And of all the strategies that I’ve used to grow my businesses (and that I teach), there is one that is my favorite, hands down.

I have since named this strategy:

“The Referral Flood Formula”

But before we talk about the formula, there are two critical concepts that you need to grasp.

First off, people prefer to hire window cleaners whom they know, know about, respect, like and trust on a personal level. Sounds like common sense, right?

But when it comes to generating referrals, you have to start to look at the world through your prospective customers’ eyes.

Stop and consider that for a minute…

Think about how YOU make a decision to hire any contractor or even a doctor, lawyer or any other provider of services.

You feel more comfortable if you KNOW them or if you KNOW ABOUT them, right?

The more RESPECT you have for their expertise, experience and knowledge, the more comfortable you feel about hiring them.

And when you feel like you can TRUST them, and if you really LIKE them, then it’s really a no-brainer as to who you will choose as your sole provider.

And a large majority of the time that’s without even considering any other options, taking bids or shopping prices.

Secondly, you need to realize this: People feel accountable and take PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY for the results of their referrals.

You will NOT get referrals unless people are certain that you will provide your services at an exceptional level.

Referrals reflect directly back on the person who MAKES them. And nobody wants to be perceived as an idiot by referring an unworthy window cleaner.

Are you with me?

Alright, with that in mind, let’s talk about my Referral Flood formula. In fact, I have this same formula written on a note card at my desk and refer to it frequently.

Here’s the formula:

STRONG RELATIONSHIP + WARM NURTURING +
FREQUENT COMMUNICATION = BIG-TIME REFERRALS!

Let’s take a closer look…

STRONG RELATIONSHIP:

What exactly does this mean?

Well, it’s the answer to the FIRST simple concept I talked about above. But it’s more than just that. It’s about the QUALITY of the relationships you have in your business.

A strong relationship means that people feel like:

• They know you, and like you
• You’re competent in the work you do
• They can trust you
• They naturally want to work with you.

And the good news is that ALL of these things are controlled by YOU.

• YOU control how FREQUENTLY you communicate with them
• YOU control the VALUE you provide to them
• YOU control their perception of your competence

Let’s move on to the next part of the formula.

WARM NURTURING: What do I mean here?

For most window cleaners, the only reason they contact anyone is to ask for business or to collect money. So people are usually ‘on the edge’ and skeptical in their relationships with window cleaners.

That’s a bad type of relationship to have with people.

But it’s different for window cleaners who use “welcomed” contact, greeting cards, or their own company newsletters.

See, first and foremost you must fill your communications with top-quality, DESIRABLE information about Window Cleaning, Home Improvement, Consumer news, Financial Tips, funny jokes, teasers, and several ‘involvement’ and response devices.

Specifically designed to do ONE thing:

Make your reader feel WELCOME!

It’s a HUGE MISTAKE to send out information only about the services you offer.That’s because you’ll lose the readership of people who are not looking to purchase anything new right now.

By sending out a newsletter or communication that is service or product specific, you miss out on the relationship building aspect (which is the whole point of sending it out in the first place).

BOTTOM LINE: Anything you send out must be WELCOMED and ENJOYED each month to be effective.

Let’s move on to the THIRD part of the formula:

FREQUENT COMMUNICATION: What do I mean by this?

There are actually 2 parts to “frequent communication”.

First, there is “frequent”.

MULTIPLE studies within the direct marketing industry have repeatedly shown that for every month you fail to make contact with your customers, prospects and referral sources, YOU LOSE 10% of the value of your customer base.

Think about that.

Enough said.

Secondly, there is ‘communication’. When you send someone something of value (like an interesting and stimulating newsletter) people naturally want to reciprocate with you. That’s human nature.

And when you let them know exactly HOW you want them to reciprocate, they will do it.

So…

• Tell people that you rely on referrals to run your business
• Tell people that you welcome their referrals
• Reward people when they do send a referral
• Reciprocate with them by sending referrals to your clients as well

I really hope you’ve found this information helpful and that you will make a conscious and systematic effort this year to improve your referral based marketing. We all know that referrals are the best new clients we can acquire.

As I mentioned earlier, most of this is common sense and you’ve probably heard it somewhere before. But if you’re anything like me it really helps to hear it again. My hopes are that this article will prompt you to take action right away.

Research studies have repeatedly shown that businesses with a marketing plan continuously out perform those that don’t by 24%-30% on an annual basis.

Most window cleaners have no plan at all and make their advertising decisions based on which ever advertising rep may catch up with them that day.

Or even worse, they see that business is slowing down and decide that they’ve got to “pull something out of the hat” in order to get that next job.

You cannot just wait for the next advertising rep to come in or for your business to slow down. You must plan and budget.

Your marketing plan is the vehicle that will take you wherever it is that you want to go.

Of course, you have to have a “business plan” and a vision (those are topics for another day), but marketing brings us new clients, and without clients there is no business.

That’s why THE most important function in your company is the marketing.

I have found that it works best to take a whole day (for me it’s always in January) and review last year’s performance of my company. Based on that review, I can then start to think about where I want to be at the end of the next year, and how I’m going to get there.

Developing a marketing plan can actually be a simple process. It doesn’t have to be an elaborate undertaking. I use a simple marketing calendar and this serves as my “marketing plan”.

You can develop your marketing calendar by following these simple steps:

1. Establish your sales goals for the year.

2. Review what type of marketing and advertising worked last year. (Hint: If it didn’t work last year, do not do it again because chances are it won’t work this year either).

3. Develop a marketing budget based your sales goals based on successful marketing strategies that you have used in the past, and other new strategies that you believe to be worth testing or trying this year. When budgeting your marketing money, leave about 20% available just in case some new opportunity comes along, or in case you decide that you should invest more into a certain program.

4. On a 12 month calendar, plan out all of your marketing promotions so that you have something in place to generate business for you at all the key times of the year.

Each promotion that you do, whether it be an ad, flyers, or sending out a direct mail campaign should include the following:

a. Goal for gross sales volume
b. Goal for number of jobs
c. Average sale price of each job
d. Total dollars needed to accomplish the promotion

By completing you marketing calendar, you accomplish several things. First, you have taken time to consider your marketing needs throughout the year and are far more unlikely to get caught in a situation where you have no business and no marketing in place. Secondly, you have a document that you can review regularly to stay on schedule.

Finally, by getting this down on paper, you can hold your self accountable and make certain that everything gets done.

After you have completed each promotion throughout the year, go back to your calendar and write down specific comments about each promotion. Record your results and make notes as to what you may do differently if you decided to use this promotion again. This year’s calendar will be a very helpful tool in preparing next year’s calendar.

This is not complicated stuff and it will pay huge divdends for you. Get it done this week!

As a window cleaner I’m sure you’ve come across many windows that are so stained, hazed or cloudy that even after you’ve scrubbed and squeegeed them, they still look filthy.

You know the windows I’m talking about?

The sad thing is that none of the standard professional window cleaning techniques and methods can do anything to make a window like that come clean.

This is because the staining has actually etched itself into the top layer of the glass and thereby embedding the stain permanently in the glass.

This situation is called Glass Corrosion and if left unchecked, it will not only be an eye sore to look through, but it will also wind up costing your customer a lot of money in the future.

You see, when glass becomes corroded, there are only two options available…

Replace the Glass or Restore the glass.

Replacing glass is very expensive and therefore restoring the glass is a much more attractive option to the customer, however the problem with this is…

Almost 80% of the window cleaning companies in existence have no idea how to properly restore a window, and those that do are jealously guarding the methods… and why shouldn’t they…

Glass Restoration is a Huge Profit Source for those in the know. In fact, glass restoration services average $150 per hour and almost all of it is profit.

If you are not offering a true glass restoration service to your window cleaning customers, it’s safe to say that you are leaving a huge chunk of money on the table and missing out on some of the most lucrative window cleaning contracts.

It is for that reason, I’ve decided to level the playing field and share with you my exact glass restoration techniques, methods and pricing, so you can get in to the glass restoration game.

Learn The Secrets Of Glass Restoration

For example things like caller ID, pop-up blockers, DVR’s, satellite radio, the national Do Not Call List and even spam blockers are driving the way we live. Advertising can no longer simply blast out an undemanding message and expect good results.

Window cleaning business owners must develop relationships with customers and provide real value not only to survive, but ultimately thrive. I’d like to share a few ideas to help you meet that goal:

1. Don’t just sell your services, become a trusted resource for your prospects and customers. Be their source and provide them with the tools and information they need to make informed decisions. A monthly or quarterly newsletter is an excellent way to position your window cleaning business as an expert in your industry. Give them some FREE tips they can do themselves, but don’t give away all your secrets. Give reference to your company website for more details or other ways to gain assistance for potential problems you can help them with.

2. Start the relationship building process by using attention grabbing, powerful marketing that IMMEDIATELY calls for a direct response and conveys benefits to WOW them. Business is a value proposition. Your customer needs a service and you have a solution. Show them the “WIFM” of your service: WHAT’S IN IT FOR ME! The company they choose to go with is the one that provides them with the best value for their hard earned money. Then give them an incentive to CALL TODAY. Don’t just tell them to call, tell them what’s in it for them to call today (i.e. limited offers, discounts, etc).

3. Develop relationships with your existing customers that can help you grow your business. Existing customers are talking to their friends, family, and neighbors about the things going on in their life. Create a buzz by focusing on networking with them so their conversations will include you and the valuable service you provide. It’s an increasing fact that social networking websites are growing with people OVER 30 years of age. Over 50% of MySpace’s users are 34+. This shows that YOUR target market of home and business owners are talking about their lives and you should be a part of that. This market is asking questions so they can live like their neighbors and friends. Be a part of that craze! Make them talk about YOU!

4. When dealing with new prospects take the transaction out of it and focus on the people on the other end of the line. Sure, you still need to provide a service and they still need to pay you for it, but everything else should be based on getting to know them and their desires. This allows you to go above and beyond in an effort to impress and keep them coming back.

5. Don’t play the pricing game. Many businesses will low ball prices in an effort to stay afloat, but that only hurts those of us who can actually stay in the game through remaining consistent. The old saying “You get what you pay for” is still true, no matter the economy situation. Place a value on your service and your customer’s will value it too. Quality comes with a price. If your customers or potential customers don’t understand this concept, then they are not the clientele you want anyway.

Use the web like just you are right now for constantly growing resources of education, insight, ready-to-implement templates, and tools to help you create marketing campaigns to grow your business in the service industry environment. Don’t forget that just as you are online looking, so are your customers. Don’t have a website? Better get with the changing time and get online!

Your site should offer benefit laden headlines and copy, educational information that helps viewers make informed decisions, and tools like testimonials, endorsements, and pictures of your work. See my other article about websites for the Service Industry for more information on this subject.

If we are heading toward a recession, it’s going to be a challenge to survive, especially if you are in a service industry that doesn’t provide a “necessary” benefit (ie lawncare, window cleaning, carpet cleaning, ect). But if you make up your mind to not only survive, but also thrive, you can do whatever you put your mind up to.

Reaching Customers

Since the vast majority of people are active on the internet these days, you will be able to reach more potential customers if your window cleaning business has a website. Your company will also be able to reach customers that are outside the area that is covered by their local phone book. And you will be able to generate new leads or prospects via your window cleaning website.

Outlining the Service

One of the most important things an window cleaning business should do on their website is outline what their business does and what makes your company special. Let people know if you do both residential or commercial jobs. If you offer any other services make sure you detail them on your website as well. Its hard to sell a customer a service if they don’t know you offer it. If a potential customer or client is looking for a particular service, they want to know that your window cleaning business can provide it right away.

While you should list all available services, it is advisable not to list prices on your website. Listing prices would give competitors the upper hand. They would then be able to compete with your prices openly. It is better to indicate what you can provide and offer any guarantees that your business wishes.

Contact Information

Even more important than the description of what services are offered by your company, is your contact information. This should be on a separate contact page as well as on the landing page of your website. After all, if potential customers or clients can not find out how to contact you, you will not get any business from your website.

On the landing or home page of your website, you should include the business name, address, and telephone number. It is also a good idea to include an email address that will be checked ever day. You should also include a link to a contact page that has an interactive email form that potential customers can fill out to ask questions. You should again include your physical address and a toll free telephone number.

Offline service businesses, including window cleaners should have a website to direct their customers and clients to in order to pre sell prospects and generate new leads. Having an internet presence is important in this technologically advanced world. Having a website will increase the chance of customers finding your window cleaning business, and will also increase their first impressions.