Cold Calling Success for Cleaning Companies
The shift to technology has shaped the way we market our cleaning business, right? Today it's all about “social selling” using media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and building online relationships to drive sales. So is cold calling a thing of the past? Not so fast!
Successful Cold Calling
Even though cold calling may seem an outdated practice, many cleaning businesses still incorporate this marketing strategy as part of their overall marketing plan. Why? It can be a successful way to market your business, make contacts with new prospects, build a data base, get referrals and leads as well as new customers, and oh by the way, is an inexpensive way to go about it.
By incorporating “technology” into your cold calling, you can now research your prospect and their company via the internet. This gives you a big time advantage during the initial introduction when cold calling. After all, it's the person who is most prepared and informed that make the most contacts and close the most sales.
For example, you could start with:
“Hello; my name is John and I work for ABC Cleaning, a local building service contractor in your area. I currently clean the Anderson Centre and Lincoln Legal Services buildings, which I am sure you are familiar with. We specialize in cleaning building such as yours, the Dower Professional Building. We have a professional reputation of providing quality services and incorporating money saving systems, which I am sure David would be very interested in. I am calling other local business owners in the area to see if there is a need for the services we provide? I was able to save Craig, the owner of the Anderson Centre hundreds of dollars…..
At this point of the conversation, ask for what you want, such as an introductory meeting to introduce yourself, your company, and your services. Always specify a time for the meeting, such as “would Thursday at 10 am work or would next Thursday be a better time?” If you cannot set up a time, gather information such as names of decision makers, an email address, etc.
Name dropping gives you the advantage right from the start by establishing an immediate relationship, even though it may be just the first call and you may have never met the person on the other end. If you know the owner/manager of the building, use it and use the names of your customers, such as “David” and “Craig” from the above example.
When cold calling, you are in fact trying to make contact with cleaning prospects without a scheduled or pre-determined meeting and without their consent. Don't plan on closing many sales when cold calling. What you are really attempting to accomplish is set up a meeting, establish a list of potential customers, generate leads, and gather information for your data base. This will also set the stage for you to start sending out informative postcards, flyers, brochures, and emails directed to the decision maker(s).
Don't Fear Cold Calling
Most people recoil in fear at the thought of cold calling in order to make sales for their cleaning company. But if you spend your time sitting in your office waiting for people to come to you, you're going to have a long wait. If done properly, cold calling can be an effective sales technique for your cleaning business.
The following tips won't eliminate your fear of cold calling, but they can help to make it a more positive, successful experience for you and your cleaning company.
- Remember the purpose of a cold call. Many people think that the purpose of a cold call is to get the sale - wrong. The purpose of the call is to get an appointment, or at the very least create a sales lead, so you can get a chance to make the sale.
- Do your research. Don't just pick up the phone and start dialing. You need to do a little research first. Who is your target market? Start making a list of the companies who fit into your niche and then start doing preliminary research on each company before calling. For example, find out if they have a web site and read it thoroughly. Find out who the decision-makers are. See if they're a member of the Chamber of Commerce to get additional information about their business. Once you have information regarding the company, mention it during your conversation.
- Be nice to the gatekeeper. It's very likely that when making cold calls you're going to be connected to the gatekeeper (assistant to the decision-maker, receptionist, etc.). Be friendly, learn their name and use it. Maybe say something like, "I wonder if you could help me?" You want to get them on your side, willing to give you the information you need. Ask if they can help you get the name of the person you need to talk to or how you can make contact with that person.
- Call early in the morning. This is typically the best time to reach the decision-makers. It's also a time when most people are more pleasant and have more energy.
- Prepare your script. Don't just "wing it". This will keep you from making common mistakes like opening up with, "How are you today?" This will give them a chance to end the call before it's even started. You should start the conversation with a greeting and an introductory statement, which can transition into more dialogue. Here is another opening dialogue example: "Good morning, Mr. Smith. This is Tom Jones of Crystal Cleaning Company. I recently read in the business section of the local paper that you're moving your business to a larger location. We specialize in commercial cleaning services in buildings of this size and can help you to reduce your monthly maintenance costs by using proven cleaning systems that can reduce your cleaning budget. I'd like to ask you a few questions in order to determine the amount of savings we can potentially provide your company."
- Prepare for the rest of the call. It's difficult at this point to completely script the call, but you should have a list of the benefits of your services and the reasons that the prospect should buy from you over the competition. Don't simply make a list of features, like being bonded and insured. While that's an important consideration after you've made the sale, the prospect only cares about what's in it for them at this point in the call.
Make a list of possible objections that they're likely to make like, "We already have a cleaning service that we're happy with," and then craft statements to overcome the objections. - Ask for an appointment at a specific time. Don't simply end the call by saying something like, "Can we meet next week to discuss this?" Instead say, "Would next Tuesday at 10 a.m. be a good time to meet?"
- Be persistent. They say that most people need 7 to 10 "touches" before they are ready to make a purchase, so don't give up after only one or two calls!
Try sending a Thank You card or email after the call thanking them for taking the time to talk to you. Most people appreciate this simple, thoughtful gesture. - Practice makes perfect. The only way to get better at cold calling is to practice. You may never really enjoy it, but you can definitely get better at it the more you practice. Remember, your customers are out there, you just need to let them know about you!
Don't fear or become frustrated by cold calling. You are going to get “hung up” on and rejected many times. It's the nature of the beast. Just because you didn't close a sale doesn't mean the “cold calling” was in vain. Making the initial contact and gathering prospect information is a great start to building your lead data base.
Keep a record of all your cold calls, who you called and who you talked to, any relevant information regarding the call and prospect, and if this is a potential prospect you should continue to pursue. Most of your calls will be with potential customers, who will not be ready to buy just yet. But know you have their information and you can start making additional contacts so when they are ready, they will most likely be calling you.
If you are calling in an area that you already have established, satisfied customers, don't be afraid to drop their name(s) during the conversation. Businesses are always interested in what other businesses are doing and by using satisfied customers as a reference during the call, will definitely help build credibility for your cleaning company.
Perhaps with technology moving forward at a break-neck speed, cold calling has taken a back seat to today's “modern” marketing programs, but don't count it out completely, it still works. Remember to keep a positive attitude, be professional and straightforward, control the conversation, listen, and start opening fresh new business opportunities for your cleaning company using cold calling.
You may be interested in the following forms and audio:
Cold Calling Scripts and Templates
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