Question: Is the cleaning and restoration industry really all that different from any other business?
Core Principle #1: YES! You provide a “service” (versus a manufactured “good”) and your customers fear and dread having services performed.
So just WHAT do you sell? And please don’t tell me “carpet cleaning” or “fire restoration” or “water remediation”. These services are the “process” or work that you do to get to what you are actually selling.
What you should be selling (and Big Billy Yeadon insists that I add “what you should be marketing!”) are the RESULTS of your actual work process.
In other words, your carpet cleaning process produces sparkling clean, fresh, bright and healthy carpets. And your water remediation work produces a dry, safe and healthy home and gives your Insured their life back!
But let’s get “The Big Picture”! What is the one common denominator of all the different “results” that our industry provides? (And why should you run your service business very, very differently from a retailer or manufacturer?)
Remember, there are only two main classifications that people buy-either GOODS or SERVICES. And what do you primarily sell? If you are (hopefully) “addicted” to this SFS website then you sell SERVICES. And yes, there is a huge gulf in the “buying experience” of any “service” versus the purchasing of “goods”.
Think about you. Which you rather “experience”? Purchasing a new set of wrenches (Goods) OR taking your dog to the vet? (Service) Or what about buying a new truck mount (Goods) OR enduring a colonoscopy? (Service!) I rest my case! 🙂
Simply put, people LOVE buying “goods”! (Me too!) After all, think about how you FEEL when you see, touch, feel, smell, hear (“Just listen to that purring power!”) and EXPERIENCE that beautiful, shiny, new truck mount! (Just writing this almost makes me want to get back into business!)
Think about it. What feelings do you experience after buying any item (good) you have coveted and lusted after? (Choose one or more.) Pride, excitement, gratification, happiness, satisfaction, accomplishment, anticipation, joy, contentment, etc. My guess is you experience ALL of these euphoric emotions!
BUT remember- you don’t sell “goods”. You provide “services”. And just how do your customers FEEL while choosing (and experiencing) the service you provide? (HINT: It isn’t a pretty picture!)
Well, reflect back on how you felt when your spouse said: “It’s time to a) get the Toyota’s oil changed, b) our taxes prepared, c) little Billy’s hair cut and/or d)schedule your prostate exam!” What feelings did you experience when faced with choosing, scheduling and yes, enduring these services? Hmmmm…?
Yep, when faced with purchasing any service you experience resignation, anger, fear, dread and/or frustration! Am I right or am I right??? In fact, when you reluctantly agreed to your assigned “service task” you did so with a resigned sigh? Correct? So here’s the deal…
Your customers (and prospective customers) are no different. Please don’t be offended when I say the services you provide are not viewed as a joyful occasion by the vast majority of your customers! All of the above leads us logically to …
Core Principle #1: ANY service (including what you and your techs perform) is viewed as a “TOLERATED IRRITATION”! The truth hurts! Sorry!
But your “shared challenge” in running a cleaning and restoration business gets even worse! In Core Principle #2 you’ll learn about a very special problem we face as an industry… and how to solve it!