Hey that’s great man. Just do that 300 more times and you’ll have 3k a month 
Some people go to college for 4 to 8 years to make 40k a year with gradual pay raises. Imagine how many days of canvassing you could do over 4 to 8 years
also you said your “First day” - You’ll get better and it will get much easier.
I like the approach! I have thought of cleaning one of the windows for the client just to gain their approval.
Believe it or not most people are turning me down for that. Maybe I’ll try leading with the free window cleaning offer and see how that goes, at least then when we start talking about regular service they can see what they’ll be getting for their money.
When you get NO for an answer…N=next…O=opportunity; politely move on to the next.
Just like putting out door hangers. You don’t get a call from every one, but after repeated visits eventually they come around. I’ve mapped out the neighborhoods and on a rotating basis through the year I deliver door hangers. After a few rounds I get more customers from the same neighborhoods. Daunting, time consuming, tired of walking, but it starts to pay off.
I can get roughly 1 in 10 accounts I walk in to “cold sell”. Sometimes better, sometimes worse. I haven’t even tapped into my old employers accounts yet. As crooked as this may sound, I know most of the prices and owner/managers. I’m out of the no compete (have been for a long time) and competition is competition, right?
I always ask if they have a window cleaner and if they say yes i say,“would you be interested in a professional window cleaner” then explain why i’m better then then there current washer.
I have never been a fan of bashing their current window cleaner because it’s tacky. Plus when you bash the window cleaner THEY hired you are in a sense telling them they make poor decisions. Staying positive will get better results as well as showing the person you are more than just a window cleaner. You are a their customer. You are their friend. You are the best vendor they will deal with.
That’s really good, so far I’m at about 1 in 20.
Agreed. I tried pointing out the terrible job their current WC was doing at a few places, that did NOT go over well at all! I think it’s much better to focus on them…are they HAPPY with their WC? Do they like him/her? Does he/she come at times convenient for them? etc.
What I started doing for storefront is I made a small flyer describing my window cleaning business, an empty place where I write down a price to have their windows cleaned, and what day I will be in that area again. I then put the flyers on their door when the stores are closed, like on a Sunday afternoon. Then after a couple of days I call those places that havent called and ask if they are intersted in having me clean their windows. Ive gotten jobs this way but I also get the “oh we have someone” or “we are not interested at this time”. After a couple of days I mail them another flyer with a FREE 1 time cleaning. You can then weed out those that really dont want to pay.
In door to door - Every “no” is one step closer to a yes! The more times you hear “no,” means more opportunities to hear “yes.” And thank every “no” sayer as if they’ve said yes, because they were just another necessary hurdle to get over in approaching your “yes” customer!
Agreed. I tried pointing out the terrible job their current WC was doing at a few places, that did NOT go over well at all! I think it’s much better to focus on them…are they HAPPY with their WC? Do they like him/her? Does he/she come at times convenient for them? etc.[/QUOTE]
Doug,
So instead of saying, “look at all the streaks your current window cleaner left on the window,” or “he didn’t detail the window edges following his squeegee work, which is why you see drips here and there,” you could say instead, “I look over my work when I’m done to be sure there are no streaks,” and “after I clean the window, I get all the edges my squeegee may have missed so there are no runs and drips later.” 
Sometime back I was talking to a office manager and she said that they have had their window cleaner for over 15 years or something like that. She was happy with that company and I could tell it by her expression that she was content. I commended her on the loyalty and told her every company including mine appreciates loyalty and i left my card in case she every needed anything in the future. A few months pass and that same office manager calls me back and tells me that she wants her house done and also has a friend that is looking for a window cleaner too.
This is a rare case but it helped me to understand that genuine concern for the owner/manager and even a level of respect for a competitor who has maintained a client for that long can reap rewards later.
That’s interesting, great way to make use of a Sunday afternoon. What’s your response rate like from the flyers themselves and then from your initial callback?
LOL pretty much Renee. Although I haven’t decided yet if it might just be better to move on to the next prospect instead of spending a lot of time trying to convince someone. Maybe if you sense they’re on the fence and just need a reason to pick you.
I have built 2 routes, one from scratch to 80 accounts…The KEY is to hit those same places again next month, when you get one and then clean the windows ALWAYS ask the next shop to the left right and in whole thing would you like your windows cleaned(everyone would like them cleaned)
Every freaking time you are there ask, every 2 weeks or every month, they will see you and see and think hey this guy is for real and before long you have a route, and once it gets traction it will grow fairly quick…and once you have a good route you need to solicit new business all the time to make up for what you lose.
Didn’t feel like going out canvassing this morning but did it anyway. Spent about 2.5 hours going to around 20 businesses and landed 2 new monthly accounts (and did them on the spot). Is it ever a lot easier to sell monthly service than it is to sell weekly! And I find I can charge a fair bit more, i.e. $30/monthly for 10 windows vs. $10/weekly. Even though you’re dealing with more dirt build up, it’s still a difference of $3 vs $1 per window.
My approach has evolved a bit too. I’m not quite as forward as before. I say: “Hi I’m Doug with Homefront cleaning, we do a lot of the windows in the area and I was wondering if you’d like yours done…or a quote?” If they say no or they have someone or they do it themselves or whatever I didn’t even bother to try to persuade them today, just thanked them and moved on.
Man, 2 out of 20 is very good. Personally I like monthly more than I do twice a month, and def more than weekly. I want to keep it affordable for the customer and keep them for years to come. If they are spending $15 a week and struggling with their own business - they may cut window cleaning all together. But if they are spending $20 a month, they may look at it different. $60 is a lot more than $20 in a lot of peoples eyes.
I like your short precise pitch.
Doug! Pat yourself on the back for me! You should be so proud of yourself for dragging yourself out when you didn’t feel like it and putting some time and effort into not just your business, but your LIFE!
GOOD JOB!
How much, on the average, would you charge for a storefront?
