Whether you've just started up your cleaning business, or you've been established for some time, knowing how to attract new clients is an essential skill. Fortunately, winning contracts doesn't have to be a headache if you have the know-how and the right technology in place.
In this article, we'll explain how to get clients for your cleaning business. Plus, we'll explore the ways that modern technology can give your organisation a competitive advantage.
How Do I Get Cleaning Contracts?
Did you know, there are approximately 66,420 businesses currently operating in the UK cleaning market? With so many organisations for customers to choose from, competition to win cleaning contracts is fierce.
However, there are several methods you can use to set yourself apart from your competitors. Here are the top four ways you can turn prospective clients into paying customers:
1. Word of Mouth
When it comes to attracting customers to your cleaning company, word of mouth is one of your best tools. In fact, word of mouth marketing results in five times more business than paid media, and people are 90% more likely to purchase products or services that have been recommended by someone they know.
Therefore, you must ensure that you provide your existing customers with a positive experience. Fortunately, by using state-of-the-art field service management software, impressing your clients needn't be time-consuming or challenging.
For example, you can provide your customers with a user-friendly portal to easily make and rearrange appointments. Your team can then use the details the customer submitted to schedule and dispatch the most appropriate workers and equipment for the job.
Once your cleaners have completed the work, they'll be able to instantly send customers invoices from their mobile devices for simple, online payment. Your customers will appreciate the rapidity and simplicity of your service and, as such, be more inclined to tell others about your business.
Field service management platforms also allow you to send your customers satisfaction surveys and personalised follow-up communications to ensure they're happy. Post-job emails are the perfect opportunity to ask your customers to recommend you to others - you could even offer them a small discount for spreading the word.
2. Be Active on Social Media
With over 420 billion people active on social media, it has become one of the primary advertising channels for small businesses hoping to attract new clients. Consequently, you should ensure that you regularly update at least one channel.
Remember, cleaning is a visual service, and social media is your portfolio, so platforms like Instagram, Facebook and YouTube are ideal for showing off your work. You may wish to share before and after photos or even time-lapses of your team at work to give customers an idea of what to expect when they hire you.
Social media is also an excellent place to target specific prospective clients. For instance, if you want to win more office cleaning contracts, you could tailor your content specifically to corporate customers. Or, if you operate in a specific area, you can tag your posts to exact locations.
Finally, to build up a solid social media following, you should take time to respond to comments and connect with other users. Taking a friendly approach will make you stand out and attract more customers to your organisation.
3. Create a Website
Shockingly, it only takes about 50 milliseconds - or 0.05 seconds - for customers to form an opinion about your website. Sadly, if their first impressions aren't positive, you could be losing business, so it can be tempting to forego a website entirely.
But, in today's digital world, having a website is necessary if you want prospective clients to find you.
The good news is, you no longer have to be a tech wizard or break the bank to create a professional-looking website. There are now plenty of website builders with templates you can use to put your own site together in a few clicks.
When making a website, you should tailor it to your customers and what they want to see. With a contemporary CRM (customer relationship management) system, you can obtain a snapshot of your customer base and their requirements at the touch of a button.
Every interaction you've had with your clients, from phone calls to satisfaction surveys, are stored on the platform, so you can tell what industry the majority of your customers operate in, where they're located and what feedback they gave you. As such, you can use the data you've collected to shape your website's content and continue attracting similar customers.
4. Collaborate with Other Businesses and Expand Your Reach
Networking is a powerful method of growing your organisation and winning new contracts. Still, if you're one of the 41% of people who believes they don't have time to connect with other professionals in their field, you could be missing out on business opportunities.
Luckily, you can eliminate the time-consuming aspects of networking by employing the latest field service management technology such as BigChange. With BigChange, you can make the most of their 'Network' of trusted global field service companies without needing to leave the office.
Instead, you can list your business for free and start receiving connection requests immediately. From there, you'll have the option to collaborate on projects with other like-minded companies, meaning you can bid for larger contracts and operate further afield without needing to hire extra resources.
You can specify the types of jobs you have available, alongside the skill requirements, so you can be sure that any subcontractors meet your standards and will represent your business appropriately.
Turn Prospective Clients into Paying Customers with BigChange
Some systems manage relationships. BigChange helps you master them.
Our fully integrated job management software gives you a 360˚ view of every account, contact site and contract. Deliver positive customer experiences at every level thanks to an array of dynamic product features.
Want to find out more?
Discover how BigChange can make your business grow stronger, arrange a free demo today.
