Commercial cleaning bids are the centerpiece of your business success. Here’s how to make yours stand out.
If you’ve ever bought a car, you already know some essential secrets for putting together commercial cleaning bids that will win the contract every time. Think about what you see as you walk into a dealership. Whether you’re looking at a used car or a brand new model, the dealer does a lot to set the stage.
A successful dealership is clean and tidy. The cars are vacuumed, washed, and waxed. Their nicest cars are right in the showroom or at the front of the lot to entice buyers. You’ve seen their full-color ads in the local paper, and you’ve heard their commercials on the radio. They may even offer you a cold soda or a bag of popcorn. In other words, a lot of “selling” you a car happens long before you start negotiating the price.
How does this relate to commercial cleaning bids? Whether you’re selling cars or bidding on a janitorial job, the set up plays a big part in what comes next. That’s not to say you need to carry around a cooler full of Pepsi to offer your prospects (you really don’t). It has to do with presenting yourself and your company professionally, so you can get to the next step. Let’s dig deeper.
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Setting yourself up to win commercial cleaning bids
Let’s go back to the car-buying scene. Suppose you walk into a dealership, and the cars are dirty. It doesn’t look like the office floor has been mopped in months, and there is a pile of papers sitting on the salesperson’s desk. While you’re talking about a car, the salesperson takes a call from another customer and ignores you for the next five minutes. Do you still feel like buying a car here? Probably not.
There’s a good chance your commercial cleaning bids and proposals will happen on the client’s site. You may not be able to offer a gleaming office to negotiate in, but you can still be professional and organized. Also, you may not need to wear business attire, but you should appear clean and fresh. Make sure you’re on time for your meeting and prepared to do a walkthrough. Additionally, you can also turn your cell phone onto “do-not-disturb” while you’re with your prospect.
How to set the stage
This all “sets the stage” in a way that makes the customer feel like you take your business – and theirs – seriously. You seem prepared (like you aren’t going to walk outside and promptly lose their paperwork). But let’s go back even before this because first impressions mean everything.
Did this customer call you? How are you answering the phone? There’s little that’s more confusing than calling a business, and the person answers with just a “hello.” Did you call the wrong number? A much better option would be something like, “Hello. Thanks for calling XYZ Commercial Cleaning. This is Marc.”
If they left a message, did you call back promptly? Were you able to set an appointment within a reasonable time? These are all the behind-the-scenes things that put you on a path to success before you even start your commercial cleaning bids.
Of course, there is the actual bidding, too. This is where a lot of clients will focus on price. But there’s a lot more to negotiating a contract than price. You’re already set up to win. Now it’s time to get into the details.
The low down on winning commercial cleaning bids
Above all, when the time comes to write the actual bid, remember that if you compete on price, someone will always outbid you. The most successful businesses compete on quality and value. How do you do that?
Be clear about what your client is asking for. When you walk through the facility, ask specific questions, and go over details. It’s one thing to clean a room. It’s another altogether to clean floors, desks, trash bins, door handles, window ledges and windows, and HVAC vents. (Even if it is the same, being specific gives the impression that you are more thorough and detailed.)
Find out why they are looking for a janitorial company. This could give you a lot of insight into what they’re looking at in a new contract. While you’re at it, be sure to point out any relevant services you offer, like lawn care, light maintenance, or painting. Just be sure it’s appropriate and fits into what they’re looking for.
Once you have all the information, you can impress your customer by giving them a bid right on the spot.
If you use Janitorial Manager, the software is designed to do this. All you have to do is plug in the numbers.
Here’s the real icing on the cake, though. Don’t just give them a bid; give them two or even three commercial cleaning bids. Why? First, it’s an easy thing to do if you use Janitorial Manager, so it’s not that much extra work for you. But here’s why it works.
The numbers around commercial cleaning bids can change as the parameters change. By customizing those parameters, you can offer different bids that meet your needs as a business and your customer’s needs. You can alter the frequency of visits, the type of cleaning solutions you use, or the number of spaces you clean per visit. Maybe you clean the lobby and bathrooms every day, but the conference room only gets cleaned once each week.
Giving your customer options helps them see precisely what they get for the money, and it helps them work within a budget. One secret here is to put your preferred choice as the middle-priced option. Statistically, that’s the one that your customer will most often choose. Stick to three possibilities, though. Too many will make it more difficult for your customer to choose.
Easily stay in touch with employees and clients, bid on jobs, manage inventory, perform inspections, and more with Janitorial Manager. Check out a free demo to learn about all the great features!