19 Costly Marketing Mistakes.............
Printed From: Carpet Cleaning Forum
Category: Carpet Cleaners Discussion
Forum Name: Business Marketing Advertising and Promotion Discussion
Forum Description: How do you successfully promote your business? Offer and receive advertising tips
URL: https://www.kleenkuip.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3139
Printed Date: 19/April/2024 at 5:57pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.06 - https://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: 19 Costly Marketing Mistakes.............
Posted By: Superglide Ken
Subject: 19 Costly Marketing Mistakes.............
Date Posted: 17/November/2006 at 6:02am
|
Here is 1 of my favorite articles by Joe Polish. I know that this belongs in the marketing section, but wanted to make cleaners aware of it before it goes there. IMO, anyone can learn something from this article. The greatest difference that you can make to your business's bottom line, is learn to market it properly.
NINETEEN COSTLY MARKETING MISTAKES by Joe Polish, founder Piranha Marketing Carpet cleaners could dramatically increase their number of new customers and referrals if they would avoid these costly marketing mistakes. Here, in the first of a two part article are nine mistakes to avoid. Mistake 1: Advertising to the wrong market. If you advertise low price, you'll attract people who want low price. And the problem with price shoppers is that they're never loyal to you. They're loyal only to the dollar. As soon as your competitor offers a lower price than you ask, these price shoppers go to your competitor and you've lost a customer. If you want to attract low price shoppers, then, by all means advertise low price. But if you want to attract people who are willing to pay for the service they receive, don't advertsie price. Advertise value. Mistake 2: Advertising percentage off rather than dollars off. Carpet cleaners often advertise a �special 20% discount for new customers.� Yet many prospects don't know the carpet cleaners' regular prices so they can't tell you how much money they'll save. Instead, I suggest you advertise in dollars, such as �Carpet cleaning jsut $59. You save $30 off our regular price!� Mistake 3: Failing to advertise your unique selling proposition (USP). The purpose of marketing is to telll your prospective customers how you're unique. Your USP is the one thing that sets you apart form your competitors. Start by identifying what you do that's different from everyone else. For example, your USP might be exceptional customer service, the lowest price for the most effective cleaning equipment. Then feature your unique selling proposition in the headline of your ads. Mistake 4: Failing to point out how you're different. People hire you because they think you're different from the other carpet cleaners. So it's your job to point out to prospective clients how you're different. In your ads if you say. �Two rooms for $29. Licensed, bonded, insured,� you're saying the same thing as every other carpet cleaner. Instead, tell your prospects why customers choose you instead of your competitors. Identify unusual services you perform, such as removing pet odour. Reassure your prospects that you have trained, certified technicians. Mistake 5: Failing to overcome phone call fear. Consumers are tired of selling sales pressure. In fact, many consumers hate pressure so much that they don't call because they're afraid you migh try to pressure them into making a decision. The hesitation that keeps them form calling is call phone call fear. It's the fear of how they think you might treat them over the telephone. To overcome phone call fear, reassure callers that you don't use sales pressure. Offer free information that you'll send to anyone who calls. Offer a free consumer awareness messageon voice mail to help educate consumers about carpet cleaning. This allows prospects to get information in a non-threatening way, and it allows you to establish a high level of credibility. Mistake 6: Using dishonest or misleading advertising. This seems obvious but many carpet cleaners continue to use misleading advertising to attract calls from prospects. When you mislead customers, you lower yourself to the same level as bait-and-switch con artists. Over the long term, you won't benefit because once customers discover they've been misled, they'll never do business with you again. You gain nothing by misleading customers. In marketing, a straightforward, honest approach is the only method that works. Mistake 7: Failing to explain how your prospect benefits. Your prospective customers want your service for only one reason: �What it will do for me?� Don't concentrate on the features of your service; instead, identify each feature and then explain how that feature benefits your prospect in terms of what he needs, wants and feels. Mistake 8: Failing to promote benefits other than appearance. No question about it, most homeowners want a clean carpet. But they want other things, too. A healthy carpet free from toxic chemicals; a home free from embarrasing pet odours; and a clean carpet that will wear longer than a dirty carpet. Appearance is only one reason homeowners want their carpets cleaned. Make sure you promote other benefits as well. Mistake 9: Failing to stay in touch with your customer base. Customers are a source of income of your current business and future referrals. The moment they feel you don't care abouth their business, tehy'll go somewhere else. I urge you to stay in touch with customers by publishing a regualr newsletter that provides them with practical, helpful information. *Joe Polish specializes in teaching carpet cleaners in the United States how to get tos of mew customers. For a FREE report call Joe's free 24 hour recorded message at 1-602-235-2454. Nineteen Costly Marketing Mistakes, Part II by Joe Polish Here, in the second of a two-part article, are ten more marketing mistakes carpet cleaners should avoid. Mistake 10: Advertising in the yellow pages when you don't offer emergency service. I've learned that the only time yellow page directory ads work are when you cater tourists, transients and emergency services. Now, I'm not saying a yellow page ad won't bring in new business: it will if it is part of a well researched marketing program. But the cost is so high that you'll get a better return on your investment by using the money for other types of marketing and advertising. Mistake 11: Failing to have a system to generate referrals. Referrals don't just happen. If you want referrals, you need ot encourage them by rewarding the customers who send them. To encourage referrals, you might offer current customers a cash reward, discount, free cleaning or other incentive. Mistake 12: Changing methods when your current marketing method still works well. When carpet cleaners grow tired of their ads, they usually change them. This is a terrible mistake. The only time you should change an ad or a marketing method is when it quits working. When you see your response dropping, then you test a new ad, not before. Remember, your customers don't see your ad as often as you do. And, when they're looking for a carpet cleaner, you want them to be sure your most powerful ad is there waiting for them. It makes good sense to test a new ad to see how it compares with your current ad. If it works well, you can ad it to your advertising program. But don't replace any ad or marketing method because you're tired of looking at it. Replace your ad or change methods only if it stops working, or if a new ad brings better results. Mistake 13: Failing to test new marketing methods. Never stop trying to out-so your current methods of promotion for two reasons: 1) your competitors are probably testing similar methods and you want to stay ahead of your competitors; and 2) once you find a more prod=fitable method you make your promotions even more cost effective. Mistake 14: Expecting your ads to convey your entire marketing message. Because your ads are no longer a cost effective way to deliver a complete marketing message. I suggest you use ads to generate inquiries form interested prospects. Then you can provide complete information over the telephone or by mail. Mistake 15: Assuming your prospect beleives what you say. Prospects are skeptical, particularly of carpet cleaners. They won't do business with someone they don't trust. To establish your credibility, present facts that are positive and specific. Use language your prospect understands. Explain what you can do, how you will do it, and how the customer will benefit from your services. In addition, show letters of recommendation from current and past customers. Mistake 16: Relying on only one method of promotion. Advertising, yellow pages, door haners, publicity, direct mail, seminares - they all work to some degree. But they are more effective when they're used together. When one method supports and reinforces another, the results are greater than any one method working alone. Mistake 17: Delaying your marketing program until you need it. Marketing isn't something you turn on and off like a faucet. Often, the time you need marketing most is when you can least afford it. Most carpet cleaners are busy in the spring and before holidays. But they often forget the summer and the first of the year when times are lean. Carpet cleaning is either feast or famine. So make sure you keep your marketing program in place and working year �round. This will keep your business in a 12 month feast, and famine will be a thing of the past. Mistake 18: Using selling-based marketing. This puts you in the role of a sealesperson. Customers are tired of selling and sales pressure. And if you do anything that causes you to look like a sales person, you immediatley shoot yourself in the foot. You don't want your customer to think you're trying to sell something. Yet, when you use a selling-based marketing, everything you do is designed to sell. In today's market, selling-based marketing works against you. Don't use selling based marketing. Mistake 19: Assuming your prospective customers understand carpet cleaning. You live, eat, sleep, and breathe carpet cleaning, so it's easy for you to assume that your customers understand carpet cleaning as well as you do. They don't. In fact, if your customer gets his carpets cleaned once a year, he has very little exposure to information other than what your technician tells him when he arrives at the customer's home. And what about your prospective customer? He may have never had his carpets cleaned. So he may know absolutely nothing at all. Make sure your marketing message is simple and direct. Don't use big words. If you do, you risk your prospect not understanding what you're saying. And people don't buy what they don't understand. Use your marketing message to educate your prospective customer. And remember, keep everything simple. *Joe Polish Specializes in teaching carpet cleaners around the world how to get tons of new customers. For a FREE report call Joe's free 24 hour recorded message at 1-602-235-2454 |
Replies:
Posted By: MR. STEAMER
Date Posted: 17/November/2006 at 8:05pm
|
JOE POLISH is a scam....
and all the fools who pay for his secret to success...key word being pay..
|
Posted By: Superglide Ken
Date Posted: 18/November/2006 at 9:36am
I can see that Joe Polish is a popular man around here................OK, no more of his articles around here.  ------------- Inventor of the Teflon Wand Glide and the Turboteck Rotary Air Duct Cleaners for TMs. |
Posted By: cmaster
Date Posted: 18/November/2006 at 11:17am
|
Almost as popular as you
|
Posted By: Superglide Ken
Date Posted: 18/November/2006 at 12:20pm
Must know alot then. And I know he is worth millions, so he is succeeding in probably what he knows best, which is growing his business. If more would do the same instead of posting negetive comments of those that have suceeded in their business, the failure rate of carpet cleaners might be a little lower than the high rate it currently enjoys?  ------------- Inventor of the Teflon Wand Glide and the Turboteck Rotary Air Duct Cleaners for TMs. |
Posted By: pilediver
Date Posted: 18/November/2006 at 2:12pm
|
WHEN A MAN SPITS OUT IGNORANT, STUPID, AND MORONIC WORDS WHEN HE FIRST SPEAKS...........DON'T EVEN BOTHER READING OR LISTENING TO THE REST OF HIS BABBLE.
Nightrider, Well that is where I stopped reading your babble. Even if your disagree with JP’s overall marketing philosophy he still has made a lot of marginal CCers better off. He still has lots of good ideas useful for most of us. That is unless you know it all. ------------- http://www.expertcarpetcare.ca>Carpet Cleaning in Victoria BC |
Posted By: pilediver
Date Posted: 18/November/2006 at 2:42pm
|
Nightrider, what makes you think I agree with all he says? What makes you think I am desperate? I know several intelligent and successful people who are neither gulable nor desperate that are wise enough to follow his material for what its worth and still pick out valuable information that they use.
A person can learn valuable marketing information from anyone who speaks on the subject, even reading posts written by a moron like you! ------------- http://www.expertcarpetcare.ca>Carpet Cleaning in Victoria BC |
Posted By: MR. STEAMER
Date Posted: 18/November/2006 at 3:08pm
This is not directed at you...but a lot of people are lazy when it comes to researching information for themself, and would rather rely on JP's ground work and just pay the money
baaaaa baaaaa.
I wonder who's self help book JP read????
 |
pilediver wrote:Posted By: doug
Date Posted: 18/November/2006 at 3:26pm
|
All these guys market to the massses so you have to get some kind of return. Most of them are lost when you need stats from an area of say under 25,000. I have tried some of their things very few of them worked but where I am, you almost know everyone so if they use you fine if they don't they won't. ------------- Just My opinion |
Posted By: MR. STEAMER
Date Posted: 18/November/2006 at 3:56pm
|
JP is runninga business to make money....his helpfulness comes at a price...If what he tells you on his books, video's cassettes, or seminars doesn't work for you means you are doing something wrong.
I wonder how much it would cost to sit down and have a 1 on 1 with him and let him tailor a plan for your business...LOL
Some of the info is good, some doesn't apply... you're the one that has to make it work for you....so in reality you don't need him
|
Posted By: pilediver
Date Posted: 18/November/2006 at 6:24pm
|
I agree with Doug and Steamer about JP. The thing is there is so much of his material around that you can buy it for next to nothing on eBay which is exactly what I did. I think I spent about $80 on a set of CDs.
What do you guys think of Howard Partridge? ------------- http://www.expertcarpetcare.ca>Carpet Cleaning in Victoria BC |
Posted By: MR. STEAMER
Date Posted: 18/November/2006 at 6:35pm
|
Never read any of his works...don't really know....You can get a lot of good free infromation just by browsing the net, and forums like this one and bigger. I spend hours just reading info on the net...after awhile you find everyone basically saying the same thing.
These marketing plans really never address your specific situation. I live in a suburb of the gta....mostly first time homeowner...lots of young couple just trying to make the mortgage payment with kids in daycare.
try and form a marketing plan for them...
race age and income have alot to do with what works.....I wish all my customers where white corn feed Americans. but thats not a reality in my market
|
Posted By: MR. STEAMER
Date Posted: 18/November/2006 at 6:37pm
|
Posted By: pilediver
Date Posted: 18/November/2006 at 6:57pm
|
Steamer, I am a student of Howard Partridge and I pay every month $300 American to be in his Inner Circle group where he personally coaches us.
This man has been there and done it as he started and still owns a very successful 10 truck operation in Houston. He is a very ethical well centered person who is probably the opposite in personality to JP. What is interesting about his help is he realized that we all have heard a lot of different things we can do to be successful in this business but he adds some and then helps you put your own mix of his and your own ideas together and then he helps you IMPLIMENT them. Howard is about the whole package, not just marketing. He covers and lays out and mentors you on setting your goals, organizing your day, your books, your staff AND marketing. He also sets the ground work operationally and business systems wise for a person to get off the truck or work on the business rather than in the business. You might think that as person with many years experience that you have a good context of what you need to do to get where you want to go but his personal insight and the motivation of your fellow team members in the coaching group turbo charges your motivation. He has excellent advice, and so do many of the team members you get hooked up with. A coached group is about 7 or 8 carpet cleaners that he has picked to work as a group that would do well to feed off each others success and advice. On face value his material appears rather basic and repetitive but dig a little deeper by participating in these groups and you get to see that the "Package" creates some synergy that is well worth the $300. Many of his students have become very successful financially and most of them attribute Howard's system of coaching as the main reason they have done as well as they have. ------------- http://www.expertcarpetcare.ca>Carpet Cleaning in Victoria BC |
Posted By: MR. STEAMER
Date Posted: 18/November/2006 at 7:07pm
|
Reply...some people have the golden touch. I'm happy that you get inspiration from him. Paying $300 a month proves that you are serious about bettering yourself and making your business work. Like I said before it's easier if someone sets up the ground work for you...it's even better if this person truly has the golden touch.
even with all that said...don't discounted your will to succeed. Pilediver your willingness and focus are the things that will carry you through no matter what you spend. Seems to me that you already have that.
I wish I had that drive
|
Posted By: MR. STEAMER
Date Posted: 18/November/2006 at 7:11pm
NR we are 2 bull s hit debaters stop trying to be on the other side
|
Posted By: MR. STEAMER
Date Posted: 18/November/2006 at 7:21pm
|
Posted By: MR. STEAMER
Date Posted: 18/November/2006 at 7:22pm
|
Posted By: pilediver
Date Posted: 18/November/2006 at 7:28pm
|
Steamer, thanks for the kind words. I think you are a survivor and I reflect on your many posts of what a grind the GTA market is. What is inspirational about your posts is that you seem to be really hard core to keep grinding. At times it seems that you call out for some of us to somehow make you see how much better the GTA could be so you could make more money with less grind.
I really wish I could offer you some inspiration and advice that would help you as much as some of the people on this board have influenced me in such a positive way. Attitude sets your altitude. ------------- http://www.expertcarpetcare.ca>Carpet Cleaning in Victoria BC |
Posted By: doug
Date Posted: 18/November/2006 at 7:36pm
|
Piledriver you are right? Mr. Steamer is some piece of WORK?? I think that is how you spell it? ------------- Just My opinion |
Posted By: MR. STEAMER
Date Posted: 18/November/2006 at 7:38pm
|
With anything pilediver...like this forum you just have to take from it what works for you. We get carried away here most times and it becomes a joke when we need to bounce serious ideas of one another.
the thing I like about Howard is that you are having small group discussions with him, where he can advise you on your personal business plan and direction. I think this really works and if this was in the gta I might even look to join. Thanks for the great post and it was a pleasure bouncing ideas back and forth.
I wish this forum was more help like this some times
|
Posted By: pilediver
Date Posted: 18/November/2006 at 7:43pm
|
Steamer, what's stopping you from joining the Inner Circle? Go for it!
http://www.howardpartridgeinnercircle.com/ ------------- http://www.expertcarpetcare.ca>Carpet Cleaning in Victoria BC |
Posted By: MR. STEAMER
Date Posted: 18/November/2006 at 7:50pm
| LOL... Listen we are not a serious bunch here.....LOL |
Posted By: thermedix
Date Posted: 19/November/2006 at 2:15pm
|
Piledriver, Kudos to you for having the ability to see a way to better your company, whether it does or not. It is the difference between a carpet cleaner and a business owner. While the carpet cleaners are out scrubbing carpets, the business owners are looking at ways to improve their business.. "The E-myth" Micheal Gerber ------------- It`s not how far you fall...it`s how high you bounce back up... |
Posted By: John L
Date Posted: 24/February/2008 at 4:24pm
|
Good refresher post Ken.. Got me going on more marketing ideas.. |
Posted By: B Rice
Date Posted: 24/February/2008 at 9:01pm
whilr scrubing carpets, I'm thinking  about better business plans...the ones that don;t envolve me scrubing!------------- http://www.PanhandleFloorCare.com - http://www.PanhandleFloorCare.com http://www.Pensacola-Carpet-Cleaning.com - http://www.Pensacola-Carpet-Cleaning.com |
Posted By: B Rice
Date Posted: 24/February/2008 at 9:01pm
|
next i'm going to learn how to spell and type ------------- http://www.PanhandleFloorCare.com - http://www.PanhandleFloorCare.com http://www.Pensacola-Carpet-Cleaning.com - http://www.Pensacola-Carpet-Cleaning.com |
Posted By: Soil Lint Green
Date Posted: 27/February/2008 at 12:22am
Y? Eye kan cee u lerned reel gud.
------------- It's ORY GUN, not OR A GONE. Learn to talk. |
Posted By: John L
Date Posted: 09/March/2008 at 5:28pm
|
soil.. Your everywhere.. No jobs..? Porty collecting dust..?
|
Posted By: Soil Lint Green
Date Posted: 09/March/2008 at 6:55pm
|
I don't work 24 hours a day, John. How is the channel surfing working out for you? Portys say hi ------------- It's ORY GUN, not OR A GONE. Learn to talk. |
Posted By: prouddadx3
Date Posted: 09/November/2008 at 6:08pm
|
To all the Joe Polish Fans, His genius is getting his sheep do all the hard work for him. They pay $12,000 a year to meet four times a year and share their best ideas with each other and then he takes them as his own. I do not know if any of his ideas were originally his. He also looks for marketing trends and then brings in the countries experts to teach his sheep. This year they are working on websites and online marketing. Maybe we should do the same for free. ------------- http://maps.google.com/coupons/page?oi=lbc&did=0_14019921871367697693&cid=RF0IMWO26GG3CFHL&hl=en-US&gl=US - Boulder carpet cleaning Coupons |
Posted By: pilediver
Date Posted: 09/November/2008 at 9:04pm
|
There all Kool-Aid drinkers. Polish brainwashed hog wash. But if you like their stuff the Glide Goof will sell you 1/2 hour consulting questions.? Ask the Goof about the price of oil now... |
Posted By: cmaster
Date Posted: 09/November/2008 at 11:46pm
Please don't ask Kenny anything unless you want to hear more BS ------------- 
The STD Meter |
Posted By: prouddadx3
Date Posted: 10/November/2008 at 7:31pm
|
Joe Polish Nuggets: A monthly news letter to customers. Neighbor bags work when canvasing a subdivision as do yards signs. Customer testimonials are huge Have clients rate you on Google maps If none of his stuff worked he would not have sheep who pay$12,000. http://www.colorado-carpet-masters.com/carpetcleaningBoulder.htm ------------- http://maps.google.com/coupons/page?oi=lbc&did=0_14019921871367697693&cid=RF0IMWO26GG3CFHL&hl=en-US&gl=US - Boulder carpet cleaning Coupons |
Posted By: duckcountry
Date Posted: 11/November/2008 at 1:25am
His material is good and it is one way of looking at any business. Some people aren't wired that way and are doing well and are quite happy with the way they do business. There must always be at least two ways to view anything (both equally good ideas) or the one doing the viewing could be said to be a zealot, blind to the value of the opinion of others. The people like that are eating it on the financial markets right now and rightly so. ------------- Are you in a high paying business or are you just a self employed low paid grunt who thinks this business provides dignity? |
Posted By: prouddadx3
Date Posted: 11/November/2008 at 7:58am
|
Joe has lots of good ideas as do other marketing gurus. He tends to rub us wrong because he overwhelms us with his marketing message. I do think he his to expensive but to ignore the invention of the wheel or electricity would be foolish. At the very least he gives us a working model on how to share ideas and improve them.
------------- http://maps.google.com/coupons/page?oi=lbc&did=0_14019921871367697693&cid=RF0IMWO26GG3CFHL&hl=en-US&gl=US - Boulder carpet cleaning Coupons |
Posted By: John L
Date Posted: 11/November/2008 at 1:51pm
| He has some HomeOwners scared $hitless with his unethical unscrupulous words. Makes a person want to go rent a RUG-DOCTOR. |
Posted By: duckcountry
Date Posted: 11/November/2008 at 3:42pm
|
I have found that those who expect to be taken advantage of gravitate to the ones who will do the taking. In effect theirs is a self fulfilling prophecy. Joe Polish would have nothing to do with that. What is a tool in one man's hand is a weapon in another. ------------- Are you in a high paying business or are you just a self employed low paid grunt who thinks this business provides dignity? |
Posted By: prouddadx3
Date Posted: 11/November/2008 at 10:17pm
|
I've spent time with Joe and I don't think he is crooked or unethical.
I also don't think he tries to scare consumers. All in all I think he
has done much more good for our industry. I would recommend his starter
book to anyone who owns a service business and if they implemented all
his ideas they would have a very profitable business. You can find lots
of ideas on my website that percolated from his Platinum group. http://www.colorado-carpet-masters.com/carpetcleaningBoulder.htm - http://www.colorado-carpet-masters.com/carpetcleaningBoulder.htm ------------- http://maps.google.com/coupons/page?oi=lbc&did=0_14019921871367697693&cid=RF0IMWO26GG3CFHL&hl=en-US&gl=US - Boulder carpet cleaning Coupons |
Posted By: John L
Date Posted: 11/November/2008 at 10:48pm
|
When a consumer reads a ad from a cleaner using Joes words ie-unethical,scrupulous the consumer could well believe your within that catagory also.. That shouldnt even be brought up in your ads.. BENEFITS not negativity about your trade.. I checked some electrician, plumbing ads and they dont bad mouth their competition.
Hire us for your Electrical needs so your house dont burn down because of unethical electricians.. That would scare the crap out of me and i would do it myself..
|
Posted By: duckcountry
Date Posted: 12/November/2008 at 12:59am
|
True that consumers flinch at that tactic. But an information line that serves the community is good and you do take on a different appearance in the prospect's eyes as the industry expert who would be the person they could only wish would clean their carpets rather than the marlboro man who looks like he slept with the dogs last night. I agree with what he does, I do agree with the specifics much of the time. ------------- Are you in a high paying business or are you just a self employed low paid grunt who thinks this business provides dignity? |
Posted By: prouddadx3
Date Posted: 12/November/2008 at 10:00am
That is the beauty of America. We can like or dislike anyone or everyone. We can take the good a person says and use it to better our world or our profession. We can also be foolish and ignore a persons body of work because we disagree with one of his hundreds of ideas. Take the good from each person and learn from their mistakes so that you do not have to do them also. What can I do to make the lives of those around me better? Evolve. Change your relationships. Change your community. Be happy, it is liberating and honestly, most of Piranha marketing stuff is Gold.  
------------- http://maps.google.com/coupons/page?oi=lbc&did=0_14019921871367697693&cid=RF0IMWO26GG3CFHL&hl=en-US&gl=US - Boulder carpet cleaning Coupons |
Posted By: duckcountry
Date Posted: 29/December/2008 at 1:32am
|
The single greatest marketing mistake you can make is to cut back on your marketing efforts in tough economic times. That is what your competition is doing and with the lessons from the past revealing what has happened to companies which do, in any industry, cut back on their marketing - they lose market share and NEVER regain it when good times return. Use your competitor's apprehension to your advantage. If the road to a customer's decision in less cluttered by alternatives, your message becomes louder simply because it stands alone. Don't cut back, permeate the marketplace with word of your offerings. And above all else, your marketing efforts should have 60% spent with existing accounts and follow up with previous prospects. Do that group first and always through every phase of your marketing efforts be in touch with them again. Spend the remaining 40% of your resources allocated to marketing on attracting new business. Remember the 4 Ps to marketing - Product, Placement, Promotion, Price. http://www.netmba.com/marketing/mix/ - http://www.netmba.com/marketing/mix/ However, in marketing a service as we all do you need to add three Ps - People, Process and Physical Evidence. http://learnmarketing.net/servicemarketing.htm - http://learnmarketing.net/servicemarketing.htm Let me add one more P from the Peanut gallery - Persistence in Providing a Positive Profile to Prospective Participants - meaning while all around you seems gloomy you must believe in and present a Positive Mental Attitude in everything you do and in all that you or your promotional materials say so that you communicate a message of Isn't Life Great, Celebrate It With My Service - You Earned It! Have a great week and a terrific start to the prosperous new year ahead! Believe it when you say 2009 Is Mine!!! ------------- Are you in a high paying business or are you just a self employed low paid grunt who thinks this business provides dignity? |
Posted By: prouddadx3
Date Posted: 29/December/2008 at 9:26am
Happy almost New Year. I think that the biggest mistake we make in marketing is not tracking our numbers. If your ROI is not good, change your message or method. If you run the same ad, with same message, in the same place, your ROI will probably not go up and your money will flush away. The old " people need to see your name out there so advertise with us," is complete bunk. If your not making a good profit, stop.
------------- http://maps.google.com/coupons/page?oi=lbc&did=0_14019921871367697693&cid=RF0IMWO26GG3CFHL&hl=en-US&gl=US - Boulder carpet cleaning Coupons |
Posted By: duckcountry
Date Posted: 30/December/2008 at 1:04am
|
I do that with my door hanger designs. I track the results on 300 throws and if the results are good enough I order a few thousand. If not, on to the next eye catching idea.
------------- Are you in a high paying business or are you just a self employed low paid grunt who thinks this business provides dignity? |
Posted By: Onslaught
Date Posted: 01/March/2009 at 9:57am
I actually collect ads from service businesses (fliers, newspaper, mailers) and what I notice most if I lay them before me is that they are all the same ad. They use different wording, colors, offers, but they are all the same. Very seldom do I find any real benefit to the service presented. Most actually think they are getting somewhere with their company name slapped at the top. Nothing is worse than using a name as the focal point. The reason being is if they do not need carpet cleaning at that moment the ad is tossed. They sometimes need to be manipulated (in an ethical way) to realize they need this service and they need it from you. If you start collecting some ads yourself you will notice one common trend Big name Big coupon Maybe some scribble about "we are the best because", "customers love us because..", "we are #1 for..." People do not care about self glorifying ads. Do they care about us saying we are the best or do they care about getting rid of the dust mites buried in their carpets causing allergy problems with their children? (I pulled that out of my butt for an example) Taking something that you have observed that your customers care about should be the focus of the entire advertising campaign. Both on a micro and macro level. To rest your company on a price point is going to cannibalize your business. Those who focus on the actual coupon over all else will eventually whittle down the worth of their service. I guarantee if you build up value in the service you can sell at a higher amount. Most fear this as they do not know exactly the benefits of what they do. They think they are in the carpet cleaning business. Mercedes is in the "transportation business" technically, the end result is giving people a product to get them from A-B. Ford, Chevy, Honda, they all have the exact end result. They turn all their features into benefits and create an experience. They done this so well that people actually feel they are part of a exclusive club owning one. People pay way more for Mercedes because they have justified the cost. Now there are a lot more people looking to go from A-B without the features these days, they don't care about style so much. That is also why now we need to build up value even more. There will be a plethora of companies terrified offering their service for a nickel. As we all know people are pretty aware you "get what you pay for". Sure some will roll the dice, but more will not. It cost me the same to sell my service at $150 as it does to sell it for $59. I would rather get more quality clients and make more money per hour than a bunch of bargain hunters that will need a better deal to shop again. (if ever) The only way to get people to pay more is to offer them something so valuable they can't refuse. The only way to do that is know why majority of your customers pay for your service. As far as Joe Polish goes, he is good at marketing. Don't look at the stuff he sells look at all the carpet cleaners he sucks in. I am not into his products but his method for attracting carpet cleaners is pretty good. My windows cleaning business is marketed the same way carpet cleaners do. Marketing is marketing. |
Posted By: duraclean_austin
Date Posted: 03/December/2009 at 2:20am
|
I do agree with most of hit points... http://www.duracleanaustin.com - http://www.duracleanaustin.com ------------- http://www.duracleanaustin.com - Carpet Cleaning Austin |
Posted By: paulineedington
Date Posted: 08/April/2010 at 10:33am
|
Once when I saw a flayer for a furniture store and it didn't look like a regular flayer it actually looked like a passport and in every page it had a country name and a picture of furniture that was made in that country
------------- http://www.chicago-carpet-cleaning.com/ - Carpet Cleaning |
Posted By: bigrich
Date Posted: 23/April/2010 at 8:20pm
|
Thanks for the info ------------- www.AbcoClean.com |
Posted By: duckcountry
Date Posted: 15/February/2012 at 8:30pm
|
Here are the four biggest problems I see with people in this industry: 1) They spend 80% of their efforts on the technical side of this business which is really only 20% of what makes their success. 2) They lack in consistency. 3) They treat this as a job they own, not a full fledged business which has a sole duty of providing a good living and retirement. 4) Their carpet cleaning/water & smoke damage business will wither away, not be sold for a profit. ------------- Are you in a high paying business or are you just a self employed low paid grunt who thinks this business provides dignity? |
Posted By: Soil Lint Green
Date Posted: 15/February/2012 at 8:48pm
|
Here is the way I see it. If you love cleaning carpets, work that out of your system by doing your own. Growing businesses stay focused on repeat sales, new customers and annually increased profits and of course sales. SELL, SELL, SELL or let you efforts go to HELL, HELL, HELL. Be quick to replace the person who doesn't hit their goals in selling with someone who can clean and win over the customer with their personality which is what the customers really are buying when an upsell is attempted. Having clean carpets at home is your hobby, one that will not make you a rich man. It costs. ------------- It's ORY GUN, not OR A GONE. Learn to talk. |
Posted By: Tomright
Date Posted: 12/November/2017 at 10:44pm
|
Still a great list and resource after all these years. Thanks Tom R - Right Now Cleaning http://www.rightnowcleaning.com
|
Posted By: Surge36
Date Posted: 14/November/2023 at 8:39pm
| Selling is about helping the consumer , not convincing him to do what u want . 98 percent listening . 2 percent product knowledge. Be honest with them . It wrks . Always follow up after the cleaning. |
Posted By: KingCarpetClean
Date Posted: 15/November/2023 at 12:16am
|
Marketing is like fishing, you attract the fish you bait for. If you throw out a cheap bait, you'll reel in price-driven customers who'll swim away the moment there's a better deal. Advertise the value you bring to the table, and you'll hook clients who appreciate quality over a quick discount. It's not just about making a sale, it's about building lasting relationships with your customers.
Best Regards, KingCarpetClean  |