Specialized winter carpet cleaning is an integral part of a clean, fresh facility all season long. Here’s how to promote it.
Many of us have had the unfortunate experience of walking into a building in January and realizing they didn’t plan for winter carpet cleaning. It’s musty, damp, and discolored in sections from salt and outdoor grime. Even if the rest of the space is clean, a dirty carpet draws your attention. Needless to say, this reflects poorly on any business.
As a commercial cleaning professional, you also realize how challenging it is to keep carpets looking and smelling nice in winter. You’re constantly dealing with snow, slush, ice, mud, salt, sand, and water as dirty shoes and boots tread across floors. A facility with heavy foot traffic can go from dazzling to disaster in minutes.
You also realize that, as challenging as winter weather is for commercial cleaners, staying on top of things can help maintain a presentable space. But if you let things go for long, all that moisture and debris soaks into the carpeting. The grime grinds into the fabric, slowly tearing the fibers. It’s the perfect setup for a smelly, unappealing mess.
The right entry mats alone can do wonders to keep floors free of outside debris. Even then, however, there’s a limit. Whether it’s just in the lobby or throughout an office space, the best way to keep things clean and welcoming is to have a plan for winter carpet cleaning.
I’m not telling you anything you don’t know here. The trick, though, is figuring out how to promote a winter carpet cleaning program for new (or existing) clients.
Winter cleaning checklists, supply inventory, timekeeping… it’s all here. Janitorial manager can help you organize all your commercial cleaning operations. Schedule a free call with Janitorial Manager to learn more.
How to market your winter carpet cleaning to new and existing clients
Let’s talk about your existing clients first. It’s easier and more lucrative to renew a contract or include an add-on than it is to bring in new clients. Aside from the revenue, though, is the fact that you want to provide the best service possible to your clients. A winter carpet cleaning program is one part of that service. It’s an excellent way to highlight the value you bring to your customers.
You might even include it as part of your original contract with clients. If you don’t, though, start including flyers or mentioning your winter cleaning services when you send invoices or your monthly email updates. Whatever method you use to keep in touch with your clients, be sure to include information about any specialized winter cleaning you offer. You can even start this as early as September or October, depending on where you’re located.
Of course, when you get your current clients onboard, that means you have the potential for a built-in referral network. Take advantage of that network. Ask for referrals. Ask for ideas. You never know when something will pop up.
Now then, let’s talk about promoting winter carpet cleaning to new clients. The good news here is that it’s just a matter of adapting your current marketing strategy and messaging. Here are some ideas and ways to do just that.
1. Explore your strategic advantages. Every commercial cleaning company in your area will likely promote winter carpet cleaning services. So, what makes your offering stand out? Do you use products approved by The Carpet and Rug Institute? Do your services meet Green Seal standards? Do you have the most experienced carpet cleaning team in the area? Make sure these advantages stand out, whether you post on social media or send out direct mailers.
2. Use those referrals and testimonials! Head to Google reviews, Yelp, or anywhere else someone has praised your work and add them to your website, your social media, and any other avenue you use for marketing. As a pro tip, it’s generally acceptable to use public statements like these. But if you really want to seal a relationship with your current clients, get in touch and ask them if you can use their testimonials. Not only will they approve, but it also makes them feel like you value their business.
3. Highlight your equipment. Do you use state-of-the-art steam cleaners or extractors? Maybe your equipment is an industry classic, or it’s painstakingly maintained. Just like certifications and testimonials, your equipment can easily become an additional asset in marketing your winter carpet cleaning to new clients.
4. Focus on health. Did you know the American Lung Association has a section on its website pointing out how carpeting can negatively impact indoor air quality? They point out that “Carpets and rugs may trap pollutants and allergens like dust mites, pet dander, cockroach allergens, particle pollution, lead, mold spores, pesticides, dirt and dust.” If you want to get even more specific, a study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health references more than two dozen studies that point to carpets as a source of exposure to indoor allergens, dust, fine and coarse particles, spores, and other contaminants. They go on to point out that building occupants experienced eye and airway irritation, rashes, headaches, increased tiredness, increased risk of asthma, chronic cough, and more. Of course, expertly cleaned carpets can help counteract all of these issues. Don’t be afraid to use science in promoting your winter carpet cleaning services!
Putting it all together
You have your strategic advantages, your testimonials and referrals, your specialty equipment, and the science to point out just how important winter carpet cleaning is. Now what?
There really are numerous avenues you can take to promote your services to new clients. And what works well for one business may be entirely different than the right approach for another. With that in mind, here’s an outline to get you started.
List your ideal clients. You have to start somewhere, so you might as well make a list (either in your head or written down) of your ideal clients. It doesn’t matter whether this is one big, lucrative contract or a dozen small jobs. Start with the clients you want to work with and that you have a decent chance of adding to your portfolio.
Schedule appointments. Pick up the phone and call your ideal clients to schedule a short introductory meeting. Be aware that this may be easier with smaller, local businesses, but that doesn’t mean you can’t try for those big accounts. Alternatively, if you’re looking at retail shops, restaurants, real estate offices, or something similar, you can walk in and do your best to get an impromptu conversation going with an on-site manager or business owner.
Solve a problem. The key to successful marketing is solving a problem. It’s the same for winter carpet cleaning as it is for a point-of-sale system or an employee time-tracking system. No matter how many benefits you offer, your customer is ultimately working to fix something that isn’t working. In your case here, one approach might be appealing to the frustration of people calling out sick. You can even point to the study mentioned above. “Do you struggle with employees calling out because they get sick a lot in the winter? Professionally cleaned carpeting can help improve indoor air quality and employee wellness.”
Don’t reinvent the wheel. Once you have your selling point down, (improved employee health, better impression on visitors, longer-lasting carpeting, reduced long-term expenses, etc.), stick with it. You may need to make slight adjustments for different clients, but your general message remains the same. And that’s true across advertising and marketing platforms. Use your same pitch on social media, direct mailings, public radio underwriting, local newspaper ads, your newsletter, website, and anywhere else you might market your services. Get the biggest return on investment you can from your efforts.
And remember, no matter how large or small a carpet cleaning job is, excellent customer service is a guaranteed path to more business.
Keep your winter cleaning checklists updated and accessible. Schedule a free call with Janitorial Manager to learn how mobile-friendly janitorial software can help your team stay on top of their duties.