I have had my manager go around to many storefront businesses in my area and it seems that 90% of the people don’t even want an estimate. We went to around 50 stores yesterday and got 4 estimates. The people that do not want an estimate say that we already have service, but we offer them a comparison quote and still don’t mind it. Just wondering if anyone has any magical ideas on getting just an estimate…because we convert on many that we do provide an estimate for. Thank you guys!
Get in the local yellow book, get on google… we get 4-5 storefront calls a week from that alone. Going to local chamber events or networking events that put you infront of other businesses will build your brand with commercial.
Some guys are salesman savvy and can walk in and do cold calls. In the past, We’ve tried that when we were going after strorefronts. We taped flyers in the early morning hours on every storefront in town, we left business cards with bids on the back, we sent out letters in the mail with a bid… in the end yellow book and google have been how we get most of our storefront calls.
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Thank you. I appreciate it.
I wish I got that many calls/ wk from my ads
If they have someone they have someone . That’s the way it goes
I can save you sometime. If you see the glass is cleaned , an looks like a pro did it. Don’t bother going in.
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why bother to ask if they want an estimate? make it convenient, you can see all you need to from the outside, write it up and then talk to the manager. you may get more feedback. now you have taken very little of his time and given him/her way more info.
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I do a pane count, wear my polo tucked in with belt and gear on… add up my standard pricing and say “I’m a local window cleaner in town and noticed your windows are dirty. I’ll do them for $40 right now, and I’ll scrub every pane as a first time courtesy”
I’ve been targeting new businesses to the area and have been dropping pins on my phone map of places for lease and check in on them every week. Market is pretty saturated here, so I look for new places and relocations. I land 32-35%.
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Store front window cleaning has been huge for us. most say store front is not profitable, I have clear records that indicate we average between 55-60 and sometimes even higher per hour including drive time. That’s the time our guy leaves the office till he gets back.
We simply go through town and go door to door in every business and build value with what we can offer them before ever getting into a price.
If they have someone we leave our card and move on. Sometimes they have someone for quite a bit cheaper. FOR SURE leave your card. We’ve had it happen many times where soon after we leave our card the cheap guy quits showing up and we get the job at our higher price.
Make sure you’re getting through to the managers and not just employees.
We’ve found dressing up very professionally makes a TON of difference. Employees take you seriously and you get the manager right away. We’ve experienced this many times esp at chain stores.
Follow up with all potentials is KEY. majority of your yes’s will come from timely followup.
We revisit each store every six months to make sure they are getting taken care of by their current window cleaner or whether they have changed their mind and decided to hire a window cleaner if they never had one. This works believe it or not. Store owners that decline you once, might accept you in the future!
IMO giving a price up front is the perfect way to attract customers you don’t want. You need to build value first and let them know what’s unique about YOUR service. Otherwise you’re just another window cleaner and having the cheapest price is only way to compete.
Anyway, some of this is advice I was given when I started and some of it was learned through blood sweat and tears of just getting out there and learning.
Our statistics are about 1 residual client right away for every 20 stores. And an average of 4 followup opportunities per 20 stores that an average of 1 followup that converts into a client making 2 clients per 20 stores.
Then we also offer our residential services to every store and so that takes our sales numbers up tremendously per store we cold call on. Sometimes they’ll decline your service at their business but hire you for their house.
We’ve done a number of residentials in the last 30 days that we’ve gotten that way.
What we’re also finding is these are basic numbers, once your out there cold calling consistently somehow it compounds and the numbers get better. It’s like action gets the ball rolling for you.
as some others have said on here also, chamber of commerce is a must. At also make sure you are on google places so you show up on google locally which is free.
Anyway, just trying to help-these are things that have worked and continue to work for us.
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Great post!
The more professional you look the better your results will be.
Following up is “Key”. 
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I agree with you 100%. I have just got into commercial store fronts and have gotten 13 customers in a month. I mean that is not saying much, but it definitely have its profits and keeps my guys busy during the winter season. I have about 700 residential customers and 13 commercial, so I am the complete opposite of you (
I hope in the spring and summer season it will boost the owners mindsets to get there windows cleaned.
Thanks for your input,I appreciate your time
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