What's your Hook?

An email recently asking about screens, free time, and more…

Hi Steve

I have a few more questions.

The first is about the monthly payment for The Customer Factor.  I placed the first months payment on my personal credit card.  I now have a business credit card that I want to use for all future payments.  Do you send out bills every month or do you just automatically put a charge on my credit card.  If so, I will have to call you and give you the new credit card number.

My next question has to do with washing the screens.  Have you ever tried to use a pressure washer on the screens?  No something that is going to blow the screens out of the frame but maybe a small electric one.  Getting down on my knees and washing the screens gives me a sore back after awhile and I'm thinking maybe I could wash them standing up with a pressure washer.

I have also washed some where they look clean when I'm first done washing them but after they dry, I see white stuff on them that didn't get out.  This looks like pollen from plants or maybe something from cottonwood trees that is hard to get out of the screens.  I was thinking a pressure washer might get this stuff out of the screens better.

Other than that, business is picking up.  I did a job for a woman in a 200 unit complex who just happens to write the complex newsletter.  She did a nice write up on me and now I'm starting to get more calls in the complex.  <Employer Deleted> is slowing me down though.  Even though I'm part time, they scheduled me for 37 hours this week and 40 the following week.  So far I have been able to squeeze all my customers in but there isn't much free time.

Regards
Dave

My Response:

Hi Dave:

Hope your weekend is going well.

With The Customer Factor, it is set up on an automatic recurring basis. It takes place on the 11th of each month.  So if you'd like it changed by august 11th, please give me a call on it for sure.

As far as screens, I have not tried a pressure washer when cleaning screens.  I got down on my knees and used a soft bristle brush with a hose/soap. I talked to a guy recently who told me he uses a brush attached to a pole.  Kind of like a broom, but he has a nice soft bristle brush at the end.  This helps him to avoid bending down, and he says it does just as good a job as if he were to bend down.  So you may want to give this a try perhaps.  But as far as a pressure washer, I wouldn't think it would work.  I mean I can't see where you would be able to get the dirt out with a pressure washer.  A brush needs to be applied somehow (either on pole or bending down).

Cool on the business picking up.  If you just apply various marketing methods for one full year, your business will take on a life of its own.  I see it happen all the time. 

The woman who writes that newsletter is exactly what happened to me in a retirement community.  Jean and Bob Barnes were the newsletter editors for their development.  So they wrote stuff about my company, and I was also able to use their comments within my display ad in their publication. It carried a lot of weight obviously.  So it's great to have a newspaper person on your side for sure.

As a side note, and here's something to think about, a window cleaner I know submitted a "press release" not too long ago to his local newspaper and they ended up writing a nice article about him.  When he sent everything to them, he included some photos (the less work an editor has to do, the better) of himself, business vehicle, and a couple of customer homes.  To be interesting though, you need a "hook" of some kind.  His hook was that he only catered to the elite, wealthy homes.  He was cleaning windows on homes where he'd make hundreds of dollars per home. 

Other hooks could be the way your company "looks".  For example, there was a guy I know in florida who was a chimney sweep.  A very dirty job, right?  Well…his "hook" was that he cleaned every single chimney in a tuxedo.  He got a bunch of free press because of that.  So if you can think of something different that no other window cleaner is doing (this shouldn't be hard because most of them do the same stuff), then the press will be your friend. 

I'm not talking about better service, more dependable, more professional, blah, blah, blah.  Everyone says that.  But something real different.  Just an idea for you to think about.  But getting written about locally would be an absolute boon to your company and put you on the map.  It'll definitely accelerate your time frame on leaving <employer deleted>.  :o)   

Speaking about <employer deleted>…, right, they'll definitely put a crimp on things. Wow…37 and 40 hours?  With so few hours left, it's tough to do much of anything when it comes to building your biz.  I mean you might get a call here or there, but it's vital that you continue to market regularly.  Otherwise it's just a matter of time before it grinds to a halt. 

Oh…speaking of marketing, don't forget to try and establish relations with some maid services also. These type of services will feed you business on a regular basis.  

Take care for now.  Have a good weekend. 

Regards,

Steve
256-546-2446