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Roof Cleaning New Jersey · May 3, 2012

RE: Building A Business

A to Z · Deleted

Same here, the phone needs to ring more. I get between 1 to 4 leads per day, 2 is average.
This is phone calls and website contact leads.

Roof Cleaning New Jersey · May 3, 2012

Zach its tough doing the work then trying to execute all of the marketing ideas we have. Imagine having the time to go to network breakfasts, local Chamber of Commerce gatherings, home and garden shows and street fairs within your 10-15 mile radius. These are all long term functions that can sustain you. It may not make sense for some to hire help at this stage, but its not a bad idea to invest in hiring and training a pool of part-time helpers to get familiar with what you do so when the phone does start blowing up, you may have someone who can handle it.

Liberty SoftWash · May 3, 2012

Here lately about 2 a week

Liberty SoftWash · May 3, 2012

I don't know what going on!

May 3, 2012

Thanks for the advice Ed, great input from others.

Apex Roof Cleaning · Guest

Roof Cleaning By A&E wrote:
Here lately about 2 a week

I am in this same boat. Put some how, i trickle some late callers on the weekend and I am able to get 4 jobs in a week.

Roof Cleaning New Jersey · May 3, 2012

Joe Mack wrote:
We use 2 women 4 hours per day cold calling to make appointments for the sales team. The have a line asking if we can stop by and give them a quote for all our services
This equals 10 to 15 sales calls per day with a 65% close.
You need to come up with a tag line seperating you from the rest of the power washers pushing for the same work
Good luck
Joe

Good advice Joe. Who are you targeting with your phone calls? How do your girls know who to call?

Roof Cleaning New Jersey · May 3, 2012

Roof Cleaning Long Island N.Y 516-763-4108 wrote:
Thanks for the advice Ed, great input from others.

Pat by hiring guys is not to help you. Its an investment. Exterior cleaning is a trade like no other. There are a few seminars if you have the money to travel the country, but its not on the list of classes at Lincoln Tech. Are there any household name exterior cleaners in anyones area? Does anyone know of a "Stanley Steamer" type big time cleaner? This is a hard business to put systems in place, like putting the picture of a Big Mac on the register for any dummy to take a McD's order. Hiring a pool of guys is an investment, and can be an expensive one. You will go through 30 guys to find 3 good ones. Then when you get them, how do you get them to return after the Winter?

Liberty SoftWash · May 3, 2012

I was getting a great deal of leads earlier in the year mostly from the Internet. Then, I made some changes to my Google Places page (the advice of the woman who does some of SEO stuff) and my Places page disappeared and is currently being reviewed! I've been told this is normal and it will only be a matter of time till I'm back where I was in Google Places listings in my service areas. But, I think that may be a contributing factor to the drop off In Internet leads. I still have a great web presence and show up all over organic searches but, I'm just not getting the amount of traffic to my site as I was before. I know it will turn around but, paitence is not one of my strong points!

Eco Pro Exterior Cleaning · Guest

Ed great post! We opened doors to this company April 1st. I definitely tough waiting on the phone! Ive been passing out cards, flyers and dropping liture off at a few real estate companies.

We also use service magic which I haven't been to happy with. We have gotten about 8 or 9 leads with them since the 1st of April, but Ive only been able to get a hold of 4 of the people and only got a number to one!! The other three where just price shopping.

One must have got freaked out when I told her i wasn't using oxigenated chlorine when she asked me if i was. Got a couple calls via references, and have some numbers out there. I second guess my #'s sometime but you got to make some money!, but there are always some guys out there doing it for nothing!

Also thinking about adding some landscaping in the mix. You see a ton of those guys out there but theres always working!
We picked up a concession trailer to! Got a good deal, my partner been in the resturant biz for 10 yrs. Got to have something to do why your wating on the phones! LOL

Roof Cleaning Severna Park MD · guest

Awesome post! Last year I saw myself as still cleaning roofs all the time, that was until I read some books that got my head out of my ass.

Since my wife is pregnant, I'm still stuck working a full time job and doing this part time until she has our child (insurance purposes). So, at the moment, I am having a hard time fitting all of the work in that I constantly plant seeds for all year long.

In 2012 I implemented different systems to make the company stand apart from other businesses entirely so next time they think exterior cleaning, they think of Extreme Cleaning Solutions. I realized that a database full of customers and potential customers is a potential gold mine, but it's worth nothing if you don't tap into it. Getting referrals is only easy when you ask for them and train your customers how to refer your company and WANT to refer your company.

One huge lesson learned is that an internet presence is great and can definitely bring in thousands of dollars per year, but the potential customer has to be searching for that service and chances are, they are also calling your competitors at the same time as they are calling you. You need that, but you also need a more in your face approach at the same time. If you chase down all of the customers that aren't searching online at the moment and get them to call you, you've put yourself in front of the customer and can eliminate the "I'm still getting other estimates" line as well.

Roof Cleaning New Jersey · May 3, 2012

Phil sometimes simply picking up the phone when it rings is enough to stand you apart. A bluetooth can make you money. I like an old style Plantronics and I buy 5 at a time for $8/piece on Ebay from the Chinaman. We price most things on the phone and most people arent prepared for the next part of the conversation which is scheduling. They were expecting a long drawn out process where someone shows up, examines the home, tea and krimpets, etc. Gotta strike while the iron is hot.

Roof Cleaning Severna Park MD · guest

Hey Ed, I price 95% of my work online, but I usually don't give them a price when they first call since I'm usually not able to see what I need to see, but usually within an hour I email them a quote and call them back, it does work well. I've also got an instant bid form on my site which also works well and has the ability to book work while I'm asleep.

I'll have to get some of the bluetooth devices that you mentioned, missing calls is a common problem for many of us, I'm sure.

Roof Cleaning West Chester PA · Premium Member Roof Cleaning Institute of America

good post Ed ... I tend to bite off more than I can chew. Good problem to have I suppose but sometimes growing too quick could be more problematic than not growing fast enough. I have 0 interest in labor, it's just an expense and I hope to be able to be completely hands off in the very near future. We do about 50/50 power washing/roof cleaning, so I typically clean all the roofs and my crew (2 guys) does the power washing. I'm in desperate need of a personal vehicle, so plan on addressing that but debating whether to get another truck like Mike did or get a regular car ... both would be nice but you know!

I want to own the business, not work for it, so I approach it as such. The most difficult thing for me, like I said, is I bite off more than I can chew. Right now I have my guys working on a town home community, where I dropped off the trailer and will move it in front of the next circle of homes that night, while I'm out with the pickup truck running errands, going on quotes, etc. Also I had to rent a pressure washer as some of the roofs I'm doing also include pressure washing.

When I just concentrate on acquiring business, be it commercial or residential, all I have to do is exceed my payroll by the amount of sales I make. I'm hitting that number by about 7x so from a business perspective I'm literally losing money if I'm on the job personally. But like you said, good help is hard to find. Right now I have a lead guy who's enrolled in the police academy starting mid July and my other guy doesn't know it yet, but he'll be replaced by the end of the weekend.

Good post!

Apex Roof Cleaning · Guest

Personally I would never cheap out the the blue tooth, go with the best money can buy. I think I sound great, Hank on the other hand thinks I am skydiving every time I talk to him. Mike your last line was hilarious, how those hundred gallons working for you?

waxman18324 · Premium Member Roof Cleaning Institute Of America

Dan,

I'm just old school and deaf(LOL). No bluetooth, I still open a door for others, no texting while driving and I obey the speed limit with the work truck.

Hank

Roof Cleaning West Chester PA · Premium Member Roof Cleaning Institute of America

Apex Roof Cleaning wrote:
Personally I would never cheap out the the blue tooth, go with the best money can buy. I think I sound great, Hank on the other hand thinks I am skydiving every time I talk to him. Mike your last line was hilarious, how those hundred gallons working for you?
they'll be in Monday and taking to the welder on tuesday, can't wait to end the 55 g drum routine ... glad we talked before i made my decision. as little back as a month ago i was telling you how i don't mind taking a little longer on a job site cause we get a lot of people come up to us and ask for quotes ... that's still somewhat true but time is money and the difference between a good day and a great one!
been real happy with calls from the truck too ... last year I literally recieved 2 phone calls from people on the road, this season its been about 15 already. ran out of my truck on 202 (stopped traffic) the other day to hand out my business card to the car honking behind me and booked the job over the phone this morning!

Roof Cleaning Tallahassee · Guest

ran out of my truck on 202 (stopped traffic) the other day to hand out my business card

Now THAT is what I call "Gorilla Marketing"! LOL biggrin

jcstomper · May 4, 2012

Roof Cleaning New Jersey wrote:
Phil sometimes simply picking up the phone when it rings is enough to stand you apart. A bluetooth can make you money. I like an old style Plantronics and I buy 5 at a time for $8/piece on Ebay from the Chinaman. We price most things on the phone and most people arent prepared for the next part of the conversation which is scheduling. They were expecting a long drawn out process where someone shows up, examines the home, tea and krimpets, etc. Gotta strike while the iron is hot.

so true! this is why the tablet comes in handy! i can google map their house, zoom in, and give them a price on the phone.. people are flooded!!! and then they have a estimate in their email box 5 minutes later!

The Roof Cleaning Institute Of America Training & Certification Forum "Find A Certified Roof Cleaner Directory"

The Roof Cleaning Institute Of America Training & Certification Forum
"Find A Certified Roof Cleaner Directory"