MARKETING & SALES ARTICLES
Articles on how to market and sell cleaning services
Read practical guides on generating cleaning leads, improving sales conversations, following up with prospects, and winning more commercial cleaning contracts.
Learn how to market and sell cleaning services
These articles explain how to generate cleaning leads, reach new prospects, and close commercial cleaning contracts. The guides focus on practical ways to find leads, improve sales conversations, follow up consistently, and turn prospects into long-term clients.
Browse marketing and sales articles
Read practical guides about generating cleaning leads, talking with prospects, following up, and closing commercial cleaning contracts.
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Why Most Cleaning Business Marketing Fails
What makes most cleaning business marketing fail isn’t unique to the cleaning industry; it’s what can make any service industry marketing ineffective – having a limp,…
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Picture Something!
Would you do me a favor? Here it is…. Picture something. That’s right, I know it may sound lame, but stop for just a second and…
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Who Do You Want To Clean?
OK, let’s get right to it, because the sooner we answer this question, the sooner you can get the kind of cleaning business you’ve always dreamed…
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Who You Don’t Want To Clean!
Today, let’s talk about deciding who you don’t want to clean …and why. Let me tell you a quick story, When Tony and I first started…
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Get The Regular Advantage!
If I had to choose between a regular customer and a one-time job, I’d take the regular customer nearly every time! You might want to do…
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Targeted Lists Get Maximum Results!
In the movie, The Patriot, Mel Gibson in his role as a revolutionary war patriot, asks his young sons if they remember what he taught them…
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Aim To Be Next!
We always hear “aim to be first”. Well, if you want to grow like crazy in the cleaning biz, here’s a secret: Aim to be NEXT!…
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Something Every Six Weeks!
How often should you make contact with the companies on your target list? Answer: We suggest you make some kind of contact with them no less…
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Should You Call Or Send?
Should you call your prospect – or send them something? It’s an important question. And the answer is… well, both. But in our strategy, we do…
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The S.M.A.R.T Call
So what do you do once you have a list of targeted companies; the actual names and addresses of the accounts you want to go after?…
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Get Filed To Get Hired!
Get filed…to get hired. It’s an insider tip that still works even in today’s online world. Specifically, you want to get your company info. i.e. sales…
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Credibility And Believability
We’ve talked about the importance of contacting our prospects about every 6 weeks. This week, let’s talk about what messages we should be sending when we…
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Ingredients
Today, let’s start a grocery list of ingredients that should be included in really any successful sales letter or marketing piece? And, a great place to…
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Use Hi Octane Headlines
For your sales letters to generate lots of interest from prospects try using powerful, ‘hi-octane’ headlines. What are ‘hi-octane’ headlines? Well, let’s first say what they’re…
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Testimonials & Visual Proof
We’ve discussed how including features and benefits in our marketing pieces help us to show credibility. Now, we need to tackle BELIEVABILITY. So, how do we…
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The BIGGEST Mistake
For goodness sakes, don’t make the BIG mistake I did. And, what is it? Ok, well, here it is… drum roll… To stop marketing! Now, I’ll…
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One Question to JUMP START your profits
Is there one question you can begin asking that can JUMP START the profits in your cleaning business? Yes, but first, let me tell you a…
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Is It Still Who You Know Part I
Let’s go way, way back in our ‘time machine’ to the 70’s or 80’s, when playing 18 holes of golf with the manager of a downtown…
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Is It Still Who You Know Part II
Last time we talked about how tough it is out there – you know, the fast changing, competitive world we live and work in today. We…
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Never Hear Your Price Is Too High Again
WARNING: This e-mail is LONG, but I hope you give it the extra couple of minutes to read, because if it helps you land even just…
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What’s In A Name?
What does the name of your cleaning company say about you? Think about yours. Say it a few times. Write it down; look at it for…
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Bid Cover Letters With MUSCLE!
Frankly, most people think of a cleaning bid cover letter as a weak, nearly meaningless, part of any janitorial proposal, nothing more than a formality. Don’t…
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Bid Cover Letters With MUSCLE! – Part 2
OK, no more theory! Let’s look at how you can easily add marketing MUSCLE to your janitorial proposals and cleaning bids by creating powerful COVER LETTERS.…
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The One-Word Secret To Getting Great Testimonials for YOUR Cleaning Business
So, what is it? What is THE one-word secret to getting great testimonials for your janitorial business? Ok, here it is – ASK It’s that simple. Well,…
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Cleaning Business Success: 1-2 PUNCH
I see it all the time. I go out to meet someone in charge of hiring the janitorial cleaning company for a building. It can be grumpy…
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Cleaning Business Owner: Are You Too Needy? Part 1
No disrespect. It’s really more of a business question, than a personal one. Put another way, what message are you projecting to your prospects? Think about…
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Cleaning Business Owner: Are You TOO Needy? Part 2
Ok, let’s pick up right where we left off last time. We were looking at how, if we’re not careful, our marketing, selling and customer service…
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Should You Guarantee ALL the Work of YOUR Cleaning Business? – Part 1
Should you guarantee your work? Yes! That’s right, I’m tempted to answer the question with a flat out ‘Yes!’ and call it a day, but it…
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Should You Guarantee Your Work? – Part 2
Last time, we tackled the question of whether you should guarantee your work. This time let’s talk about what kind of guarantee it should be. Well,…
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The Keys To A Successful Walk Through – Part 1
Ok, let’s walk-through (hehehe..I know, lame right?) some of the important keys to a successful walk- through together! But, to be honest, this is ‘big elephant’…
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The Keys To a Successful Walk Through – Part 2
Last time, we talked a lot about preparation. Today, let’s discuss another important key to success – once you’re past the doors and standing in the…
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The Keys To A Successful Walkthrough Part 3
So, you’re prepared, on time and have met the receptionist. Now what? Well, of course, when your contact comes to the lobby, be ready to meet…
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You Need To Know What They Want
Sure, when you go out to do a walk through of a building, you’ll be getting the measurements of the rooms and restroom fixture counts…. but…
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Prospects Leave Valuable Clues
Last time, I promised to tell you about another key to success when meeting with prospects. And here it is: Prospects leave valuable “clues” for us.…
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What REALLY Makes A Great Presentation Part 1
Well, YOU, of course. Your Attitude, Your Professionalism, Your Thoroughness, Your Attention To Detail. All that’s true, no doubt about it. But today, I want to…
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What REALLY Makes A Great Presentation, Part 2
Last time, I explained how cleaning contractors who take the time to prove to prospects they truly understand what they’re looking for from their next cleaning…
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Don’t Automatically Agree
When janitorial business owners go out to sell their cleaning services, they should be reasonable, cooperative and even accommodating – but not a door mat! Shooting…
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When Should I Call Back – Part 1
These are two of the most common questions we hear from janitorial businesses. Here’s why: 1. After so much work has gone into preparing a commercial…
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When Should I Call Back – Part 2
Last time, we tackled the question of when to call back after we deliver a janitorial or residential cleaning bid. Today, let’s look at the, maybe…
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A Watched Pot Never Boils
You’ve probably heard this expression before, well, probably not with the word cleaning in it – but, hopefully it still rings some sort of bell. Here…
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Too Many vs. Too Little
I’d lean towards too many – you might want to too! What in the world am I talking about? Ok, let me explain. Some strategies we suggest…
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Make Multiple Offers To Build Your List
Sometimes, even after your best marketing efforts, property owners and building owners still, just aren’t ready to decide. So, do you simply throw up your hands,…
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How Many Brochures Should My Cleaning Business Send Out?
I understand why people are always asking how many brochures to send out per week – I really do. But the question of whether to send out…
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How YOU Can Stop Wasting Time in YOUR Cleaning Business!
Today can be unforgiving. There isn’t a lot of time to waste time anymore – as if there ever really was. But, again, certainly not today.…
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What’s More Important To Your Cleaning Business – Sales or Profits?
The folks in the ‘SALES’ camp would say, you can’t spend what you don’t have – and you don’t have anything until you make a sale.…
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Reinvent Your Cleaning Company Before It’s Too Late!
Scary, I know, but let’s be honest; today isn’t like yesterday. Yesterday , you might have been able to “pick and choose” which buildings you wanted…
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How Your Cleaning Business Can Survive ‘Windows Of Vulnerability’
As usual, let’s get right to it. What are these windows of vulnerability, and why do I need to know how to survive them? Ok, let’s…
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You’re Not In The Cleaning Business
That’s right, I’ll say it… You’re Not In The “Cleaning Business” ..at least, that’s not the whole truth by a long shot! Don’t get me wrong.…
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Does YOUR Office Need A New Cleaning Company?
I hope not. Instead, I hope the way your office or building looks is a shining example of the very best your company can deliver. But…
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I Can’t Believe We Lost THAT Cleaning Account!!
Ever gotten a phone call or certified letter informing you that one of your big customers is dropping you?It can be devastating, leaving you completely blown…
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Niche the Niche to Attract Profitable Cleaning Jobs!
No question about it.Finding a niche or a targeted part of the market to focus on, is one of the best strategies to attract profitable new…
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Don’t Trash Other Cleaning Companies!
We’ve all been tempted.You’re walking down hallways, and in and out of offices and restrooms, being shown a building to bid on and suddenly there it…
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What Do Customers in Your Cleaning Business Really Want?
Well, let’s start with this: It’s not perfect cleaning .What? I mean how can I say such a thing?Well, because your customers know, as well as…
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Does Your Cleaning Business NEED References?
Does your cleaning business need references?Short and sweet answer?Yes you do, or at least, you’ll WANT them – and sooner rather than later.And what exactly is…
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Does Your Janitorial Business Prefer to Clean Property Managed or Owner Occupied Buildings?- Part 1
Ok, I’ll go first. Which do we prefer?Short answer – owner occupied.There, you have it.But, on a serious note, we could learn a few things by…
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Does Your Janitorial Business Prefer to Clean Property Managed or Owner Occupied Buildings?- Part 2
Last time, we looked at the pro’s and con’s of cleaning property managed buildings.Today, let’s look at owner-occupied ones .It’s probably obvious, but worth saying just…
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Being REAL Beats Being Clever in Janitorial Business Marketing!
It’s fun to think up something clever. You can see a lots of clever writing in advertising.Our local zoo advertises, for example, advertises on billboards from…
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Offer Options To Land More Cleaning Jobs!
It’s funny. People like to choose. They like options to pick from.Ask if they want ice cream – and they say ‘No’.But ask them if they…
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Just Being ‘Green’ Isn’t Going to Save a Cleaning Business!
It’s a constant drumbeat.Frankly, it’s just about the only thing you hearanymore! You know what I’m talking about.. . Green Cleaning !Yep, cleaning companies are ‘climbing…
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Price Cleaning Jobs to Hire Locally!
Let me tell you a story…There was a time, when Tony and I weren’t getting the number of new cleaning jobs we wanted.We were getting a…
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Measure to Grow Your Cleaning Business
You already know how important I think it is to workload every office-cleaning job you bid on.Getting a calculated cleaning time by gathering the actual dimensions,…
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Your Cleaning Business’ 10 Best Customers
What do I mean BEST?Actually, good question.Well, by ‘best’ I mean – the ones who always seem to generate healthy profits, happy customers and few ‘headaches’.…
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Unusual Marketing Can Get Your Cleaning Company Noticed
The ’round file’ – yep, with barely any notice, that’s where a lot of marketing ends up.Why?Well, for one reason, it all looks the same .While…
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Should Your Janitorial Business Go After Bigger Buildings?
Whether it’s a 35,000 sq. ft. building or a 135,000 sq. ft. one, at first – big places can be intimidating.But here’s something to think about..Some…
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Highly Profitable Accounts Are A Mixed Bag
How in the world can I say HIGHLY profitable cleaning accounts aren’t great – period? How could making more money on a job be anything other…
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HOW and WHEN to Follow Up on a Cleaning Proposal
So far so good.You got the lead, met the prospect, did your walk-through and delivered the bid.NOW what – or, more specifically: What should you do,…
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HOW and WHEN to Follow Up on a Janitorial Bid – Part 2
Last time we talked about when to follow up.Now, let’s tackle how to follow up and give some real life suggestions of what to say -…
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Cleaning Business Selling Tip: Find a Reason to Stop By
You may have heard an expression -Give yourself the GIFT of a good habit. Well, here’s one gift you should seriously look at giving yourself -Find reasons to stop…
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Who Needs to Hire a Cleaning Business? Follow the Public
Want to know a trick for finding what places need a cleaning business?Here it is: Follow the public! That’s right, that’s where the cleaning is most…
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How Important is NETWORKING in My Cleaning Business?
First of all, you can relax – I realize not everybody likes networking . It’s understandable.That’s right, for many people, the very idea of going up…
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Use STEPS in Marketing Your Cleaning Services
Sitting on my desk was a business card (A). It was from an insurance agent who stopped by while I was out of the office. No…
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Step Series Letters to Promote Your Cleaning Business
Last time, we saw how three properly timed, related marketing steps can be much more powerful than – three random, unrelated ones.Today, let’s look at how…
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WANTED: Photo of Cleaning Business Owner
We’ve all heard it a million times. A picture is worth a thousand words. Why? Well, because people like to buy from people – people they…
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What Cleaning Businesses Need to Know About FREE
We know people like getting ‘something for nothing’ or – FREESo, if we all agree on that, why am I devoting an entire blog to this…
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How Target Marketing Can Help YOUR Cleaning Business
How can I get more BANG for my marketing dollar? It’s a question we hear a lot. And it’s a fair question considering how expensive it…
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The BEST Place To Get More Cleaning Business!
We hear it all the time. Cleaning companies call – and what do you think is the one thing they nearly all ask? Well, if you…
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Golden Rule for Selling Success in the Cleaning Business
Here’s what you absolutely MUST know if you hope to be successful – selling cleaning services:Drum roll please… the answer is…What They (Your Prospects) WANT.You see,…
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Want Compelling Marketing? Change the Internal Reality of Your Cleaning Business.
Janitorial businesses complain their marketing isn’t working – not getting the phone to ring. Maid Services complain they can’t get noticed with so much competition. Commercial…
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Tell Cleaning Business Prospects, Then Tell Them AGAIN
Prospects can be like kids . Here’s how:They both just don’t get it – the first time.You know how kids can be.Tell them to clean up…
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Stick With Your Cleaning Business Story
It may not be a holiday classic like ‘The Night Before Christmas’ – but you’re going to want to tell the marketing story about your cleaning…
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PAIN in Marketing Cleaning Business
Prospects are people first!It’s something to keep reminding yourself of.Don’t make the mistake of thinking prospects are logical, practical business men and women who – after…
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Can you ELIMINATE the Price Objection in Cleaning?
By now, you know how important we feel it is to grab your prospect’s attention in your marketing.And hopefully, you also remember we suggest you do…
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Show and Sell – How to Overcome the Price Objection in Cleaning
To overcome the PRICE objection in the cleaning business – you need a plan.You need to show and tell (sell) how your cleaning plan makes UNDERSTANDABLE…
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Cleaning Marketing Tip: Write Like You Talk
People are always asking what their brochures, flyers or marketing letters should say.Hopefully, by now, you have a pretty good idea, including:Powerful HeadlinesTestimonialsMeasurable Guarantees of Performance…
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P.S. Remember to Use P.S in Marketing YOUR Cleaning
Some things in life defy logic.For me, it’s golf .Seems the harder I try, the more effort I put into the swing – the better my…
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Making Cleaning Prospects Decide
You’ve done everything right.You’ve..- learned what the building owner or manager wants- put together your proposal highlighting why your cleaning business is uniquely able to deliver…
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Making Cleaning Prospects Decide, Part 2
Last time, we talked about WHY so many prospects seem to ‘drag their heels’ in deciding whether to hire you or not.You know the ones; they…
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The Power of Multiple Offers in Marketing Cleaning Services
Sometimes, even after your best marketing efforts to persuade people to move forward – hire you, they may still simply not be ready to act.So, do…
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How the Janitorial Business Has CHANGED
Here’s the way it was…. Independent cleaning businesses used to reign supreme.Why?Well, among other things – customers liked the quality , reliability and responsiveness of doing…
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Actual Steps Cleaning Business Owners Can Take to Deal with Low Balling Competitors
Here’s a question that’s been bugging me for a long time.What can independent cleaning business owners do when a current customer calls to say a competitor…
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Revisit EVERYTHING
Re-visit procedures, policies, systems and rules in your cleaning business.Why?To re-think WHY you do them the way you do.Companies often find the only reason they make…
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Social Media is a MEDIUM not a MESSAGE
It would be great if simply getting your cleaning company up and running on sites like facebook and LinkedIn was all it took to bring in…
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Questions and Answers in Selling Cleaning
Sure, you can probably agree that BOTH are important, but, what you many not realize, is – when it comes to selling cleaning services – IT’S…
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Why Would You Hire Your Cleaning Company?
I’m pretty sure you would answer with a confident – Absolutely! to the question of whether you would hire your cleaning company. What I’m not so…
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Strong Guarantees and Embarrassing Admissions
As you know – we suggest taking service guarantees to the next level by creating Measurable Guarantees of Performance, or what we call MGPs, for short.We…
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That Little Something Extra
A while back, we talked about how the P.S. at the very end of a sales letter is one of the MOST read parts of the…
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DISNEY-fy Your Cleaning Business!
Everyone offers cleaning.But, few businesses, including cleaning companies, offer an EXPERIENCE to their clients.DISNEY does.Disney designs, offers and delivers an EXPERIENCE, a dramatic, compelling and scripted…
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Think COUNTER-intuitive When Marketing Your Cleaning Business Services!
This blog post will be different, even weird – in how it’s structured, in what it says.But, maybe that’s a good thing.Maybe, it will get your…
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DTM – Dump the MIDDLE-men!
WHEN you can, IF you can – Dump the MIDDLEmen.And, who are these MIDDLEmen?They’re the national management outfits (NMO’s) who see their job as little more…
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Some Answers Cleaning Business Owners Know
Some questions are better answered by others. For example, complicated legal or accounting issues. Some questions are answered pretty quickly and confidently by the owners of…
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The Part of Working SMART That Makes Sense
People often think working SMART is learning insider tricks or shortcuts to do less work -or better yet, figuring out how to have other people do…
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What You Say About Your Cleaning Proposal AND How You Say It
We went to church on Sunday. The reader walked up to the alter and stood behind the podium. He then read that day’s verses from the…
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Is Your Cleaning Business Marketing to a CLEAN List?
First things – first.What do we mean by a CLEAN list? Answer? By ‘clean’ list we mean – a targeted list of prospects where any names/buildings…
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The Wrong Question To Ask When Bidding Janitorial Jobs
Lots of cleaning business owners call or email in a note, asking lots of questions.Most of the time, they’re very good questions, having to do with…
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Power of One Simple Rule in Your Cleaning Business
It doesn’t take a bunch of rules to make a big difference. Don’t believe me? How about a practical example – not related to cleaning.Let’s say…
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Is Your Cleaning Business Message Relevant?
They say the only CONSTANT is CHANGE. It’s a great catch phrase. But, more importantly – it’s the truth. We have a restaurant nearby who used…
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Popular Without Purpose or Plan
Everything about getting older isn’t great, but here’s one thing that is: You can see things for what they REALLY are and what they REALLY aren’t…
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UnTapped Value of Practice
When I was young, I belonged to a forensic team.You may wonder what the heck ‘forensic’ even is.You’re not alone. Hardly anyone I’ve run into over…
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Is it TABOO for Cleaning Businesses to Ask THIS Question?
Yep, owners or salespeople in cleaning businesses can feel compelled to ask a question some may consider ‘off limits’, that’s right – taboo . And what…
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Bid When They’re NOT ‘Going Out to Bid’
What do I mean? Well, one approach to growing you cleaning business is waiting until – they (building owner/manager) calls because they’re simply ‘going out to…
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“Bonded and Licensed and Insured”… Oh, My!
It’s got to stop. Really; overused phrases like the one above have been used so often and with so little affect that they can barely be…
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From ‘Can’t Get Enough Jobs’ to ‘Can’t Find Enough People’ in the Cleaning Business
It’s funny, not in a ‘haha’ way’ of course, but in more of – ‘it’s interesting’ way. You know the feeling – how one year the…
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Do People Instantly Associate Your Cleaning Business with SomeThing?
It can be simply SOME-thing like…. The cleanest, sharpest company vehicles The brightest colored, most professional uniforms The catchiest, coolest company name or logo And, all…
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Make Your Cleaning Business Necessary
Perceived as necessary – to avoid problems Perceived as necessary – to avoid worry Perceived as necessary – to ensure quality cleaning Why perceived?Well, because while…
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No ROOM for RUSTY
While NOT ideal – it used to be, if you had a company vehicle with a few dings and a little rust, you could mostly get…
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Easy Cleaning Business Networking
You know traditional networking.It’s the ‘go to a business event, stand around and awkwardly introduce yourself to others who are trying to do the same thing’…
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Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about marketing and sales articles for cleaning businesses.
This category includes articles about finding commercial cleaning leads, reaching new prospects, improving sales conversations, following up after proposals, explaining the value of your service, and winning more cleaning contracts.
Cleaning companies often find new opportunities through referrals, local outreach, networking, relationships with property managers, online marketing, and consistent follow-up. The best approach is usually a repeatable process that helps the company reach the right prospects and stay visible until they are ready to buy.
No. The articles are written for cleaning business owners and managers whether or not they use CleanGuru.
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Some articles may explain how software can support bidding, proposals, follow-up, scheduling, and other business processes. The articles are still intended to provide useful information whether or not you use CleanGuru.
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