i'm new here..help me out!

[Dan Dan]

i'm very new in this business. what are some good examples to follow concerning advertising?

[Clearly Prfessional]

rocks

Dan Dan, Here is a way you will blow the dorrs off and get into homes fast: Assuming you can deliver a quality job of course. I use this method for all of my cleaning services and it works.
Have yur flyer designed to look professional, have them printed two up on an 8,5x11 page so you will get two per page. Print 1000 pages (2000flyers) and buy snack-sized zip lock style bags at WalMart and two bags of river rocks from Lowes or Home Depot. These are the rocks you would put in your flower bed or along your drvieway. Wash off the rocks so they are not dirty and let them dry. Now, take a full day and fold the flyers so they will fit into a bag, put enough rocks to weigh the bag down so wind wont blow them away and drive through neighborhoods and toss these bags with you flyers onto drive ways. You can throw out hundreds a day.
I average about a one percent return so it takes several hundred to generate calls BUT, if your service has some sort of different angle, maybe you use a floor machine with a bonnet, or maybe you include free spot removal, or maybe you dry the carpet...something wherein people can see you are truly different than all the guys in the phone book, then you will close about 90 percent of your calls. Now, produce a nice estimate sheet that explains why you are different and put the customers estimate on this nice sheet and leave it with them. Tell em you are gonna leave this sheet so they can discuss it and to give you a call when they are ready to have the best clean in town.

When you are done, be sure to send a nice thank you note with another business card. THIS works I promise. If you put out flyers every days, deliver a great service, deliver excellent follow up...you will get busy within two weeks. Put out 5 or 6 hundred flyers a day. Every few weeks put flyer BACK where you put them before. People will begin to trust you and your return will increase every time you put out flyers. Even when you get busy (and you will) keep putting out flyers. If you stop putting out flyers, your phone will stop ringing.

when you can, put an ad in the phone book. Call every apartment in your zone and offer them your services...for free one time so they can see how good you are.

And finally, get a book calledThe Complete Idiots Guide To Cold Calling. Get the book at books a million and READ it.

[Dan Dan]

great ideas. i've been busy "delivering" brochures but as of now, no calls. it's a little frustrating because i bought a rotovac which cost about $3500 and also i purchased a used van for $2500. i landed a few customers but they're family so they were easy. this friday i have a car dealership to do. it's a nice job but i'm sure very time consuming. that's ok, i have nothing but time. i'm going to put a coupon in the local paper as well. let's hope for the best!!

thanks for the ideas!!

[Donald]

advertising

also you can visit

http://www.steam-brite.com/forum/showthread.php?p=41#post41

and

http://www.steam-brite.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10&highlight=advertising

[Clearly Prfessional]

I too own a rotovac. I have done well with it and use that to sell my clients. FYI, I also live close to an RV park and do tons of RV carpets. I am more expensive than the big truck guys but I also provide a high end service. I dry the carpet and do spot removal included in my price. I have learned that the rotovac does take longer but I feel it cleans better than just a wand. I have an external heater but the rotovac eats up water so I only uise the rotovac on heavey solied carpet. Every where else I use a carpet wand to great results. Dan, the moderator here, has lots of tips and ideas about shampooing carpet. Be sure to read through lots of posts here. Very imforative. G'luck

[Dan Dan]

i have a car dealership to do on friday. i'm a bit nervous because i heard that the rotovac is too powerful for glued down carpets. do you know this to be true?

[Donald]

direct glue down

Since you own a Rotovac, give it a try.
If it starts to bounce around, stop right away.
In general, most cleaners prefer to prespray and scrub with a rotary floor machine and then steam rinse the carpet on direct glue downs.

[Dan Dan]

i had a couch, love seat and chair today. i'm sore!! what is the normal cleaning routine for furniture?

[Donald]

Basic Upholstery Cleaning

Upholstery cleaning is a two day class for me to cover everything so I will touch on the basics.
Perform the burn test on the sliver of fabric you removed from one of the zippers to help you determine how much of the fabric is natural vs. synthetic.
Perform the specific gravity test, formic acid test and sodium hypocrite test on the fabric.
Inspect the spot that the customer sprayed with a trigger sprayer with water on the zipper of one of the cushions. You are checking to see if the fabric water marks. You cannot perform this test because it takes a day to get the results.
While you are at the sink, demonstrate the fabric protector on half treated card stock.
Have customer sign your upholstery cleaning waiver form.
Protect the floor if on wood.
Move sofa to center of room.
Place 4 five gallon buckets (one under each leg upside down) to lift the sofa to a higher level.
Place plastic on the sofas platform (the part that holds the cushion) because many bleed or crock.
Prevacuum.
Prespray Dry Cleaner in small areas.
Rinse dry cleaner off with 200 psi with in internal spray hand tool with a well diluted neutral pH cleaner (like Kryptonite or Ambush). Clean upholster with normal hot water 120 degree with the pH between 5.5 and 8.5.
Agitate with white terry cloth towel and repeat cleaning process as necessary.
Force dry all areas of the furniture. This can include using ceiling fans, air movers (like and Air King), hair dryer (horizontal air flow only - not vertical), or dry outside in the sun (but only unit it is dry. As soon as the fabric is dry promptly remove from the sun)
Each pair of cushions need to be tee-peed together with zipper side down and not on a wood floor. Blow air horizontally across the fabric through the tunnel and around the exterior of the tepee.
Do not place cushions back on the platform unit 6 hours later. (customer is to do this tonight)
Post inspect the fabric with customer and make sure that the fabric is completely dry before you leave.
Use a lint roller to finish as needed.
Apply your fabric protector (Fabric Lock brand does not increase dry time)
If customer refuses to purchase protection, change to just treating the arms, head rest area and along the front for half your normal cost.
Collect and book your next follow up appointment when the customer would like you to check back with them.
I bet I am going to a bunch more questions after this article. I hope I did not open a bucket of worms.