FREE MONEY!!!!!!

[Greg Cole]

Free Money!!!!

After years of teaching sales to hundreds of technicians and multiple companies, I’ve decided to put together a sales training program specifically for the carpet cleaning industry.
I will be launching it in a few months. In the meantime, I’ve decided to share some excerpts.
SALES! It’s a dirty work in our industry! UP-SELL! Even dirtier. FREE MONEY? Music to my ears…..
Too many times I’ve heard “Cole, How dare you up-sell your customer?” More often than that I’ve heard “ Cole, how the hell did you train these guys to sell Scotchgard, sanitizer, upholstery, tile floors, duct cleaning, etc. when you were only showing up to clean for $13 to $20 a room?”
Many of my top salesmen weren’t salesmen at all. Just normal guys that were good at cleaning but were more often than not: INTROVERTS!
Not surprisingly, most carpet cleaners usually show up as an Introvert on the Myers Briggs tests. After all, hours alone in a truck isn’t easy. You have to enjoy being alone with your thoughts…. Introverts tend to trend towards these types of jobs. They also make amazing cleaners. Pure salespeople were often extroverts but usually did a lousy job.

After beating my head against the wall for years, I began to develop systems for training people people to sell. I usually broke them into small groups based on their personality traits and then focused on harnessing their abilities. I watched our profits go through the roof. After a year of doing this, I took a three month break. Alarmingly, I watched the sales totals of these guys plummet. I started the program back up, and the sales went back up.
The lesson I learned is that salesmanship is like a plant. IT MUST BE WATERED REGULARLY!

Keep an eye out. More water coming soon!
-Greg

 

[Mikey P]

Nashville?

 

[Greg Cole]

Nashville?

Not gonna make it...... But will be at the next one for sure

 

[hogjowl]

Can you train me to like Saigers videos?

 

[Greg Cole]

Can you train me to like Saigers videos?

For the right amount of $, I can make you enjoy eating dog shit..

 

[Mark Saiger]

Can you train me to like Saigers videos?

 

[Old Coastie]

For the right amount of $, I can make you enjoy eating dog shit..

Marty, don't you DARE say it!

 

[steve_64]

I want to get on the pc and post a sam kinison video

Say it... SAY it!...SAYYY IIIITT!!!

 

[Willy P]

HARK! Is that the sound of a stampede?

 

[Desk Jockey]

For the right amount of $, I can make you enjoy eating dog shit..

HELL, he already does.

 

[Cleanworks]

I realize that upselling is part of the business but I have to say that I am really sick and tired of guys offering absurdly low rates and then depending on upselling to make up for it. Over here it is called bait and switch. It's fine to sell protector/deodorizer/extra services/etc. but do it as part of the job, not as an add on to a low ball job. When I upsell protector, it is usually just a matter of a recommendation to the customer that this is to their benefit. Same with anything else. I let them know that I do tile and grout cleaning and would they like an estimate. We have a ton of guys who low ball to get in the door and then grind the customer for every last penny.

 

[SamIam]

Ya and they're getting slaughtered on social media.

 

[Cleanworks]

Ya but the reason they're successful is, there is a sucker born every minute.

 

[WillS]

I realize that upselling is part of the business but I have to say that I am really sick and tired of guys offering absurdly low rates and then depending on upselling to make up for it. Over here it is called bait and switch. It's fine to sell protector/deodorizer/extra services/etc. but do it as part of the job, not as an add on to a low ball job. When I upsell protector, it is usually just a matter of a recommendation to the customer that this is to their benefit. Same with anything else. I let them know that I do tile and grout cleaning and would they like an estimate. We have a ton of guys who low ball to get in the door and then grind the customer for every last penny.

Exactly!

 

[Willy P]

Golly, I can't for the life of me the exact number, but I seem to remember Mr. Cole operating in the Atlanta area and offering whole house specials (5 rooms, hall, stairs) for $79 or $89???? Berber couldn't be steam cleaned ? Outstanding online reviews.... NOT, but the owner rebuked them with "it was a jealous competitor". Yeah, get your lessons in snail & slug snot marketing.

 

[hogjowl]

Hey Taco.
Can you tell me what the hell Willard just said?

 

[Desk Jockey]

No fookin idea. I think he speaks in Canadian.

 

[Chris A]

Whether you agree with Greg's old business model or not there's a lot of us small guys (including me) that could benefit from some real sales training. Keep us posted, could be something that would benefit my tech and I

 

[Bob Pruitt]

SALES! It’s a dirty work in our industry! UP-SELL! Even dirtier. FREE MONEY? Music to my ears…..

For the right amount of $, I can make you enjoy eating dog shit..

I don't know Mr. Cole but I do know when someone is full of it. These lessons were already learned in the 1970's and 80's. In the age of Social Media these methods will only work on the few. These will be the dirtiest jobs in the worst neighborhoods in your area. Maybe I'm wrong about this guy... but by his posts...I doubt it.
Want to learn sales and how to run your business I would recommend - The 5 Secrets of a Phenomenal Business by Howard Partridge. 5 dollars on Amazon Kindle. He is hugely successful Carpet Cleaning Company in Houston area. This book is written for anyone with a Service business but it all works for us Carpet Cleaners. Emulate the success stories here on this board. Anyway... my 2 cents.

 

[SamIam]

Tom King loved his presentation at Mikeyfest 8

He had good info.

He's out of the carpet cleaning business, running a water restoration company.

But just like charge more, be the best at what you do. know what your talking about

"Mam were gonna zamboni the dirt with the discombobulator to re-energize the carpets natural robust appearance."


Cole will actually have useful info.
The above statement is copyright material
I own " Zamboni the dirt."

 

[FB19087]

Golly, I can't for the life of me the exact number, but I seem to remember Mr. Cole operating in the Atlanta area and offering whole house specials (5 rooms, hall, stairs) for $79 or $89???? Berber couldn't be steam cleaned ? Outstanding online reviews.... NOT, but the owner rebuked them with "it was a jealous competitor". Yeah, get your lessons in snail & slug snot marketing.

http://www.callprocarpet.com/coupons.html


And I hate defending Cole (really ProCarpet...Cole is aliright ) but there is no doubt a lot of his negative reviews were fake......just like most of his positive ones ,

And as I've said before Cole getting a bad review a week was the equivalent of most guys here getting one per year...

which when you think about it is actually amazing....since he wasn't doing the work, subs with varied setups and knowledge were, and people who only cared about their carpet enough to coupon prices were the customers

I think some of you focus too much on the biz model

 

[Desk Jockey]

He is a sharp guy. Knows how to make money.

I don't agree with bait & switch as a vehicle but then if people are foolish enough to believe you can get something for nothing, I guess they have it comin to them. ???

He has a new business now and seems to be doing well with it. I think he can do whatever he wants and can be a success at it.

 

[Cleanworks]

I don't know Cole from an asshole. I have no idea what he has done in the past and really, none of my business. I hate bait and switch with a passion, it really negatively impacts our industry as a whole but having said that, we could benefit from professional sales training. The only way to have a successful company is to be able sell your products and services.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Cole is not a carpet cleaner. He knows how, hell he's owned more machines than most of us. Cole is a businessman he knows how to make money.

As long as its not B &S, I'd at least give him the time of day and listen to him. He is a sharp guy.

 

[Willy P]

. He is a sharp guy.

So you're calling him a prick?

 

[Desk Jockey]

Yeah he is that but a nice one.

Seriously he is a nice guy but he is focused. He has a plan and knows how to achieve it.

 

[Bob Pruitt]

Cole is a businessman he knows how to make money.

I think some of you focus too much on the biz model

http://www.yelp.com/not_recommended_reviews/pro-carpet-marietta?not_recommended_start=0
Current reviews...the ones not hidden aren't any different.
Good business man who knows how to make money? I know plenty of good business men and their goal is to solve a problem and by doing that they are rewarded. Yes you can make money by ripping people off and getting a hundred hack carpet cleaners with portable carpet cleaning machines in their car trunks, but this isn't a business model I care to learn about. All the honest guys out there doing good work and keeping their reputations are the people to learn from.

 

[FB19087]

but this isn't a business model I care to learn about.

nor is it the only one he is involved with...but you just keep reading the orange man's books

kind of joking...I like HP too....but......

 

[Bob Pruitt]

but you just keep reading the orange man's books

I can see you are a friend of his so I'm sorry if my posts offend you. Guess Orange man is a shot at Partridge? I have read his book and many others. I wouldn't have recommended it if I hadn't read it. I don't know him or you for that matter but I have been in business...not just Carpet Cleaning for over 40 years so I guess my opinion is as valid as yours.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Unfortunately I see too many cleaners that get mired deep in the thick of thin things.

Being a good cleaner shouldn't be a goal, it should be your ticket to the game. You shouldn't rely on good work to be the vehicle to build your business.

Times have changed. How todays client makes purchases has changed too. If you are not a good businessman then you need to work on that area.

Being good is no longer good enough. You have to be a good marketer too.