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How To Stop The Sales Pitch When Selling Cleaning Services

Many cleaning companies market their services by picking up the phone and calling prospects. It can be a challenging way to grow your business, especially if you give the prospective customer a "sales pitch".

Here are some tips for stopping the sales pitch:

1. Start a conversation. Instead of starting off with information about you, your company and what you have to offer, think about ways you can approach a specific problem the prospect may have. You might say something like, "I'm calling to see if you might be open to some different ideas on how to save money in your cleaning budget by changing the frequency of cleaning tasks without losing the quality of cleaning."

2. Don't think about closing the sale right off the bat. Instead, concentrate on the problems your prospect has and how you can help them. If you can get a dialogue going on the issues they are dealing with, you've got their attention and can then suggest a meeting to discuss things further. Worry about closing the sale at that meeting, not on this phone call.

3. Don't defend your service. When a prospects ask why they should do business with you over your competition, the inclination is to start defending your service because you're trying to convince them to buy. Instead, suggest that you are not going to try and convince them that they should do business with you because that would just put more pressure on them. Gently change the conversation by asking them questions about their problems and then explore how your company might be able to help them.

4. If you are not having any success, put some thought into where in the process you lost them. Most people lose the prospect right off the bat with their opening statements. If you are saying something like, "we have the solution you need", or other "salesy" phrases, chances are you'll never gain the trust of the prospect. That's because sales pitches don't feel honest to people so they'll think you are not sincere about helping them with their problems.

If you want to sell your cleaning services by phone, give these 4 tips some thought so you can "stop the sales pitch".

Are You Holding On To Old Marketing Methods That No Longer Work For Your Cleaning Business?

At the end of the year most business owners take a look back  and think about how they will improve things for the upcoming year. When it comes to marketing, we usually try to come up with lots of new ways to market our business next year.

This year, I propose you not only think about the new ways to market your business, but give some thought to what you've done in the past. Some of the  marketing activities may work great for you and you should continue to do those. But some may not be working so well, so it's time to stop doing those activities.

Here are some questions to ask yourself when it comes to deciding what marketing methods are no longer working.

1. Does this marketing method still bring in new business? (Yes? Great! Keep doing it!)

2. Does this marketing method attract clients who make you roll your eyes? (Why continue marketing to people you don't enjoy working with?)

3. Does this marketing method take so much time and energy that you don't have time to plan something new? (Don't use up all your time on one activity)

4. Does this marketing method make you tired or irritable just thinking about it? (Marketing should be fun!)

5. Is this a marketing activity that used to be fun but now feels like work? (See #4 - Marketing should be fun!)

Sometimes it's easier to keep doing what we've always done. But if there are certain methods of marketing that are no longer working, that drain your energy and aren't any fun; then it's time to let it go.

If you stop doing the things that drain your battery and don't work, it frees up time and energy you can devote to trying something new and reaping the rewards of your efforts.

A Marketing Lesson. Can You Get People To Do What They Don't Want To Do?

Sometimes it's hard to get people to buy cleaning services. They really don't want to have to spend the money to have their home or business cleaned! So how do you get them to do what they don't want to do? Think outside the box when it comes to marketing!

This video is a great example of thinking outside the box. Most people will take the escalator rather than walking the stairs. So the challenge here was to figure out a way to get people to take the stairs rather than the escalator -- and it worked!

What creative ideas do you have for getting people to buy your cleaning services? Please post your responses by clicking on the Comments link below.

Do You Market Your Office Cleaning Business By Measuring?

What does marketing your cleaning business have to do with measuring? To be honest, not a whole lot! But you may be surprised at the response you'll receive from prospective customers when you walk through their space taking measurements.

Many people have never experienced a walk-through with a cleaning company owner who actually measured their carpet and hard floor surfaces. When you do a walk-through with a prospect, ask if they mind if you take some measurements. Some will ask why, and this is where the marketing comes in. Now is your opportunity to stand apart from your competition and show the added value of using your cleaning company.

When a prospect asks why you want to measure, explain that in order to give a custom proposal  for their specific needs, you need to gather information about their space. This will help you determine how much time it will take to clean, and the process is known as workloading. Some of the information you'll need to know is how much carpet they have, how much hard floor surface, the type of flooring, how many toilets, how many sinks, etc.

You'll find many people will be impressed with this standard procedure that every cleaning business owner should do. They may even comment that no one has ever taken the time to measure, much less take such thorough notes!

Have you ever had a prospective customer comment that they've never had anyone measure their building before? Did you get the account? Share your thoughts by clicking on the Comments link below.