Professional enterprise or lone ranger?

[Jake]

Also Tolish, I know boar, he's from near me, and he targets a different audience, but he also knows that my style is more appealing to commercial customers, just like I know his style is more appealing to council estates, which he does very well,

We even have houses next door to each other - as I said I'm not saying you can't be successful window cleaner without branding and fancy stuff as I regard boar as a very successful window cleaner, I'm just saying that from an enquiry point of view, branding is key and will always win...

You get me?

Again - this is why co apnoea spend 100's of thousands of pounds on marketing. Because it works!

 

[Jake]

@MrBump you got a Twitter account yet? That helps a lot...

 

[MrBump]

Nah not yet, although computer minded, I have no idea how this social media malarky works lol. Just earlier I got my lil' bro to run through facepoke with me, damn its confusing, groups, pages, news feeds, personal pages, likes, share, notifications etc etc. You need a bloody 6 week course in the thing just to use it :rofl:

 

[Jake]

I'm the same, ignored Facebook! But twitter is nice and easy, worth a go mate

 

[TolishAPurd]

Also Tolish, I know boar, he's from near me, and he targets a different audience, but he also knows that my style is more appealing to commercial customers, just like I know his style is more appealing to council estates, which he does very well,
We even have houses next door to each other - as I said I'm not saying you can't be successful window cleaner without branding and fancy stuff as I regard boar as a very successful window cleaner, I'm just saying that from an enquiry point of view, branding is key and will always win...

You get me?

Again - this is why co apnoea spend 100's of thousands of pounds on marketing. Because it works!

You've gone on a bit of a tangent here I'm afraid mate. I'm not disputing anything to do with branding or advertising. I do both. I have a website, business cards, a shiney 2011 vw caddy, branded polos, black steel toe trainers and black work trousers at all times....but I still get (and keep) people from all backgrounds. The original discussion was about specific targetting of audiences. I was just saying that you can target two audiences at the same time when you and the bumpmiester said you can't./emoticons/smile.png All I was saying is that it can be done if you do each one right, and at the right time. And if someone is wondering why they are not getting the workload they want, then the first port of call should not to go looking at the stuff you have to pay for, but instead to look within.

 

[Jake]

We both went on a tangent, I couldn't even face reading all of one of your posts - it was like a small novel,

And I was also saying both ways work... Never disputed that, just that marketing is the way for more enquiries...

 

[MrBump]

I was just wondering whether for the average middle-class houses I guess, whether its better to portray yourself either as a small local one-man band or as a professional 'company' I guess you can tailor it to each person/area, but you have to have a general theme going on in your flyers/website/van etc, too much effort to double up on it all :zzz:

 

[Jake]

I don't know bump, I seem to get plenty of enquiries from the website and van no matter what size the house is, I just think people Google 'window cleaner Colchester' see the website and ring me...

I'm sure it's like that for every area...

I think a good image is always going to be desirable, people trust a good image...

Not sure how an ozzy Osborne type person would do when canvassing :rofl:

 

[TolishAPurd]

I was just wondering whether for the average middle-class houses I guess, whether its better to portray yourself either as a small local one-man band or as a professional 'company' I guess you can tailor it to each person/area, but you have to have a general theme going on in your flyers/website/van etc, too much effort to double up on it all :zzz:

There isnt an answer to it. Every customer is different, and its luck of the draw as to whether they need your services at the time you pitch or advertise to them.

 

[adamangler]

Just had a call from a leaflet, quoted her £8 for a terraced, professional leaflet, told her frames, sills, doors etc...you could hear the shock in her voice lol, she was like erm ok thanks thought it would be half that! then hung up.

Not sure what image i need to portray to get work at a reasonable price, off their feckin heads round ere.

 

[Jake]

Wow, that's ridiculous Adam, what a waster!

 

[MrBump]

What a muppet, she wants you to clean all her windows for a pint! Ring her back and tell her if she comes and picks you up and provides all the gear you'll do it /emoticons/biggrin.png

 

[Jimroot]

I've started asking them , is the cheap guy insured, have the right tools, will he still be doing it next year? That's shut them up

 

[Green Pro Clean Ltd]

Websters defines the difference between amateur and professional as the fact that a professional gets paid.

Says nothing about defining the quality of workmanship or service between the two.

 

[Jimroot]

So it's not a measure of quality, and image is just that, whether the customer is 'fooled' or not ... Or has the need to be fooled for their own ego/image

 

[Green Pro Clean Ltd]

Peoples perceptions of window cleaners is often very low lets be honest.

Yes but many of us on here can make in a week what our customers earn in a month, so that will teach them! /emoticons/smile.png

Tolish I was like that for years, and since going more 'pro' my round has exploded, so it must work...

When you and your lads turn up all looking the same, in nice fresh tops with the 'proper looking' tools then you'd be amazed at how they come out of the woodwork to ask for a card. It really does work.

Branding is everything, in a previous post Stevie spoke of his powder coated ladders matching the rest of his kit, I think that's inspired and may well look into it myself.

 

[Green Pro Clean Ltd]

Just had a call from a leaflet, quoted her £8 for a terraced, professional leaflet, told her frames, sills, doors etc...you could hear the shock in her voice lol, she was like erm ok thanks thought it would be half that! then hung up.

Some time back a woman contacts me from an internet advert on social media, tells me she want's fronts only doing.

As I know the Cul De Sac she is on already I said 'That's not a problem madam, I can do that for my minimum call out charge of £8 per month'

'Oh.... Don't worry about it' she says 'I already have a guy doing the fronts for a fiver, i'll stick with him'

You will, should you endure, meet every possible type of numpty imaginable in this game sooner or later.

 

[Jake]

Yes but many of us on here can make in a week what our customers earn in a month, so that will teach them! /emoticons/smile.png



When you and your lads turn up all looking the same, in nice fresh tops with the 'proper looking' tools then you'd be amazed at how they come out of the woodwork to ask for a card. It really does work.

Branding is everything, in a previous post Stevie spoke of his powder coated ladders matching the rest of his kit, I think that's inspired and may well look into it myself.

Spot on green

 

[MrBump]

Why would she even bother contacting you if she was already getting them done for a fiver, was she hoping you'd say even less? Nutter lol.

Most people do have a mental image of what they think a windie is and I don't think its overly professional, unless they have a professional looking one already that is. I've gone with and will stick with a 'professional' image, have everything except a logo'd tee (on the to-do list), but it is interesting to see everyones takes on how best to approach 'being a windie' :windowcleaner:

 

[peter rogers]

well dont go out looking like a scuff with smelly breath and bo

lol

View attachment 5305

 

[adamangler]

oh and another! just quoted 10 for a 3 bed semi, thats dear was the reply, ok how much were you expecting? i was paying 7 before. ok so youre arguing about £3 then, really ?

i might start taking these customers on and giving them the most slap dash service imaginable lol