Question: Could I ‘pre-schedule’ appointments with home owners for their next cleaning?
Steve solution: YES! I call this “Forward Scheduling”! Plus I have an even better idea…
Hi Steve,
We are going through some very tough times at the moment. So I am trying to implement some of your strategies like “forward scheduling“ etc . And I would love to be able to use your SFS seminar manuals to ensure we get this technique right from the beginning.
So I am wondering if I could obtain a copy of the SFS Operations Manual to use as a guide to improving our business? I eagerly await your reply and many thanks in advance.
Struggling in Sydney
Hi Struggling,
I am so very sorry to hear about your “tough times, Struggling. Business conditions right now are challenging and yes, unexpected things can smack us right between the eyes. I have both good news and bad news for you…
First, the good! This is a great industry and many of our SFS members are not only surviving but prospering by tweaking their business practices. (And of course hard work doesn’t hurt either!) And it sounds like you are on the right track too! For example…
You are smart, Struggling, to focus on “Forward Scheduling” which is the exact thing dentists do! (Carpet cleaning and going to the dentist share two things in common- both of them are a “Tolerated Irritation” and both of them get put off by the client!) Have you seen this article on how to do “forward scheduling”?
Here is another idea on how to “forward schedule” clients on your Stay Beautiful program. Which by the way is the ultimate way to tie your clients up and guarantee they will have you re-clean their carpets every six months!) I would strongly recommend you implement the Stay Beautiful program, Struggling, and you can download our step-by-step system on how to do it HERE.
By the way, Struggling, the “search box” is your friend on the SFS web site. We have over 800 articles, systems and procedures posted there. Heck, even I forget what we have! For example, in your case I went to the search box (upper right on the home page), typed in “forward scheduling’ and VOILA! All the above resources (and many more) magically appeared!
So this is the good news- the SFS site has lots of “hidden treasure” IF you just dig for it. Now for the bad news- we simply don’t “sell” our SFS manuals.
So why don’t we sell our SFS manuals? After all, I get at least one or two urgent requests every week that go like this: “Steve, I don’t have the time for SFS. So just sell me your manuals and I’ll learn everything on my own.” And yes, Jon-Don could make a lot of money selling paper and ink!
Nope- not going to happen! Think about this, Struggling! It takes three skilled instructors and some VERY intense SFS days to cram it all down each student and even so it doesn’t all sink in! So if I sell you the manuals then you’ll put them up on the shelf and then later complain that Jon-Don ripped you off because “That there SFS stuff doesn’t work”!
But wait- here’s more good news- we give you our manuals and the SFS “Business on a flash drive” away for FREE when (and only when) you invest five days attending the SFS: Business Transformation seminar. (That means you will score almost 4,000 pages in systems and procedures designed just for the cleaning and restoration industry. I call this your turn-key Business Infrastructure and yes- it just may transform your business and your life!
Struggling, I know buying the time out for SFS can be tough! But ALL our thousands of attendees say SFS is the best thing they ever did for their business. Meanwhile, I’m delighted to help you. Digest all of the above info and then get back to me with specific questions and I’ll personally reply.
Best wishes,
Steve
PS Maybe our readers will chime in below with more advice for you.