Hi ste,
First thing is to try to find out as much as you can about the business. If it’s a care home then I would park outside one day, walk in and check how dirty a couple of the downstairs windows are – better out of sight of the reception entrance. I also suggest you phone the local council and ask them to send you out a list of all the care homes in the area. The list will have the names of managers, addresses and telephone No’s.
Usually start by phoning them up and asking the receptionist to tell you who is responsible for looking after the cleaning side of things. That is all you want to achieve at the moment. When the phone is answered most receptionists give their name so that’s the start.
“Good afternoon, ABC Care Home, Tracy speaking, how may I help you?”
“Hello Tracy, yes please can you help me. My name is Ste from Ste’s Window Cleaning. Please can you tell me who is responsible for all cleaning related matters in your Care Home?”
“It’s Joe Bloggs but he isn’t in at the moment (or busy, in a meeting etc.)”
“No problem. Please can you tell me what exactly his position is within your company, thank you.”
“Yes, he is our Cleaning Manager.”
“Thanks for your help, I really appreciate it. I’ll try to contact Joe another time. Please can you tell me when the best time to catch him then?”
“First thing in the morning is best, usually before nine.”
“Thanks again Tracy, Bye”. Then put the phone down, your job for today is done. You take these steps as most receptionists think of themselves as the first line of defense against sales people - after all you are selling a service. You now also know that Joe, being the Cleaning Manager, won’t have the final authority to employ your services as it will probably need to be sanctioned by the MD as well.
Then phone the following day.
“Good morning, ABC Care Home, Tracy speaking, how can I help?”
“Hi Tracy, it’s Ste, please can I speak to Joe…….Joe Bloggs!” (Ask in a way that she believes you are a business acquaintance of Joe’s. This is a casual request as though you have a document in your possession from Joe that needs a small alteration before it can be actioned.)
When Joe answers the phone say, “Hi Joe, Tracy suggested that you are the very person I speak to with regard to cleaning matters at the Home. My name is Ste, and I was wondering if I could pop around at a time convenient to you to talk about the window cleaning service we offer to businesses such as yours. Is it more convenient for you if I pop around before nine or would you prefer it a little later on in the day?”
At this point you will then be told whether they would be interested in your services or not. Some Care Homes use outside window cleaners, others use their own cleaning staff. If the windows are not very clean, then you may offer to clean a few (a couple upstairs and a couple downstairs for free so they can evaluate your service – no more). It they use outside contractors, then try to find out if they are on an annual renewable contract, and if so when the renew date is due – so you can contact them about 6 – 8 weeks before that time. How are they cleaned, ie., do the cleaners still use ladders and what Health and Safety requirements does the care home adhere to? We have one around here that forbids their staff to use ladders but the window cleaner still uses his ladders. Write out a list of exploratory questions and practice these out loud so they roll off your tongue as it were before you speak to them. You have I mouth and 2 ears so let them talk and don’t butt into their response. Don’t jump into a pause in the conversation, but rather let them carry on with their thought.
Prepare a list of benefits that the Care Home will receive by using your service as opposed to someone else’s. Don’t be afraid to tell them how happy your customers are with your service and the lengths you go to, to ensure the water you use is 100% pure, etc.
If you make an appointment, please go well dressed and clean – I don’t think a suit is necessary, oh and also clean your van – first appearances mean everything. Take a note pad with you and look professional. If asked to quote, take your time and ask if you can take pictures of the building to refresh your memory while preparing their ‘estimate.’
Remember, use each phone call as a lesson on how to improve for the next one. Ask yourself what you did right and then what you would say differently next time.
Good luck.