Qualifying Cold Business Prospects

[KleanerDude]

I would like to know more about qualifying questions I can present to a cold business prospect, i.e., restaurant owners and managers.

One of the first things I do now is to let the person know that answers the phone, generally a waitress, that "I am John, calling from Apex Carpet, Tile, Concrete Flooring and Upholstery Cleaning Services and I am calling to speak with your manager or owner". Sometimes, but rarely, the worker will ask "what it is I want, specifically"?

I just answer that "I am calling to talk with the manager or owner about cleaning the place". The worker, 99% of the time, just says, "Can you hold on a minute" I say "sure" and wait.
All of this time I am speaking in a very casual and courteous manner. Works every time
- no such thing as gatekeepers to me, at least with restaurants I've been calling.

To continue, after the manager or owner gets on the phone, I go on to say, "Hi, are you the manager" - and they say "yes". "Well, my name is John and I'm calling you on behalf of Apex Carpet, Tile, Concrete Flooring and Upholstery Cleaning Services. We can also clean your booth upholstery and bathrooms".

"We're a 20 year established family-owned cleaning service located fairly close to your business and I' d like to come by and give you a complimentary estimate to clean your floors".

Starting to qualify!

"What kind of flooring surfaces do you have?" By this time, they have either provided this info or said no. If they say yes, I go on to ask them "if they have an idea of the square footage of the surface area they want cleaned"?

Most of the time, most people, even owners, have no clue as to square footage, so I will ask them for seating capacity or if the area is small, medium or large in size. That gives me a better idea as to whether they even qualify to have us come out. We need a minimum size area to make it worth our while.

I also go online and try to find the business on Facebook or Yelp and other places to see photos of their place to get a rough idea of their floor surface and size of their building or business. This can further qualify them since it can let me see they have one or more of the floor surface types we can clean.

After they provide the information I need, I thank them and let them know we will get back to them in a day or two with the estimate.

I am still interested in knowing more things I can ask or information I can obtain from the owner/manager that will help in getting closer to qualifying them at least in providing an estimate as well as the bottom line, getting the actual sale and landing the job.

If, after this, they still might not want the estimate. I will ask if I can call them back later, even a month to 6 months later, to revisit the issue with them.

If they have a cleaning service, I will still try and get them to let me call them back, because it happens all the time that businesses get tired or become dissatisfied with their present cleaning services.

Please share what you think I can do to improve my approach. Thanks, all.

Last of all, if any of this helps any of you cold-calling, great! Share your ideas with me.

 

[WillS]

Read # 1 - 5

http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/253708

 

[KleanerDude]

Thank you for your link to the article about cold calling but cold calling businesses works for me very well, thank you very much.

I am absolutely in the real world of technology, also - but phone calls to business prospects are still alive, very prosperous and will not be phased out anywhere in the near future.

I do appreciate your two cents, though - but as long as the phone I have is equaling $, I think I will keep on dialing for dollars.

 

[PrimaDonna]

I'd "cold call" in person. Not over the phone.

When we were vetting out local carpet retailers to partner with, I did cold call on the phone and pose as a past client looking to get my carpet cleaned and said I was calling the store back to see who they recommended. If they raved about someone or quickly had a name, then I knew they had a strong relationship established. I kept them on my list, but at the bottom as a potential prospect and to approach them with the idea that if their regular person was too busy or on vacation we'd like the opportunity to be a back up.

If they didn't have a cleaner or recommended one of the national chains, then they were a prospect for me to approach. These calls were made after doing online research about the retailers and in some cases a drive by. We were not interested in "discount" carpet retailers or marts. Upscale, boutique carpet retailers in good neighborhoods. Nice looking store front, clean vans etc.

Once I knew they didn't have a cleaner, then I would do a cold call in person. Saved me time by calling around first.

I would think you could do the same sort of thing with some tweaks. If a business complex, call and as a "neighbor tenant" and ask if they have someone they use? If a retail store or restaurant, you can be another store or manager looking for recommendations of a good cleaner. You'll either get a good recommendation (then you will know who the competition is and can study them and figure out a way to differentiate yourself) or you will hear them complain of all the issues they have and uncover their pain. They you use their pain on them when you go for the in person cold call. Weave it in to your conversation and how you can solve it. "Typical concerns we hear are that cleaners aren't showing up on time or they don't give notice. We always call the day before to remind you and send out an email with a prep check list.". or "Many of the other restaurants I work with had issues with previous companies not keeping the building secure while they were cleaning. We have XYZ system in place to prevent this".

And the manager or decision maker is shaking their head in amazement....because that is EXACTLY the same problem they have. Go figure....how did you know???? And suddenly you look like a great option!!

 

[Ivan Turner]

That is an excellent strategy Meg. By the way, it can be used in any space that a cleaner restorer is contemplating entering. Thanks for sharing.