Can You Double The Sales In Your Cleaning Business For 2011?

Most people would say absolutely not! Not in this economy! Even though we're almost into our third month of the year, I'd like you to challenge yourself to make BIG goals instead of settling for less.

Here are some tips for changing your outlook and increasing your business for 2011.

1. Think Big!

You'll never get anywhere if you don't have BHAG's (Big Hairy Audacious Goals). If you're waiting for the economy to recover before making big plans or taking big action, you may be in for a long wait. And while you're waiting, your competitors are on the move. So get going and make your BHAG list today.

2. Be Seen In Your Community

You've heard it before - people like to do business with people the know, like and trust. This isn't just lip service, it's the truth so get your butt out of your office and meet people in your community!

3. Define What You Do And Who You Help

If you ask your friends, family and colleagues what you do they'll probably say that you clean for a living. Sure, that's true, but let's get specific and let's get consistent. Define exactly what it is you do and exactly who it is you help. Then use this message consistently with all your marketing messages. You can't be all things to all people, so drilling down to a specific, consistent message will attract more of the perfect clients to you.

4. Get Specific With Your Marketing Plan

Most people come up with a random list of marketing activities in the hopes they'll gain new business from it. But I challenge you to plan a specific marketing campaign to reach your newly defined target market (see #3). Last week's post should help you with this (Are You Tired Of Juggling A Complex Marketing Plan?)

5. Get Better At Closing The Sale

You work so hard at getting new business, but if you can't close the sale, it's all for naught. The easiest way to do this is to come up with a specific system for selling your services. Once you have the system down, you'll start converting more prospects to clients.

Can you really double your business by following these 5 steps?

You bet! Here's an example. Simply replace the numbers used in the example below with your own numbers.

2010:
Current number of clients: 20
Avg yearly sales per client: $3000
Total yearly sales: $60,000
35 meetings with prospects, closed on 20 (57% Close Rate)

To increase your sales, follow the tips above to get more prospects into your pipeline and then do a better job at closing the sale.

2011:
Increased to 45 meetings with prospects and closed on 30 (67% Close Rate)
Current number of clients: 50
Avg yearly sales per client: $3000
Total yearly sales: $150,000

Can you see how this will work if you work smarter on your marketing and closing system? If you're serious about doubling the sales your cleaning business, then I challenge you to follow the steps and work the numbers. You CAN do it!

Are you up to the challenge? Click on the Comments link below to post your thoughts.

 

Comments

[Shirley]

Yes I am up for the challange, need help.
Thanks
Shirley

[Nasir]

Thanks Jean and Steve

"Avg yearly sales per client: $3000"

What do you mean by Avg yearly sales??

Thanks

[Jean Hanson]

Nasir - you would add up the yearly sales of all your existing clients and then divide by the number of clients. This will give you the average yearly sales.

[Nasir]

Thanks Jean for the answer
so $3000 per year
that means $250 per month account
20 of these small accounts would be very difficult don't you think?

[Jean Hanson]

Nasir,
This is just an example - I don't even know what type of cleaning you do. If you're doing residential cleaning, 20 accounts is very doable. If you're doing commercial cleaning the numbers would probably look a little different.

[Denver Cleaning Mailers]

Our goal is indeed to double our business this year. There are good suggestions here, I know that our business has to 1) be active and visible in the community and 2) Develop a more focused marketing plan. Thanks for the ideas!

[Cleaning Franchises]

I run a franchise directory and our cleaning franchise category has seen a huge boost this year so it looks like despite the economy in the UK suffering a bit that business is booming. I'm wondering though if sales may be hit if there are too many cleaning businesses opening up in any given area which would make doubling business in 2011 tricky.