Bottled it - demoralised

[Dave B]

This is a good way to trad..similar to how i do it

[media]

 

[Jimroot]

I am watching wagga vids every night! From di vessels to trad skills. Will watch that one. I just have the one squeegee, I reckon a small 6" would be useful around that fake lead trim and bathroom windows.

I've found unless I do the Insides, the windows still look dirty. Do you recommend that to customers or wait for them to ask? I guess a lot just won't be in.

I also noticed some damage to my windows as I work, very minor Knicks to the pane and chips in the seals. Does a customers ever ask you about that stuff? I assumed at first I'd damaged them then realised I couldn't have.

 

[adamangler]

I certainly don't want to be out more than a couple of hours knocking. It is hard going.

I think short stints at prime time coupled with leaflets and re-canvassing those not in will produce the more compact round over time.

If I was desperate to the point of needing the work to pay bills I can see why you would want to be out all day knocking hundreds of doors.

I dont mind building slowly a few custies a week as long as its well priced good custies rather than take every job u can get and cull later.

Going to have another hour in the morning at a new area ive just picked up a facebook customer in.

 

[Jimroot]

Nice one, inspirational stuff for another new comer

I've neglected the marketing side of the planning in favour of equipment and practice

 

[Tuffers]

This is a good way to trad..similar to how i do it

Is that @Pickingpaul in the vid?

 

[Dave B]

Yeah it is

 

[Dave B]

Jim wagga is good but mostly wagtail

Watch polzn bladz vids and mark henderson also

 

[Pickingpaul]

One thing I've learnt over the years and it doesn't matter if I'm talking to a man or woman I always refer to their other half as "partner" so I don't drop a ******* so to speak./emoticons/biggrin.png

Once i had a customer for a couple years and her 'daughter' came to the door once and i asked if her 'mom' was in today, 'no, my PARTNER is out' i actually never went back in the end

 

[Dave B]

Could have been kinky

 

[Dave B]

Woohoo the snow is melting..I'll get some work done today

 

[Pickingpaul]

I missed this thread initially, i posted a thread a few days ago with a lot of tips on round building, its called 'attention round builders' have a read of that and do what i say. /emoticons/smile.png

 

[kev]

I really admire your optimism davey, I'm just a pessimist by nature :-(
I definately agree with you, it just might not be in my nature to do it. I figure time wise, I might want upto 80 monthly customers, eventually. Been practicing trad all week on my and my moms house, ground floors only, and I've done each window at least four times aiming for perfect finish. They are first cleans so my applicator turned green quite fast.

Anyway, I'm hoping by the time I can actually get them done as I'm so slow, I won't need to canvass much as surely 80 can't be that hard to get ... I'm hoping /emoticons/smile.png

Top tip mate get an ettore 6 inch scraper, if a window is really dirty scrape it first after you've applicated it obviously, scrape half of the window in an up in down motion then scrape the other half, applicate again and you are good to go, it will save you a lot of time, but speed only comes with a lot of practice, dont see a window as being hard, see it as being easy, then you will work faster and you will be half way there

 

[Jimroot]

Hey paul, I've read your post but will reread it. I was wanting to do mostly gutter and drain unblocking so I don't want a super big round, but I won't know until I get cracking how much gutter work there is to be had, and how seasonal.

Thanks for the tip kev, I've got a small scraper but will check out that one. Ive got to do another order soon now Im starting to work out what would be useful additions to the kit.

 

[Dave B]

Don't scrape forward and back as trapped dirt will be dragged across the glass

Scrape forwards lift off then forwards and only on wet glass

 

[Jimroot]

Ok mate, thanks for tip! Snows stopped here before any stuck, cold as yesterday though.

Took my son to look at a frozen lake yesterday, skimmed stones, love the sound they make on ice, like electrical pulses

 

[Jimroot]

Once i had a customer for a couple years and her 'daughter' came to the door once and i asked if her 'mom' was in today, 'no, my PARTNER is out' i actually never went back in the end

how to avoid embarrassment? Refer to all the residents as 'housemates', men, women, kids, dogs, pot bellied pigs...

 

[Smurf]

Yeras ago I knocked on a doors and I said to a young lad that answered is your mum or dad in. His reply was "no I own the house". What through me the house was very big and he looked about 16...Oops!

 

[Diwrnach]

Has any one built a round yet based solely from none door canvassing means? To me, these days people are fearful of door knockers and sales but Internet savvy and like recommendations.

My round isn't huge, but its never really intended to be as it just supplements pressure washing, but in 6 months I have at a guess 100 to maybe 120 customers and not knocked a single door yet. All from facebook and my special super secret tick flyers which I seem to get a good 1-3 customers per 100.

But I don't flyer very often as my knee is completely shagged and looking like I will need surgery soon so try to walk as little as possible other than work.

Think it is very area dependent, but for example I got 5 new customers, 1 who wants gutters and another who wants patio cleaned as well yesterday off facebook, it can be a bit of a pain as I was chatting with those customers on and off for several hours last night.

 

[Jimroot]

Should have offered to help him with his home work smurf /emoticons/smile.png

At least you got the work after all that face booking Di! And you got some new best mates /emoticons/smile.png Bad about your knee, hope there's a quick fix. I had a friend who had a double hip replacement op and he's back and fighting fit in no time. Maybe your knee will just be a bit of keyhole surgery all being well.

 

[Smurf]

I don't know how to use bookface and have no intention of learning as that is just one of the reasons I hate it so much. I don't want to be spending hours talking to time wasters on bookface as all they are after it seems to me is the cheapest job.

Should have offered to help him with his home work smurf /emoticons/smile.png
At least you got the work after all that face booking Di! And you got some new best mates /emoticons/smile.png Bad about your knee, hope there's a quick fix. I had a fire. Who had a double hip replacement op and he's back and fighting fit in no time. Maybe your knee will just be a bit of keyhole surgery all being well.

 

[Jimroot]

Maybe if you were starting out now you would be inclined to it smurf? A few other small business owners, not windies, have told me it brings in their client group too. I hated FB myself, I think they are intrusive, so I left them long ago. However, I would rather them than the canvassing if I'm desperate, so probs have to make a pact with the devil