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kelleyhill25 · Jul 22, 2009, 03:32 PM

I have all the legal things taken care of thanks a lot for your help.
I'm having trouble with finding contracts. I have cold called they always have somebody and happy with the company they are dealing with. When I walk in to business it’s the same thing. How can I get pass the walls and get a contracts?

N0help4u · Jul 22, 2009, 03:36 PM

Are there any new businesses starting up anywhere?

tickle · Jul 22, 2009, 03:36 PM

What kind of contracts are you looking for, kelleyhill ?

Tick

Fr_Chuck · Jul 22, 2009, 06:49 PM

It is a matter of numbers, when I was in sales and did "cold calls" I did about 30 plus a day, and would get 2 or 3 leads from those, and would go from there.

You have to offer more or better or a lot less.

N0help4u · Jul 22, 2009, 06:52 PM

Her other post said janitor business

Stringer · Jul 25, 2009, 01:33 PM

Exactly Chuck, if it was so easy everyone would be in this business. Yeah I know; many try, and many fail because there is so much more involved than they ever thought. A lot of people think; 'hardly no investment, quick profit and all I have to do is sweep some floors.' You have to first be a business person and if you aren't then take some basic classes to help you become knowledgeable and possibly successful. Or, go to work for someone for a while to learn the business from the inside.

Kelley, I am not saying that this is you, but this seems to be the general consensus.

To expand on Chuck's post, (and he is exactly right) I can tell you that from my personal experience I expect to cold call around one hundred people to get to just talk to maybe twenty. And from that twenty possibly get an appointment with six or eight and sell three, especially in this rotten economy.

But it isn't JUST a numbers game. In sales it's how you approach people on your initial call (and throughout the contact), your knowledge/experience, your attitude, your perseverance, your desire, your offer, your system of doing business, your DIFFERENCE (from the others), and your smile... You have to believe that you will not fail, and do whatever it takes... what are your other options?

I never sold a contract previously based upon low ball pricing going in the door. If the conditions were right (large building, more buildings, more potential, volume, etc) would I negotiate? You betcha, but I sold value and experience and I have references to back it up. So if I had to negotiate... the prospect already knew about my company, that was predetermined prior.

But now, I find myself and I am instructing my sales people to be more aware of the pricing going into new businesses than just selling value alone. Things have changed, now more than ever it is 'how low and of course, I want the same value.'

Kelley, decide that at this point especially (just starting) that you will spend most of your time 'knocking on doors'.

One nice thing about the cleaning business is that the people in charge now may leave but the building will most likely still be there... call back at least every six months... you never know!

Thanks, sorry I was so long in my answer,

Stringer

Fr_Chuck · Jul 25, 2009, 02:30 PM

And it is learning to get "in" you have to get past security guard posts, and the hardest past the receptionist who is ordered normaly to send you away, and they just throw your papers you leave away.

My trick, I was always "out" of business cards ( unless I saw the boss) I would get the boss name and ask when best time to call back.
Also best accounts, go in, 30 min before they open, often secretary is not there and you just walk past to see the boss, ( same at lunch time or after business hours)

In my line ( although I got thrown off property 2 or 3 times a day) I went in the back door or the "employee only door" and got into the offices the back way. On the way I talked to some employees and found out who to see, if they were in, and all I could about who was doing the job now.

The largests accounts I ever got, was the ones where security guards escorted me off the property the first time I went in.

Stringer · Jul 25, 2009, 03:08 PM

Originally Posted by Fr_Chuck

And it is learning to get "in" you have to get past security guard posts, and the hardest past the receptionist who is ordered normaly to send you away, and they just throw your papers you leave away.

My trick, I was always "out" of business cards ( unless I saw the boss) I would get the boss name and ask when best time to call back.
Also best accounts, go in, 30 min before they open, often secretary is not there and you just walk past to see the boss, ( same at lunch time or after business hours)

In my line ( although I got thrown off property 2 or 3 times a day) I went in the back door or the "employee only door" and got into the offices the back way. On the way I talked to some employees and found out who to see, if they were in, and all I could about who was doing the job now.

The largests accounts I ever got, was the ones where security guards escorted me off the property the first time I went in.

Perseverance, you're absolutely right Chuck, without that and the things I mentioned in my post above... well, than you better know some 'connected' people. Then again, connections are always great to have... networking, talk to everyone, everybody knows somebody that knows somebody. :) I can't tell you how much business I got over the years like this... I know it is in the millions...

I have only gotten told to leave once... and that was a weird story, a crazy man... oh well, maybe someday I'll tell you.

Stringer

Stringer · Jul 25, 2009, 05:44 PM

I wanted to add something else to this thread that I think is very important especially in this climatic economic time.

To me this is basic, but is a great reminder and a timely article from 'The Janitorial Store.'

Although it is about the cleaning business it applies to all service oriented businesses.

"Do You Provide Customer Service or Customer Satisfaction?"

"A wise building service contractor once suggested to members of The Janitorial Store that we are NOT in the customer service business. Rather, we are in the customer SATISFACTION business. He explained that service is a concept; satisfaction is a demonstration.

Have you ever lost business and wondered why?

"The building was clean" we say, and it probably was. But somewhere along the line we irritated the customer. It may have been something one of our employees said like "that's not in the contract". Sure, your company was providing the service but the customer wasn't satisfied with your organization.

Years ago Tom Peters once said, "If you have to have someone in customer service what are the rest of your people doing"? Think about that the next time you go to Walmart or Target. They have a separate "customer service" department. You may even have a "customer service representative" who travels around visiting customers to see "how we're doing". If that's the case, what are the rest of your people doing to provide customer satisfaction?"

-The Janitorial Store

Everone with your company is a "customer satisfaction" person, especially you.

Stringer