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struggling to get customers

Josh Foster

Member
Messages
57
Location
Liverpool
Hi all I have been out canvassing today and got 1 new customer and there must be a few cleaners in my area which was to be expected and then others that don't want them doing or do them their self's. I then must of posted about 80 business cards, so hopefully get some call backs. but I am just finding it really difficult and its hard as I am sure everyone on here knows and has experienced this themselves to just go door to door and its just no thanks, we already have a window cleaner, I am not expecting lots of customers but would be happy if i could get 2 or 3 each time. would I be better getting a Facebook businesses page and sharing that with friends and family. has anyone got any tips, any help much appreciated thanks.

 
I didn’t want the bother with a Facebook presence, but Went for it about a fortnight ago. Joined community groups in the areas I provided service and after a few posts with nothing i hit gold and genirated 30 leads in a couple of hours. It’s worth a punt

i did well and have no idea what I’m doing. So would imagine you could do well if you get your head around it.

ironically I prefer door knocking.

 
@Josh Foster don't let it get you down. Today you got 1 customer you didn't have yesterday. Some days you're gonna get loads, other times nothing. 80 Business cards is nothing, at 13 years old I used to deliver 350 newspapers in a evening. They often had leaflets I had to sort out and I had to come back home for refills several times. You could do 80 cards in an hour.

You need to be a little more fluid with your approach here. Ask yourself what you would do if someone put a business card through your door. I would wonder what the hell they were doing. What did they call for, do I owe them money, have they mistaken me for someone else... That's going straight in the bin. If you dropped a leaflet saying ''Josh Foster window cleaning services. we offer X, Y & Z'' you would be much more likely to get a result.

Personally I cleaned some friends houses for free and leafleted the street. It's good practice and you may well get a walk up doing this. Unfortunately if you want to have the best chance of getting a walk up you're better cleaning at the weekend.

With regards to a FB business page, yes do it. Use every single avenue you can. FB is just one of those, get your friends and family to like your page. If someone wants a recommendation for a window cleaner you can get them to recommend you.

Back to leaflets for a second. Don't expect more than 0.5%-1% return straight away. You need to put out a good amount in an area, say 1000+ you will undoubtably get some results from this. In some areas I have put out 1000 leaflets and got 5 customers, in others I have put out 400 and got 10. One area in particular I didn't even finish the leaflets and I started getting phone calls for quotes and just cracked on with them. 

 
what do you put on your leaflets and where the best place to get them done

i just though with a card they may be more likely to keep hold of it, there is so many leaflets that get posted from takeaway places that most people don't even look at them and put them straight in the bin that was my thinking

 
what do you put on your leaflets and where the best place to get them done

i just though with a card they may be more likely to keep hold of it, there is so many leaflets that get posted from takeaway places that most people don't even look at them and put them straight in the bin that was my thinking
Just big and bold it needs to say WINDOW CLEANING!! Don't worry about adding too much information, make it look professional, make it funny, put a picture of the cookie monster on there it wouldn't make a difference if they need a window cleaner they'll be in touch. You have a couple of seconds to get someones attention. If you deliver 1000 leaflets lets say 500 go in the bin without even being looked at, 200 land in the hands of the wrong person (Children, husband who doesn't deal with window cleaning, maid, lodger etc) That leaves you with 300 that are being looked at by the right person. Of those people you just want 3% to go yeah. Sure most will say no thanks to themselves and lob it in the bin, some might even see it as a reminder to call the window cleaner they call every 6 months but if 3/100 call you up you'll get 9-10 customers from that initial drop.

It's just a numbers game. Facebook posts will work well but while they're working for you get out and do more for it. Once you've dropped leaflets it's a good time to canvass. A few days later go back and ask if they got your leaflet and if they're interested in having their windows cleaned. Much much easier to spark a conversation at the door then and you'll be amazed how many people say they were gonna call you. If you drop 1k leaflets and get 10 customers in that area in that week then go back and pick up another 5 you've got a solid days work in an area. Get out and clean them all and keep showing up regularly. The round will compact itself over time with walk ups.

 
Yes, before and after photos. Get a bank of photos just for this purpose.

I think closeups works well as people use social media on small screens these days.


Also include some pictures of yourself cleaning.

You got one customer from canvassing today. Let's say for example that's a £12 clean. That's actually £144 per year on a 4 weekly basis! - Not bad eh! Just keep doing more of the same - you'll get there eventually. ?

 
Have a look at other window cleaners leaflets, there's loads on the internet, that should give you some idea.

As already said, a picture of you and your van is good.

Window Cleaning in big letters.

Everyone knows what window cleaning is, so don't try and explain it. 

What do you offer...eg, what areas? 4 weekly, 8 weekly? or what?

Are you local, reliable, good quality?

Do you clean the frames and sills every time?

Think about what the customer wants to know...rather than what YOU want to say.

Keep it short, sweet, friendly and professional looking.

Show your leaflet to a few friends and ask them to be honest.

PS get the spelling correct!

As for your one customer, when you clean it, leave your van in the road so everyone can see it. (ideally on a Saturday).

Take your time cleaning and do a thorough job. Say hello to everyone who passes by, smile and have some chit chat (no sell).

When you've finished, knock 3 doors either side and 6 over the road and tell them you have just cleaned 'mrs Jones' and would they like a quote to clean theirs.

Then knock the street, say you clean in the street and would anyone like a quote.

Look smart, be nice and get in them corners!

 
I was the same 2yrs ago when I started. Got about 10 customers and thought it would all come together. I realise now why that was not the case and its fairly simple. No one knew I was now a window cleaner or took it seriously. That's all changed now with the van lettered and on Checkatrade. I am now picking up new customers just from word of mouth through old customers relatives. Three new customers this week and one is a £100 every three months. The public are a bit apprehensive when it comes to people who just start up because in the back of their mind they think they might not stick at it. Best piece of advice I would give is go full tilt with free social media. I don't do Social Media so I don't get any new customers through it. I have now came up with a £6 minimum price and pricing a bit higher now that the silly season has begun early. The best thing I have done is my local church windows. The customers I am getting through the church is hard to believe, I even got the house to do now and it has over 50 windows. After a few years it all seems to fall into place, well that's what I am witnessing, good luck. 

 
I do window cleaning sales for a living here in London. I get a couple of customer an hour at least. Might be the area or might just be that I have knack for it I don't know but here is what I do.

 I knock, tell them how much it is for the front and if it's a no I move on straight away. Never try do get an unwilling customer, too much hassle and they will always cause problems and bail on you anyway. The ones that are interested I get their details like name and number and ask them if it's just the front? I try not to push for regular already, it's 50/50 anyway. If they are regular but the whole house each month is a bit expensive i suggest just having the front done every two months and then at least they have us coming round and can always decide on having the back done whenever. 

That's it really, as a last thing i give them a biz card but otherwise i never post anything and never knock on doors that have clean windows (obviously), if they already have a window cleaner I respect that and don't try to get them to switch. I work fast and cover a lot of ground, I get at least 1 customer in 10 people I've spoken to so don't get worried unless I'm passed the 10 mark without a customer. Dress smart, even business like if you want, you are wearing your sales hat on after all so no crime in that. Also it's important to find out the medium price for your area and not under charge as under charging just makes you look incompetent. 

Hope that helps

 
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Hey Josh 

I had a customer who recommend me to someone on nextdoor.co.uk who was looking for a window cleaner. I got 6 emails over the weekend asking me if I would be interested in cleaning their Windows.

Might be worth joining nextdoor.co.uk and let people you are offering window cleaning services in your area. 

If you can get one from nextdoor.co.uk asking you to clean their Windows and they are happy with you they might recommends you to other people in your area and don't be surprised if your phone don't stop ringing.

 
I would say you looking over each of your recent posts you are covering all bases, you just have to keep on going and keep on doing leaflet drops and door knocking and do follow-ups on those that weren't in when you were door knocking and or doing a leaflet drop usually 2 days after as for FB you need to get client reviews/recommendations these will help quite a bit.

Moving forward, getting a website done is a really good idea, ThriveWP could get you a site up and running which is @Gav our forum admin and he has built sites for lads on here, you can get lots more info about you and sell yourself more again you need before and after pics, pics of you cleaning windows and a mugshot of yourself on there people want to know the face of who is cleaning there windows.  

 
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Get some flyers printed... and just keep targeting the areas you want to work.  

Its just a numbers game.  Just keep regularly spending an hour or 2 putting out flyers... and if you see people at the houses you are targeting just stop, smile and ask them if they need window cleaning.  Knock on doors in the street where you already have work.. be super friendly.  You'll find that it might be a month before someone rings or texts from a dropped flyer.

Get a FB and Instagram page up and running, get yourself on google maps, yellow pages etc.  Loads of free places online to get your details out there.

Ive liked about 500 local businesses and community pages through FB and Instagram and regulary just flick through and like every single picture (ive had quite a few recent direct enquiries through instagram) and like them or leave a comment.   Its taken me about 6 months of Instagram posting and liking etc and get about an en enquiry a week through it.   Join all the buy sell local FB pages and plug yourself on there.. or you'll find people regulary asking for a window cleaner on the selling pages.  Do a daily search on FB on your 'groups' page.  

Study this carefully.. it has some great advice..https://windowcleaningforums.co.uk/topic/28393-7-months-starting-my-story-so-far-lots-of-tips/?tab=comments#comment-406167

Just get some dogged enthusiastic determination going.  Every flyer delivered, every door knocked, every like on FB will get you there...

 
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I have a big run and built it up doing leaflet drops tried knocking doors which I didnt find successful I recently started a fb page which a friend runs for me it's very good have got alot of work from it just try not to sicken the followers with posts all the time space them out and also run a competition for free clean or whatever you like every few months to keep the interest up.

 
Deliver your flyers , place adds in the local papers and business directories and for definate hit facebook every day , basically keep getting your name out there , the work will come .

 
my 2 best rounds have grown from advertising in parish magazines  people then know your local and lots prefer that also the older ones and new comers always look in the parish mags and they're cheap ive 1 at £50 a year and my most profitable 1 is  £180 a yr 

 
my 2 best rounds have grown from advertising in parish magazines  people then know your local and lots prefer that also the older ones and new comers always look in the parish mags and they're cheap ive 1 at £50 a year and my most profitable 1 is  £180 a yr 
This is a top tip. And it is so for the reasons outlined by Simon. One regular customer gained at say £15 six weekly =9 washes per annum =£180, which will go a long way towards paying for local advertising. Any new customers will have friends, neighbours and family. Therefore you will have seeds set. I personally don't use fb as I think the customers gained by other means are likely to prove to be better. 

 
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