You've probably heard us say plenty of times that you need to ask lots of questions when selling your cleaning service. If you want to get the information you need to determine if you're a good fit for the prospect and to craft a proposal that meets their needs, it's important to get them talking. But are you asking the wrong questions?

 

Here are a few common questions that people ask when meeting with a prospect. But some of these questions should be asked in another way and some should not be asked at all.  Are you able to tell the difference?

 

Tell me about your business.  This is not a job interview where you ask the person, "Tell me about yourself". If you ask this question you'll be wasting the prospect's time, as you should already know about their business. What they want to hear from you are ideas on how you can solve their current issues regarding cleaning their building.

 

Can I send you a bid (or quote)?  You've just made your business a commodity. They may say "sure, send me a quote", and then promptly place your quote in the pile with all the other low-priced services that want their business. You've done nothing to show them that you understand their needs and are the solution to their problems.

 

Who are you currently using to clean your building? They'll probably think that's none of your business. And if you'd done your research you should already have the answer to that question.

 

How much are you currently paying for your cleaning service? Again, that's none of your business. However, after you've had a more in-depth discussion about their needs and you feel they may open up about price when that time comes, it may be ok to ask if they have a budget for their cleaning service. But never directly ask what they're currently paying.

 

If I could save you money on your cleaning service, would you make a change? You've just made it all about price. How do you know you can save them money when you haven't even walked through the facility or know how much they're currently paying? This is a red flag to the prospect that you're desperate for business and will lower your price just to sign them up.

 

What would it take to earn your business? This is another desperate question and is telling the prospect that you're looking for the fastest way to sign them up without doing the necessary work to show the value you can provide to their business.

 

Are you the person that makes the decision on hiring the cleaning service? Of course they're going to say "yes" to this question - even if it isn't true. They are not going to tell you they can't make the final decision. Instead, ask, "How will the decision be made?"

 

Asking questions is a good thing, but asking the WRONG questions can keep you from getting the sale. So as you craft your list of questions, be sure to think about how it is being perceived by the prospect. And then either get rid of the question altogether, or tweak it so it actually leads to a sale.

 

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Jean Hanson helps owners of commercial cleaning companies build a more profitable and successful cleaning business through her online community at TheJanitorialStore.com. Jean is also the host of the popular Web TV show CleaningBiz.tv and author of the newsletter Trash Talk - sign up today!

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