After more than two decades in this business, I can tell you that the single most important question I get from carpet cleaners is…
“How Do I Get More Clients Fast?”
Without new clients, you end up relying on referrals and wordofmouth. Your cashflow is up and down… and there’s a constant underlying stress about where the next job will come from.
But when you get as many clients as you want – when you want everything becomes easier. You can plan in advance. You can sleep easy knowing that you can cover the bills… and you can focus on providing the best service possible to clients.
So how can you generate a steady stream of clients?
There are lots of ways, but what I’m going to tell you about now is one of my favourites.
You can implement it very quickly and cheaply and you don’t need to hire any experts or freelancers, yet it works brilliantly.
What is this method?
I call it the 3-step letter.
The 3-step letter is a sequence that offers a free carpet clean and inspection to prospects.
The first letter in the sequence gives a reason why you are making the offer (in this case it’s the neighbour) and spells out the offer.
The second letter essentially repeats the first one. The key difference is that you
acknowledge that you already contacted them.
The final letter is a ‘push’ letter. You put all the focus on taking action now. This is your last chance to turn a prospect into a client and you want them to feel that urgency when they read the letter.
The result you will get from sending this sequence will depend on the area and market you are in. However, you should aim to get 23 clients for every 100 letters you send. If you are getting fewer, then you may need to reconsider the suburbs you are targeting.
Other important points.
In the first letter you will notice that I have used a client’s name.
To get a neighbour’s name for your letter, simply ask an existing loyal client if you can use their name. Then allow them to read the letter so they can understand what you are doing. Most people will be happy to help out.
Also, when you read the letter, you may be worried about giving a free carpet clean. Don’t. Nobody wants one clean room, so you will get ‘paid’ and the long-term profits from getting new clients and their referrals will help you to grow your business rapidly.