Episode 90: I Didn't Win The Cleaning Account - Again!

How often do you have a meeting with a prospect, give your best effort to win the cleaning account, only to be disappointed once again? Do you ever take the time to evaluate the meeting afterwards or do you simply start working on your next prospect, hoping for a better result next time?

Episode 90- Video Transcription

I've learned through the years that the majority of cleaning business owners never really stop to consider what went wrong or what they might have done better. The truth is, many people blame the prospect for any number of different reasons -- they wanted a cheaper price, they chose another company, or they're simply too busy to make a change right now. That's a simple way to let yourself off the hook for not doing a good enough job of converting them to a client.

Any time you lose the sale, ask yourself these questions to see what you might do better next time.

1. Was I early for the appointment?  Being on time isn't good enough, and showing up 5 minutes late is simply not acceptable. ALWAYS be early for prospect meetings - no exceptions.

2. Did I prepare enough for the meeting? Did I do enough research? Did I familiarize myself with their business? Did I bring measuring tools and worksheets to record notes pertaining to the account? All these things add up to preparation. Too many business owners simply don't put enough time into research and preparation. 

3. Was I nervous? Nerves are common prior to meeting a prospect, but when you know your company's abilities and you're certain that YOU would be the best cleaning service for the prospect, then your nerves should calm down quickly.

4. Was I organized or did I fumble around searching for things like pen and paper or business cards? This can give the prospect a negative impression. They figure if you're this dis-organized at the meeting, what kind of dis-organized business are you running?

5. Did I have responses for the questions the prospect had about my cleaning service? Or did I stumble and say "Let me get back to you on that"? Don't get me wrong, it's ok to say you'll get back to them if you can't answer a particular question; but sometimes people are so unprepared that they don't take the time to anticipate possible questions. So when they're put on the spot they don't know how to respond. And that comes off as being unprofessional.

6. Did I apologize for anything? "So sorry I'm late!"  "Sorry, I intended to say..."  "I'm Sorry, I'm afraid we don't offer that service".  Too many "Sorry's" and you'll be sorry you didn't prepare better!

7. Did I continually feel as though I was on the defensive? If you let the client take control of the meeting, they may put you on the spot by asking tough questions. When this happens, many people get defensive. Pricing challenges are a good example of this, so don't let them control the meeting. Be confident and guide them through the meeting by asking the right questions.

8. Did the prospect seem distracted? Maybe he took a telephone call in the middle of your presentation, shuffled papers on the desk, or even watched the clock as you talked. This is a pretty obvious clue that you haven't engaged the prospect, and you're losing his interest. When this happens, it generally means you're talking too much about YOU, and not talking enough about the prospect's situation.

9. Did I criticize their existing cleaners? It's quite tempting to point out your competitor's deficiencies as you walk through the building and see obvious dust and dirt build up. But resist the temptation to bad-mouth the cleaning. The prospect already knows their current provider isn't doing a good job, or they wouldn't be meeting with you.

So - how did you do? Are you being honest with yourself? If you are, then you have an opportunity to identify your deficiencies so you can do a better job the next time you meet a prospect.

 I'd like to hear where you feel you could improve on your prospect meetings. Please share your comments below the video at CleaningBiz.tv.