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[Guybrush]

I was thinking you was based in west London Scottie no?

 

[Scottie]

No, will be working in north kent along the thames.

 

[Guybrush]

I was thinking you was west london but further in towards central than me. Think I got one of your posts mixed up with daveyboy1. Will be nice working there when you get going and you will get going just a matter of time now. I've been driving half hour away from London because it's too much agro.

 

[Scottie]

Hi, How did it go today, my day was ok, flyered a little then rain hard. I got a message on facebook form somone wanting to book me and every two weeks for bungalow, really nice area. happy with that. That was form the flyer, so worked lol. Nothing else to report, but flyered in a poor area and wow, nearly got my hand bitten off too many times by dogs and thats just the women lol, no serious, i stoped and got out there, it was not nice, felt at target. I wondered do you all flyer big houses down to council houses, I wonder what the ratio is on customers?

One thing is, do you guys have any ways in which you deliver a flyer with out risking your hand ending up in a dogs mouth? I have a system, I bang the letter box an bit and if no response I feel ok to push throw. Things you have to do, just to get a flyer in a letter box.

 

[PTWC]

PTWC Flyering method:

Use a small piece of board or anything flat that is about A6 size to push through the letterbox.

Have the flyer folded over the end of it.

It goes straight through the inside brushes etc, and the dogs cant bite your fingers off!

 

[Guybrush]

Was working with a mate today to get some pennies in. I have actually ordered 1000 flyers to dish out in the less built up areas. If I even get 2 from that I will order five thousand. I will let you know how it goes they should arrive Monday. So now i've got to look forward to getting my hand bitten off by dogs ha great. Just read PTWC's post nice one.

I've been trying to sort the FB thing out, but i'm not sure what to do. Do you just create a page? I don't really like FB just people taking pics of themselves and posing so i'm not used to using it. Do you just take a pic of a business card and put that up?

Good job on the bungalow who knows what it could lead too. Just canvass the area once people see your face a bit I geuss.

If I go out again and canvass with no results i might have to invest in some rope.

 

[Scottie]

lol love that post and I might lend you some rope I may use lol.

I will send you a message on PM about facebook and try to detail it as best I can regards FB, as it does bring people in and I have 4 from it now. It does work. Check your PM later and I will try to write it out in the best way to follow.

Yeah, the flyers worked got one call, I am going to door knock after I clean that bungalow and be ready to do them.

All the best.

 

[Guybrush]

hahah Cheers Scottie appreciate it. I will PM you my address for the rope.

If your doing that bungalow every two weeks then people will get used to your face being around pretty quickly.

 

[Scottie]

Yes they will I am chuffed with that, can canvass there all time. plus the view from their garden is awsoem right across the sea and beaches, wow, nice working enviroment.

 

[windowsurfer]

Hi, How did it go today, my day was ok, flyered a little then rain hard. I got a message on facebook form somone wanting to book me and every two weeks for bungalow, really nice area. happy with that. That was form the flyer, so worked lol. Nothing else to report, but flyered in a poor area and wow, nearly got my hand bitten off too many times by dogs and thats just the women lol, no serious, i stoped and got out there, it was not nice, felt at target. I wondered do you all flyer big houses down to council houses, I wonder what the ratio is on customers?
One thing is, do you guys have any ways in which you deliver a flyer with out risking your hand ending up in a dogs mouth? I have a system, I bang the letter box an bit and if no response I feel ok to push throw. Things you have to do, just to get a flyer in a letter box.

I had a stealth cat rip my hands to bits when posting somthing one time, not a sound to be heard, as suggested use a piece of cardboard to put flyer through.

 

[Murdiewindowcleaning]

Hi guys

Although I'm not back up and running yet I have a fair bit experiance of customer gathering from my previous spell as a window cleaner and other lines of work I've done.

Facebook is a fantastic way of getting customers if you use it right. Local buy/sell pages to offer your service on a regular basis WILL get you results, but don't conduct your business on the open forum, always message the person with the enquiry.

Door knocking is the main way to gather customers. Always look as professional as possible, I'm intending getting some branded clothing for when I start up again. Be polite but cheery, tell them your expanding your business in their area and you were wondering if they needed a window cleaner ? No matter if they say yes or no, always leave them a flyer, thank them for their time and move on (obviously if they say yes arrange a day you'll be back to clean them).

Flyering or leaflet drops - are in my opinion and the opinion of those that have done this to any great level a complete waste of time and effort unless you go back and follow it up - Hi I put a flyer through your door a few days ago (hold up a flyer to show them) I'm just back in the area to see if you were interested in having a regular window cleaner. Without following up you might get the odd 1 or 2 in a thousand flyers. With a follow up you should (dependent in whether that area is well covered or not) get maybe 1 in 10 from people you talk to.

Obviously the best customers normally come from referrals and people who see you working in an area, but they only come once you are up and running for a little while.

Sign written van is also a great way to get your name out there, couple that with a little door knocking in target areas should help fill gaps.

Like I say in my previous spell as a window cleaner I got most of my customers from door knocking and this will be the way I go when I re start in the New year, but I'll also be using Facebook and any other method I think will get me business.

 

[Smurf]

I know someone that had her fingers badly damaged by a dog the other side of a letterbox so that is a brilliant ideal.:thumbsup:

PTWC Flyering method:Use a small piece of board or anything flat that is about A6 size to push through the letterbox.

Have the flyer folded over the end of it.

It goes straight through the inside brushes etc, and the dogs cant bite your fingers off!

 

[Scottie]

Murdie, thats great advice, thank you. I am flyering and now door knocking, i will put the flyers out, get the name out there and then i will now follow them up and say I recently put a flyer through etc etc.

Smurf, I have some tips either fold leaflet up and open letter box without making loads noise and then push hard and quick and its in to fast for the dog, or if you feel a dog is there then I make some noise on letter box a bit and if no response, its usually safe, unless the dog thinks like jaws, and waits for the fingers to appear and plays quiet. lol

I hav come across some mad ass dogs on my travels and that jst some of the women at home, no serious, some dogs are just to mad, really attacking the door, not good for the postie and people posting things, to hostile and anti social imo. I have had then run up and get really mad at me when there owner is outside, I just wlak on by usually and avoid houses with horrid dogs.

I dont really want to be known as stumpy the window cleaner with no finger tips. /emoticons/tongue.png

 

[Smurf]

"stumpy the window cleaner" :rofl:

 

[Ryskviking]

once read about a bloke on the Channel islands who door knocked night and day and built up a stonker round in a short time, cant remember how long it took,but it was only months.ruthless door knocking , and follow ups ,is the only way to build one from scratch in a short time

"Knocked night"... Ruthless indeed. I couldn't do that.

 

[Diwrnach]

I just put them through fast, usually get the dog smash against the door a few seconds later lol.

 

[Scottie]

ha ha, yeah some dogs run right into the door, its madness!! Some homes are so un approchable, you just wonder.

Facebook for me is smashing it at present, the flyers just plod along although they do get conny jobs, so pay for themselves.

 

[nick666]

spose that will last a lifetime. do u top up your own ink ? once you have a full round [maybe u already have?] will you continue printing and canvassing , is that the plan ?i found that the normal home printers burn out after a season of hard use . i like the noise that an Epson sx makes when i keep hitting repeat print maximum load- a deep bellow its hard to describe but its as if its saying **** off youre overloading me

We used to get dirt cheap refills off ebay -already filled.The reason I put out leaflets is more from the credibility for when I canvass-the leaflets have my name and address on .Many times I have seen them in the hall on a table or ledge which I always point out to customer-again adds to cred.The vast majority of my work is gutter cleaning so I don't really have any kind of cut off target to stop leafleting.The main downside of leafleting I find is the physical distance between customers directly gained from it.If I got 3 gutter customers from 1000 leaflets consistently I would be delighted ,so you can imagine the distance between houses unless I canvass in between

 

[nick666]

Forgive me for boring you if you've read my message before but I cannot understand when people have the balls to knock on doors for window cleaning , they don't ask for gutter cleaning.If you go in at £40/50 for gutters first-it makes your window prices seem dirt cheap.Two average gutter jobs a week is another ton in your back pocket more if you call on the neighbours.Leave your ladders at the front of house whose gutters you are cleaning and call on neighbours explaining howmyou can do a good price whilst you are there.Many will say I need to speak to my husband whose at wòrkm-just smile and say no problem I can wait a minute whilst you phone.Although this sòunds cheeky if their husband is allowed to ta9ke calls at work they will always phone and by the fact you are going to leave soon helps them make a quick decision.