Bottled it - demoralised

[boarcity]

5000 is nowhere near enough. you need to be doling them out like youre a machine. burn thru shoe leather bigtime ,your feet need to hum like old roquefort everytime you take off your shoes

 

[Dave B]

Or knock 5000 doors and have enough work to pay the bills

 

[adamangler]

i have got work by knocking a door and saying hello sweetheart do you need a window cleanerYour attitude is part of what sells you

If you are relaxed and friendly it sets that tone with the prospective custy most of the time

If you want to pay someone to canvass for you click whizzbizz link on this forum he will sort you out

I have booked Whizz Bizz mate, but hes not coming whilst August.

I also had a canvasser up in nov, but still to finish off cancellations yet, i have picked up about 12 from facebook since then think im on 37 custies.

I reckon to have 50 or so when the cancellations have been replace, then whatever whizz gets me in august.

I just nee to fill the gap until then.

Im wanting 100 custies approx asap so i can go full time and quit my job then hopefully by the time whizz has been i will have a decent round to take into next winter.

I will Have to keep trying, whether thats getting someone to help me or just paying canvassers, i will find a way ive come too far theres no chance me giving up on this it means too much to me.

 

[adamangler]

5000 is nowhere near enough. you need to be doling them out like youre a machine. burn thru shoe leather bigtime ,your feet need to hum like old roquefort everytime you take off your shoes

lol, i understand but its an insane amount of legwork/money would be cheaper paying a canvasser

 

[cheapncheerful]

er...I hope you read the shazzy post....

as for leafleting...dont forget the first may well end up in the bin so ...you do have to do a few drops before someone actually gets to read it and think hey...I NEED A WINDY...

 

[boarcity]

insane , mmm, yes ,,,,,,, insanity , thats that fitness dvd . it might be an idea to market the latest get fit vid, " insanity 2 -doling out leaflets ! "

 

[Dave B]

My wife suffers from anxiety and it can be extremely hard to do something

You HAVE TO force yourself to knock a few doors and you will find it will then come naturally

It is always hardest to do something for the first time

I have never had a problem as i will waffle to anyone but i know people who do suffer

My mate was like that and then went on to run his own fire suppression business securing contracts with national companies like wagamama

Just needed to get over the initial fear

 

[cheapncheerful]

I did come out with a good idea walking around though...

targetted leaflets...see dirty gutters facias etc a leaflet just offering that service..

see weeds growing in the gutters..see rusty cars on the drive do a deal with a scrappie...see a scruffy garden see a dirty drive...although you may need a lot of different leaflets...oh and of course...see dirty windows.../emoticons/biggrin.png...mind you I have been to some houses and I dont think they look out of the windows..

 

[Joel]

How committed are you to this venture? Will your family go hungry if you don't get out there and work? What did your Mrs say when you told her that you bottled it? Kick yourself up the backside and get out there tomorrow and canvass twice as hard! Sorry if I'm sounding harsh, but if you really want to do this for a living YOU and only you have to make it work.
Get out there!

Absolutely, you gotta do the footwork.

 

[Smurf]

Do you get many blokes reply "well ducky I get my boyfriend to do ours but he is out so you can come in if for a quickie if you like" /emoticons/biggrin.png

i have got work by knocking a door and saying hello sweetheart do you need a window cleanerYour attitude is part of what sells you

If you are relaxed and friendly it sets that tone with the prospective custy most of the time

If you want to pay someone to canvass for you click whizzbizz link on this forum he will sort you out

 

[Smurf]

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

 

[Dave B]

I always say your other half

Have made that mistake before saying your old man

 

[Smurf]

We live in a very liberal society now so I never assume they have an opposite sex partner so to speak.

I too have dropped myself in it more than once but think I was more embarrassed than they were. /emoticons/biggrin.png

 

[Dave B]

I was born with small foot large mouth syndrome

 

[Smurf]

Me too /emoticons/biggrin.png

 

[Green Pro Clean Ltd]

Let's take it one step a time, If you can't even bring yourself to put a leaflet in the letterbox how are you gonna handle knocking after the job and asking for money?

I don't want to kick a man that's down but seems like you may be looking at the wrong type of work. Window cleaning is a people business. You go out to do say 15 jobs a day and at least 4 people are going to engage you in conversation.

A couple of questions I 'd like to ask, and you can tell me to mind my own effing business but it will help me to understand your predicament and help perhaps point you in the right direction.

Are you working traditionally or with WFP? Have you worked as a window cleaner previously or is this your first foray into it?

What are you hoping for? A few customers to help pay the bills and get by or are you willing to work it as a full time job and earn some decent money?

Personally I would never consider a canvasser or 'marketing' person to get customers. It is against my religious belief (my belief being I never pay someone to do a job I can do myself) /emoticons/tongue.png

If you are serious I have a printer that will run you 10'000 flyers for about £150, you cover lunch and fuel from Nottingham and I will come up for a day and show you how we built a round of 600 customers in 14 months, that's after we cancelled almost 130 time wasters.

I don't want to sound egotistical but this is the third time I have used this system to build rounds and it works.

It is not something I share easily but you sound rather desperate (no offence) so this time I make the exception, but be aware it will become a full time occupation.

Good luck mate.

 

[SPCleaning]

Get a website sorted. Either pay a professional (there are a few on here) or make your own.

In October I put a note on my 'contact us' page, saying we were unable to take new clients at the moment. Yesterday I changed that to say that we can take new clients in some areas.

Since 1500 hrs yesterday we have received 8 completed 'contact us' forms. All are large sizable jobs. I quoted 4 today that amount to £150 of work. Tomorrow I will quote the rest.

My point is don't rely on just one form of contact. Door knocking, Leaflet dropping, Church/parish mag advert, Magnetic sign on car, facebook, free ad listings (freeindex etc), and of course a website. Good luck.

 

[adamangler]

Let's take it one step a time, If you can't even bring yourself to put a leaflet in the letterbox how are you gonna handle knocking after the job and asking for money?
I don't want to kick a man that's down but seems like you may be looking at the wrong type of work. Window cleaning is a people business. You go out to do say 15 jobs a day and at least 4 people are going to engage you in conversation.

A couple of questions I 'd like to ask, and you can tell me to mind my own effing business but it will help me to understand your predicament and help perhaps point you in the right direction.

Are you working traditionally or with WFP? Have you worked as a window cleaner previously or is this your first foray into it?

What are you hoping for? A few customers to help pay the bills and get by or are you willing to work it as a full time job and earn some decent money?

Personally I would never consider a canvasser or 'marketing' person to get customers. It is against my religious belief (my belief being I never pay someone to do a job I can do myself) /emoticons/tongue.png

If you are serious I have a printer that will run you 10'000 flyers for about £150, you cover lunch and fuel from Nottingham and I will come up for a day and show you how we built a round of 600 customers in 14 months, that's after we cancelled almost 130 time wasters.

I don't want to sound egotistical but this is the third time I have used this system to build rounds and it works.

It is not something I share easily but you sound rather desperate (no offence) so this time I make the exception, but be aware it will become a full time occupation.

Good luck mate.

Hi. First of all im very serious about this business its all I think about I dont have another option.

Im fed up of being skint working for not much more than minimum wage and about a year ago ended up homeless living at my parents after my ex buggered off. So this business is to rebuild my life.

I want to build a massive cleaning business in time and be self employed for the rest of my life.

I initially set up a car valeting business a year ago doing it at weekends. but it was hard getting regular work so I decided to do the windows last November.

I work part time my initial goal is to get out of this job and go full time.

I am water fed pole and I never cleaned windows before.

Ans yes any help would be awesome I will message you. Thanks

 

[Dave B]

I have the same belief as you Green

I refuse to pay for something i can do

Plus i wouldn't trust anyone to price my jobs for me

 

[SqueegeeDan]

Im in wakefield mate, i will pm you, very kind offer, thanks


Posted about 5000 last year for various services and the response rate is very poor, tbh i find leafletting almost as daunting as knocking and tbh if i can make it to a door to post a leaflet may as well knock.

Thanks for the replys, unfortunately i only have an hour or two spare most days for canvassing as i work not far off full time hours and when not doing this i have a few windows to do and have my kids over and stuff. also logistically im living with my girlfriend in a flat so no access to water so im back and forth to my parents (20 min drive) to fill up. So a lot of ******* about.

Its not a cant be arsed thing as im very keen i seem to have developed an anxiety about it lol.

Whatever happens with canvassing i will succeed one way or another it just might take me longer i suppose

Thanks to those that offered help, very kind of you.

One idea i had was to try to pay someone to help me a few hours a week, maybe do a local ad. hopefully that would make it easier especially if i can find someone more confident.

I loath door to door. Absolutly eats me up inside.

I pay my younger sisters a 50% cut of the first clean of the first clean. Its cheaper that buyin in a round and its looks more professional to jave a sales team

Hope this helps

Good luck

Dan

 

[Kennygggkent]

Keep your chin up old sport! Or become a Jehovah's witness like me, trust me you can only get rejected so many times before you realise that it don't matter anymore! I'm building my round atm and is abit hard, but I make sure I keep it brief on the door and have a flyer with my details, so it goes like this:

Me: (stands sideways to the door with flyer in hand) Hello, was just cleaning your neighbour's windows and thought I'd drop in my details if ever you need my services..........

Custy: oh... ok thanks.

or: I have a window cleaner thanks,

or: ok how much?

It's nice and chilled mate, give them a easy way to say no(mine being leaving the leaflet) honestly I hardly even expect anything from them but still I pick some up here and there.

Finally I recommend doing no more than about a 2 hour stint at a time in-between jobs.

Good luck buddy!