ALERT … ALERT … ALERT … ALERT … Mega Yawn Time Coming Up.
Try to keep awake!
Want to advertise your business? Why not use use stock photos on your marketing as a form of promotion? There’s some cracking photos out there you could use …
a cute dog on a cream carpet
a cup of coffee being spilled
a red wine spillage
kids tracking in dirt from a rugby game etc
Blah Blah Blah. It is all so BORING!! Your customers have seen it a thousand times before (at least.)
How do those images promote your business? All they say is that you’re a carpet cleaner like a million others.
How do you hope to stand out if you are using the same imagery as everyone else?
Why not keep it real and actually be yourself and show the quality of your own work, not a stock photo? People want to be able to relate your business to real life situations they suffer.
I use the image below of an Indian Restaurant we clean A LOT to demonstrate how good we are at cleaning carpets.
With this one image you have shown how good you are as a carpet cleaner and this sets the scene nicely for you to deliver your sales pitch with a much lower resistance to price and more emphasis on quality.
So ditch the picture of the coffee stain with the cup right by it; it tells the prospect nothing of what you can really do and it just tells the customer you are just like a million other carpet cleaners!
Talking about keeping it real, how about putting pictures of you with your family or pets on your website? You and your family on holiday? A nice video of your carpet cleaning work would really help too. Let your prospects get to know the real you! People will relate to that much more than stock photo’s they have seen a thousand times before.
As business owners so many of us convince ourselves that the only way for us to get ahead in business is to offer the lowest price possible, but the fact is if your prices are too low people will look at your goods and services and wonder what’s wrong with them.
A low price indicates low quality or poor work.
It indicates to your buyers your carpet cleaning services are shoddy, no frills and poor customer service.
Would you expect to buy a Rolex for £20?
Or a Rolls Royce for £1,000?
Here’s a true story … today I went looking for a new jacket so I can keep warm and dry while I am walking my dogs.
Now, I don’t claim to know the first thing about what’s warm and what isn’t or what the waterproof rating of each jacket really means to me, but because I want something of quality I am prepared to pay more for it. Sometimes a lot more for it.
Consequently, because I didn’t want rubbish, I actually WANTED to pay a large amount for my new jacket.
In my mind, I wouldn’t even look at anything which was lower priced because I wanted quality, and no one seriously expects to get a Rolls Royce for the price of a Fiat.
The saying “cheap and nasty” is always perceived to be true, so if you are not selling “cheap ‘n’ nasty” carpet cleaning services then don’t be cheap! Cheap prices can seriously work against you and your reputation!
There is so much more to any purchasing decision than price alone.
As a carpet cleaner, you know that the job can be physically demanding and sometimes repetitive. However, maintaining motivation is crucial not only for your personal satisfaction but also for delivering the best service to your clients.
Here’s why motivation matters and how you can harness it to excel in your work.
First and foremost, it’s essential to cultivate a positive mindset. Surround yourself with positivity and steer clear of negative influences. Just as you trust in the effectiveness of your cleaning solutions, trust in your abilities and the value of your work. Believing in yourself is the first step toward achieving success in any field, including carpet cleaning.
Consider the importance of holistic thinking. Every job you take on is an opportunity to learn and grow. Whether you’re tackling a stubborn stain or managing a large commercial project, each experience adds to your expertise. By viewing challenges from multiple angles, you can develop innovative solutions and enhance your skills, fuelling your motivation and determination.
Persistence is another key element. In carpet cleaning, as in life, you will encounter obstacles. Perhaps a job is more challenging than anticipated, or a client is difficult to please. Whatever the case, don’t give up. Persistence is what allows you to overcome these hurdles and achieve your goals. Remember, every clean carpet is a testament to your hard work and dedication.
Being authentic is also crucial. Success comes from being genuine and true to yourself. In your interactions with clients and colleagues, let your passion for your work shine through. Trying to please everyone can lead to burnout and dissatisfaction, so focus on what makes you unique and valuable as a professional.
Don’t underestimate the power of relationships. Your loved ones and friends are invaluable sources of support and happiness. They can provide encouragement and perspective, helping you stay motivated even on tough days. Similarly, building strong relationships with clients can lead to repeat business and referrals, further boosting your motivation.
Finally, remember that motivation is about preparation and vision. Just as you prepare your equipment and plan your approach for each job, prepare yourself mentally. Visualize your goals and the success you want to achieve. Motivation without vision is like a boat on land—it won’t get you far. Dream big, believe in your dreams, and let them guide you toward success.
Motivation is the driving force behind excellence in carpet cleaning, and by maintaining a positive mindset, embracing challenges, being authentic, valuing relationships, and preparing for success, you can achieve your aspirations and deliver outstanding results for your clients. Keep your eyes on your goals and go for it!
Branding is a buzz-word which gets thrown about by ad agencies the world over, but the only point of branding, and the only reason big businesses spend billions every single year on branding, is because they want to establish an emotional connection with their customers. That is what branding is all about. Establishing an emotional connection with your target customer.
To start branding your carpet cleaning business, follow these essential criteria for a successful brand.
Distinction
Your brand has got to be different to stand out from the crowd. If your branding is the same as everyone elses why would a consumer select you over your competition?
Your brand must clearly convey your uniqueness.
Added Value
Your brand has to demonstrate how your business adds extra value to the buyer. ‘Me too’ products are all right as part of an extended product portfolio, however if your buyers are to part with their money, they require added value and this ought to extend right through to the entire product level e.g. to include services.
Quality
Branding your carpet cleaning business will be pointless if your services are of inferior quality; you can forget about brand allegiance if your business quality is poor. Never forget there are a number of rivals waiting to take your market share, and brand allegiance is becoming less common as rivals utilize all sorts of tricks to win over your buyers; don’t let poor quality be a reason for lost business.
Structured Communications
With more and more SME businesses vying for your customers, being memorable for the correct reasons is central to any brand’s success. Your promotional technique has to be tight, sending one marketing e-mail a month isn’t adequate; you need an intermingled, ‘through the line’ communications technique which keeps the momentum of your brand
Direction and Support
Individuals are the key to your business and internal marketing ought to be a top precedence for any marketing manager. You are able to spend 10’s of thousands on your brand all to be forgotten when a buyer pops up and your people haven’t heard of the deal or offer! Invest time and cash in internal marketing and ensure you’ve a strong set of brand guidelines to support your people.
Pricing carpet cleaning can be hard, but to some extent the answer to the question “How much should I charge for my goods or services” is easy to answer.
You should charge as much as you possibly can for your professional services, but if you want to charge a decent amount for your services it is vital you develop professional sales scripts and procedures when you are quoting for the work and you add a ton of value to every transaction.
Pricing carpet cleaning – When you are quoting for work it is also really important for a customer to see that you are not just plucking your numbers out of thin air since plucking numbers out of thin air when pricing is a sign of an amateur sales person and your prospects will see right through it.
It is also important for you to have a structure to your pricing to reassure your prospects they will be charged the same as everyone else for the same quality and quantity of work, even if your prices are higher than your competitors.
Just remember that LOW PRICES ARE ACTUALLY A TURN OFF FOR MANY!
The saying is cheap and nasty for a reason and the vast majority of the population believe this to be true. THERE IS A CERTAIN PRESTIGE / STATUS IN PAYING HIGHER PRICES AND MANY WILL WANT THAT PRESTIGE!
Strange as it sounds many people actually want to pay higher prices for their services. Paying over the odds for their goods or services makes them feel powerful and gives them an elite status. It also gives them bragging rights too. Don’t believe me? Why do people travel business class on a flight when it can cost nearly ten times more than economy class? Because they want to be made to feel special and they don’t want to mix with the riff raff.
Snobby? Maybe, but this is real life!
You can call it what you want … snobbery, elitism, power trips or whatever. These people want to be made to feel special and they want the very best services money can buy. They want to give their money away to people who make them feel great, powerful and successful.
That could include YOU!
In our Pricing For Profit course we give you our unique “Cash Injector Profit Booster” sales system which will help you price consistently AND offer your customers a choice of payment plans, as well as giving you several ways for you to tackle the dreaded price objections! Yes, it comes with the Pricing for Profit course!