29 Nov Acquiring Large Commercial Accounts With VLM
Would you like to add a steady flow of cash and repeat business to your company? Commercial carpet cleaning can do just that. We service several thousand square feet of commercial carpet every week. We love commercial cleaning! Commercial cleaning provides a constant source of income coming from the same group of clients. I’d like to share with you some of the secrets we have learned on how to build a successful commercial business.
SYSTEMATIZE EVERYTHING:
Of the highest importance, we first of all rely on good systems. I read the E-Myth by Michael Gerber and those concepts are needed to be successful in business. If you haven’t read the E-Myth, do it today. The book stresses the need for systems. From the way we schedule jobs to the way they are cleaned, we have a system. This removes the guesswork and it makes it possible for every person in our company to produce consistent service. Good systems are the lifeblood of a successful company. And systems are critical to your success when it comes to providing commercial services.
BUILD A BRAND:
It is very important to see your company as a brand. Yes a brand. Now you’re probably thinking, “branding” – doesn’t that just apply to consumer products i.e. soap and toothpaste? Branding works for everything, even you as an individual. For instance, people like many things about you. All of those things that they like about you are wrapped up in your identity. And when they flip through their Rolodex to find your phone number – they’re looking for “YOU”. Therefore, from your business cards, to your website, to the logo on your shirts, to the signs on your truck; a consistent look is crucial.
Here’s just one example of the effect of how well this works: I “cold-called” a company on the phone to solicit the other day. The woman told me that they had someone in the office at that very moment working out an agreement to service all of their stores in Florida. I asked her to at least look at our website. She told me that she would. I was kindly persistent. So she even agreed to print out the page and show it to the person making the decision. A few days later she e-mailed me and asked for prices. She has now agreed to use us for all of their stores in Florida (about 50). She went from closing a fresh deal with another contractor to choosing us for all of their stores and she never even met me in person. She has only looked at our website.
Build a consistent look into your company, a brand. This is not as difficult as you might think. And the results that you get when you make a presentation will astonish you. You will be amazed to see practically every single presentation lead to a sale. What I’m talking about here really works!
MAKE THE FIRST CONTACT:
First try to reach the person who makes the decision to hire your services on the phone.
If you’re not able to speak to Ms. New client then send her a good letter. Follow up with another phone call. Remember it is your mission to secure this account. Trust me its not that hard. With some persistence on your part you will get to make contact with Ms. New client.
When you finally get to speak with Ms. New client let her know very briefly that you are in a position to offer her company the best service that she has ever experienced. The service is backed up with a 100% satisfaction guarantee. And you would like her to see for herself just how good her carpet can look with your service. That’s why you would like to stop by and do a FREE demo. Offer to clean the dirtiest section of her carpet for free. Explain that you would also like to spend about 15 minutes showing her a brief presentation about your services. This will help her to see the value of the service that you offer. Also, invite her to look at your website in the meantime.
SELL WITH THE PRESENTATION:
The presentation is the most important part of the process. We use a desktop
presentation easel that showcases our company. You can use professional presentation
software to develop your own presentation. The presentation builds up a strong desire for the services you offer. And it should also leave them feeling that choosing any other contractor would be a foolish mistake. A well-designed presentation is an incredibly powerful selling tool.
Another thing to remember when you’re pursuing commercial accounts is that you’re
dealing with business professionals. So it is very important that you present yourself as a business professional. I wear dress pants, a white dress shirt with our logo embroidered above the pocket, and a tie.
It is not hard to build a strong business with commercial accounts. I have loved this type of business for the past 19 years. I’ve also grown to love learning how to put together a strong brand image and how to successfully market to commercial accounts. The steps that I’ve outlined here may at first seem overwhelming. Don’t let that stop you. If you need help, you can contact me personally. Tuning up your commercial marketing will help you achieve a potentially new area of growth for your company.
I am now doing consulting for carpet cleaners who are trying to polish their commercial identity. I can help your company to develop a strong brand image. I can produce marketing pieces for you that work. And I can also put together a killer presentation portfolio for you.
I can be reached at
727-821-2020 or rick@excellent-supply.com.
Commercial carpet cleaning can be extremely profitable. I hope that the ideas in this article will help you to develop your commercial market. Grabbing more of this
rewarding type of business for your company is easy when you do it properly!
Rick Gelinas