Cleaning is a trust-based business and people are very particular about who they let into their homes — which is why personal recommendations from friends and neighbors are the keys to getting more cleaning business. Here are some ideas of how to increase your chances of getting that word-of-mouth advertising and building your customer base.
Leave Those Business Cards Behind
Still, handing out business cards? That’s a flashback to the 80s as much as Christian Bale in the movie “American Psycho,” where his character is always comparing his business card to others. Embrace technology with a website that has a memorable domain name and clear contact information when talking to people outside of business settings. Be sure to get the “.com” extension because that’s what most clients and contacts will remember no matter what you tell them.
A website tells them everything they need to know about your business. Business cards may be thrown away, but if you secure a memorable domain name and print your website address on a coupon, a potential customer is more likely to check out what you have to offer.
Having said that, business cards do still come in handy, but recognize their limitations. Lay people (and potential customers) don’t want to clutter their wallets with a bunch of business cards.
And let’s face it, you can’t fit very much information onto a business card, but you can still leave them in public areas or with people you start a conversation with for a quick reminder of your information — don’t forget to include your website address and email. Keep the back of your card blank to jot down notes for people or add discount codes.
Offer a Discount Code For Referrals
One of the best ways to stimulate word-of-mouth advertising and recommendations is by offering a little incentive to the customers you already have. When they refer new customers to help you get more cleaning business, they get a discount. That creates a win-win situation for your current customers and encourages them to sing your praises to all their friends and neighbors.
Be Active Online in Neighborhood Groups on Facebook, NextDoor, and Other Social Media
When people think of using social media for advertising, they often start a page or a group around their business on a site like Facebook. That’s a smart business practice, but also join some local groups where people in your city are talking about local resources and sharing news in their community.
You can directly help someone who talks about finding the time to clean their homes or has even a temporary situation where they need extra help (and with good service may turn into a long-term customer.)
Perhaps the most important benefit of joining local social media groups is that people in your city get to know you as a person. That makes them more inclined to want to do business with you and trust you with their home cleaning needs.
Be Active in Your Community to Be More Visible
I know it’s hard to believe, but some people still aren’t addicted to social media and the Internet. Particularly senior citizens, who often need help with home maintenance such as cleaning services.
Getting involved in your local PTA or City Council can also boost your reputation in your local community. And that can boost business and get more cleaning customers.
Treat Your Customers Like They Are Neighbors
When you get more active in your community, seeing your customers as friends and neighbors gets easier. You might start remembering their first names and see them when you’re out running errands. Saying hello and asking how they’re doing — as you would any neighbor — promotes a lot of goodwill toward you, which trickles down to your business.
Wow Your Customers
This should go without saying, but stellar customer service is necessary if you want to expand your business. People talk, and those who go the extra mile to make the customer happy will get mentioned in conversations between family and neighbors. Customers won’t recommend you if they don’t feel excited about your work.
Don’t Forget Common Courtesy
One might argue that common courtesy and common sense are increasingly hard to find these days, but don’t let that make you forget your manners. Your customers could choose anyone for their business but they chose you. Don’t forget to thank them for their loyalty. Those two words — thank you — go a long way to promoting a personal connection.
Create Strong Relationships to Get More Cleaning Business
Creating strong relationships is the bottom line in any business. People want to work with someone they feel they know and can trust. The more they think of you as a person instead of a business, the better.
Maintaining those relationships is much easier with ServiceWorks software, which helps track leads, schedule appointments, and helps keep your business running smoothly and your customers happy — you can even try it for free!
If your business is getting too big for you to maintain personal relationships, delegate that to someone. Just remember to make sure the name and image of whoever is representing your company are prominent and recognized. The last thing you want is to be a faceless brand that’s anonymous to clients.
Remember, Wendy didn’t start that hamburger fast food chain, but everyone knows who she is. Make sure they know and like the face of your business!
