[Paul79]

Anyone got any advice for marketing a pressure washing business in 2019 and beyond?

Most of the content I’ve read around the internet is outdated (including some on here) or maybe they still apply? I’m hoping some of you with experience can help to point me in the right direction as to which is more worth the time and investment especially as a start up. The best piece I found (which I cannot now find the link to), basically said that this is a niche business and so you have to sell it by door to door as in convince the home owner that it needs doing. I’ve absolutely no sales experience in that department and not really up for door to door cold calling but if that’s the main way please let me know as I am more than eager to crack on!

[Smudger]

If you can’t sell your own business then I think your doomed 😩

Firstly you have to believe in your ability, second actually know how to do the work!!

If you rely on leaflets and advertising then the work flow will be very slow, door to door is horrible but you need to do it - it toughens you up as well 😳 and brings in work - other good places are local parish mags - Facebook ( but this can bring a lot of time wasters ) contact local window cleaners if they don’t do pw then pay a finders fee for each job likewise builder and painters - For when you get into render cleaning  or specialist brick cleaning

Don’t be like the father in law - have all the gear but no balls to get the customers - no customers
 NO MONEY

Darran

[Paul79]

Sound advice there Darran, sounds like I need to grow a pair and get door knocking and man up! I'm sure I'll be fine once I get going and I'm confident in doing the work. Leaflets came today really impressed did about 25 houses before I had to do the school run and got a call for a quote already which I'll be doing in the morning! First time real customer excited and nervous is that normal lol

Now that window cleaner finders fee idea is brilliant I haven't seen that mentioned anywhere and would have never of thought of it! Great idea and definatley going to pursue that one. So you would give them say a commission on any jobs they get? Would you say 15% is too much, too little or about ok or you just give them a set amount?

Yes facebook I've had about 12 messages now but none lead to a job, they ask a question then that's it they disappear, one even asked me is your machine loud? I've just paid for some more facebook ads though and trying a different approach because I think there's potential there if it can be done right!

[Yada Yada Yada - www.m-clean.uk]

Website, website, website!

[Mike Halliday]

Website, website, website!

www.kireth.com

Will build you a website for £15 a month no upfront fees, he’s done loads of pressure washing & cleaning websites  (he did mine )

[Paul79]

I have a website it's here https://www.moveitcleanit.co.uk/ (sorry I wasn't sure if I could post links or not earlier).  But it will take some time to get it established and seo optimised it will eventually be the main hub of the business but needs time establishing first

[Paul79]

I've got 2 ideas that I really would like to try, well 1 of them isn't my idea it's a member here named Smudger mentioned it on another thread which would be approaching window cleaners who don't offer pressure washing services and offer them a 'finders fee' for getting you work. So they would kind of be like a salesman for you but not sure if you would give them a set amount for getting a job or a percentage (commission) on the amount of the job total.

The other idea is I have a few nephews they are teenagers but they could door knock and I would give them a percentage of the job total if they get a job. Not sure if there would be any implications of this but for them it's work experience and money in thier pocket so it's a win win. They could knock on a door, introduce themselves as they are in education but gaining work experience as a salesperson but that could be a good way to drum up some work maybe it's a bad idea I'm not sure?

[Mike Halliday]

Rely on those 2 ideas and you will starve, getting window cleaners to recommend you is a good idea but it’s a sideline it won’t keep you working 5 days a week.

Getting young lads to door knock sounds good but it’s soul destroying they will not do it for long and it won’t work, you need to door knock, not get others (who had no interest In your success) to do it

[Paul79]

I appreciate your feedback and advice Mike I really do and I would love to be in a 5days a week position I know I will eventually end up there. I’m also out posting leaflets and paying for Facebook ads (which aren’t doing too well to be honest) and trying to get other ideas too to make it work. From all the feedback I’ve been getting I’m getting the impression that the ‘main’ source of marketing is door knocking myself and everything else is just extra.

If that’s the case and being someone who has never done that before can you give me some pointers in that direction please? I don’t need a script of course but what kind of lines do you start off with? I think the first impression/first few seconds you have to grab them right? Once I get talking to someone they will see I’m honest and genuine but it’s that initial ‘the doors open time to sell it’ kind of thing that I have no idea about. What do you say to them from the start?

You can probably tell already that I’m lacking in confidence in that department, just need some pointers or maybe some opening lines that I can tweak to my own personality and in time grow in confidence with it. I am confident in my abilities to do the job and in time will get better equipment but selling it and getting the work well that’s the thing and I don’t as you put it want to starve!

[Yada Yada Yada - www.m-clean.uk]

We've all started somewhere and for a lot confidence is initially lacking.

You grow in confidence once you get experience, when you know you can offer the service you want.

By your own admission you have had a number of enquiries but failed on the phone to convert them.

The phone call is interest, you have to learn to manipulate the enquiry so you can get in front of them.

'Is the machine loud?'

'No the machine isn't loud, you're ringing about some work you'd like me to look at, let me have your address and I'll be over at 5 this evening' - show confidence.

The machine could be 120 decibels but if you convince them the job is going to be spectacular when you get in front of them how noisy the machine is goes out of the window.

Your website - do you have access to it, can you work on the phrases and terminology within the text.

If yes Google doesn't like a static website, work on the wording on the site, give it a few minutes a couple of times per week.
Don't wait for people to stumble onto your website, you do the background work to push it up the ranking yourself.

If you haven't got access to the site get them to put a blog on there that you can work on and update with work and news, keep it current.

People won't look through pages of websites for your pressure washing service, it happens on the 1st couple of pages.

I don't know about the finer details & I'm certainly no tech guru, this is basic stuff that if I can do so can you.

Get rid of the large American photo of the highway - put something more relative on there.

I'm coming the other way and winding my works down to concentrate on a couple of other areas (not related) but I'm finishing a substantial commercial project & am trying to get onto another job that I know the value of the quote and I can cut it massively and still be the best priced job I've ever done.

I no longer chase new clients, I'll work on a job if it has potential but I have repeat works now, built up over years that give me plenty and the clients I work with trust my input.

Confidence & website is everything.

I don't know where you are but if you want a chat give me a call.

www.m-clean.co.uk

Rob

[Paul79]

That's alot of insight Rob thank you for that, I've changed the big images now to before and after photos instead so to highlight my previous jobs and to instantly let visitors know what the site and my services is all about 

The site is designed by myself, I used to be a webmaster so coming from that to pressure washing is a huge change for me and I will for sure be adding a blog now that you mentioned it, I can add descriptions and photos/videos of jobs done and keep it up to date and fresh, it's a brilliant idea.

Today I posted about 200 leaflets but all the time in my mind I kept wanting to instead knock on the door and speak to them instead. I will get there, I know I'm a friendly easy going guy I'm just lacking that initial confidence, I've spent too long behind a desk on a computer over the years and need to break that mold.

[Yada Yada Yada - www.m-clean.uk]

Paul

I've been working all day & will be back at it again tomorrow.

Much improved on the website!

I was fortunate/or not - to jump straight into large scale works & never really needed the leaflets, though I have done a lot of residential it was through recommendation from the commercial clients, favours.

Done more in the last 18 months as I quieten the commercial down.

As has been mentioned - your timing is rubbish, end of the residential season really, though if I wanted to chase work and the weather doesn't get much worse than it is at the moment the end of the season wouldn't stop me from trying to bring work in.

Offer discounts (they're never really discounts!) through the winter period, if you want to make a living from this line of work you will find a way.

On the commercial jobs there was a cut off point, 1st week of December - which is way after the 'end of the season' for residential because supermarkets won't have external works on the run up to Christmas.

We could often be back on works by mid January, even if it was well below freezing.

When I was window cleaning I would see buildings that 'needed' my service, they might have had a cleaner but it wasn't me so I put a portfolio together, would find out a point of contact and send the portfolio to them.

Was this approach successful? - it got me through a few doors and I ended up with Britannia Building Society's head office window cleaning for four years.

I wouldn't think you are quite ready for smashing your local superstore but look at smaller commercial projects - these may get you through the winter and shouldn't be ignored.

From the jobs you do you will start to understand scale and how much you can get done - all you have to do is put a value on your time.

One of the most important things - Don't undervalue your time just because you 'need' the work.

Have you got Google Analytics on your site?

[Yada Yada Yada - www.m-clean.uk]

You're in Wigan - you can come and spend a day with me, or find someone a bit nearer to shadow, you'll pick up more this way than you can learn by reading all this on here.

It's the details like why a split flow lance, with quick connect all over it is a better investment than buying two or three lances or not getting pulled up about breathing in Carbon Monoxide because you're working on top of your machine rather than leaving it in the van.

[Paul79]

You're in Wigan - you can come and spend a day with me, or find someone a bit nearer to shadow, you'll pick up more this way than you can learn by reading all this on here.

It's the details like why a split flow lance, with quick connect all over it is a better investment than buying two or three lances or not getting pulled up about breathing in Carbon Monoxide because you're working on top of your machine rather than leaving it in the van.

Sure I will do that! Just give me a time and a place and I will come and spend a day with you that would be great. Haven't done much this week I've been enrolled on NEA (new enterprise allowance) scheme so spent last few days in workshops learning business plans etc but really just want to be out there. I have a job in the morning and busy on Sunday but monday onwards I can for sure will come along just let me know 

[Paul79]

Sorry to double post, but I had an idea to email all the local estate agents, I know interior cleaners may have some success here with oven cleans, carpet cleans and all the rest of it but externally I don't think they really bother! Has anyone had any success in pressure washing driveways, decking areas, paths or patio areas with estate agents on properties for sale or end of tenancy etc.

[Mike Halliday]

I hate estate & letting agents, they are full of there own self importance they expect you to run around in circle to fit in with their plans. I’ve never been asked to powerwash anything by them, although I used to get lots of calls from them for carpet cleaning

[Smudger]

Estate agents and letting agent may bring you an odd job, oil on drive or something of that nature but generally not loads and of course they want a low price to add their 30% on top

Darran

[Yada Yada Yada - www.m-clean.uk]

Paul

I'll  be finishing my last day on this large project tomorrow.

This would have been a good one to see because there was a lot of H&S involved, everything needed to tie in with the RAMS, no shortcuts and lots of bits that made it one of the more challenging cleans done this year.

It is a repeat clean but I feel you won't want to wait 3 years till they have it done again.

Let me see what I've got coming up but more importantly where & I'll contact you through your website.

I don't necessarily agree with Mike & Darran about estate agents, I'm working on an angle at the moment to make them a large part of my business moving forward.

When the business had just started we did internal cleaning for vacant letting properties - How some people live!

[TomCrowther]

My experience with estate agents is so bad I will never deal with any again. Three different ones in my area never paid the invoices and the turnover of staff is ridiculous.

[Mike Halliday]

The biggest market we have is homeowners who have the disposable income to afford to pay someone to do the work they can’t or are not willing to do.

Unless we are basing our  business model on commercial work then The bulk of our marketing effort should be to them.