[Jonny D]

I'm looking for some help putting together a new leaflet. I want it to be full colour so to look more professional. The thing is I'm not going to just post them through doors and hope for the best, my plan is to chap the doors and say that "I'm expanding my round into the area and was wondering if you would like your windows done?" If they say yes that's great but if they say no or I already have a window cleaner I will say" well can I give you this incase you change you mind."  And then hand them one of my leaflets.
I feel this would work better as I think they would be more likely to read it if you hand them it than if they just pick it up with the rest of the junk mail put through their door.
All the other window cleaners in my area work trad so basically I want to point out all the benefits of WFP over trad like frames get cleaned every time as well as the glass, more privacy as your not up at their bedroom window when your cleaning it and the fact that windows stay looking cleaner for longer ( I know some won't agree with this but since changing over to WFP lots of my customers have said that they have noticed a big difference)
 Can you think of any other things I could add?

[Jonny D]

Also should I add pictures or just keep it simple I want it to grab their attention and keep them interested but I don't want to have too much information on it that people look at it and think I can't be bothered reading all that.

thanks for any help.

[the bfg]

so your going canvassing then

[Jonny D]

yes I'm going cavassing but I need a good eye caching leaflet so if they say no or not the now I can give them it and when they read it they realise that I provide a good service with benefits that out weight my competitors and hopefully the change their mind and give me a call.

[the bfg]

no leaflet is gonna tell anyone you provide a good service,  the customer will tell you that.

if someone told me they already had a window cleaner I would just say ok sorry to trouble you and move on.

or are you just out to try and poach other window cleaners livelyhood ?

if so then just put on your leaflet that you will do the job for half of what the other w/c is charging

[Jonny D]

that's not 100% true if I clean windows and frames and another company only cleans the windows would you not say that's a better service? If I'm fully licensed and insured and they are not wouldn't you say that makes a difference? I'm  not out to poach but window cleaning is a service and if you can provide a better service than someone else well the customer has the right to change if they want but they will never know what your services are if you dont inform them as for under cutting that's just pointless. I'm trying to run a business so obviously I want to get as much good work as I can, as close together as possible with as little traveling.

[bobby p]

if your leaflet is small enough, add a hole in one end so it can be pinned up easily?

[zimzam]

if your leaflet is small enough, add a hole in one end so it can be pinned up easily?

its not hard to put a pin through a leaflet. ya dont need a hole. 

[bobby p]

if your leaflet is small enough, add a hole in one end so it can be pinned up easily?

its not hard to put a pin through a leaflet. ya dont need a hole.  

i used to see quite a few of mine pinned up when i first started. if you put a  proper hole with a paper punch it them gives them the idea to hang it up,rather than shove it in a drawer out of sight .  i also got extra work when friends or family happened to see the leaflet on the kitchen noticeboard

[Spruce]

Hi Jonny,

I think the advise so far is canvass rather than leaflet drop. A couple of window cleaners have dropped thousands of leaflets in our area with hardly any response including myself in the early days. Ask yourself what you do with all the takeaway menus that come through your door regularily. Do you keep them?

Much better to knock doors and try to speak to everyone in the area, and I see that this is what you plan to do.

A while back a very good suggestion was made on this forum.

Knock each house in your chosen area and keep records of who you knocked. Each household will go into one of three catagories - not home, already have a window cleaner or do their own.
If they have a window cleaner, thank them for their time and casually ask what his name is - write his name down. If they do their own, that's fine as they are still potential customers and the ones not home can be knocked later and when found moved into one of the other remaining groups.

If you find later that a window cleaner you have the name of on your list has 'stopped coming' you now have a list of some of his customers to recanvass. You will quickly find out whether he has just dropped that individual customer or given up cleaning.

However, if you start to see from your records that the area is well covered with cleaners, then it may be better to try somewhere else. In your canvassing 'hat', you need to become a salesman and bite at every lead - you are selling a product; your services.

Some new cleaners canvassed homes on the backroads just out of town and did quite well with the response. The problem was the houses weren't close together, but they commanded a higher price to compensate.

Why not offer conservatory roof cleaning, gutter cleaning etc even although they have an existing window cleaner. We do several customers conservatorys as their own window cleaner won't do them. Promote indoor window cleaning as well. Most windies, including myself will only do inside windows under duress. But if you are still growing your round, every little helps.

And remember to network. Ask your existing customers to recommend you. Do any of their local friends need a cleaner? We got stacks of work from referrals and they have become our most loyal customers.
 
Spruce.

[Spruce]

Hi Jonny

The advantages of WFP you mentioned are good, as they have all been pointed out to me by my customers - especially the privacy one which is important to the women folk. The windows stay cleaner longer has also been many of my customers own observations.

Ladder holes in the front lawn also annoy numerous customers, so this is another benefit of WFP.

Spruce