carpet cleaning
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I can see where Mike H is coming from (or going too).
What would you rather do 4 - £50 jobs in the day, maybe taking all day what with travel, set up, close down
or 1 £200 job and be finished by 2pm.
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I agree with the approach, less jobs more money. I don't think putting high prices will give you the desired result however.
But as I haven't tested this I can't be certain and it's just conjecture. ;)
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:)
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:)
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Sexy carpet cleaning mike as i know your a leg man :)
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How did you know I'm a leg man?
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I just guessed ;D
I saw you buying that magazine a few weeks ago that gave it away:D
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You mean Leggy carpet cleaning babes!
Oh that gives me the horn. :P
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;D
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Derek.
Putting your personal details up is up to you but I won't put mine up for personal reasons and you should respect an individuals right to privacy.
Tried putting my picture up 3 times and every time it says it's too big.
Joe
Might as well do 4 £50 jobs a day than wait for a £200 one to come along.
I'll probably do about 20 before a £200 one comes along.
Some call it busy fool but I disagree with that comment.
I get loads of one room jobs and if I turned them down I would be a bankrupt fool.
Some say I would be better of doing some marketing than running round but the way I see it is that when I'm working I am in effect marketing. Talking to customers, handing out my business card and getting noticed by nosy neighbours who sometimes also ring me for some work doing.
But each to his own.
As for travelling if I did 4 domestics in a day I wouldn't travel more than 20 to 25 miles from leaving home to getting home.
Most I've done domestic wise for one job was 10 mile round trip but the money was worth it.
Where's the Stella?????
John
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John, with your attitude you will survive and prosper where others with narrow minds probably won't ;)
Col
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Thanks Colin.
If I'm working I'm earning and if I'm earning I'm paying the bills
Plus the 3 weeks holiday in Tenerife in July.
John
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John, with your attitude you will survive and prosper where others with narrow minds probably won't ;)
Col
where have i heard that comment before? ;D
derek
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Star Trek? ???
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close mike o
it has something to do with ships.
derek
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Ah, And the other quote was go fourth and multiply elsewhere. ;D
Or was it
It's my playground and I don't want to play any more. ;)
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both probably mike.
derek
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At least he's used one capital letter in his fake name this time.... the guy's getting sophisticated!
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In one id say its a good idea what Mr ???? said in the first point....he may be real he may NOT. but he has a point .....PLUS 3 VANS .... he must be good or CHEAP :P :P :P :P :o :o ;D ;D ;D ;D
But i do see his point on filling up the times that you have free offering a discount for QUICK booking ........and as shaun is looking to put another on the road, and he likes his marketing bet he doesnt Knock it .....
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And another quote from some on here I'm it your sh*t.
And if we're talking TV programmes Derek and Mike Fantasy Island
John
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look boss, de plain de plain. ;D
derek
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Reading this thread;
The phrase ' Nero fiddled while Rome burned' comes to mind.
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Alternative marketing strategy.....getting back to the point am doing this using the net with great effect.......and its not putting ads on ebay either, but there are other sites out there that peoplr used on a daily basis........now that's "Alternative marketing" :P :P :D ;) and its FREE
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James,
I am intrigued here.
Have you set www. dunfrmlinecarpetcare.co.uk or dunfrmlinecarpetcare.co.uk as your preferred domain and if so, did you notice any difference in the search engines?
Garry