Experienced CC Vetrans

Hire to your strengths, not your weakness.  If you are a great cleaner you will be able to train and supervise that cleaner better than if you were not a great cleaner.  You will quickly recognize bad habits and techniques before much damage is done. Clone yourself.

 

If you are not a good salesperson you will make a poor supervisor or trainer for a hired salesperson. You will be slow to recognize and correct expensive bad habits and presentations of that salesperson.  A train wreck you will never see coming until you do the autopsy on the experiment.

 

Better to make it your First Priority to "become" salesman #1 in your business.  Make over the entire buying experience that your clients have with your company, before, during, after each job. Never take off your marketing hat.  You will lose control of the direction of your company if you do.  Employees are "rented".  A rented salesman going on to greener pastures is darn near inevitable.  He will then do you more grief than any former cleaning technician.

 

I've been there.  If you don't believe me, go ahead.  Twenty years from now you can give my speech to younger newbies.

 

I'll be happy to help!

Thanks,

Lee

It seems there are two decisions. Do I want to be a multi truck operation
or owner operator business. I chose owner operator, other choose multi
unit.

I chose owner operator because I felt it is harder to target high end and
be multi unit unless you have a tight handle on your training and
management skills. I preferred my weekends off in the summer, and
worrying about what's going on when I'm gone was not my idea of
relaxing.

That said, Ed has a good plan for multi unit operations, Mr. Steamer has
a more owner/ operator style. IMO.
Each good advise after you have decided on the #1 decision above.
1 unit ? or multiple??? That is the question.

You seem to be leaning multi unit , Ed's advise seems prudent and
backed by the wisdom of experience. I myself can't comment on the best
way to expand to multi units, I just haven't been there done that yet!!!

good luck.

Great lots of sales.... no good work... your company is in the crapper...

Don you might be one of the lucky ones good help is VERY VERY hard to find... CC'ing isn't an easy job.... it's back breaking and it can cost a company a lot of money in screw ups..... and in truck repairs...

Yes looking towards a multi truck operation is great but all you have right now is one truck and thats where you should be on that one truck....

I guess I'm used to being involved with bigger organizations operations that book 30 to 100 calls a day... I know the problems with techs and equipment... I also know how long it takes before you get a bad rep..all the while the owners in the office...he's dying inside as his business goes down becasue of poor workmanship...

People want personal service.... they want to know who's coming to the door... unless your catering to a population of over a million one truck should do just fine with you on it...and someone else pushing the sales.

 

Cleaner1... I look at it this way.... what is your business... to clean carpets properly....it's the dirty part of the job that no one wants..... they never remember the sales person they remember the dude with the wand and how good a job he did.

Like I said do good work first and the sales will come... some customers will give a testimonial.... some will give your referals.... some will champion your cause

The reason why a lot of Carpet Cleaning Companies fail... the owner wants to be a pen pusher and not a wand pusher...

The work you provide in the house will be your greatest asset... it'll come a time that you won't need a sales person because the reputation of quality work will precede you...

Plus think of all the money in repairs on the truck you'll save if you run it and not some Joe buddy employee...

Hire the sales man....To start I pay him 15%... plus gas mileage.... give him a cell phone and a daytimer and send him on his merry way... maybe even his own desk with his name on it...  your job is to clean and keep the salesman motivated..happy sales man means more sales

 

sorry for the long post...  I've lived this and I'm living it and I will live it again

Edited by MR. STEAMER

Danmark. let me know when it is ready. I'd like to try it out.

Ed.....thanks for the advise....I do plan to run multiple trucks one day.....for now one TM and one porty.....see what happens.....but I'm still confused and a little unsure where we went with this......should I hire the sales person? Sorry if I'm being a little "thick headed" but I'm unsure as to the end results. If I am busy cleaning and marketing/sales...etc.etc. in my area...who is going to do the job in the new area if I dont hire someone?

Your response is greatly appreciated.

cleaner 1,

that is why I am in the process of developing a piece of software
with a partner of mine that takes away a lot of the time consuming part of
running a 1 man show. It lets me concentrate on running my business.
The software keeps track of all the invoicing and collections and also is a
postcard reminder and coupon creator . It allows me to stay on top of my
business with less than 15 minutes per day on average use. I will be
allowing other cleaners to check out a free trial shortly . After the free
trial We will be looking for companies to purchase a Beta version of the
software at a drastically reduced price If they agree to use all aspects of
the software and report back to us with constructive criticism and ideas.

They also would have to agree that they would not publicly criticize the
software . That is the purpose of allowing them to see the software
before it is 100% complete.

I strongly believe that if you religiously use our software for it's intended
purpose you will get a handle on the things that are overwhelming you. !!

Any questions of me , please Private message me if you wish. Or I can
answer them here. Thanks



Edited by danmarck82

Cleaner1;

 

IMHO, I do not think that hiring a sales person will achieve your goal because I believe that whoever this person may be, he/she will quickly get discouraged and leave.

I think a much better way is for you to "Lateral Sell". This involves convincing others in the service trades (ex: Interior designers; Carpet/Furniture Stores;etc..., local Country Clubs, etc..) to recommend you and your company. My own experience doing this in the past has been a terrific success and increase in business. It builds a terrific reputation way before you ever arrive at the door step. And, that helps to build customer confidence.

 

There are other ways of getting the business that I have learned to. Tune into: www.members3.boardhost.com/johnmmerritt/  and look under Archives. Download.

 

Hope this helps;

Ed valentine

www.cross-american.com