Marketing A Cleaning Business Archives

How To Onboard New Cleaning Clients (For A More Profitable Cleaning Business)

June 7, 2017 by Lisa Macqueen 3 Comments

How Do You Welcome New Clients To Your Cleaning Business?

So, you’ve landed a new cleaning client, they’ve signed the paperwork, and everyone’s ready to start that lovely new cleaning job. Are you missing one crucial piece of the sales puzzle? Do you know how to onboard new cleaning clients for a more profitable cleaning business?

Why Is Good On-Boarding So Important?

In the cleaning industry, having a solid process for new customer on-boarding, is absolutely essential.

It’s how you take a visitor on their journey from your websites’ home page, through to signing up for your services, delivering with the “wow” factor on the first clean, and, continuing to add value to their lives at every service.

Because, when you do THIS right, it can help you keep your clients longer.

In today’s video, I’m sharing 7 on-boarding best practices that will get your relationship with your new client off on the right foot. With these tips, you’ll learn how to deliver value early, and retain your new client profitably for years to come. To view, click the image below..

What are the benefits of client on-boarding?

Imagine this: you’re talking to a prospective new client. You do everything right – you listen to their needs, build rapport, and build trust. Then, you present your proposal and close the deal.

So far, so good right?

Then comes the time to get their job started, and so you send them an email:

“Dear David,

Thanks for choosing ABC Cleaning company and signing our contract! I’d like to introduce you to Amanda who is now in charge of your account.

She’ll take care of you from here on ok? All the best,”

Imagine how David feels now? A little like he’s been brushed by you and then pushed onto someone new who he doesn’t know or trust. He has no idea what to expect from this new person, and all of a sudden, he’s lost confidence in your cleaning business, and you haven’t even started the job yet! He’s off to a less-than-stellar start with your company (which is not a good start for you or him..)

Here’s what a good client on-boarding process can do:

How Do You Welcome New Clients Into Your Cleaning Business?

Removes confusion or doubts. Your clients know exactly what’s happening. What they’re getting (because you have provided them with a detailed specification). They know who they’ll be liaising with in your Company, they understand how it will all come together when you begin the job, and they know that you know, what their expectations are.
New Clients Who Are Happy With Their Cleaning Services

Builds trust. The more a client trusts you, the less likely they are to micromanage every detail of their cleaning service agreement with your company.
Removes buyer’s remorse. They will feel cared for, appreciated and understood. They won’t be second guessing themselves wondering if they should have gone with ‘the other guys’. instead, they’ll be happier with their decision to hire your cleaning company. This can only increase retention and referrals.
Establishes the benchmark. Ask your client, “Tell me in one sentence, what does success with your cleaning service look like – how will you know that we’re doing a great job?” This question really helps to identify key areas that they pay attention to, and it shows your new client that your business is ‘tuned in’ to excellence..

Introduce Clients to the tools you use to manage their job. Do you use a site management software like Swept, or Cleantelligent? Or perhaps a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system like Infusionsoft, AWeber or Ontraport?

If so, you’ll need to introduce your clients to these tools so that they understand how to use them (if applicable). With the CRM system, it’s imperative that your clients understand that this is how you will communicate with them electronically, and so it is vital they don’t unsubscribe to your emails.

Now that you know how important it is to onboard new cleaning clients, click here to watch the video and learn how to bring on new clients – the right way.

Tell me how you on-board new clients into your cleaning business…

Share as much detail as possible in your reply. Thousands of incredible cleaning business owners come here for insight and inspiration and your words may be exactly what someone else needs to hear to move ahead in their business journey..

Important: share your thoughts and ideas directly in the comments. (Links to other posts, videos, etc. will be deleted as they come across as spammy).

👍 Like if you agree, comment below and share this with someone to help them achieve their cleaning business goals.

TODAY’S QUOTE:

“Action springs not from thought, but from a readiness for responsibility”. Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Lisa x

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Want to know more about us – check us out here.

Cleaning Marketer works exclusively with cleaning businesses to help them attract more prospects, make more sales, and keep their clients longer.

PS A FREE REPORT FOR YOU: “How To Get Cleaning Clients Even If You’re Brand New To The Cleaning Industry”

Go Grab Your Free Copy By Clicking On This Link: Here

Want fast access to great information to help you build and grow your cleaning business? Go ‘Like’ us on Facebook or hit the ‘Subscribe’ Button on You Tube.

5 Top Cleaning Industry Events You Should Attend in 2017

April 19, 2017 by Lisa Macqueen Leave a Comment

It’s one of my favorite things to do… Attend cleaning industry events – either conferences or exhibitions and literally surround myself with people who are passionate about the same things as me – entrepreneurship, marketing, their businesses and of course, cleaning..

As far as I’m concerned, attending industry events are a must do if you’re looking to grow your cleaning business.

Why? Because you get the opportunity to hang around other successful people and learn from experts while you’re there. AND, you’ll not only get a host of new ideas and inspiration, you’ll also start to operate on a new level (and probably make some great industry friends and contacts while you’re there).

So that’s our focus today – getting inspired, and making a decision to take action and book an event to attend…

Before we dive in though, I wanted to share something that happened to me a couple of weeks ago while I was at an event. .

My husband Hamish and I attended a 2 day marketing conference event in San Diego, CA and as with most events, there were various networking opportunities where you could informally meet other business owners and entrepreneurs.

It was a great event and a lot of fun..

But there was something that happened while we were there that I wanted to share with you, because I know you don’t want to make this mistake.

So, there we were at the first “official” event the night before the conference actually began. Three hundred and fifty business owners and entrepreneurs in this lovely hotel, all asking *kind of* the same question to each other…

“So… what business are you in”?

And you can imagine, some people in the room were powerhouses of the “elevator pitch”, while others just shared what they actually did.

It was great…

Until, we met let’s just call him “Jason”.

Now Jason, was from Alabama, and he was in a bricks and mortar business. And “Jason” was kind of a big deal. He regaled us with stories of the different cleaning businesses he’d hired (and fired) over the years, and each sounded worse than the previous. And then he said:

“So tell me, why would you fly all this way to go to a conference – how could being here help your business when all you do is clean”?

Um… whaaaaaaaaat?

For the record, I put him straight right away… but, his comment made me think about you guys. And to be honest, I rarely meet many other cleaning business owners at events I go to (and I go to a lot of conferences each year).

So where are you, and what conferences ARE you attending?

Is it because you believe what “Jason” thinks is true (and I really hope that’s not the case)… because in the cleaning industry we need to stay up to date. Things have changed (big time) and as business owners, it’s important to stay connected and keep learning.

I’m about to fly back to the US in a couple of days (yes, that’s right. I’ve flown to the US twice in the past month from Australia)

Why?

Because if you’re not continuously working on educating yourself and staying connected by attending cleaning industry events, you and your business may find you’re being out-marketed by your competitors, and you’re using outdated methods that have stopped working.

Have you ever wondered why what worked a few years ago, now is a lot less effective?

It’s because things in our business are changing all the time…

That’s why I head to conferences like the Infusionsoft’s annual user event, ICON every year in Phoenix, AZ. Even if you aren’t an Infusionsoft customer, this event is THE event for small business – because of the amazing speakers, and the educational content alone it’s worth the trip.

And full disclosure here – it was at this event that our very own cleaning business, Cleancorp, won the Small Business ICON Award in front of 3000+ business owners (you can check that out here.)

And I really LOVE attending this event – but even if we didn’t have automation, this is a cool event to learn great sales and marketing principles from..

So, want to know what other events you should be putting on your calendar?

Infusionsoft ICON 2017 Event – 25-27 April, Phoenix, AZ – Going? See you there.

Lisa Macqueen, Infusionsoft Cleaning Business ICON, Infusionsoft for Cleaning Businesses

Meet Us At ICON – Phoenix, AZ – 25-27 April, 2017

Reframe Janitorial Conference by Swept (My friends at Swept have invited me to speak at a few of their Reframed events, so keep an eye out for those dates)

ISSA Cleaning & Hygiene Expo (I’ll be speaking as part of a panel – Melbourne, Australia)

ISSA Cleaning & Hygiene Expo

Here’s a few more that you should definitely aim to attend:

ISSA Interclean North America (September, 2017 in Las Vegas, NV)

BSCAI Annual Convention (September, 2017 in Las Vegas, NV)

ARCSI Event (September 2017 – venue TBD)

So “Jason”, let me put you straight on this…

Cleaning isn’t just cleaning. It’s a thriving business full of dedicated and hardworking business owners and entrepreneurs who see the value in investing in their own education, and offering 21st century solutions to their customers.

I’d love to hear from you – what conferences are you planning on attending this year? Leave me a message below, and who knows, I just might see you there… 🙂

“People don’t resist change, they resist being changed”. Peter Senge

Lisa x

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First time to our blog…? Welcome, it’s great to have you here 🙂 Want to know more about us – check us out here.

Cleaning Marketer works exclusively with cleaning businesses to help them attract more prospects, make more sales, and keep their clients longer.

PS A FREE REPORT FOR YOU: “How To Get Cleaning Clients Even If You’re Brand New To The Cleaning Industry”

Go Grab Your Free Copy By Clicking On This Link: Here

Want fast access to great information to help you build and grow your cleaning business? Go ‘Like’ us on Facebook or hit the ‘Subscribe’ Button on You Tube.

The 10 Best Podcasts & Resources for Cleaning Business Owners

December 13, 2016 by Lisa Macqueen Leave a Comment

Photo Credit: Dayne Topkin

The 10 Best Podcasts & Resources for Cleaning Business Owners

When I was starting out in the cleaning business, all I wanted to do was find other (more successful) cleaning business owners…. it would have been awesome to have had a list of the 10 best podcasts and resources for cleaning business owners back then -:)

I dreamed of hanging out with them… talking about new ideas to attract customers or staff, or just to have a sounding board when I was unsure of something…

It can be really lonely being a cleaning business owner….

My friends weren’t overly entrepreneurial (and a lot weren’t business owners), so they just couldn’t relate to some of the daily issues I was going through as a cleaning business owner. They thought I was crazy to be working so hard in my business….

I needed to find people who ‘got’ me and who I could learn off ….

People who had been where I was, down in the trenches, who had actually grown a cleaning business beyond just a “hobby” and weren’t doing things the old fashioned way…

Are You Still Doing Things The Old Fashioned Way In Your Business?

Photo Credit: Nirzar Pangarkar

I wanted to learn new stuff…

None of the so-called “Gurus” ever talked about cleaning businesses – so I was left to figure things out the long way (read: the hard way)…

I became absolutely driven to learn more about the cleaning industry – and yes, if I’m honest, it became kind of an obsession..

I wanted to understand every possible way that I could make a bigger impact with our customers and our staff.

AND YOU SHOULD TOO……

You see as Cleaning Business Owners, you’re problem solvers and relationship builders.

The thing is though, you’re busy “being” that – right? If you’re like most cleaning business owners, every day you’re facing a different set of challenges.

You know you should be “doing” social media, but have absolutely no idea where to start right? (HINT: Click Here to learn that)

You’d probably love to have a quick “go-to” list of podcasts and resources specifically for cleaning business owners right? How about a community you could interact with?

Sounds good doesn’t it? Not being alone in your business anymore…

You Don't Have To Be Lonely In Your Cleaning Business Anymore

Photo Credit: © kieferpix

So, I curated this cool list for you – in it you’ll find some of the finest podcasts, resources and thought leadership on the cleaning industry, and my prediction:

The cleaning business owners who become “experts” in their area, win. They win better staff and better customers.

And look, there’s no need to feel overwhelmed; it’s quick and easy to press play on a podcast during your morning commute or scan a quick article while your lunch is heating up. And we’ve made it even easier by curating a list of the most crucial ways to stay in-the-know.

The following resources are in no particular order of importance –so whether you like to read, watch or listen to information here goes – just make it your mission to start somewhere!

Top 10 Podcasts and Resources for Cleaning Businesses

Photo Credit: © alexmillos

Here’s Our Top 10 List:

The Quick Talk Podcast hosted by Josh Latimer is dedicated to helping business owners succeed. This episode divulges how to get more cleaning clients and grow quickly with a Power Followup Planning Checklist. New talks are posted every Tuesday and Friday.
Savvy Cleaner is a site dedicated to providing training and certifications for house cleaners. With tips and training services, you’ll be confident that your team is delivering high quality cleaning to your clients.
The first news and information source dedicated solely to the cleaning industry, Cleaning Business Today lists tools, techniques, industry best practices and tricks of the trade in a streamlined environment.
INCLEAN Magazine offers up the latest news and events so you can always be at the forefront of the cleaning community. This is both a print and digital magazine that sends out regular email newsletters as well, so it covers all the bases.
If you believe better communication resolves many of the major challenges in your line of work, Swept’s blog (and their incredible software) may be right for you. Swept is devoted to showing owners how to get the most out of their employees with software that assists with time tracking, scheduling, reporting, instructions and supplies, so you can focus on the bigger picture, (and they just happen to write a killer blog) -:)
Though not directly related to the cleaning business, The Tim Ferriss Show is an incredibly insightful podcast for expanding your reach. Voted iTunes’ Best of 2014 and Best of 2015, this guy knows how to draw the celebrity guests, but more importantly, how to reveal unique bits of business wisdom you can’t find anywhere else.
From dealing with cleaning services to cash flow, the Grow My Cleaning Company podcast covers it. Hosted by Mike Campion you can subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher so you never miss an episode, no matter your schedule
The Cleaning Business Forum on Facebook states that “all cleaning business owners are welcome” to join this group. Focused on giving and receiving advice from fellow owners, this is truly a grassroots way to stay involved and learn from others.
Cleaning Owners is another Facebook group you can join that asks the tough questions while dispensing regular encouragement. This group is especially recommended for those just starting out.
If LinkedIn is more your thing, Growth Strategies for Commercial Cleaning Professionals is the group for you. This discussion is targeted more toward expansion and other advanced topics rather than the challenges that beginning cleaning owners typically face.

UPDATE:

After feedback from my community, it looks like # 9 isn’t a very active Facebook Group – so if you’re in the Maid Service space, go check out the ZenMaid Group on Facebook…

Of course, you’re here on our very own information platform – the Cleaning Marketer Blog and we’re completely focused on helping you achieve your entrepreneurial goals, and shorten your learning curve in the cleaning business.

So be sure to stay connected with us as we cover everything a modern cleaning business owner needs to know – sales and marketing, systems and processes (that actually work for cleaning businesses), how to hire (and sometimes, fire) staff, social media, and the list goes on and on…

In fact. Could you do me a favour?

If there’s an area within your cleaning business where you need help, and you’d like me to either do a video or a blog article on it (or even a free webinar) – I’d be happy to, because chances are it will help you and it will probably help others too….

So, leave a message in the comments section below outlining what you’d like me to cover for you – I read and reply to every message…

Hopefully you’ll find these resources beneficial to your cleaning business. Owning a business is challenging, and you don’t have to feel alone when navigating the murkiness of hiring, managing, meeting service expectations and increasing margins. There are people out there like you who are experiencing similar situations and are making it work for them.

If you’re serious about business growth, come join us at Cleaning Marketer – a community where cleaning business owners gain access to information that attracts prospects, makes sales and keeps top clients on their roster. Need a few quick ideas to get you started?

Click here to grab your free copy of “How To Get More New Clients, Even If You’re New To the Industry” ..

Today’s quote:

“Merely surviving is not the same as truly thriving”. William C Taylor

Lisa x

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First time to our blog…? Welcome, it’s great to have you here 🙂 Want to know more about us – check us out here.

Cleaning Marketer works exclusively with cleaning businesses to help them attract more prospects, make more sales, and keep their clients longer.

Want fast business growth? Register for the next Cleaning Business School (Starting Jan 2017) – 8 Weeks of Fast Growth Ideas for Cleaning Businesses who want to attract more prospects, make more sales and keep their clients longer.

Prefer a live event in either San Diego or New York City in 2017? Get inspired, empowered and take your market by storm. Book now

PS A FREE REPORT FOR YOU: “How To Get Cleaning Clients Even If You’re Brand New To The Cleaning Industry”

Go Grab Your Free Copy By Clicking On This Link: Here How To Get More Cleaning Clients, Even If You're New To The Cleaning Industry

How Top Cleaning Businesses Use Social Media

November 28, 2016 by Lisa Macqueen 8 Comments

Are You On Social Media With Your Cleaning Business?

Social media can be tricky for cleaning businesses. Let’s face it. There’s nothing ‘sexy’ or ‘social’ about cleaning right? And yet other cleaning business owners are nailing it online – so how do they do it?

It’s kind of an unknown world for so many cleaning business owners, and yet almost without exception…

…that’s how your next client will find you….

Online.

So instead of trying to ignore social media and thinking of it as a huge time waster, or thinking of it as something you’ve never needed before, (so why should you need it now…?), think of it this way…

Social media is the place where all your potential clients (and existing clients) are… and somewhere you NEED to be.

So, how do you ‘do‘ social media then?

How do you take this fantastic unwieldy ‘beast’ and tame it so that it delivers customers and fans to your cleaning business, and builds your brand in the process?

Step # 1 Keep it Fun

dogs-your-competing-with-on-social-media

Keep It Fun… Great Images Engage!

You want to keep a professional, yet fun tone and not seem like a teenager Snapchatting with friends. Think about your audience – yes, once again, it’s all about THEM….

Don’t bore them to tears. Remember earlier I mentioned that cleaning isn’t sexy or social? Well that’s true – but there’s plenty of stories and images you can share with your community that don’t include dirty toilets (please, please, please, don’t be THAT cleaning business!!).

Remember you’re competing for attention online with cute pictures of babies, puppies and kittens – so the likelihood of someone stopping to check out a picture of a dirty bathroom or dirty floors is very low.

You want to engage with your peeps… not send them running from their computers or their mobile phones!

Step # 2 Don’t be a ‘Fair-Weather Friend”

The Attention Span Of Your Prospect Is A Staggering 8.1 Seconds – Same As A Goldfish!

It is super important that you are consistent with your community, and post updates regularly – remember the average attention span for someone online is now less than a goldfish – just 8.1 seconds…. you’ve gotta connect – fast!

So what would your prospects tune into you may be wondering? Stories. Stories that connect on a human and emotional basis.

It’s easy to dismiss social media channels as not actually that important, but in reality, these platforms can make a major impact when it comes to reaching your audience and sealing your expert status in the industry, particularly if you choose stories that will connect with your ideal clients.

Step # 3 Model What Others Are Doing

Several thriving cleaning companies are already taking advantage of social media to supplement their marketing tactics and are seeing plenty of results. If you feel like you’re doing it wrong, or not maximizing its potential, or maybe you’re even too overwhelmed to start, below are some examples of cleaning companies doing things right.

But first, the best place to start is by keeping a company blog on your website. Consistently post blogs that are relevant to the cleaning industry with keywords, several mentions of your targeted geographic region, plus infographics, images or videos where appropriate. Then, voila, you have content worthy of sharing on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and any other platform you choose to use.

Continuously staying in front of your target audience allows you to be seen as the reliable expert that you are within the cleaning industry.

Follow the examples of fellow cleaning professionals in order to spur some ideas of your own:

The award-winning cleaning company Dura-Shine Clean uses Instagram to post images of smiling faces and stunning projects. That way, potential clients are able to see stunning results with one click. They also follow tons of accounts in order to gain followers relevant to their business. The plethora of hashtags found in their posts isn’t hurting either.
Clean Conscience Boulder uses Facebook to produce frequent posts and customer reviews. Plus, you’re automatically able to see the five stars they’ve received since Facebook makes a point to highlight this feature. Nothing speaks louder to your target audience than rave reviews.
Kling Kleen uses Twitter to tweet out helpful cleaning tips that instantly showcase their expert advice. They also link to their site often in order to boost traffic and get future clients one step closer to calling them.
Cleancorp uses YouTube to upload videos of testimonials, which is a highly effective tool. They use Linked In extensively to build relationships with their ideal clients in a strategic and powerful way, they use Facebook to connect with articles and stories, and they also use Twitter and Instagram to add to the mix and engage with their followers, prospects and clients.

Cleancorp have taken it to a pro-level by linking their website PLUS all of their social media to reinforce branding and messaging across the board.

Don’t be afraid to use social media as a tool to get attention for your cleaning business. Have fun with it while using your authentic, professional voice. Social media can also be a great resource for announcing discounts, coupons and giveaways. Nothing gets a customer signed up faster than getting a deal.

Step # 4 Learn How To Use Social Media

If you’re interested in learning how to make social media work for your cleaning business the right way, I’m considering putting together a free webinar to teach cleaning business owners just like you, how to harness the power of this incredibly powerful lead-generating tool. If I get 20 people leave me a message in the comments section below with a “YES”, I’ll create a free training session for you to learn…

And if you’re serious about growth, consider joining your cleaning professional colleagues by becoming a Cleaning Marketer. Discover a strong community of like-minded entrepreneurs intent on growing their cleaning businesses. Bolster your company’s profit margins with access to information that attracts prospects and makes sales.

How To Get More Cleaning Clients, Even If You're New To The Cleaning Industry

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PS A FREE REPORT FOR YOU: “How To Get Cleaning Clients Even If You’re Brand New To The Cleaning Industry”

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8 Tips on How to Make Your Boss (and team) Respect You

July 25, 2016 by Lisa Macqueen Leave a Comment

What’s the team culture like in your business?

What are the 8 Tips on How to Make Your Boss (and team) Respect You? Now before you start thinking… “you can’t make people respect you – respect is earned” (which it most definitely is and I wholeheartedly agree with you), hear me out for a minute…

As a cleaning business coach, one of the first conversations I have with new clients is this: “Have you ever wondered how your team (or boss) views your performance at work? I’m not talking about your annual performance review here, but how they actually think about you as a member of the organization? In other words, do they look at you as someone who dreams big and get’s things done, or do they look at you as someone who just turns up, does what you have to, and leaves….?

Let’s face it, no-one goes to work wanting to do a bad job right? Most of us want our boss or our team to think we’re easy to work with, or efficient, or an asset to the business, so today, let’s look at what we can do, to make that happen…

# 1. What Value Are You Bringing?

Look at how you add value to the business. Are you bringing great new ideas on how things can be improved in your department or the business as a whole… (I heard a great quote from Sally Hogshead, “If you’re not adding value, you’re just taking up space”. Don’t take up space in the business.

# 2. Ask For Feedback

Make it easy to give you feedback without the drama that can sometimes be associated. What I mean by that is, ask questions like, “Should I handle that differently next time?” or, “How would you have done that better?” The point here is to look at it as a great opportunity to get real feedback that will help you become an even better member of the team (as well as their boss).

# 3. Don’t Get Frustrated Easily

I once worked with a woman whose frustration threshold was so low, she had the entire office (and business) on red alert constantly. It was counter-productive and damaging to the morale, and although she was an incredible asset in some ways, eventually, we had to let her go because we just couldn’t endure working with her a minute longer – she was, quite literally, punishing…

What we learnt from that experience was huge.

Your company culture is something that must be protected, and if you have a team member who is not in alignment with your company’s purpose, values, and mission, well, it’s better to make a change sooner rather than later. Remember, in an office, residential or strata cleaning business, company culture is critical to success.

# 4. Don’t Overshare

Communication is great, but please don’t overshare. If you’re cc-ing people in on everything you’re doing in the hope of getting extra credits, please stop that right now. People are busy so just share with them what they need to be consulted on, to approve, or informed about. As a rule of thumb – if you’re unsure, just ask..

# 5. Don’t Schedule Too Many Meetings

I read a great article on Linked In this morning and this phrase really resonated: “In most businesses, you have to get approval to spend $500, yet you can call a meeting that runs for an hour with 20 of your staff and no-one questions it..” Forbes did an awesome article on just this subject too, that’s definitely worth a read: “Too Many Meetings, There’s a Simple Solution for That.

# 6. Accept That Everyone’s Different

Everyone has their own way of doing things – their pet peeves or weird preferences.

That’s ok, ok?

If your office manager wants the commercial cleaning company to use luxurious toilet paper over the ol’ 2 ply – Roll with them (excuse the lame pun…) – it’s really not that big a deal.

# 7. Frame Your Concerns

If you’ve ever worked with what I like to call the “dream stealers” you’ll connect with this point. Dream Stealers are people who will tell you every reason why something can’t be done. They don’t want to try anything new. They don’t care that you’ve come up with an innovative new way to offer your service, or engage with your team or clients, and then the dream stealers come in and tell you every reason why it won’t work and it can’t be done.

I’m not against constructive criticism, BUT

how about re-framing your objections to: “what makes the most sense for the business” or “can you explain in a little more detail how this will help our business?” Instead of just saying “Nope, not going to work because…”

Now if you’re a business owner, of course, you’re the one with everything on the line, so naturally, you will have the final say, and you do need to be straightforward about that too. A great way to frame it would be: “I understand that X doesn’t sound like a big deal, but it’s driving me crazy. Could we try doing ___?”

# 8. Don’t Give In to An Active Imagination

Sometimes, when we receive a text or an email from someone it can sound a little, well, sharp.

And no-one, absolutely 100% no-one, enjoys receiving an email or text like that.

If you’re the recipient of this type of message, sometimes your mind starts to go over it, and play it over and over and before you know it, that message is making you miserable. You’re feeling undervalued, overwhelmed or just plain upset by it – all because the sender didn’t put a ‘smile’ into their communication or was very blunt. So, if you’re confused or even just a little concerned about someone’s words or actions, don’t stew on it. And don’t send a dozen text messages backwards and forward about it either. Just use these magical 4 words to solve this:

JUST . SPEAK . TO . THEM .

Something like “Hey I might be misreading this, but do you have any concerns about how I’m handling XYZ?” Here’s the trick – say it calmly, and be genuinely curious and open. If you take the other route and get angry, frustrated and upset, well refer back to Point # 3 ” Don’t Get Frustrated Easily”

Conclusion

What do you do to earn the respect of your team or your boss? I’d love to hear, so please comment below and share your ideas…

What are your struggles in marketing your cleaning business? Let me know in the comments below and I’ll try and answer it in my next blog post… (I read and reply to every comment you leave me)…

Today’s quote:

“Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great. – Mark Twain

Lisa x

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First time to our blog…? Welcome, it’s great to have you here 🙂 Want to know more about us – check us out here.

Cleaning Marketer works exclusively with cleaning businesses to help them attract more prospects, make more sales, and keep their clients longer.

Want fast business growth? Register for Cleaning Business School – 4 Weeks of Fast Growth Ideas for Cleaning Businesses who want to attract more prospects, make more sales and keep their clients longer.

Prefer a live event in either San Diego or New York City? Get inspired, empowered and take your market by storm. Book now.

The Motivation Secrets of 5 Successful Entrepreneurs (and how you can be more like them…)

April 19, 2016 by Lisa Macqueen Leave a Comment

Finding Motivation From the Most Motivated…

I get it.

In the cleaning business, Monday’s can be tough. Really tough. Complaints, issues, staff who didn’t clean over the weekend (but were supposed to..)…

Monday’s can be manic when you’re a cleaning business owner.

So today, I want to share advice from 5 of the world’s top entrepreneurs – and what motivates them. These business leaders will inspire you to make the best out of every day and remember why you’re doing what you are doing.

Marcus Lemonis

“Stay focused, work hard, know your numbers, and be disciplined. If you do those things and take care of your people, the likelihood of being successful is very, very high.” – Marcus Lemonis (Billionaire and “The Profit” Host)

Clate Mask

“Feast on positivity, cause you’re going to get pounded with negativity every step of the way while you build your business. My biggest advice for entrepreneurs is to master the ‘game between your ears’, and that comes down to eating positivity for breakfast , lunch and dinner.” –Clate Mask (CEO of Infusionsoft)

Daymond John

“Success? Most brands started with a strong base and kept a strong belief. – that’s how you achieve success” –Daymond John (Entrepreneur and Shark Tank Shark)

John Assaraf

“We can have whatever it is we choose, I don’t care how big it is. You become what you think about, but you also attract what you think about most”. – John Assaraf (NY Times Bestselling Author)

Andrew Warner

“I have to build something bigger than Bradford & Reed or else I will spend the rest of my life looking back at the good old days. And that is not the kind of life I want. On to bigger and better”.–Andrew Warner (Founder of Mixergy)

Andrew Warner

What are your thoughts?

Share your thoughts – who inspires you? Maybe you’re more inspired by Richard Branson or Oprah Winfrey, or another amazing entrepreneur… we’d love to hear who you find inspiring and why…. leave a comment below, or head on over to Facebook or Twitter and share…

How to Nurture Cleaning Business Clients (Part 1)

April 4, 2016 by Lisa Macqueen Leave a Comment

Header

There’s one thing I think all of us in the cleaning business can relate to –

The emotional roller-coaster of frustration when you lose a client for no apparent reason.

One day you’re flying high with lots of great contracts, and the next, you’re despairing because a couple of clients decided to “try something else” and switch cleaning companies.

It happens. To all of us. And it hurts.

But here’s the good news. You can even things out a little. Yes, you read that right.

You see, it’s possible to win back your lost clients.

The great thing about the Cleaning Industry is that you can win back contracts as fast as you lose them. If you know how…

If you’d like to learn how to nurture cleaning business clients (past and current), in a cool and non-spammy way, go check out the video below. You can literally win back around 15% of lost prospects inside of 12 months, if you know what the right steps are…

So what’s your verdict? After you’ve had a chance to watch, I’d love to hear your ‘win-back’ stories. Have you won back a client before, and how did you do it…? Let me know in the comments below…

That’s the great thing about the Cleaning Industry, you meet so many people who’ll join you for sections of the journey. It’s a relationship business, where happiness and business success comes from within. If you think well, you’ll do well..

Today’s quote:

Even great people need constant opportunities for improvement. Thomas Crosby

Lisa x

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Ready for coaching? Register now for Fast Growth Cleaning MasterClass New York, or Los Angeles in 2016. Get inspired, empowered and take your market by storm. Book now.

Cleaning Business Automation. Is It Right For Your Business [Part 3]

January 25, 2016 by Lisa Macqueen Leave a Comment

Cleaning Business Automation. Is It Right For Your Business (Part 3)

If you haven’t had a chance to check out the first 2 videos in this series, here they are again – Part 1 and Part 2 (each video is only about 2 minutes long)

It’s a big step taking your cleaning business to the next level, and my aim with this video series is to help you make a decision on whether or not, your cleaning business is ready for cleaning business automation.

And let’s face it – being in a service business, it’s a business where you need to give. As a cleaning business owner (CBO), you’ve got to go all in.

The CBO’s who win in this market, are the ones who can hold their prospects attention the longest.

So what’s your verdict? After you’ve had a chance to watch, I’d love to hear if you think cleaning businesses need automation, or not. Let me know in the comments below, and if you already have automation, we’d love to hear how its working in your cleaning business.

Today’s quote:

I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past. Thomas Jefferson

Lisa x

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Ready for coaching? Register now for Fast Growth Cleaning MasterClass Sydney, Australia or Phoenix, AZ, in 2016. Get inspired, empowered and take your market by storm. Book now.

Want to maintain momentum and growth this year? Missed my latest Coaching Tip? – Watch now. ………………………………………………………………………………………………

Lisa Macqueen Speaker – Trainer – Coach

www.cleaningmarketer.com lisa@cleaningmarketer.com

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The function of knowledge is not how much you speak, it’s in the questions you ask.

Cleaning Business Automation – Is it Right For Your Business? (Part 2)

January 25, 2016 by Lisa Macqueen Leave a Comment

Cleaning Business Automation – Is it Right For Your Business? (Part 2)

Lisa Macqueen, Cleaning Marketer. Cleaning Business Automation, is your business ready for it? (Part 2)

It took me about 10 minutes to make up my mind that our cleaning business needed automation, in my previous career – the business was extremely system focussed and I knew how powerful it was to have repeatable processes within a business.

But you may not be sure whether or not, it will be something that will help your business, or something that will take up a huge amount of your time.

At this point, you’re probably not too sure if ‘the old way’ won’t just work a little while longer. Problem is, you don’t want to be the last cleaning business owner to implement something that’s really going to help you.

That’s called missing the boat.

In today’s video, I’m sharing 3 crucial indicators to see if your business is ready or not…

Go check it out, and if you enjoy the video, leave me a comment, and go subscribe to my channel, where I share lots of free marketing ideas exclusively for cleaning business owners. These are ninja ideas, strategies and tactics that I have personally used to grow a multi-million dollar cleaning business, and they will work for you, if you implement them.

So go check out today’s video, and remember, let me know what you think.. 🙂

Today’s quote: Nothing can bring you success but yourself. Napoleon Hill

Lisa x

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Ready for coaching? Register now for Fast Growth Cleaning MasterClass Sydney, Australia or Phoenix, AZ, in 2016. Get inspired, empowered and take your market by storm. Book now.

Lisa Macqueen Speaker – Trainer – Coach

www.cleaningmarketer.com lisa@cleaningmarketer.com

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The function of knowledge is not how much you speak, it’s in the questions you ask.

You’re the cleaning business boss. So what’s your plan?

December 27, 2015 by Lisa Macqueen Leave a Comment

There’s nothing like running your own cleaning business. You:

make the decisions
drive the actions that bring value to your customers
reap the rewards of ownership

You are also the only one who loses sleep over the profit/loss statement. But you don’t have to go it alone.

This isn’t rocket science.

Two things are required to win in the cleaning business –

First the right mindset for success; and then

Follow through on the action steps that will increase your sales, revenue and profits.

Sounds simple right? But it’s not that easy. Building your own cleaning business is a process of learning and implementing strategies that often take many years to learn and perfect.

And right now, you don’t have years. You need to collapse that learning curve – now.

We’ll show you how to redefine the possibilities for both you and your cleaning business so that you can start to:

attract more clients so that you can build sustainable, long-term growth
generate more sales from existing clients
make more profits from existing sales

So where to start today?

Become an ambitious learner. Understand that you don’t have all the answers, but that the knowledge you need is around you – if you know where to look. And week after week, you’ll find that information here, at Cleaning Marketer.

We’ll be providing our members with practical insights from thought leaders in small business both within the cleaning industry and outside of it. We aren’t interested in ivory-tower theory, and our members don’t have time to wade through stacks of 300-page business books.

Here we’ll focus on the practical problem-solving information that helps cleaning business owners smash through whatever obstacles are in their way – via interviews with experts, access to our Library of step-by-step blueprints and document templates, which we’ll deliver to our members, via video, print and audio. We’ll also make it easy for our members to connect and learn from each other and directly with the Cleaning Marketer Team at our private members-only Facebook Page. Coming Soon…stay tuned.

Why Is Good On-Boarding So Important?

What are the benefits of client on-boarding?

Here’s what a good client on-boarding process can do:

So where are you, and what conferences ARE you attending?

So, want to know what other events you should be putting on your calendar?

Infusionsoft ICON 2017 Event – 25-27 April, Phoenix, AZ – Going? See you there.

Reframe Janitorial Conference by Swept (My friends at Swept have invited me to speak at a few of their Reframed events, so keep an eye out for those dates)

ISSA Cleaning & Hygiene Expo (I’ll be speaking as part of a panel – Melbourne, Australia)

Here’s a few more that you should definitely aim to attend:

ISSA Interclean North America (September, 2017 in Las Vegas, NV)

BSCAI Annual Convention (September, 2017 in Las Vegas, NV)

ARCSI Event (September 2017 – venue TBD)

So “Jason”, let me put you straight on this…

The 10 Best Podcasts & Resources for Cleaning Business Owners

Here’s Our Top 10 List:

UPDATE:

Step # 1 Keep it Fun

Step # 2 Don’t be a ‘Fair-Weather Friend”

Step # 3 Model What Others Are Doing

Step # 4 Learn How To Use Social Media

# 1. What Value Are You Bringing?

# 2. Ask For Feedback

# 3. Don’t Get Frustrated Easily

# 4. Don’t Overshare

# 5. Don’t Schedule Too Many Meetings

# 6. Accept That Everyone’s Different

# 7. Frame Your Concerns

# 8. Don’t Give In to An Active Imagination

Marcus Lemonis

Clate Mask

Daymond John

John Assaraf

Andrew Warner

What are your thoughts?

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