Welcome to a great industry …
Steve reminisces about his start in the Cleaning and Restoration Industry many years ago. He offers both new and experienced owner/operators his advice for success.
Dealing with the “How much?” question…
Don’t get tripped up with price quotes, keep the conversation going with my two-step “How much?” reply. Here’s how it works…
What is “great customer service”?
Everyone talks about it- but what exactly does “great customer service” consist of? After 40 years in the industry Steve shares his take on the question …
Motivate your cleaning employees with a weekly contest for Scotchgard “up-sells”!
Business needs to be about more than just making money. Simply put, your carpet cleaning employees need fun in their work day and what is more fun than a good-natured competitive contest?
Perplexed in Springfield
Far too many carpet cleaners are totally ignorant of basic accounting and even worse job costing principles. For example, read on …
Feature your “Turbo Cheerleaders” online!
Many restoration and cleaning professionals struggle creating fresh, effective content for their websites. So why not tap into your client’s 5-star reviews?
Buying a business versus “starting from scratch”?
Believe it or not, many folks from “outside” think this is an industry worth investing in. Steve shares a little start-up advice with one budding carpet cleaning entrepreneur …
Banning the “E-word”- Help your prospective customers focus on more than price!
Carpet cleaners all over the world fall into the old “just gimme an estimate” trap with potential carpet cleaning customers. Fight back with this simple change in terminology …
Commercial Sales Wardrobe
How you dress influences how others view you and how you view yourself. There are few rules. See what works for you.
Beware of “Heightened Awareness Syndrome”
It drove me absolutely nuts when my company was blamed for the customer’s pre-existing problem(s)! However usually they (and I) were innocent victims of a weird psychological phenomenon I’ve dubbed … “Heightened Awareness Syndrome”! (HAS)
Worried About Unemployment Claims …
So what if your “on-call” workers decide to file for unemployment? Steve can’t (won’t) give legal advice but as usual he has a few observations. After all, when does he not have an opinion!
Always “plant a seed” before leaving…
Sure, you will hit “rejection”. Expect it! But don’t give up easily! First, “smoke out” their true objection and try to get to “yes”. Then is you still can’t close the deal leave the door open…
A “Disloyal” Cheerleader?
Value Added Service can greatly increase your repeat business but it doesn’t guarantee it. How can you increase your chances?
Words you hate to hear: “Oh… is that all? I thought it would be MUCH more!”
“Consultant selling” means morphing yourself from being a desperate salesperson into a “concerned consultant”. So now you and your client become a team searching for a practical solution to a shared challenge.
Just starting and a bit scared …
Let’s see if we can help a “new boy” in Reno. He started out on the right track by picking a great industry IF he “does it right” …