Don't Lose A New Cleaning Account Before You've Started Cleaning!
Have you ever stolen away a cleaning account from a competitor? It can be a great feeling, working on a prospect for months and then finally getting the account! But you may also have experienced the let down of a phone call a couple days later from your "new client" expressing regret that they won't be able to work with you after all.
What happened? When they told their existing contractor that it was time for a change, their contractor counter-offered to keep the account. Of course the counter-offer included lots of promises like better service and more consistent cleaning, but it also offered a lower price, which the prospect simply couldn't ignore. After all, it's easier to keep the existing contractor at a lower price than it is to deal with making the transition to a new cleaning company.
In order to avoid this type of situation, it's best to deal with potential problems head on. If you know a long-time contractor is going to be terminated, ask the prospect, "When ABC Cleaning finds out you're making a change, they're probably going to do whatever they can to retain your business. How will you handle that?"
By addressing an issue you know is inevitable, you've got a much better chance of saving the account. It's better to bring it up while you're there, rather than waiting to see what happens. If they respond to the question by saying something like, "Well, I'd have to think about their offer", then you know you've got more work to do.
Have you ever had this happen to you? Share your ideas for dealing with this situation by posting your comments on the Cleaning-Success.com blog.
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Copyright TheJanitorialStore.com. All Rights Reserved. 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!
