[Fox]

Would really love to know how many of you sell your business via tele sales and how you source your information.

I have read several posts on the window and carpet cleaning site concerning leaflet drops.  I personally do not believe this would work for the regular commercial cleaning side of things.  Has anyone had success with this? Maybe I am a sceptic.

Basically I have tried many types of marketing for this type of work and find that tele sales work the best, so was wondering whether there was success out there in a form I haven't investigated!

Don't think I will get any replies to this but worth a try! After all who's going to share their secrets! (won't tell - honest! )

In anticipation - thanks

Fox

[Ian Gourlay]

Hi fox at last someone who agrees with me.

However not in the Commercial Cleaning Sector yet.

We certainly find that it works for Carpet Cleaning to domestic customers.

Did have a qoute from a Tele Canvassing company who I asked about Contacting  Commercial clients.

As I remember it was somthing like £50 a lead, but its deep in the filing cabinet.

We do not put any presure on people we just try to talk to them about the benefits of having their Carpets Cleaned.

Regretably with window companies tele canvasers are put under preasure, verbably abused and if they fail to produce a lead every six hours the are told they are no longer required.

[Fox]

Thanks for the reply Ian - Jeese sounds like window sales people have it tough!  I did tele sales for St John Ambulance once and if I didn't get one in ten to agree to collect I would get penalised - I really hated it.

The biggest problem with tele sales is if you hassle and push to hard for an appointment you are wasting everyones time.  Some people will agree to an appointment just to stop you hassleing them and don't want the service anyway.

[Philip Hanson]

-Removed as not relating to the subject.
sorry, I got the wrong end of the stick!
-Phil

[Musicman]

You should try Sales Recruitment! Spent 2 years working for Austin Benn in the late 80's, we used to get 4 bo*****ing sessions a day irrespective of how well we'd done. Fortunately employers can't get away with this now without being sued.

Toughens you up though, telesales in this industry is a stroll in the park by comparison.

Things to consider are: that everyone has a cleaning need; most companies have a sales/telesales force so they understand the need for marketing; without sales commerce would grind to a halt; every successful person is a salesman/woman.

In this business a prospective client's situation can change in the space of a few months, appointments are often as a result of your call being made to the right person at the right time, I believe that at appointment stage a prospect doesn't care which cleaning company gets an appointment, although afterwards it does become important.

I try to ensure that all of my prospects are called every 3-4 months. This should catch most opportunities without hassling the recipient. It also helps to develop a relationship as long as you handle it right.

Remember; hard work + opportunity = success!

To soften your approach (if you don't like direct contact) you can send out an introductory letter prior to the phone call, this also helps get past the receptionist/secretary (sales prevention officer!) as you can say that 'Mr Smith' is expecting your call without lying.

I could go on in a lot more detail but I know some of my competitors use this forum so I wont. That's the kind of animal Austin Benn turned me into!

Musicman

PS If someone gives you an appointment just to stop you hassling them you have got it very, very wrong (or they are incredibly weak - in which case they shouldn't be in their job.)

[Musicman]

Philip, your comments are quite correct in the domestic environment but in the commercial world (to which the original post related) anyone is fair game.

[Ian Gourlay]

In the Domesticenviroment you are meant to check that the number has been cleared by The Telephone Prefrence Service.

You can spend £3000 plus for an annual service or by blocks of checking from Agencies or on the Internet.

Prices vary from 10p a number down to a 1p depending how many you have checked.

Best system is to random dial to avoid being accused of using phone book or electorial register copyright.

Window companies are still getting away with treating people light dirt.

I have written an exposee article for another web site which I use for My Political Work. We have tied it in with the export of Call Centre jobs to India.  And how British PLCS treat one group of workers.

We were  also one of the first to write about people trafficing. Granada phoned me several times on the subject.

Not sure what to investigate next???

[Fox]

before I go to bed I'd like to get this thread back on track!

We are not targeting domestic people, what I'm talking about is commercial.  Yep Musicman is right - sometimes it is about catching  the client at the right time (especially when things are going wrong) regardless of the company selling,

But (in a nice way) there has got to be an easier way than that! I really hate tele sales there has to be other methods that work!

Still asking for help! - thinking is keeping me up!!!

Fox

[Musicman]

Hi again Fox, you awake yet?

If you don't want to go to them, you gotta get them to come to you.

This takes you into the realms of advertising of which there are several media.

Have you considered radio advertising? A company near me did it but I have no idea how successful the campaign was. The negatives to this method are that it is relatively expensive and probably only remains effective as long as the series of adverts run.

Mailshots work to a degree but have a far higher success rate if followed up with phone calls - which you want to avoid.

Leaflets etc either end up in bins or filing cabinets - never to see the light of day again.

For large tenders you can check out the OJEC website, and occasionally the local paper may have an advert inviting tenderers to apply.

The problem you have is that humans are inherently lazy and a client will take a telephone call from M. Mouse & Co down the road rather than go to the effort of phoning Top Quality Services Ltd around the corner.

If you don't like to do the telesales yourself simply employ someone part-time to do it for you.

[DP]

Received this a few days ago by some company advertising their service ironically by email thereby breaking the new spam laws.

However I though this so called "opt out" rule was already in place at least in part anyway. Will it make life more difficult ? maybe but its gonna be a difficult one to police.

"The existing legislation regarding an individual's ability to opt-out from receiving  unsolicited telemarketing calls is to be extended to included businesses.

As from Friday 25th June 2004 it will be an offence punishable by a £5000 fine to make an unsolicited call to any  business that has written to the Telephone Preference Service and registered its telephone numbers.

You will no longer be able to make unsolicited calls to just any number you see on a letterhead or web site or wherever without first checking that it is not opted-out.

You will no longer be able to make unsolicited calls to numbers held in your own databases, contact management systems - even your mobile phone -without first checking that they are not opted-out."

[Fox]

Hi
I thought like you that this may already be in place as I am definately aware that businesses can opt out of fax 'junk mail'.

Interesting! Maybe a marketing ploy - but then again I'm not up to date on the latestest laws in this area so if anyone has got info it would be well recieved.

We've got to make a living after all (whether I like tele sales or not! - lol)

Fox