I also have a lot of interest in WC from Residential clients calling/emailing almost daily, but I have to explain that with the ice I just can’t safely provide them with the ladder work needed…
As far as Winter WC marketing, I’ve had some success with the “Has winter got you down? We can help!” angle.
I disagree on both of those. It is HARD to get new customers anytime of the year, residential or commercial.
Why do we say it is easier to get commercial? Because we told ourselves that residential is over and aggressively pursue commercial.
[SIZE=“4”]
I had the 2nd best response ever, to any ad in January.[/SIZE] That would be to home owners. To talk about it like it is almost impossible sorta does not coincide with my results.
However, if you guys say it is near impossible, so be it.
What have you done (not passively like website/yellow pages) to get residential customers in the winter? Do tell
So exactly how many residential jobs are you doing in Jan. and Feb.
CFP I would [B]LOVE[/B] to see your angle that is sooo successful in the winter for residential. Honestly I would. Ive sent out letters to my good regular clients, Ive delivered flyers, ive talked one on one with my storefront clients regarding their home windows. They just do not want it–in the winter.
As far as it being dangerous in the winter, yes it is. I do still clean em as safely as possible when a job comes up.
In my town, commercial in winter is easier to pick up since the windows are generally all storefront, and well, there is no point to having display windows if you can’t see through them, plus I do not stop cleaning windows in -20 or colder weather like my competition. Where as most home owners in the area, even clients of mine that have me back 2-3 times a year in the summer, are content to have dirty windows in the winter, and “wait till spring” . Thats why for me picking up storefront in particular in the winter in this area, is easier.
I’m not saying residential is impossible in winter, its just much more difficult that any other time of year!
Residential is very limited to get scheduled during the cold months.
Most people feel bad as we work in the very cold weather or feel it is very unsafe on ladders even if we say otherwise.
I find people schedule in April/May and 2nd cleaning in Oct/Nov so they have no need to have the windows cleaned during winter anyway.
Anyone here would have a very hard time to give the name of 1 residential company that during winter provides even 1/4 to 1/2 the workload they do in summer.
You can get it… but the demand is very low.
I think this is where CFP would chime in on his proactive marketing approach.
Creating awareness.
Funny thing is last week I did two resi jobs from fliers I put out last May. I track results by neighborhood. One was in May the other in August.
This tells me to pick up the pace like Picante. If I start creating awareness now, maybe I’ll get called in June. Personally I am a big fan of instant gratification. But it doesn’t always work that way.
In my winter flyer I am not offering any discounts. I hate discounts. To create urgency I simply state “Spring appointments are filling quickly, Call to reserve your spot TODAY.”
Ill let you know how it works out for me.
Some things we need to keep in mind is that-
A. our markets are surely different
B. Your ads are not mine
C. I believe I can
There is no doubt people are not ACTIVELY pursuing window cleaning (check out Google search results) People just do not think about window cleaning, but that does not mean anything. It is no different in the nice months really. Almost all of my new customers never had their windows cleaned, ever. They were not looking or thinking about it until my ad fell into their lap. Think it is possible they may have never got them cleaned? You bet it is.
No difference.
I actually have never advertised in Jan or Feb. It too was a thought of “nobody wants it done”. I actually did it as a challenge and a test. If I can get a good response in -5 degrees, imagine what I can do in the “spring cleaning” mindset.
Quit saying it can’t be done and go do it! I thought the same thing last January. I pass out 200 fliers on a whim and put $800 bucks in my pocket… imagine 10,000 fliers! (or mailers). My winters have been slim for years… all the money I missed out on for nothing.
As for the “no discounts” thing… a vast majority of the population strongly reacts to a [B]perceived[/B] deal.
If YOU do not like the terms “deal” “Sale” “special”, get over it. Majority does.
p.s. a “deal” is not just a discount, be creative…
Interesting. I am curious as to why they are down though. I am sometimes “down” because my revenue is down, but if I were making the same bank as the summer, I would be “up”. I don’t mind winter (other than business)
I would need some reason why they are depressed in the winter, then approach with specifics. I try to avoid blanket generalizations. (however I find myself still doing it at times :rolleyes:)
Why is it you assume they are down?
I appreciate what you are saying here…
I believe faith to mean, “to do the right thing when the evidence says you shouldn’t.”
If I listen to the others who aren’t getting anything… I won’t take the action to see if I can get anything…
But because “I Believe I Can” and the absolute trust in what ever you wanna call it… the man upstairs, G.O.D. Good Ol’ Dude, or whatever… I know that it’s gonna work out the way it should.
I don’t wanna be the guy praying to win the lottery but never buying a ticket.
I just wanna see if it will work. What else am I doing right now anyway?
[SIZE=“5”]So here is what I did…[/SIZE]
I printed 2000 flyers and took a job as a waiter until spring. I wait tables on the weekends and a couple of nights a week to afford my marketing habit.
My goal is 30,000 flyers distributed before the first day of spring. If I get a couple of jobs along the way… cool. If not… cool. At least I will have planted 30,000 seeds.
You will get some work, but mostly planting seeds for spring which is good too.
If you are not doing anything now might as make use of the time and put fliers out.
I would be interested to know how much you would estimate your costs to be in this process.
-your time making the fliers and printing
-ink,paper costs
-your time to distribute 30,000. flyers
I would guess just your time would be maybe 40 hrs ?
More like 100+ hours…
The time is an investment in my future, since I’m not doing anything else (besides serve food at night) there is no worries on my time.
2000 flyers printed, 2000 ziplock sandwich baggies, 2000 rocks (clean chipped marble mind you) = $150.00
Paying a not so fluent in English individual $5per box of 100 baggies = $100
(This is to insert said rock with said flier into said baggie and zip it up.)
(btw… they average $7.50 per hr.)
2000 flyers ready to be delivered = $260.00
I set the flyer next to, or on top of the brick mail box out by the street. Sometimes I am reduced to pitching them in the driveway. When they go and check the mail, they pick it up. Thanks to the invent of garage door openers no one uses their front door. At least not in my demographic.
Not including my gas or my time… 30,000 fliers = $3900.00
I can deliver 3500 fliers per week in less than 20hrs per week using this format.
[B]Let’s look at the numbers shooting low ball.[/B]
For 10,000 flyers per month.
. Here’s the fun part. I’ll keep everything relatively conservative so all the numbers I’m about to discuss are extremely doable by everybody in every part of the country.
Let’s assume a 1% return in terms of phone calls we get from the flyers we distributed. So that’s 25 phone calls per week/100 phone calls per month.
Again remaining conservative, we’ll end up presenting estimates to 80% of the people who called. My experience has been that if you’re getting a call from a stand alone flyer or postcard, you should be able to set up a free estimate for the caller with no probs. But we’ll just assume you’ll only set up estimates for 80% which is 20 estimates per week or 80 estimates per month.
Once again, we’re going to stay conservative and assume that you close only 70% of your estimate presentations into jobs/sales. If you present your estimate properly and really present a high quality image to each prospect, there is absolutely no reason why you shouldn’t close at the very minimum 70%, but more than likely it’ll be 80% to 85%.
Ok…so 70% of our estimate presentations is 14 jobs per week or 56 jobs per month.
And finally, we are going to use a real low average dollar figure per job of only $150.
Bottom line, you have just made $8400 for your flyer distribution efforts in that 30 day period!
Of course the actual jobs you do will probably be stretched over a few weeks or even 2 months, but your efforts in that 30 days resulted in $8400.
My average customer sale is $200-$250 so all of a sudden that $8,400 turns into $11,200 (assuming $200 avg. per house)! Which is still low ball.
X3 months = $33,600 shooting low ball.
Spend 4 to make 33…? OK.
Quantification in it’s finest.
At the risk of vesting my competitors with great ideas, this is why :
For Toronto folk, every winter, with Daylight savings time, the days are much shorter and often darker and gloomier, weather-wise. A type of population-wide Seasonal Depression Disorder kicks in…
There is a hilarious Expedia.ca commercial running in our market right now that pokes fun at this depressing reality. It’s a weather thing, and everyone in Toronto feels it/talks about it.
I’ve sold winter WC jobs by leveraging that angle.
The S.A.D effect runs north of Toronto too Paneless…but your right its a good angle to work.
Seems the only thing that excites people in this town this time of year is ice fishing!
Louie, No disrespect meant but you are putting ALOT of hours and MONEY into this form of marketing then delivering it in a zip lock baggie with a rock inside with your advertisement is a bad idea.
I personally think this presentation kills any chance for an effective means of marketing.
Last year I did some of this and got some of my best customers. I got more compliments than I did threats of pressing charges for littering.
It may be a bad idea… but the way I look at it… it’s all about numbers.
When I show up for the estimate wearing kakhis, a pressed white oxford button up with my logo embroidered above the pocket in a newer model truck lettered up on the side and back… There are no questions…
If I may…
Why do you think it is a bad idea?
and BTW…
no offense taken, always open to constructive criticism.
Another quick point…
The reason I like this format for flier delivery is because I have a small caliber bullet lodged in my left leg. My right knee was snapped in half (and replaced) and my ankle has been broken. I don’t get around as good as I used to.
I am only 32 but I feel 52.
know what I mean?
Nice, if you want it you need to go get it. If we don’t have the funds to start it, we need to go get it. That waitering job is really a marketing fund raiser for your company.
When it comes to listening to advice or unfounded facts on a forum, take it with a grain of salt. Nobody on here is a marketing genius and none of us know each others markets or what will work within that market.
As much as I study marketing and try the most usual/unusual approaches with it, I don’t know squat. I do know where the answers are though, the customers. They have the answer to monster success, and that is the only success I care about.
I am not out to have a successful window cleaning company. I am out to have THE MOST successful window cleaning company… then I will be a marketing genius.
I know that is not what everyone wants, but we all have our own internal success goal. Nobody can be wrong for trying to accomplish that.
The S.A.D effect? interesting. So clean windows helps to relieve this disorder?
I know I am being very anal-lytical, but I am not sure I see a true connection. It really is a roll of the dice and the ad would REALLY need to be good to make them feel like happiness is a squeegee fan away.
[SIZE=“4”][COLOR=“Red”]Toronto Homeowners, Brighten Up Your Winter Blues![/COLOR][/SIZE]
I don’t know, but if you guys say it works for you. It works.
I am not sure I have seen a business take off from the go with minimal dollars spent and scrutinized time. What is left out of this analysis? Does it work?
Louie is trying to build a customer list in a hurry and I believe he is on the right path (without seeing his fliers). Once he starts rolling he can simplify and start mixing direct mail with his hand outs and then turn it into an automated system.
But that takes money and he needs to learn how to speak to his market. Fliers are great for this.
You go Louie!
p.s. I am not a fan of the baggy method, but heed this… our perceptions, egos, pride and prejudices are usually things that can limit a business from being truly successful. The ONLY thing that matters is what works.
Thanks CFP… I appreciate the kind words… over the years I have seen you rip into people with differing opinions. 
As far as the winter blues… Isn’t this a fact no matter where you are??
One emotional trigger that I put on my most recent flier is…
[B][COLOR=Blue]
Imagine how good it will feel to get the grime of winter off your windows!
[/COLOR][/B][COLOR=Blue][COLOR=Black]just saying the word “grime” makes me feel dirty… [/COLOR]
[/COLOR]
