Letter to Property Managers

[Ron Werner]

Hi guys. I'm writing a letter to prop mgrs to introduce myself as a cleaner that can fix their cleaning problems, to get into the more valuable houses that they are managing. I want to come across as different from the move-out cleaners, to be the one they call when a moveout cleaner just won't do.
Here's what I've written as a first draft.



Dear ?
My name is Ron Werner and I am the owner/operator of Happy Carpet Cleaners. I am writing to offer my services for those times when you really need someone you can count on. In the past 18yrs I’ve seen a lot of properties. I understand that when tenants move out they are not so much interested in having a professional really clean the carpet as they are in providing a receipt from a “professional” company so they can get their damage deposit back. In most cases these moveout cleaners do an adequate job and it is adequate for the next tenant moving in. However, there are times when the carpet really needs to be restored, as well as more valuable properties where its more important to have the carpets and tile cleaned more thoroughly, to be more inviting to an upper scale tenant as well as extending the longevity of the flooring investment.

I am more expensive but I am very good at what I do. This is what I’ve been hearing is how others describe my service. I provide a very deep cleaning by first thoroughly dry vacuuming myself, one, so that my clients don’t have to, and two, so that I know I’ve removed as much dry particulate as possible. Then I can begin the steam cleaning process. My philosophy of cleaning is that if I remove the soil, it will “look” clean. This process usually takes me twice as long or longer than most other cleaners providing results you “know” are better.

So I am not the service for all your cleaning needs but more for those times when you really need to know its clean. I invite you to watch my videos and read over the information on my website, http://www.gethappy.ca . I provide free consultations and quotes so feel free to call on me when you need.



Sincerely

Ron Werner
Owner

 

[Nate The Great]

Looks pretty good Ron.

However, most property managers I ran into just wanted it cleaned and could care less as long as they had an invoice saying it was cleaned. We have afew property managers who deal with vacation rentals. Almost everytime someone moves out, they call us to clean it. 1week up to 1 year.

This type of clientele don't care what the cost is, the renter knows it has to be cleaned upon vacating it. There paying anywhere from $1,000 a week to $20,000 a month just to rent a place. It's hard for a guy like me to fathom how 2 people can spend a quarter of a million dollars for 1 years rent.


Once you win over there trust and/or know that you'll fix what's wrong, it's a piece of cake. Just some insight from a different perspective.

 

[KevinD]

As a property owner and manager I tossed your letter in the trash by time I got to the 2nd. paragraph along with all the others I have received.

I can get any cleaner to clean my carpets but what I need is problem solving like pet odor removal. red dye removal, spot dyeing, repair work, restretching, quick turn arounds, possibly emergency service. Do you offer any of these?

Get my drift. Give me a reason to hang on to your card or letter.

 

[Dolly Llama]

what's a "move out" cleaner??

and it looks like your USP is that you vac really good first, take twice as long and are twice as much

other than that, it pretty much looks like what every other BD (with any sense) says
ie..dependable, quality focused, protect your investment , yada yada yada


you plan on targeting the mailer, or taking a "shotgun" approach?
cause I'm not a sure a shotgun approach is the best use of your resources with that letter.
maybe apt managers are different up there, but down here, most are CHEAP and even the good ones by and large really only care about a few simple things...namely, that the carpets "look" great at an "affordable" price.
That means getting red and/or difficult stains out and restoration cleaning

vaccing is cool, but stress reliability, red and complex stain removal and restoration/salvage

cause very, very few of 'em GAS about an obsessive compulsive CC'r ...UNLESS.. you're also competitively priced



..L.T.A.

 

[Chris A]

vaccing is cool, but stress reliability, red and complex stain removal and restoration/salvage

cause very, very few of 'em GAS about an obsessive compulsive CC'r ...UNLESS.. you're also competitively priced



..L.T.A.

cuz at the end of the day, it just doesn't look that different...

 

[Ron Werner]

the target is the mgr of those houses where its more important to have it cleaned.
If they've been a pm for any length of time, they know what a moveout cleaner is, or should I spell it out as those $100 house special guys that are in and out in 1hr?

Where I got thinking of this is I've been called in to some houses in the area that are nice homes, and the pm wanted it "cleaned", not just looking clean.

cuz at the end of the day, it just doesn't look that different...

This is true, but pm's arent stupid, they know if the cleaner was in there for an hour, it isn't as clean as it could be. They know they are getting what they pay for.

I'm not looking for apt cleaning, but higher end condo's, houses. I would maybe get a dozen calls a year.
And yes, the problem issues, odour control, red dye removal, etc, I'll have to promote that as well. Have to work on the dye removal. Repairs, I refer them to a installer that has more experience and expertise.

 

[ACE]

,

That piranha marketing crap isn’t going to cut it with the property managers. This letter will makes sure they never call. You definitely lost them at “more expensive.” Kevin is right, If you really want to work for them learn how to repair, dye restretch or otherwise do something the next guy doesn’t other than vacuum.

 

[Dolly Llama]

the target is the mgr of those houses where its more important to have it cleaned.
If they've been a pm for any length of time, they know what a moveout cleaner is, or should I spell it out as those $100 house special guys that are in and out in 1hr?

they don't care how long it takes..they care what it "looks" like the next day when they show it

but as long as you know you're targeting a VERY select group and tiny segment of the PM companies , go for it and g'luck


..L.T.A.

 

[lonewolf]

Ron,
Here is a letter that I'm currently working on. Some of the things are in bold. Not sure they come up here. Hope it helps


Dear Business Owner or Manager,

I would like to introduce you to my company and offer our services to you. CFC is Philadelphia and surrounding areas premier floor care company. We are a full service company specializing in carpet cleaning, carpet dyeing, carpet repairs and carpet installation. We also offer tile and grout cleaning and sealing. No need to call multiple companies and wait, when you can call one. “Single Contractor Simplicity”.

When I founded CFC 25 years ago, it was on the philosophy that superior service and superior quality must be the cornerstones that the business would be built on. All work is fully guaranteed and we do not accept payment unless you are satisfied. We arrive at the time you specify and complete all work in a professional and timely manner. We place an emphasis on not interrupting your business routine.

We guarantee that no other floor service in our area can produce results close to ours. We have the highest level of training in our industry coupled with the most technologically advanced equipment available today. It is my belief that neither is effective without the other.

I would like to ask you to consider us for your carpet, upholstery, tile and flooring needs. I have over 30 years in the flooring and maintenance industry. I’m sure I can be of help to you.

I have enclosed a few of my cards for you. If you currently have a flooring company, please keep cards for future use. We are a 24 hr emergency service for floods, leaks, broken pipes, last minute move-ins etc. Thank you for considering us for all of your flooring needs. I am looking forward to talking with you soon.

Sincerely,


Jo Lucas
CFC

 

[Hoody]

As a property owner and manager I tossed your letter in the trash by time I got to the 2nd. paragraph along with all the others I have received.

I can get any cleaner to clean my carpets but what I need is problem solving like pet odor removal. red dye removal, spot dyeing, repair work, restretching, quick turn arounds, possibly emergency service. Do you offer any of these?

Get my drift. Give me a reason to hang on to your card or letter.

Right on the money.

 

[DevilThomas]

Ron ...all of my business is Property Managers. Larry is right...what property managers "care" about is how the property "shows". It really is all about the money. The property Manager has a set amount of money to work with when turning over the property....typically if the property rents for $1000 per month...the management company has $1000 for the turnover to work with. Out of that amount...he has to pay for cleaning, carpet cleaning, painting, yard care, pest control, and maintenance and repair....the last thing a PM wants to do is go over the amount available...because he then has to ask the "owner" for the difference....any money left over must be returned to the previous tenent....and believe me.... the previous tenent wants back as much of the deposit as he can get...and will throw a fit if he thinks that too much was spent...to the point of sueing the PM for the return of more of the deposit...the PM must be able to justify...within the market...that the amount spent represented a normal, and even better, a below normal market amount.

You will need to find out how much per Sqft they are paying their Carpet Cleaners...and if you can do a better job for the same money ...you can get their business. PM's are a reliable and steady source of income.

 

[Mikey P]

and believe me.... the previous tenent wants back as much of the deposit as he can get...and will throw a fit if he thinks that too much was spent...to the point of sueing the PM for the return of more of the deposit...the PM must be able to justify...within the market...that the amount spent represented a normal, and even better, a below normal market amount.

I've caused a few PMs to get sued..

 

[bensurdi]

I landed a Property Management company a few months back.. It's actually extremely profitable. They send us the work order with the words " not to exceed $500 " written on it. Every cleaning we do I always get a call telling me that we do great work.

What to do:

( I was going to write a step by step, but I do have companies in my area that are on mikeys board, so if you are interested in learning how I landed multiple property managers that are paying us $500 per house, shoot me an email.

Ben

 

[Spurling]

maybe there should be a letter to the owner of the property who actually pays for new carpet .. show him how you will make his investment last .. I always thought the tennant paid for the cleaning anyway .. so if the tennant is responsible for the cleaning, the property manager should be responsible for finding a quality cleaner at a higher price knowing it will be best for preserving the initial investment ..

I did a complex 3bed apt years ago for $120 and found out the tennant was charged $165 .. so they lowball the cleaners to make a small profit and end up getting someone who may race through using more detergent to help them fly causing problems later .. which they may not see .. then judge the next tennant for being too dirty .. when actually the extra soap residue created the extra soil attraction .. blah blah blah and so on

 

[Dolly Llama]

maybe there should be a letter to the owner of the property who actually pays for new carpet .. show him how you will make his investment last .

'cept if he has any brains, he'll know it has little to do with the cleaning and everything to do with how the tenant takes care of it LONG after the cleaning.
a bad tenant can ruin a carpet 6 months
a good tenant and the carpet will last years and years

we're not talking res or com scenarios, we're talking rental properties ...it's a whole 'nother world

nothing wrong with putting all that jargon in there I s'pose, but there's only a handful of things the Prop mnger cares about


..L.T.A.

 

[renegade_cowboy]

I was going to write a step by step, but I do have companies in my area that are on mikeys board, so if you are interested in learning how I landed multiple property managers that are paying us $500 per house, shoot me an email.

Good for you, finally giving back a little, sort of... Ivebeensold

You have a few seconds to catch the attention of the person reading your letter. You may want to make it easier to read and break some of the info into bullet points and highlighted areas. So they can scan it and still get the info they need.

 

[Spurling]

Yeah tennants can be brutal .. but if the carpet cleaner is jacking the detergent knob up so he can fly, all that residue is gonna attract alot of dirt .. and as that extra dirt is being walked on/ground in, its gonna cause premature wear .. maybe its too fine of a line to worry about .. all the cheap carpet cleanings, money saved will cover new carpet ..

 

[Ron Werner]

well, the typical move out conversation goes like this:
How much do you charge for ....
Why, are you moving out?
Yes.
Are you looking for best price?
Yes
Call these guys.

Now I've got some pm's that hire me ONLY, and they pay 55cents/sf because they know it get it done and they can trust it. I dont want to get a lot of pm's because I can't clean that many in one day and month end can get nuts. Mostly my month end work is emergency calls:
Hi, my cleaner was supposed to come today and he didn't, either just didn't, or truck "broke down", or whatever.
or ,
Hi, my tenant was supposed to clean the carpets and didn't. New tenants are moving in tomorrow, can you come today?!!

I don't want to be "part of the crowd" of month end cleaners.

 

[steve r]

nothing beats a face to face.i would just go find them and introduce myself and tell them what i wanted to say.ask them to let you clean their worst carpet at a discount if you cant get it as clean as you say and as clean as they want it.

 

[GeneMiller]

What Steve said, offer to take them to lunch so they can meet you. I have a lot of house sitters that use me and that was how I won their trust.


Gene

 

[Hoody]

Ron,

I would go after condo associations with that approach, as well as some vacation home property managers. They can even use your thorough process as marketing.

At one time I worked with vacation home property managers. We would clean the air ducts, carpets, tile, upholstery, mattresses for these people. They would have us clean regularly, and purchase our services often. They also used that as a marketing ploy. They highlighted about clean indoor air quality, removal of bacteria and allergens. We had specific locations where we would use anti-allergen products to provide a safer environment for those that suffer from those ailements. They would of course charge more to have these rooms/homes availiable, but then again we were charging more as well.

PS. I also used this tactic with real estate agents that I personally developed relationships with. It was another question they could ask a buyer at closing, if they had any allergies or would like a company to come in and clean for them. For one it showed the agent cared enough to ask, and two they were providing an answer to a potential problem taking it out of the hands of the buyer. They would set it up with access to a key, and we would provide a great service and make the buying EXPERIENCE just that much better. It was was win/win/win for everyone involved.

 

[bonesheal]

Are you guys all talking about residential rentals? I looked into apartments but couldn't figure out how someone could make money at $60/unit, which was the number PMs wanted.

 

[Ron Werner]

Hi Dan, no, not apartments, maybe higher end condos that are rented however.
Vacation rentals, house rentals, etc where it is more important to have a good cleaning.

The other challenge with this is finding the right property manager to work with as well. Just like renters, some pm's are cheap, others are frugal, ie willing to pay more for a better service.

 

[GeneMiller]

Ron, Like anything it's a numbers game. The more you talk to the better you chances of finding someone who sees the value in your service. I cleaned for a rental for years until the kids took over and went cheap.


Gene

 

[lust1kiddo]

i wouldn't tell them how expensive you are that bluntly..maybe use the vocab of looking clean and smelling fresh.

 

[Dolly Llama]

Are you guys all talking about residential rentals? I looked into apartments but couldn't figure out how someone could make money at $60/unit, which was the number PMs wanted.

they're not all like that, Dan.
the majority it would seem, but many will pay fair prices .
probably won't find many at .55 cent-o-sq, but there's plenty that will pay .15 to .25
and any good cleaner that's efficient and uses quality chems and equipment can easily gross $100+ an hour at those price points
Unless they take 3 hours to vac 1000sf and roto scrub unnecessarily

two crew can gross a buck fiddy or better at those prices and still vac 'n rotoscrub too




..L.T.A,

 

[BLewis]

HI, Ben Surdi,

I sent you a PM, did you get it?

 

[bonesheal]

they're not all like that, Dan.
the majority it would seem, but many will pay fair prices .
probably won't find many at .55 cent-o-sq, but there's plenty that will pay .15 to .25
and any good cleaner that's efficient and uses quality chems and equipment can easily gross $100+ an hour at those price points
Unless they take 3 hours to vac 1000sf and roto scrub unnecessarily

two crew can gross a buck fiddy or better at those prices and still vac 'n rotoscrub too

I can live with that. How do you guys know whom to call? Do you get a list of PMs, or do you just drive around going into rental offices?

 

[Dolly Llama]

How do you guys know whom to call? Do you get a list of PMs, or do you just drive around going into rental offices?[/quote]

in the early years I introduced myself face to face.
but I was also a starving carpet cleaner that was willing to do the $40-$60 an apt game.
I was doing better work than most of the apt hacks though

as time passed and biz grew, i could "afford" to be $marter wi$er and started raising prices.
I fired some accounts and was fired from others.
The good ones stayed loyal and the ones we've got in the last 10-15 years are generally thru referral or chance/random meeting

I'll take all the empties we can get at .18 a square
I just haven't been aggressive/motivated to go look for them

..L.T.A.

 

[DevilThomas]

they're not all like that, Dan.
the majority it would seem, but many will pay fair prices .
probably won't find many at .55 cent-o-sq, but there's plenty that will pay .15 to .25
and any good cleaner that's efficient and uses quality chems and equipment can easily gross $100+ an hour at those price points
Unless they take 3 hours to vac 1000sf and roto scrub unnecessarily

two crew can gross a buck fiddy or better at those prices and still vac 'n rotoscrub too

I can live with that. How do you guys know whom to call? Do you get a list of PMs, or do you just drive around going into rental offices?

Well thats the big question isn't it...how to get the account.?

Here is the problem...all PM companies already have a Carpet Cleaner/s.

Getting them to give you a chance is the hard part...

If you work in a college town ...in June, July, August, and September there are mass move-outs and move-ins...at this time you might get a PM company to give you some time sensitive overflow...and thus get a chance to show what you can do. If you don't live in a college town...check with the PM company the week before the 1st of the month...don't offer to do it for less...that is not the road you want to go down...but suggest you might give them a better product for the same money....

In my case I already did the turnover cleaning and maintenance/repair for the PM company and they just handed me all their carpet cleaning once I proved that I did a better job for the same .18 sqft.

The truth was... that a good reliable turnover cleaning/repair company was more valuable to the PM's than the dime a dozen Carpet Cleaners out there. When I added Carpet Cleaning they literally jumped to give me the CC business in order to keep me happy and reliable and to give themselves better carpets and one stop shopping for all their cleaning/maintenance needs.

So if you want PM's to "give" you the carpets... you really need to fill as many of their other needs as you can...maintenance, cleaning, painting, etc...

One good sized PM company can book you solid 15 days of the month or more...at .18 a sqft you won't get instant rich...but you won't miss any meals or equipment payments either... :wink: