The Biggest Marketing Mistake Cleaning Business Owners Make
I've looked at thousands of websites over the years, and there seems to be one constant when it comes to the mistakes I see. Can you guess what it is?
The trap I see cleaning business owners make time and time again on their website, marketing collateral and advertising efforts is to list all the "Features" of what their business has to offer. Instead of giving your prospects a bulleted list of features, how about talking about the "Benefits" of what's in it for them (WIIFM)? Reading through a list of features does absolutely nothing to convert a prospect to a client. But if you can take that feature and explain what the benefit is, then you're on to something.
The difference between Features and Benefits
Identifying your Features and Benefits will give you a strong base for your marketing efforts. Features are good for letting customers know what you do, but it's the Benefits that will convince them to buy your services.
Features are a description of what your company has to offer. This can be anything from what equipment you have, to what kind of insurance you carry, to where you are located.
But it's the Benefits that let customers know “what's in it for them”. Benefits are a description of how the customer will benefit from your services. Why should they care about that feature and why should they choose your company over the competitor?
Let them know that because you have efficient vacuum cleaners with HEPA filtration, you are able to keep dust down in the building, which means better air quality. When employees work in a building with good air quality they are more productive and have fewer absences.
The important thing to remember is to discuss the value you provide to the customer before you start talking about price. This is why we stress talking about benefits rather than features. Benefits show value, and people are willing to pay more if they perceive the value to be high.
Features VS Benefits Challenge
Following are examples of Features and the Benefit of each feature.
Feature: We use vacuum cleaners with HEPA filtration
Benefit: Vacuums with HEPA filtration keep the dust down in the building, which means less frequent dusting and better air quality. Less frequent dusting can save on your cleaning budget, and better air quality can mean less sick days for the employees working in your building.
Feature: We are Bonded and insured
Benefit: Because we are bonded and insured, you'll have the peace of mind that your cleaning contractor has taken steps to protect the building and contents from theft and damage.
Feature: We train our employees on cleaning procedures and safety
Benefit: Employees take pride in their work and stay with their job longer when they receive comprehensive training. This means we can provide you with more productive cleaners, higher quality of work and more consistency. Our safety training helps to prevent accidents and keep Worker Compensation rates down. All of these things combined saves us money, so we are able to provide a more consistent cleaning service at a reasonable price.
Feature: We do Building Inspections
Benefit: We take accountability for our quality of cleaning and make sure the quality of service is up to your high standards so you don't have to spend time worrying about it or contacting us about problems.
Feature: We can manage your supplies
Benefit: Because we manage supplies in the building, you no longer have to worry about running out of soap, toilet paper or hand towels. Plus, you don't need to spend time picking up or ordering supplies.
Feature: We have cleaning certifications
Benefit: We have invested in [enter certifications here]. Because of this you can have peace of mind, knowing that we're experts in our field and take the utmost care with your building assets. We're not experimenting with cleaning procedures on your furniture and flooring, and we won't void carpet warranties because we are IICRC certified.
Now it's your turn. Go through your website and marketing materials and pick out all the Features you list. Then think about how to turn them into Benefits. Remember, for the Benefits; think about this from your customers' point of view. How is this Feature going to benefit them? What's in it for them?
This exercise should get you thinking more about the specific benefits that you need to talk about with the prospect. When he sees the value you offer, he'll have a better understanding of why your prices are what they are and will be less likely to object to your price.
Wondering what other Marketing Mistakes you might be making?
Clean Smart University has several marketing videos, including this one called, "10 Mistakes in Marketing". The tips and traps outlined here will save your business time and money by avoiding poor or ineffective marketing activities.
When you join The Janitorial Store's Premium Membership, you'll also get access to the video marketing training series, presented by Founder, Jean Hanson, who is a Certified Duct Tape Marketing Consultant.
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