Groupon...One of my competitors

[smastio]

Much success... Brian, I really would like to speak with you at some point. I have tools which you would find great value.... But ITMT, I'm off to Tucson for few days to work with a client.

 

[Brian R]

Steve, I checked out your site and started to watch the vid but time fell short.

Something tells me I won't have much time with Groupon and everything else going on.

All I know is it's a Godsend that my Sacramento area will be taken over on the 1st.

Sometimes things just fall into place.

Before the hit date I will try to let everyone in on my plan of attack

It involves Full Circle, Service Monster, Carpet Cleaners in the area and a huge amount of hits to my website.


Who wants to buy ad space on my website?? lol

 

[Jack May]

I suspect your entheuseum (sp?) comes from not having to personally cost you blood sweat and tears Brian.

I'm not saying it's wrong, and agree sometimes you need to change what you think and embrace new ideas/technology... I just know it's not suited to my business structure nor my clientelle. Therefore I'd loose money over it.

Someone above posted a potential client retainment rate that was pretty low. Was it in single digits? Doesn't matter, but as an example, my retainment rate is up at the other end of the scale.

As Lee and others have said, this type of advertising is destructive to business because it toally levels the feild and forces all things to be solely focused on price. Again, not my MO of business. IF you were retaining more clients, it might work, but you're not. The numbers are too small. Therefore, you have to factor the 'cost' of the 75% into the cost of teh few retained clients and all of a sudden, you're paying through the nose per client.

Just my thoughts. Not necessarily right or wrong, just the way I look at things.

John

 

[XTREME1]

what does voting have to do with it

 

[LisaWagnerCRS]

Lol@ Lisa
People with money got that way from spending their money wisely...a good discount to start establishes trust or good faith...not the defensiveness you're talking about.

(Chips come free with the guacamole by the way)

My marketing experience is from the real world. I've read and taken classes of course but it all comes back to what is reality and what is theory.
Your marketing strategies work for some and they are a little old school for todays audience but your still making money from it so good luck with that.

Sometimes changes need to be made with the times.

Your take on Groupon goes against what you think is good marketing so of course you will dismiss it before it becomes something bigger than you want....whether it's good for the industry or not right?

Your condescending post toward me is laughable and I take no insult all things considered. Your personality level and creativeness leaves something to be desired and that's 90% of marketing right there.

Maybe you should read a few books on how NOT to put someone to sleep while recording a message.

The Groupon deal is as good as you make it. You offer the customer something to prove yourself to them. If you're not sure of yourself or your company then don't do it.

Marketing doesn't stop at the biggening of the job.

You completely miss the point of the marketing psychology - "how" you are bringing them in the funnel. It does not matter if it's groupon or any other media - that's all it is, media. It's a delivery vehicle. So it's not old school or new school. This is what is frustrating me about this conversation because even though I'm a very clear communicator - you just don't "get" it.

Here's my beef with you Brian. You are a moderator here, and you are advising people to take action that is so similar to bait-n-switch that the ones who have high ethics and would never pressure sell to make it work will lose their asses if they do what you do. You are giving bad advice.

And then you talk about how "up to date" you are with all your self-taught whatever the hell it is you read or training you find for free somewhere... because I know you're not paying for anything.

And that blog post was one of the worst written pieces I've read in a long time. You need to find someone who can proof/edit for you - or slowly read it out loud and make it better. If you guys are working to make the board and blog a hub for the industry, there can be at least a little effort into making it more professional - or at least understandable. You can't just toss yours "subs" at it to make $20 like you are your cleaning jobs.

This entire "make more money" section is slowly becoming your own ideas that are going to do the opposite for anyone who follows your advice.

Lisa

 

[Brian R]

You completely miss the point of the marketing psychology - "how" you are bringing them in the funnel. It does not matter if it's groupon or any other media - that's all it is, media. It's a delivery vehicle. So it's not old school or new school. This is what is frustrating me about this conversation because even though I'm a very clear communicator - you just don't "get" it.

Here's my beef with you Brian. You are a moderator here, and you are advising people to take action that is so similar to bait-n-switch that the ones who have high ethics and would never pressure sell to make it work will lose their asses if they do what you do. You are giving bad advice.

And then you talk about how "up to date" you are with all your self-taught whatever the hell it is you read or training you find for free somewhere... because I know you're not paying for anything.

And that blog post was one of the worst written pieces I've read in a long time. You need to find someone who can proof/edit for you - or slowly read it out loud and make it better. If you guys are working to make the board and blog a hub for the industry, there can be at least a little effort into making it more professional - or at least understandable. You can't just toss yours "subs" at it to make $20 like you are your cleaning jobs.

This entire "make more money" section is slowly becoming your own ideas that are going to do the opposite for anyone who follows your advice.

Lisa

Come on Lisa, have you read my other posts? I never pressured any customers in my last Groupon campaign. I even suggested against that in my blog post.....and other posts.

You communicate well but you're not a very good listener (reader)...or you just don't do your homework. Being a moderator of room doesn't make me an expert in that subject. I'm learning just like everyone else. But I will share what I know works and what doesn't as well.
And I don't even package it up tightly to slowly sell at a high price either. Sometimes you get more than you pay for.

I was going to get on here and really tear into you and the way you do things but I won't...this is the MMM room and I'm trying my best to stay away from that.

I welcome all ideas and make my own decisions from them. This room isn't all about me, I just participate more than most.
I wanted you to be a part of it as well. I think you have some good stuff.

Final note, I don't work on bait n switch...I work on the law of averages.
If you offer your services to everyone, you will upsell a good % of them. not with "high pressure" just with a friendly suggestion.

Do you teach your students to NOT offer more services to their customers?

 

[Brian R]

And for the record, I think that was a very good blog post I wrote. My grammer may not be the best but that's not where I put my efforts.

The idea of the blog post is to not just run into a home and do a quick job and leave.

I guess you don't agree with that?

 

[Lee Stockwell]

Brian Brian....

March is shaping up to be a VERY educational month for you, on two fronts. I've already imagined what your excuse will be when the smoke clears.

Don't ever say Lisa didn't try to warn you.

Thanks,
Lee

 

[Brian R]

Live and learn...that's what we're here for. !gotcha!

 

[Brian R]

He's up to 470 sold with 17 hours left.....not sure why the ran it so long.

Started on the weekend I guess?

 

[LisaWagnerCRS]

Again... I just don't want any struggling cleaners reading this thread on the "next new thing" that's a derivative of the same old lowest price $9.95 a room offer trap and lose their ass in the process.

Not everyone has the resources to take a big hit of loss leaders in a business where they may be 100% of the labor.

The only way I can do that is by highlighting how some of us, who have been in business long enough to have seen trends come and go - and what I've experienced with more than a thousand companies in 11 years directly through our network - and say to not take this as Gospel.

25-30% of companies in this industry go out of business annually. We have a high attrition rate. That's from not doing the business work needed to get a foundation in place, and from chasing after "miracle" ideas.

If you have the resources, patience, and perseverance to chase after these leads long enough to convert them into future sales - good for you. Most of us have better things to do with our time, and for a smaller business - there are so many better ways to make money on the first job, and not wait until the 2nd or 3rd time they see the client.

Lisa

 

[Brian R]

The Groupon is not for everyone....that's a given...I think.

But the money CAN be made from the 1st job...not the 2nd and 3rd time around...although the 2nd and 3rd time should be more money of course.

The deal is something but you have to offer something else.

Lisa, I find it hard to believe that you would suggest someone go into a home and only do the minimum charge without offering the other services.

Not sure why this is so hard for you to grasp. You're smarter than this.

 

[LisaWagnerCRS]

The Groupon is not for everyone....that's a given...I think.

But the money CAN be made from the 1st job...not the 2nd and 3rd time around...although the 2nd and 3rd time should be more money of course.

The deal is something but you have to offer something else.

Lisa, I find it hard to believe that you would suggest someone go into a home and only do the minimum charge without offering the other services.

Not sure why this is so hard for you to grasp. You're smarter than this.

Brian, if you pop over to www.cleanwiki.com you will find a simple strategy for selling more services in advance without the pressure selling. You might apply this so your "subs" have a better chance of making some money to feed their families with the offer you are running.

Seriously, it would help make it hopefully breakeven.

Lisa

 

[Brian R]

Oh stop.
My Full Circle girls get the ball rolling with our other services before my guys ever get there.

By doing this...we can make sure we have enough time to do the job and then some.
At the very least it gets the customer thinking about it.

You should take the SFS course ....take it again if you've already taken it.


One thing I try really hard not to do is overbook a day....that just causes problems for everyone.

These guys make more money on less jobs and can afford to put some money in the bank.

Didn't you read my blog post??

 

[ACE]

Hey Brian,

Just wondering, are your “Mini Franchises” in full compliance with the Federal Trade Commission?

 

[Brian R]

Who?

 

[ACE]

Who?

That’s what I thought.

 

[XTREME1]

if Brian is curious I am more than happy to present his model to my brother nalw who was the lead atty on ntellectual crimes buty is now with the DOD on Iraq contract issues. Brian send me a copy of your agreement and I will ask if it id ==s legal. I cab say if you didn't have a discolsure filed wiht you state atty general it is illegal

 

[Ken Snow]

Greg is drinking again :mrgreen:

 

[Royal Man]

Greg is drinking again :mrgreen:

He sounded sober when I spoke to him earlier.

Then again it could be happy hour somewhere.

 

[Lee Stockwell]

It's always happy hour somewhere...

 

[Bee Busy]

hey Brian....this guy doing the groupon thing out here was looking at buying one of my best friend's truckmount off him and was bragging about all the work he's getting from it...my friend called me up asking more about it...seems like the guy only mentioned the positives and not the negatives with groupon LOL....anyways last week I saw the guy driving up to EDH hauling ass on the freeway....probably to clean one of the McMansions in Serrano for $49....ha....ha...

 

[Brian R]

Bill, you know Tony don't you? I've only spoken to him over the phone but I used to see him around town in his van.

I hope the guy makes more than that going to EDH. And he only gets half of that $49.00 by the way. Hardly enough to cover the gas from Lincoln. lol

Almost 600 jobs....I would have taken that....he has a better chance to upsell with a 3 room deal but he's taking a chance at getting in the door at a lower price.

I'll have to call him and see how it's working out.

 

[Bee Busy]

I may have met him at CCCS...doing anything in EDH for $49....er....I mean $24.50 is nuts...I know it's all about upselling which becomes a pain in the ass when he probably has several more jobs in the day...it's gonna be a headache calling people to let them know he's running late or rescheduling their jobs.

I'm hella slow right now and I still wouldn't resort to advertising with groupon or easy living...it's also driving down the cost of carpet cleaning for everyone in the area...a lotta people see this on the internet and probably think these are standard prices...

 

[Brian R]

With Sqft limitations he should make a killing in EDH.

I just did Groupon...only sold 85 and so far so good with upsells.

One day, great deal....they think they got the screamin deal but really it all works out in the end.