Is your janitorial bidding proposal getting the job done, or could it use a little cleaning up? Here’s what you can do to make it shine.
When it comes to signing new clients, your janitorial bidding proposal does a lot of heavy lifting. This is the document people look through to determine if you’re the right commercial cleaning operation for their business. It’s one of the first interactions people will have with you that lets them experience your level of customer service, and it gives you a chance to promote your expertise.
In some cases, you may even have to submit your janitorial bidding proposal without ever talking to the people making decisions. That makes it that much more important to have the best, most appealing proposal you can manage. Here’s how to do it.
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Making your janitorial bidding proposal shine like polished chrome
1. Follow the guidelines. If there are guidelines for the job you’re bidding on, make sure your proposal follows those guidelines. If they asked for double-spaced lines, make sure your lines are double-spaced. If they ask you to email your proposal, don’t drop it off in person. If there’s a question asking whether you prefer dark chocolate or milk chocolate, answer it. Guidelines are often there to make the process easier for those accepting the bids, and it highlights your attention to detail.
2. Include a cover letter. If at all possible, include a cover letter with your janitorial bidding proposal. It doesn’t need to be extensive – just a little bit about your business, areas of specialization, commitment to the community, and any certifications you or your team have. If most of your team has been with you for a while, include that. People like knowing they won’t have to bear the brunt of high turnover in your janitorial company. You can even bullet-point most of this to make it stand out more.
3. Include references and client reviews. As part of your cover letter, include comments from online reviews or references from current customers. Again, keep it short and to the point. You don’t have to copy and paste entire reviews into your janitorial bidding proposal – just a few highlights. For example:
- “ABC Commercial Cleaners always show up on time and get the job done right.” – John Smith
- “ABC has the nicest commercial cleaning team. They feel like part of our staff.” – Janet Brown
- “ABC Commercial Cleaners are worth every penny and then some. This is the most efficient and thorough company we’ve ever hired.” – Darren Green
4. Offer a detailed proposal. Make sure that whatever they’re asking you to do goes into the proposal. Include the specifics of your services, but also things like the frequency of service and the times of day, if applicable.This makes it clear that you know what the expectations of the job are, but it also gives room for negotiation if your prospect wants to add or subtract certain aspects of the job. Use a bidding calculator like the one that’s built into Janitorial Manager software.
5. Proofread your proposal. It’s easy to rush through a janitorial bidding proposal at the end of a long day and send it off without a second look. Again, though, one of the things your clients are looking for is your attention to detail. This doesn’t mean every sentence has to be perfect and that you can’t make a spelling mistake. Those things happen. What you really want to watch out for are things like addressing your proposal to the wrong person or company, or including items that were not part of the bid request. Templates are great. They save you tons of time. But you still need to be aware of the details.
Speaking of templates, one last thing I’ll add is to make sure that your proposal has your contact information on every page. These things get handed around, and it’s easy to lose a page or spill coffee and make things hard to read. By including your contact information on each page, you help ensure that your prospect will be able to get in touch with you.
So, go forth! Start winning more contracts with your stellar proposal! Oh! And be sure to follow up with your prospects.
If you’re ready to increase the professionalism of your cleaning operation through better organization, easy access to important data, unparalleled tracking, and more, schedule a call with JM today!