Blow Me!

Conversation
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lol

Just [B]blowing[/B] off a little steam guys.

I have been writing marketing material all week and it has been a little mind numbing at times (like now), so I am taking a break to rant a bit.

I have realized that this winter has been very hard on me in many ways. I have more marketing knowledge then ever, but it has also created an awareness of many factors. One of the big obstacles has been trying to plan and create my future business [B]growing[/B] campaigns while also creating my [B]current[/B] business [B]survival[/B] campaigns.

It is tough to bounce between the two as they have very different emotional attachments when I create them.

One is about creating the irresistible offer and the other is OH MY GOD, THE CAR PAYMENT WAS DUE YESTERDAY! type of thing. Which of course can lead to doing silly things like [B]$99 Entire Home[/B] type of crap.

I do not do this, but I am sure you get the drift.

Very, VERY recently people have told me “in cold States, nobody cares about window cleaning” So I go out and pass out 200 fliers and lock down 6 jobs (no, not at $99)

In the past I’ve heard “hand dropped fliers don’t work on the upper class”, so I create a b/w flier and go to the richest areas we have and drop them in their paper holders… ONLY TO GET SOME OF THESE $1,000,000 HOMES!

Today as I write my 3 page sales letter (wait, let me guess. It’s too long, right?) and as I also create multiple fliers to put out for this weeks groceries (I know, fliers are a waste AND nobody cares about window cleaning this time of year, right?) I battle myself constantly not to undersell my service. Now or in the future.

What is the point of this whole rant? To stay the course (as long as you are going in the right direction) Do not let outside interference cloud what works.

DO NOT LET UP, DO NOT SHUT UP [I]and[/I] DO NOT GIVE UP!

Now go get some

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F*@K Yeah man!!!

that’s what I am talkin’ about!!!

It’s snowing like crazy and I have a resi job scheduled in the morning. I completed on yesterday too. What a ya mean no one cares about window cleaning in the winter?!?!

Granted I am not doing the same numbers as in May. BUT… I am eating. I paid my truck payment last week and it’s not due till Feb 4th.

[B]The most important word in the english language is action.[/B]

Paul… as long as we continue to take action… NO MATTER WHAT… we will continue to get results.

[B]If I don’t keep swimming, I’m gonna drown.[/B]

I needed to hear what you had to say… Lets me know I am not the only one fighting the good fight when it’s cold.

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Both CFP and Louie are a little off base.

People are not saying NOONE cares to have wc service in the winter, just the demand is greatly reduced.

You seem to believe yourself to be very good at a marketing but need a balance.

I think it is important to point out if you are worried about car payments and such so you need to get business in a low demand season to pay bills.

Have you tried to put some time into a financial plan which would allow you to get paid year round? I work 9-10 months a year but get paid the same amount twice a month for 12 months because I have a working financial plan.

It sounds you two spend alot of time and money on marketing but dont count this into a business cost but rather a investment into your business. It is like saying I cleaned a house today for $100 and it only took me 2 hrs so I made $50. an hour…but you need to include [U]all operating costs[/U] that it took to get to that point.

Maybe you should be spending more time on a financial plan.

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Thank you so very much Superior. I really can’t tell you how I appreciate you taking the time to explain and elaborate on my situation.

With some planning and some luck, I hope to one day achieve the robust lifestyle with which you live. I will surely get my system in place now.

Thank you also for letting me know I was off base. I at first thought I was just posting a silly self empowering post just to help me break up a little portion of the day.

I now realize it was a call for help

Thank you

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Same ole same ole eh?

CFP…you and Larry are my current heros.

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Inspiring – it’s been snowing here in my part of sunny California alot these past few weeks…

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Superior - why the attack on CFP. His post was good.

Marketing is an expense - but it is also an investment. Properly executed marketing puts money in your pocket. It helps you grow your business. It does cost money, and should be built into your hourly rate, but it eventually puts a lot more money in your wallet than it takes.

No one is under the illusion that $50/hour is the amount of money that we get to keep. We only get to keep a small percentage of that, so we should not feel that we are robbing the customer if we gross $50/hour or even $90 for that matter.

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I agree Mike. Marketing is absolutley an investment. No new customers, no future.

Of course it is also an expense.

But that is the beauty of forums. We can sit back and assess people on just a few sentences and allow our own vast wisdom to set them straight.

Rarely do I notice or participate in ego or competitive alpha dog behavior on here…

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I keep my vast wisdom numbered for just such an occasion.

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It was not meant to be an attack on CFP and Louie, just pointed out if they spent a little time away from marketing to implement a financial plan it may help them.

Egos also play into how people interpret posts.

Sometimes people turn such a simple business into much more than it really is.

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Interesting words, Mike.

Do you have a number that you would feel guilty at?

I’d highly recommend that you try not to have one. Never feel guilty if the customer is pleased with your service and the value they’ve received.

If that means $300+/hr for you, cool. Bring it.

Don’t ever feel guilty about earning money.

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Guilty? never. I’m always a fan of getting the highest possible price. I was simply making a point.

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Okay, cool.

Have you ever estimated a job knowing that your hourly wage would be upwards of $250/hr?

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No I can’t say I have. But I’d love to learn.

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:eek:

Careful Paneless, I was called a thief on another forum for making over $100 an hour… (however, most of those guys disappeared)

As for Superior, You may or may not know this but I love marketing. I do not see a long term future with window cleaning or even owning a window cleaning company. I have always said that and I think most on here would agree, I am more suited to that.

Window cleaning is just the vehicle to get me where I am going.

I have this friend that writes copy for websites and he also does sales letters. I just asked him what he fetches for his work. Here is his exact reply-

“I get $9,500 for an online sales letter. $7,500 for an
offline letter. $2,500 for a squeeze page. $2,000 for an OTO
page. Emails are $300 each.”

This is the career and really, the life choice I will pursue. The good news is I get to help some window cleaning business owners while I hone my craft.

Making great money and loving what I do… AWESOME!

If we follow our passion we will never end up old and tired, muttering the words “I wish I would have done that”

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Truth!!!

Another principle I see you living by here Paul…

I think it was Ziglar that said, “if you help someone across the pond, you can’t help but get there yourself.”

Kind of a my Karma will run over your Dogma kinda thing. Helping others with an altruistic attitude helps me achieve my goals. Doin’ for you is actually doin’ for myself.

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Easy - try this:

Next time that you are invited to bid on a job, and it’s going to be a lot easier than it looks like it should be, drop them a crazy price (that is - crazy to YOU).

Many of us price according to an imaginary LOW number in our head, or according to what competitors charge.

De-program yourself from this, and try and look through your clients eyes, instead, and try to imagine what it would be worth to THEM.

Then tell them the price like it’s a great value to them, because it IS. You are providing them a service that they want, for a price they like.
[INDENT]Note: This is not mumbo-jumbo. Do it next time you bid on a job. [/INDENT]
This is not a secret I’ve discovered, but simply an implementation of proven marketing techniques. Of course, higher prices require lots of support to hold them up, but they’ll work if presented properly.

Again : Before dismissing this, try this next time you bid on a job. When you walk around the job, and think “Hmmm…this should take me about 1 hour…”, instead of running the formula in your head : ‘One hour of my time equals $75, so their price will be $75’, run this formula instead : “One hour of my time equals $250, so their price will be $250”

Easy.

That being said, there is only SO much price elasticity in any market. I don’t personally believe that doing the actual window cleaning work can net you much more than a few hundred dollars an hour, but I am open to being proved wrong on this.

[SIZE=“1”]Warning: This tactic will result in more spending money and maybe an extra fantastic vacation for you this year…use at your own risk.[/SIZE]

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[B]CFP [/B]: Sorry you were called a thief! I’ve got your back on that one.

And with respect to the thief thing, who decides that it’s [B][I]wrong [/I][/B]for a window cleaner to make [B][I]$300/hr? [/I][/B]

All this slightly wonky thinking is EVERYWHERE among small window cleaning business owners, and it’s breaking your own legs unnecessarily.

There is no such thing as wrong to make a certain wage if your client is happy, and you’ve kept your word.

Ironically, if you don’t keep your word, and you leave your client dissatisfied with your service/workmanship even though you promised their 100% satisfaction, then making [B]$15/hr[/B] washing windows is [B]thievery[/B].

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I’ll certainly try to implement it. I’m always open to trying new ideas.

So would it only work in instances where you were invited to bid on a job, what about if you were the one who came to them?

What do you do if they refuse the price, do you convince them, try to negotiate a lower price, or walk away?

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or told ‘no.’?