didn't write it, but was in my files, might help some.

_______________________________________

 

Cold Calls are Necessary

 

The fear of making cold calls can usually be overcome by forcing yourself to go ahead and make three calls. These tips will help you overcome hesitancy.

 

• 1. Prepare a sales book with diplomas, courses and classes, before and after photos of work, letters from happy customers and literature. Put all of these materials into a presentation book.
• 2. Dress up. You will feel better when you look extra sharp. Your prospective customers want to deal with a successful contractor, so look like one.
• 3. Bring plenty of business cards and brochures. Give every person you meet one of your cards. Business cards are inexpensive and a great sales tool.
• 4. Give yourself a little pep talk. Get into the car and tell yourself about all the sales you are going to make today. Expect some rejection. Your competitors may not be willing to risk rejection, that is why you will sell new accounts and your competitor will not.
• 5. From your target account list (prospect list) start cold calling on potential customers. Have fun meeting new people. Be pleasant and friendly.
• 6. Don't always try to get a customer's business on the first call. Be low key and offer to bring back a bid. Record the names and conversation of those you speak with. Don't trust your memory. Spend your whole day talking with prospects. Listen to establish rapport. Show a sincere caring attitude to start the bonding process.
• 7. Size up each customer so you can vary your approach. Ask questions which will be answered "yes" and keep it up until you close the sale. Learn to agree. If the customer says, "Your program costs more. Answer: "Yes, let me show you why." Learn to use trail closes. "Mr. Jones if you were to start with our program would you want us to do this and this?"
• 8. If you meet resistance in one particular area or market, start the next day in another part of town or with a different type of market. When you have a customer in one particular trade or type of business, be sure to call all the other prospects in this same business.
• 9. People don't know about your business until you tell them. Keep your name in front of prospects. Many prospects will have a falling out with their present service and quickly need you. When a prospective customer says "no" he means, he just doesn't need you right now.

 

Challenge yourself to make cold calls.  If business is slow, do you have something better to do with your time?

 

Telemarketing Guidelines

 

• 1. Value your listener's opinions and concerns. If he or she is tired of interruptions, sympathize with them and then explain why this call is different. Value their feelings. Develop warmth and intimacy.
• 2. Limit solicitations to three to four minutes. Be concise and graphic.
• 3. When you ask for the person, pick up your voice at the end of the introduction and the prospect will warm up to you.
• 4. Develop a winning format and cultivate your telephone abilities.
• 5. Our voices reveal insecurity, doubt, and hesitation. Don't be burdened or convey heaviness. Convey a light and enthusiastic voice.
• 6. You must first establish credibility and rapport. Always be in charge, don't rush or get distracted. Direct all your energy and focus on your goal.
• 7. The listener can assess the caller by the way he or she gives their name. If it is garbled, too soft, or rushed it may convey low self esteem or inexperience.
• 8. You must demonstrate you like the prospect. Listen carefully and compliment the prospect.
• 9. Learn to praise the merits of your program before you pick up the phone.
• 10. Imagine the person who answers will be happy to hear from you. Curtail your doubts and fears. Act positively.
• 11. Convey a successful track record to help create a dynamic image. Draw upon structures of credibility to create rapport and acceptance.
• 12. Eliminate weak words such as "perhaps", "maybe", and "could".
• 13. Establish phone control. Control is won or lost at the very beginning. Ask a friendly question. Take charge by repeating their name with a question.
• 14. Use terms with personal or professional meanings to generate trust and association. Use authenticators or professional jargon which is familiar to them.
• 15. Eliminate words like: consequently, crazy, sleazy, hate, hard, and horrible. Use positive appealing words like: wise, willing, wonderful, wealth, victory, veracity, love, and learn.
• 16. Always adjust your appeal to capture the tone or voice of an industry. For example, with a beauty parlor, be well informed, trendy, energetic, enthusiastic and keep your words simple. With a bank, be calm, collected, stable, credible, reserved, and refined.
• 17. Successful openers:

      a. "I am going to be sending you literature on our offer to make a free back up bid on your

          cleaning. By the way, do you use a service or do you have your own employees clean?"

          (Assess needs and respond).

      b. After sending a mailing: "I'm calling about the literature we recently mailed to you? 

          Could we set up a time to discuss the details?"

      c. New offer - One week free cleaning. Free spot removal in one room.

      d. Inactive account - "We're calling to let you know we have totally revamped our service   

          with new crews and management."

      e. Market study approach - "We are calling to find out data to better serve you."

      f.  Referral - Be sure to repeat referrals name two or three times.

18. Your next step is to mention two or three benefits.

19. Close by saying, "We could stop by tomorrow and work up a bid for you." Or, "The     schedule shows a good time to stop by would be three o'clock."

20. Reinforce a positive decision. When a customer agrees to a bid or start date

       repeat, "That's great."

21. The customer is concerned with comfort and value. Articulate benefits clearly and

       creatively. Think big. Inspire the customer to greater standards of quality.

22. Use drama, inject vocal variety, (pitch and rate) and learn to supercharge your voice.

23. When you emphasize the correct things in your appeal, prior barriers will disappear.

24. If possible, ask the prospect to do something before you arrive. Gain some kind of

      commitment.

25. To prevent rejection and burnout forget the no's and remember only the yes's.  The

       prospect is not rejecting you personally, only your offer.

26. Try to get through the screener (the secretarial guard). Give data in order to get data. Use a title to create status. "This is Mr. Clipperton, owner of _______." Thank people in advance - With each answer say "Thanks." For example, "Mr. Clipperton calling for Bill Smith, thank you." In regards to what? "Yes it's regarding our recent correspondence, thank you." Perhaps I can help? "I wish you could, but I need to find out the spec's for the bid he is requesting, thanks again."

27.  Never ask a client if they are busy. Don't say," I was just checking to see if you received".  Don't give a partial explanation that leads nowhere. Don't throw the ball to a prospect if they can sit on it.

28. "We have a contract with a company." Answer, "Great are they doing an excellent job? Do you have a back up bid on file in case you need to change unexpectedly? What would it take to earn your business?"

29. Start your day with enthusiasm. Talk about new features, ideas and programs.

30. Motivate yourself the first 15 minutes of the day. Set the tone. You will sell more. Start the

      day with exercise, a motivational tape or scripture reading.

31. Don't worry. Worry time includes 40% of the time agonizing over things that will never

      happen, 30% over things we can't change, 12% over things which were misinterpreted,

      10% over health issues, and 8 % over legitimate concerns.

32. Emotions such as worry are conveyed over the phone. Your voice is all the customer has to

      go on. If you feel depressed it will be conveyed.

33. Tools you need for phone work: organized desk, mirror, tape recorder and script.

34. Listen to the prospect carefully, don't interrupt, concentrate, take notes, listen for ideas and

      feelings, not words, don't jump to conclusions and listen for clues. Ask questions to clarify

      and try not to directly confront.

35. A salespersons time should be spent: 45% prospecting, 20% developing presentations,

      20% product knowledge and 15% personal and professional development.

36. Make calls today in order to get appointments tomorrow. Be willing to ask for   the

      appointment.

37. Five steps to phone prospecting:

1st - Command attention. 2nd - Identify yourself. 3rd.- Identify your company. 4th - Use a key phrase to get a response (a question or unique offer). 5th - Close by setting an appointment.

38. Develop a script that sounds good and works. Practice and use persistence. Example: "Mr. Jones I am calling to let you know about our free offer to survey your building and give you a cleaning bid. We may be able to save you money or provide a superior service.  There is no cost or obligation.  Could we stop by and leave you some literature?"

39. Handling objections - When a prospect says, "I'm busy." Or, "I'm happy with my present service", or, "my boss decides that but I would rather not bother him", or, "We are already under contract,"  "We can't make any changes now". SOLUTION: REPEAT: the objection.   "I see your tied up now."  REASSURE: "Mr. Jones some of our customers originally were very busy (or happy, or under contract, or didn't feel they could change), but when they saw our survey, they realized how we could greatly upgrade their cleaning program. RESUME your pitch to set the appointment.

40.  Use innovation. Mr. Jones, we have a revolutionary way to ensure a clean building at

       reduced rates. Our people are certified cleaning technicians, we have engineered a

       cleaning system that saves you money and up grades quality. We'd like to give you a free

       bid, so when you make a change, you would consider us. Can we stop by Tuesday?"

41. Use second party references. "We clean the XYZ building and they are very happy with our

      service. We'd like to offer you a free back up bid."

42. To get past the secretary say, "I'm calling about a program we have with XYZ company."

      Often by using a competitor's name the prospect will be curious to learn of their activities.

43. Keep using the pitch that works. Each day you can take advantage of the fresh

      opportunity to talk to someone new about your service.

 

Selling Over the Phone

 

a. QUALIFY: Is the prospect willing to discuss a proposition?

"Mr. Jones I'd like to ask you a couple of questions about your cleaning program."  Not interested... "A lot of people tell us that at first until they have a chance to see the tremendous benefits of our program."

b. INTERVIEW: "Mr. Jones we require our people to pass a rigid training program. Our training is under Gary Clipperton, Pro Clean College founder with over 30 years of experience in the cleaning field."

c. PRESENTATION: the benefits of having a certified contractor clean your building, carpet floor etc. are: professionalism, improved quality and improved appearance, top expertise, and the experience of a thorough job without hassle. Next cover your references. "Our customers rate #1. We do business with __________ ."

d. WRAP UP: You can handle stalls like "Maybe later" with "OK, when could we set it up?" Price is too high...with, "Well you know quality doesn't cost, but it pays. If we don't apologize for price then we will never have to apologize for inferior work."  "I am paying less with my current contractor."  Answer - "Can we review the scope of our service to make sure we are comparing apples with apples?"  Not ready,  "ls there something I failed to explain to you?"

e. CLOSE: "Could we set up a starting date?"

 

Phone Strategies

 

• Eliminate the run around: Ask the secretary to page the manager. Ask the secretary to give you an alternate number. Find out who handles the area of responsibility you are concerned with.
• Try calling early or late in the day when the secretary is not in.
• Always presume that you will get through. You have valuable information the boss will want. Don't leave a message because your call probably won't be returned. Find out the best time to call back.
• After three unsuccessful attempts, consider leaving a detailed voice message.

 

Expectations

 

An experienced telemarketer should be able to make 30 phone calls per hour.  This effort should land 10 conversations with a prospect.  Those 10 conversations should convert to 1-2 appointments set.

 

When making bid presentations you should be able to close 30% within a week's time.  The author has been able to close over 70% using the materials in the Janitorial Success Program.

The materials presented in this program are not theoretical.  They work.  I have landed hundreds and perhaps thousands of contracts over the last 30 years using these principles!

 

Telemarketing works.  However, it is strictly a numbers game.  You have to generate daily activity and tweak it continuously to improve the results.  You have to pay your telemarketers promptly and continue to encourage them.  They become the goose that lays the golden egg, so treat them well.

 

Good Info Rob.  Very timely also.  I am slowly getting fired up for the new year, but I am getting going.  Made some calls today before reading your post.  After your post I feel I am doing o.k with phone sales yet could tweak it a bit.  I so hate rejection, but like the post reads they are not rejecting me just what I am proposing.  I will copy & paste your info in a file.

 

Thanks.

Sweet! Thanks RJ.

Thank you

Bri and cleanjean 

I know what you mean Bri

But we have to get thruogh those no's to get to thoses yes's.

Brian do you do a lot of direct marketing?

 

Great info, RJ.  Thanks so much for your contributions!

Torrey

Rob we do not do direct marketing outside of some hit & miss email marketing from a form that I made prior to switching over to Vista & not being able to use the same email marketing program that I had.

Do you have much luck with it?

I keep reading hoping to find another method besides doing the telemarketing.  I hate voice mail & receptionists that work as bouncers throwing out any sales calls , no matter how dirty their building probably is from poor cleaning they get from the cheap franchise company they signed on with........oops did I sound bitter  :)

 

Most of our marketing is done by mailings. (no email, we do snail mail).

I done a lot of different kinds of marketing, bit I find the regular mailing has always paid off better than the others.

last 4 months of last year I received over $130K in new accounts from using mail marketing, for me thats good. 

I usaully just send out a introduction letter, wait a bit send out a brochure, then wait a bit then send a post cards.

I try to change the post cards a lot. the thing I find that works good for my area is direct mailing, website, phonebook.

cold calling i do once in a while, but its a pain in the ass reasons you mention above.

 Emails they seem to get pissed, but then again who likes spam.

 

Sounds like you have a totally great plan in place RJ. Fantastic revenue from snail mail and follow-up for you! I've never even considered cold calling or e-mailing. My inboxes are set on high spam alert and unless you have a direct line to the significant contactees...ugh...a mass web marketing sounds like a nightmare. and e-mail is so non-personal.

Thank you Suzi, I try and do what works for us.

I had times when a customer called and

I went there to talk to them and do the walk thruogh.

They had a letter and brochure that I sent them.

but the funny thing the intro letter and brochure was over a year old.

they say if they like what they read they file them in case they

might need the service some where down the road.

and some of them were good accounts 30 to 50k some of them we were awarded the account.

one I remember particle that was about 6 years ago, we still have them.

that stamp definitly paid for itself.

The emails, I get about 60 and up of spam a day.

I don't read them I just look for customers names and delete the rest.

 

RJ I have sent out Introduction letters, postcards, and even calenders before and didn't receive any phones calls. I haven't figured out what all to put in a brochure yet i really need to do one, i'm terrible on coming up with that kind of stuff.

If you don't mind could you help me out on some wording that has worked for you? I am working on expanding my business to another area where there is work all year long instead of this seasonal where i am now. I am having a really, really bad winter this year.

Appreciate any help

Tina's Cleaning Magicians

"Cleaning Magicians Working Magic"

 Tina you just right up stuff about  your company.

Example:

1) reasons why you will have peace of mind with Tina's Cleaning Service.

 

(then put in all the reason)

 

2) A pleasant, long-term relationship with our customers is our most valued asset.

   (Write something up on why they are so valued)

 

3)  small article section

   (here is something i did, """There are many “cleaning and janitorial companies” out there who give the cleaning industrial a bad name; we call them fly by nights.These are some of the things to watch out for""( then i put the reasons) ).

 

4)  The Tina's Cleaning Service Difference

( Writ up something that makes you different than others and how they will benefit).

 

5) Types of Facilities we Service

 

I like to read brochures and letters from all different kinds of companys

and services and so forth. every time I see something I read it.

I look at it and look for what makes me like it or hate it.

it gives me ideas on what to and what not to write.

 but remember keep it short, brief and to the point.remember there not into cleaning, so they just want the important stuff. 

Thanks so much will try this already done some of this but this time maybe change around then.

great post and good points...learned from this post...

 I've done the cold calls it has worked a few times for me hate doing it though I got my mom to start doing it for me. LOL  The thing that seems to work best for me has been to drive around and drop off my flyers I've been doing this about three years and each year has gotten better and better. I also do mass faxes not sure if it works or not or if they just get tossed most people don't remember if I walked the flyer in or if it was faxed. I do mainly commercial so word of mouth has been the best advertisement for me so far.