All of us want more contract commercial carpet cleaning. After all, with commercial you enjoy high profits AND you don’t have to deal with wacko home owners! Plus restoration companies love the reliable cash flow of contract commercial. And yet…
Most carpet and restoration contractors seldom (if ever!) make formal ‘sales calls’. So instead of DOING NOTHING focus on this SFS Training principle…
“The hardest door to make it through is your own!”
The secret? Don’t git yerself all worked up about morphing into a ‘sales person’! Instead, just make EVERYONE aware that you provide commercial carpet cleaning. How?
1. Constantly be handing out business cards. Everywhere… to everyone! Retail store clerks, the receptionist in your doctor’s office, real estate agents, etc. You just never know when they’ll reply, “We were just talking about this…” BINGO!
2. Develop (and practice) your elevator speech. Your goal? Explain the “why and what” of what your commercial cleaning services in 30 seconds.
3. Do “Serendipity Selling”. Instead of thinking “I need to carve out some time for sales calls” (Trust me- it never will happen!) just ‘stop in’ right then during your daily routine.
HINT: Look for new businesses, “Under new management” signs and ALWAYS hand out your business cards when shopping or eating out.
4. Chat with your residential clients. “So where do you work… Hmmm, who looks after the carpet maintenance there? Could I mention we talked to your Mr. Jones when I stop in?” BAM! You just transformed a scary ‘cold sales call’ into a ‘warm call’!
5. Do “Proximity Selling”. Visit the neighbors of your current accounts with this opening line, “We look after the regular carpet maintenance of XYZ corporation down the block and are here every month anyway…”
6. Network. Look into joining a local BOMA chapter. Become active in your Chamber of Commerce. Support charity events. Constantly do #1 and #2 above. HINT: After introducing yourself ask where THEY work and then naturally they’ll ask “So what do you do?” Batter up and time for your ‘Elevator Speech’ home run!
BONUS TIP: Use the “show and tell” trick HERE to ‘break through’ with a large commercial prospect.
So you sucked it up and ‘made it through the door’! GREAT! Then they say “Gimme a price…” Uh-oh! Let’s talk about this real soon!
Steve