Getting commercial work

[renegade_cowboy]

What is your approach to getting commercial work.

Do you mail a letter out first and then call or just go in there unannounced? When you do get there and talk with the manager whats your line? Hi my name is Brent with Go Green, we would like to offer you a free estimate on your carpet or upholstery. ??

I have little to no experience in this part of the business, so any advise or suggestion on how you do it would greatly be appreciated. I gotta focus on commercial to get through the winter. I want to focus on daycares, retirment homes and other business that could benefit from my services.

Thanks
Brent

 

[Desk Jockey]

Try calling first to see who is in charge. Once you have the name, direct your communications to them.

Send a letter, let them know you will be stopping by in the next few days.

Stop by, ask for him or her by name.

If he is not in, leave your marketing material, and call later. Ask for a meeting to see how you can help them.

If they will allow you, do a demo, demo's sell better than words.

Be consistent, you may not get an immediate response but you could be hitting them at the wrong time in the cycle.

Don't get down, just keep swinging, you'll hit one out.

 

[juniorc82]

I own a newer business and have about a 50/50 split between residential and commercial. the best way to get commercial that i have found so far is to simple Y just walk in (looking presentable of coarse) and introduce yourself, tell them you were in the area and give them a card if they ever need any help or have any questions. this will feel akward at first however keep in mind your card will sit in a desk drawer for several months possbly until they need what service you provide. finnaly when they need the service you do guess what! your the first one they call because they already have your card and can bipass the whole phone book process. I GET FLOW OF COMMERCIAL BUSINESS THIS WAY WITH NO PRESANCE IN ANY MAJOR PHONE BOOK. Just remeber all the cards you hand out are like seeds so they might have some incubation time. Hand out as many cards as possible I would bet my savings account you will convert between 5 and 8% in the long run and with such little expense involved this method cant be beat

 

[clean one]

Rick G @ excellent supply has a program CMS, i haven't used it but the people that have it seem to like it.

He also has some good info on his site for getting comm work. www.excellentsupply.com

 

[Farenheit251]

I used to do daycares but there is better work. Didn't like working evenings and always driving there in rush hour traffic. They will want you to start early while parents trip over your hoses. Then if any of the kids gets a rash or respiratiry problem the following week you are to blame. Now I only do my kids daycare and they give me a key.

 

[encapman]

I typically like to target larger "choice accounts". To start the "selling process" I will usually contact them by telephone first. I introduce myself and ask to speak to the person that handles carpet cleaning. The gatekeeper will most likely roadblock you (expect that). That's OK. All I really need is the decision makers name at this point.

Then ask the gatekeeper if you can send them something in the mail. The gatekeeper will generally say yeah sure. Now ask the million dollar question --- "Who should I make that attention to?" Most of the time, the gatekeeper will give you the person's name who is responsible for deciding on carpet care. COOL! You now have the decision makers name.

Send the decision maker an introductory marketing letter along with a flier (these are included in the CMS program that Ades mentioned above). The sales letter is simply used as a door opener to give you a way to follow up, by phone or in person. You're now able to follow up by calling on the decision maker, since you know who that person is and since you have made contact with that person by mail. When you call, you can now tell the gatekeeper that you need to speak with Mr Smith because you sent him some information about carpet cleaning. The gatekeeper assumes that you and Mr Smith are already working together on the carpet cleaning since you asked for him by name and since you already sent him information about carpet cleaning. Sneaky, sneaky.

Once you get the decision maker on the phone, set up a time that you can demonstrate how your company can fix their problems. Focus on problem solving: such as fixing recurring spill stains, lowering their maintenance costs, improving their carpet's day-in day-out appearance, keeping the carpet clean longer between cleanings, fast drying so the carpets go back in service more quickly, your professional service approach to dealing with any problem that comes up, etc.

Dress appropriately. I wear Dockers, and a white oxford dress shirt with my logo embroidered above the pocket. I may also wear a tie, depending on the type of customer I'm pursuing. Ask to speak with the person that's responsible for the carpet cleaning. This may require making a few return visits. BE PERSISTENT, the effort pays off.

Once you get in front of the decision maker, take about 10 minutes to show them your Presentation Binder (a PowerPoint presentation is also included in the CMS program). The presentation should get them excited about your service. Using a sharp looking presentation sets you apart from all the other carpet cleaners in your town. In fact this places you light years ahead of the competition.

Measure the account and work up your pricing. Perform a carpet inspection (use the Carpet Inspection form in the CMS program). Help them see areas where their carpet maintenance can be improved. Become their commercial carpet ally.

Do a demo. If possible, during your demo clean half of a spill stain using the Releasit Spill Stain Treatment technique... http://www.cmmonline.com/article.asp?IndexID=6635489 By cleaning half of a stain, they'll be able to see that the side you treated didn't come back. Guarantee they'll call you back.

Mail, E-Mail or Fax them a Proposal and a Contract. (You can select the appropriate proposal and contract from the CMS program).

Follow up with a phone call.

And then continue to follow up afterward. They may not be ready to make a carpet cleaning move at this particular point in time. So you may need to revisit them a few times. Continue to send fliers and postcards to keep them aware of your company (you guessed it - this material is in the CMS program too). The main thing though is to hang in there though, because your future prosperity hangs on getting the account. Successful marketing REQUIRES a measure of commitment. Be willing to devote a designated portion of your weekly schedule to doing marketing work.

I hope these few suggestions will help you. These techniques have worked for me. If you'll put these pieces in place, you will be successful. How do I know that? Because this approach to marketing WORKS flawlessly for me, and I'm not any more special than anybody else. It can work for you too.


P.S. Here's a link to the CMS program. There is a ton of useful material for obtaining commercial accounts in this package...
http://www.excellent-supply.com/store/p ... product=83


.

 

[Steve Toburen]

Hey Brent,

First, congratulations on seeing the value of regular, CONTRACT commercial work. Ricky G knows his stuff. If you do half of what Rick states above CONSISTENTLY you will be swimming in commercial. The danger? Two things:

1. You half-heartedly stop by two or three places, get rejected, become depressed and head off for a cheeseburger and a pitcher of beer. (Sounds good, actually.)

2. You actually stay with your PROGRAM and lo and behold, you get busy so then you stop. Another big mistake. The comment was made above about the need for a "flow" of commercial work.

Rick as usual was dead on. However, Chavez cut to the chase: "Don't get down, just keep swinging, you'll hit one out."

Steve Toburen
Director of Training
Jon-Don's Strategies for Success

PS Just a few more reminders, Brent:

1. Never just give a quote for a "one time cleaning". Always include at least two other options for regular maintenance contract cleanings.

2. Always ASSUME you will be given a key. How to get it? See #3 below.

3. I have lot's more tips on getting commercial work in my imaginatively titled Special Report: "How to Sell Commercial Work". It is not as complete as rick's package but on the other hand it is free. So what can you expect? Sheesh! Anyway, if you want a free copy just e-mail me at stoburen@homefrontsuccess.com and include the word "Commercial" in the subject line. If you want the free 30 minute companion DVD you'll need to include your mailing address. No charge for either the Report or the DVD but I would appreciate your comments and ideas for improvements.

4. One more reminder- IF you get a commercial route going get it up to Critical Mass ASAP so that you can hire a separate crew. I personally found it emotionally debilitating to be pushing a scrub wand till 4 AM and then try to actively manage my growing company the following day.

 

[XTREME1]

if you start to follow a good program make sure you also have an expansion plan. You may get in the door with a few big property management companies and then they decide they like you and you have more work than you can handle(if your lucky & good).
Make sure your credit is good, you have a good cash flow & reserves and all you paperwork is up to date. Also, the job is not finished until the invoices are paid.


PS
I love daycares. I do 1-2 a weekend at about 5:30-6 am. The Property Management company moves everything and vacuums, I prespray, prescrub, and extract and out the door in 2 hours 250 beans each plus mileage

 

[Larry B]

I used to do daycares but there is better work. Didn't like working evenings and always driving there in rush hour traffic. They will want you to start early while parents trip over your hoses. Then if any of the kids gets a rash or respiratiry problem the following week you are to blame. Now I only do my kids daycare and they give me a key.

Daycares are always a pain. Stains all over the place and they like to call 2 or 3 days after you clean and say you missed this and that knowing it wasnt their when you got done cleaning.

There is better customers to go after than daycares.