Ideas for Marketing a Carpet Cleaning Company
Marketing a carpet cleaning business requires planning and consistent work by the owner and sales representatives. Competition for carpet cleaners is fierce: It is an easy business to start and there are always new companies vying for customers' attention. But the fact that there are a lot of competitors is no reason to become discouraged. The key to success is to stand out from the crowd by having a targeted message for the right customers.
Other People Are Reading
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Referrals
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Forty-six percent of consumers find a carpet cleaner through word-of-mouth referrals, according to Jacquelyn Lynn in "Start Your Own Cleaning Service." No other marketing method she cites comes close.
To encourage customers to spread the word about your carpet cleaning business, offer a reward such as a discount on future cleaning for recommending a new client.
New to the carpet cleaning game? Then start your own word-of-mouth campaign by telling everyone you know about your new company. Family members, former co-workers, church acquaintances and neighbors are a good start.
Networking
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Network marketing requires attending social events where businesspeople can get to know each other and exchange business cards. Local groups such as a chamber of commerce or a Rotary Club chapter often host these types of events with a guest speaker.
In an article for Cleanfax.com, marketing coach Larry Galler says carpet cleaners need to be prepared to answer the simple question always asked at networking events: What do you do for a living?
Instead of just saying, "I clean carpets," Galler says carpet cleaners need to answer with something along the lines of "I help people enjoy their homes more by making them look fresh and sparkling clean." This will encourage the other person to press further by asking the follow-up question, "How do you do that?" Now the carpet cleaner has an open door to talk about his company with someone who is interested and engaged.
The key to networking is being remembered by the people you met after the event is over. Stand out from the crowd by being excited about your work and selling its benefits, not its function.
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Internet
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Internet marketing requires more than just having a website. Customers looking for a carpet cleaners through a search engine will have thousands of links to choose from; the top few that appear will be companies with deep pockets to spend on search engine optimization. If your budget is low, consider marketing through a third-party company such as ServiceMagic.com.
ServiceMagic.com allows consumers to request bids from carpet cleaners over the Internet. Carpet cleaners are charged a fee per lead (potential new customer). If no leads are received then the carpet cleaner pays nothing. The system works well for budgeting because each carpet cleaner sets his own monthly spending limit.
Coupon Mailers
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Coupon envelopes and magazines are a classic carpet cleaning marketing tool. Unlike the methods mentioned above, which allow carpet cleaners to sell on quality of work, coupon mailers are all about the offered discount.
Plan on offering a package deal that is a good value to the customer but still leaves room for profit. Do not be pressured to offer a cheap package just to get the phone ringing. After all, customers responding to a low price offer will not be willing to add on additional, more profitable services.
Add-On Sales, or In-House Marketing
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Many carpet cleaners think marketing is done once they are in a customer's home. Wrong. This is the golden opportunity to let the customer know all the services offered and why she should have them done.
Caution: This is not the same as a bait-and-switch, which is dishonest. A bait-and-switch occurs when a carpet cleaner advertises a special, say cleaning two rooms for $19.95 and then tells the customer his house does not qualify and requires the $99.95 special.
Add-on sales can happen when a customer calls to have her dining room and living room cleaned. Let's say the fair price is $75. The carpet cleaner can offer to to add on the hall carpet and stairs for only $25 more. In this scenario, the carpet cleaner is boosting his profit margin simply by asking for more work. It is the same as the fast-food cashier asking if you would like fries with that order.
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Comments
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Marketing for carpet cleaners required a wide range of services, and inclusion of social media marketing to be effective.
