6 tips to increase sales of your cleaning services

Picking up the revenue of your cleaning business won’t seem as difficult once you unveil hidden ways and tricks to do that without investing too much money into development or expansion of the company or applying quite expensive marketing measures. We’re trying to increase sales, but not expenses for promoting your services buying new equipment. Although those steps are also important to grow the company, but first of all, you have to accumulate some money on the ‘development fund’. Bear in mind, that you also need to receive some profit to pay the employees’ salaries and earn something for yourself.  Expanding the company, which operates at a loss or gains little revenue, and spending loan funds for that matter is probably not the best things to do. You have to begin with making the most out what you already have and then proceed to the extensive development of your business. And, even if your company operates perfectly well and your revenue covers all expenses and leaves you with significant income, there’s no harm in trying to achieve better results and inspiring your employees and partners to strive for more.

Effective implementation of low-cost marketing measures, conducting decent pricing strategy, attracting new customers and developing relations with regular ones, along with clever presentation of your cleaning services are those principal things you have to concentrate on to increase the sales of your services. The survey shows that most businessmen, engaged in cleaning services, could significantly increase their income without implementing costly strategies. They just have to recognize suitable opportunities and approach business management with greater attention and ingenuity. (Learn more about cleaning business promotion here).

Additional sales appears when you offer additional services, present better deals, cut your cleaning supplies expenses and charge correctly. More clients are able to find your company if you post ads online and spread promotion materials throughout your local area. More clients rehire if they enjoy the quality of your services. More clients enjoy using your company’s cleaning services if you apply personal approach to each of them, follow their instructions and fulfill their requests. Don’t say ‘No’ when a client asks you to use his own supplies to clean their homes. Always try to find the way to reschedule the cleaning if a client asks so. Make sure to take as many urgent orders as you can, but don’t hesitate to charge just a little bit more for them.

Keep reading to learn more about the ways to increase the sales of cleaning services, as I’m going to talk about the ones you may easily implement in your company’s operation.

Tips to boost the sales of a cleaning company

1. Promote your services online

Choosing online promotion over the expensive offline methods is rather effective.  First of all, most people tend to look for cleaning services and hire cleaners online. It’s just much more convenient than asking your mum or neighbor who’s cleaned their house recently, waiting until they recall the name of the company and hopefully find its contact numbers. Where have they put that business card?… Maybe it’s in one of the front pockets, or back pockets, or in a purse stuffed with old receipts, mixed with crumbs of crackers and God knows what else? Oh, there’s no chance you’ll get that phone number. Accept it and move over.

That’s why people just pull out their phones and look through the ads of cleaning companies in their local areas. HireRush.com is a perfect example of online services, which allow their users to search for a number of services with the location specification. So, you should make the full use of such opportunity to promote your company. More people will see your company at the right time (right when they need their house to be cleaned).  So, there’s a higher chance they’ll call you to order your services.

Promote your company to build up the sales

2. Review the costs

The labor costs are something you should track down carefully. Make sure that your employees perform their job qualitatively, but also don’t take too much time doing it. The slower they work, the lesser order you’ll be able to take per day or per week. However, you also don’t have to rush around the client’s house with cleaning supplies, knocking over their pricey vases and ruining their carpets instead of cleaning them. Find the compromise and figure out the most efficient way to clean client’s house in less time. For instance, it’s better to attract more employees to carry out a single order and divide responsibilities between them to speed up the process. Then, the same number of workers, who specialize in a particular type of cleaning, will be able to complete more tasks per day working together rather than working alone or in smaller groups.

Besides, if one or two groups of cleaners include a professional carpet cleaner, you may casually offer a client to conduct deep cleaning of carpets and couches. Some of them will agree and you’ll receive more money out of something that had to be a casual house cleaning.

Also, it’s good to encourage your employers to attend vocational courses and improve their qualification. Hiring cleaners, who’ve already finished such training and who already have cleaning equipment is even better.

Cleaning supplies is also something you can save on, especially if you present the fact that you’re open to the clients’ suggestions of using some of their own cleaning supplies. Customers will be glad to know that you’re using the products they are familiar with. And, you will be able to buy less cleaning supplies. Otherwise, don’t forget to include their costs into the prices of your services.

3. Introduce package deals to increase the sales

Every once in a while your clients will need to clean their windows, deep clean their carpets, couches and matrasses, wash their curtains and carry out spring cleaning. You may bundle several services into the so-called package deals to offer them to the clients who need to clean their houses before they move-in or move-out, before birthday parties or after them. Floors have to be steam-cleaned, bathrooms and toilets  – sanitized, garage – cleared out before new people move into the house somebody has already lived in. And, there is nothing worse than cleaning the party aftermath. If you include similar points into the marketing strategy, and set better price for a bundle of cleaning services than for a number of services in total, clients will consider it a bargain and accept the offer.

Besides, providing such bundles as ‘allergy-proofing the house’ or ‘making the house crispy clean before your newborn arrives’ will attract clients’ attention as well. Basically, try to offer additional related cleaning services to the ones a client was initially calling for. Lower the prices for such bundles. Even a 10-15% discount increases a chance that a client will agree. And, you’ll receive an additional payment.

4. Think about your customer

Reminding your clients about regular cleanings. Ask if they want you to perform any additional tasks, offer different options of cleaning supplies. Coming during daytime not to turn the lights on while cleaning and save electricity. Those steps will show your clients that you really care about them. Developing friendly relationships with your regular clients is essential in order to ensure that they’ll keep on using your company’s services and recommend them to their friends and family.

If you notice that one of the client’s lights has to be replaced, don’t hesitate to offer your help. If houseplants are dusty, ask if a client wants you to wash them. Maybe, he didn’t even know that you may provide such assistance.  Little details not only matter, but also bring you some money.

5. Up and cross selling

I’ve already talked about that before, but there’s some more information I’d like to share. Most cleaning companies provide either one option of cleaning package, which limits the customer’s choice. But, let’s follow the hotels’ example. Most people don’t stay in 5-star apartments. But if a hotel offers 4-star room at a slightly higher price if compared to the 3-star room, they’ll probably choose more comfortable living conditions.

The difference in price won’t be too significant for customers, but business owners will notice the impact of such clients’ choices in the long run. That’s why it’s better to provide various bundles of services at different prices. Most clients, according to the cleaning companies’ experience, will opt for the middle range of services.  Set the prices wisely, as budget-friendly option shouldn’t be much cheaper than the next one on the list.

For instance, you may offer to clean the garage in addition to the main house. Or, maybe your clients would like you to steam clean not only the carpets, but also treat their mattresses and grout lines in the bathroom.  There’s no harm in asking, is there?

Cross selling and up selling methods are great when it comes to expanding the existing order or promoting new services. Just don’t forget to provide discounts to the add-on cleaning. Involve your employers into the process and always teach them to ask customers if they’d like to clean this or that as well. Provide bonuses if your staff members succeed to boost the sales.

Hire the best house cleaners

6. Special deals and discounts

Who doesn’t like occasional discounts? They may not only help you win the competition with other companies when it comes to attracting new clients, but also make your regular customers conduct an additional cleaning when the price is lower than usual. Spring cleaning discounts for permanent clients, 15% off the first cleaning or 50% off the window wash in addition to carpets’ deep cleaning are quite tempting deals. Ensure free plant maintenance in addition to housekeeper’s services, 50% off regular cleaning every month if the customer pays for a 6-month cleaning subscription. Those are only several examples of special offers you may introduce to your clients.

Provide a discount if your client leaves a positive reference, or brings a new customer, or agrees to spread your business cards among his friends and co-workers.

Suggest an opportunity to pay off the cost of spring cleaning or regular carpet steam cleanings in advance. For instance, your clients may pay a little bit more for weekly cleanings, but end up with pre-paid spring cleaning after 3 or 6 month. Isn’t it great? I would definitely consider this option.