Ok. My first question is , after a special (ofF a flyer) what is the general price EVERYONE who reads this charges per window. Say 20 windows for X amount ,then afterwards each window is ?
I know I know " It depends on the job and etc etc" BUT everyone has a general rule of thumb on their pricing. I have been making flyers an just trying to do anything to strum up business. I have a special that I am NOT even going to say because I KNOW everyone us going to say " you CANNOT do it for that price, that’s stupid!" Well I know it is but I have to get something going NOW.
Second question, I have a Ford Excursion with my rear back and back windows wraped in a blue film with window cleaning on it and commercial and residential but it doesn’t stand out enough. It looks great! But I was throwing out flyers 2 days straight and had people waive me down and ask for me to give them a price on installing windows. I have 361-WIN-DOWS written down the side in about 9" tall by 4’ long reflective tape. (like cop cars) ( I have asked this question in another thread but everyone wanted to tell me about slowing down and not putting buggy before the horse and get customers FIRST the worry about your signs. Makes NO sense to me because THATS HOW you get people to see you and remember you. Anyway NOBODY answered my question which is… Do YOU (whoever you are) find it unprofessional to have bright neon lettering on a vehicle? My suv is really good looking so if I were to take of the blue window signs and put WINDOW CLEANING in bright orange or green would it look ho hum like a fly by night nobody that spent $40 on door magnets or would it look acceptable? Again it is a nice Excursion and I have my big sign down the side. But I want people never to miss the fact that I do window cleaning…not sales. Although I would love to do that as well, but that’s for a different time. So neon good and way to go…or not? YOUR OPINION PLEASE!!! Next question . I have a bright red good looking v-nose 16 foot trailer that I am thinking about putting WINDOW CLEANING on about 3’ tall by 10’ long…each word, do YOU think that would have an immediate impact on getting clients?all of my ideas for marketing are good…BUT some take awhile to pay off. I don’t have much time left to make my window cleaning business here in Corpus Christi to work. It WILL work…but I may not have enough time to stay here and make it work. Sorry for rambling on. My questions probably only made a little sense. I’m just trying to… do right.
And yes I know that I sounded like a rambling idiot.
Id love to know all this also since im in about the same position as you at the moment.
Dont mean to invade your thread but you have some good questions.
Thanks,Nick
Invisaclear Window Cleaning
I don’t care what color the lettering is if it gives the wrong impression then it needs to be changed. Put window cleaning some where on your truck.
I have a special and say its for 20 windows for 199.00. The customer has 30 windows. I give them my special for the 20 windows and then each window after that is regular price. I charge 12 per window ( DH). So that house would be $319.00. I know you don’t want to hear this but DO NOT sell your self short. Charge a nice price and get A LOT more postcards or flyers out. Window Cleaning Louisville KY
Not a problem. I hope everything goes well for you. I moved 158 miles away from my wife and kids. My son is about to get out of school and I need to make the choice pretty quick if I am going to stay here and make/hope everything works out, cause of it doesn’t pretty soon I am in trouble. The family will be moved I’ve here and …well I just have to make this work NOW. I know it’s going to work in the long run… but I has to work NOW. ( I know everyone is going to say “U gotta be patient” well Im not so don’t bother.
I would say #1 way of starting up is flyers and postcards (direct mail)
Also I only get 2-3% of jobs from my trucks lettering I would advise not worrying about the color or type of your truck but more about finding a channel of communication to a mass # of your target market.
Ask youself how many people in your target demograhics actually see your truck a day let alone have the time to run you down or even right down the number.
The 20 people who have contacted me through my truck first went to my website then finally called me months/weeks later.
Thank you simply glass. Finally some actual opinions and answers from someone. On selling yourself short… I hate lowballers as much as the next guy…we have all done it though. But right this second I am in panic mode and it seems that’s the only option I have right now. What’s your #1 way of advertising? And YES I know"All of them." that’s the right answer…buT everybody has there most effective immediate sales conjour uperrer thing a mabopper dohickey they do so well.
Question - Do you own a squeegee?
This is what I have been trying on my flyers and so far so good. I put a coupon on the flyer saying one free mirror cleaning just for taking your time to give you a free estimate.This works well for me since When I pass out my flyers I only put them on the door and do not knock, so this gets me in the house and they can see my work and I can give them my estimate and my speech.Hope this helps.
Nick
Invisaclear Window Cleaning
P.S.If you need a fellow noob window cleaner to talk to about anything just give me a call (419)-930-8542 and I’m sure we can stir up some ideas.
Well the reason I am putting so much emphasis on my lettering and having it be noticed is the fact that my phone number is win-dows. It doesn’t get much easier than that to remeber. Here in Corpus you don’t even have to dial area-code . So that is the reason I am so concerned with getting IT noticed.
What’s a squishyG?
My advice to you is DO Not put neon letters on your truck! It will only make you look cheap and desperate. why don’t you just add the words window cleaning
on to define what you do? Your residential target market should be upper income neighborhoods, these people are a little more savy and neon says fire sale to them.
I agree, flyers and postcards are your best bet to jump start your biz. You should pick neighborhoods you want to work in and then think of them as your farm. Everyday you need to go out into the fields and work them. Decide how many hours you can work everyday passing out your flyers, maybe it’s one hour, two hours or four hours but the important thing is to to be consistent. However many you can do in say six weeks is one farm. At the end of six weeks you start all over and hit those houses again. Do this every six weeks. You could use the same flyer or what I like to do is change the offer. Doesn’t really matter what the offer is just make sure your business is branded so they will start to recognize your stuff.
Do this and your business will take off. I built a House Cleaning business this way and kept 15 crews of two women each working 5 days a week and another 6 crews who worked 6 days. Once you build a farm NEVER give it up. You will own that farm and anyone else who pops up with their flyer will seem like a fly by night. There is no magic pill to make people get their windows clean. It’s the same as in any other business, and you must build trust among your prospects. Just like the animals on the farm they know and trust the farmer and depend on him. You’ve got to become the farmer, Then when people need their windows clean you will be the one they look to. The best thing to do is get out of your truck and meet and greet your prospects. If you can make a connection with them then you will be way ahead of any other window cleaner in your city. I can’t tell you how many people I’ve had see my truck parked at the entrance and drive around to find me so I could give them an estimate. How many other House cleaners or Window Cleaners do you think people do that for? That was all because of my postcards. Keep the faith, as long as you put out the action, you will get a reaction.
I just got a headache
Well thank you for your input. That was what I was wanting, an actual thought on the lettering. My signs on my rear glass of my excursion do say window cleaning, but the reason I was thinking of changing them is people think I have windows for sale … so I was debating on getting the point across quicker. I am in completely agree with your comment on the neons… but I keep getting others who say " ahh who cares it gets noticed" I don’t know . I am going crazy . What are your thoughts of just white giant letters WINDOW CLEANINING on my back side glass? Too simple? Blend in to much? Again 361-WIN-DOWS is in big reflective signage on the doors.
Residential is about $8.00 plus screans around here.
Personally, i dont think that white lettering will blend in with your black truck. I would definitely go with that over neon… It will get peoples attention, but i dont think in a positive way. If people are stopping you to ask about installing windows, i don’t think that is necessarily a bad thing; you should exploit any opportunity to interact with the public. you obviously don’t want to be misleading, but you can give your sales pitch if someone does mistakenly flag you down.
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I would suggest gettting to know a [B]good[/B] window installer/salesman in your area, approach him/her about partnering in your sales efforts a little bit, trade business cards, whatever. Then, the next time you get flagged down for installing, you could say “well, I’m actually in the Window cleaning/Maintenance business, but I know this really great guy who could take care of that for you. and when it comes time to have them cleaned, I’d be glad to give you a deal, just for asking…”
<br>Just what i would do if i were in your shoes…
Well thank you Alex. I’m looking for as much input a I can get. I am not understanding what you said though…white lettering would or would not work ( in your opinion) my suv… Well if you have time I have an ad on the corpus Christi craigslist , window cleaning . It has a pic of my Excursion. I am trying to get my pic on here but I am doing everything off my iPhone and I can’t figure out how to get one on
Thank you CG1
Get yourself a 9-5 job and window clean part time until your client base grows.
sorry for being hard to understand… I meant that the neon would attract attention, but not in the right way… I think the white lettering should work great.<br>
I tried to look at your ad on CL, and your html doesn’t seem to be working out, and your image says it was removed from photobucket (thought you should know 
). I think you should be careful that you don’t come off as desperate, even if you are. I think you should also take some time and learn how to use html in your CL ads so that they look more professional. here’s an example: 2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser. There are tutorials on the web for using html properly within a craigslist ad. hope this helps!
