I have searched regarding marketing to commercial clients. Alot of the info has been very helpful
One area where I have a dilema is whether I should mail out an introductory letter first before I visit or just go out and cold call.
I have tried both and had success from both. I do think that cold calling has been more successful for me.

Most of the accounts have been smaller to middle ones. Usually the gatekeeper is the decision makere here so cold calling gets you in front of them quite easily.

If however I want to target a larger one thats where my dilema starts, as the decision maker is never the gatekeeper ( or rarely)

Regards
George

Rarely have I found a gatekeeper to be the decision maker. They may be so trusted by the decision maker that he/she goes with the gatekeeper's thoughts. Or the gatekeeper takes the proposal to the decision maker who makes the decision based on price, written presentation, your reputation, or a host of other things. The bad thing about this type of account is that a third party (the gatekeeper) is always involved. If, for some reason, you get the account and the gatekeeper doesn't like you, you are in for a looong row to hoe. The gatekeeper will sabotage your efforts and report any shortcoming you have.
A letter of introduction is an absolute must for your larger targets unless you know someone on the inside who can get you in front of the decision maker.
You can still pretty easily cold call your smaller targets as you probably have a very good chance of meeting the decision maker when you walk in the door.

when you say cold calling, are you refering to calling over the phone? or hitting the pavement and going into places and introducing yourself?

i do the latter only and it works great. i would then give them an introductory piece of marketing. but calling by phone would save time...dunno how productive it'd be tho.

thanx --- Derek

Derek
By cold calling I mean just fronting up unannouced and without an appointment.
Introducing myself and the company and going from there. I always leave behind some form of letter or flyer. I also take a business card and ask for who I would need to speak to about my services(unless I was lucky enough to hit them at that first meeting).

Then I put them into my database and follow up later with calls, mailers etc.

Kevin
I understand that larger organisation it might be better to send a letter first, but then would you call on them as a cold call or call and try to find out who you need to see and make an appointment.

I have found that waiting for them to make the next contact can be a waste of time but if I go there and appear at their front desk this sometimes get me in. I suppose unless they are thinking about your service when they get the letter its "out of sight out of mind" but if you are there maybe it prods them a little.

Regards
George

i do it the same way you do George. i wouldn't send the letter ahead of time. and i've tried a few times waiting for others to call me...very wasteful.

cold-calling, or canvassing as i call it, works great for me....when i do it. ya know the hardest door to get thru is your own.

interesting experience i had with canvassing 2 summers ago...i'd been canvassing for a couple / few hours one Friday afternoon. i was about to head home but there was still one more "business" on the street i was working. it was a large resort / hotel, the only 5 star we have in our area, and in terms of size, it has the 2nd largest amount of rooms in our area. i kept telling myself not to waste my time, what need would they have of me and my services? i reluctantly found a parking spot and walked quite a ways to the front door. walked to the front desk and nervously handed one of the receptionists my info...can't remember what i said. i'm sure my voice squeaked somewhere in there lol.

very surprisingly (to me) the following week, their Head of Houskeeping called me and they are now my biggest client. off the subject, i bumped into Phillip Seymour Hoffman there a couple December 25th's ago...he's a shorter lil fella, maybe 5'7".?.

canvassing rocks!

thanx --- D.

I agree with Derek... "Canvassing Rocks"

Here's a Copy & Paste of a list that outlines a basic program we use to market to commercial accounts. PLEASE NOTE the part under section 10 that outlines how to get in front of the decision maker.

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Here are some things that have worked for me. Keep in mind that my marketing has been directed entirely toward commercial clients, not residential. Perhaps some of these ideas will work for you as well...

Start by purchasing Microsoft Publisher. You'll need to be able to generate good looking marketing material, and Publisher can accomplish this very easilly for you.

1) I'd recommend starting off by choosing a company name that tells the customer what you do, who you are. For example our cleaning company name is Kleenstep. It's simple, and it tells exactly what we do. Our company name was originally Pioneer Maintenance for the first 18 years. Then I read the book "The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding" and recognized that my name was not compelling. It wasn't going to get the reaction that I needed. So we changed the name to Kleenstep. I was AMAZED at how much easier it was to get folks to take me seriously and BUY. I'd highly recommend this book to you... http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0887306667/qid=1130849439/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/002-3536746-8460829?v=glance&s=books

2) You'll also need to create a tight looking logo for your company. You can use Publisher for this. Or you can hire an artist to do it for you. There are like a million such services on the internet. Many of these services are reasonably priced. Use Google to find one that you like. A clean and professional logo is an enormous aid to getting the results you want. People are BRAND oriented.

3) Choose an appropriate slogan that identifies your USP. Do you have a USP? That's your Unique Selling Position. Ours is "Nobody Cleans Commercial Carpet Better"

4) Use Publisher to make up a sharp looking flier. Add appropriate artwork. Keep it clean, minimalistic is better than cluttered. You can always use the marketing flier that we've provided... http://www.excellent-supply.com/Commercial_Carpet_Care_System.pdf However I would suggest also supplementing our flier with an additional flier talking about your company.

5) Use Publisher to make a sharp looking colorful business card that corresponds with your fliers.

6) E-Mail or a burn a disk of your Publisher files and and send them to a color copy center. Have them print your cards and the fliers in full color glossy. This is VERY pricey, so order only as much as you need.

7) Use Publisher to prepare a table top presentation. This is simpler than it sounds. Just sit down and think about the story you want to tell about your company. Then prepare about a dozen pages in Publisher. Each page will cover topics that tell the prospect about your company - your services, your USP, how carpet care saves the carpet, how your service will save them money as compared to neglect, how clean carpet is good for business, how clean carpet is good for health, how you'll fix the recurring spill problem, your guarantee, etc. Print the pages on glossy 8 1/2" x 11" photo paper. Then place the pages into a binder such as this... http://www.staples.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/StaplesProductDisplay?prodCatType=0&storeId=10001&catalogId=10051&langId=-1&productId=92449

8) Build a basic website. Even a simple website is better than not having one. In today's commerce you MUST have a website that corresponds with your other marketing pieces. This is NOT hard to do. You can go to GoDaddy and build a simple 5 page website right online and host it for under $4 a month... https://www.godaddy.com/gdshop/hosting/hosting_build_website.asp?se=%2B&ci=265

NOW YOU HAVE THE BASIC MARKETING PIECES THAT YOU NEED...

Next you need motivation...

9) Purchase and read the book called "The Little Red Book of Selling : 12.5 Principles of Sales Greatness". It's short, reads fast and easy, and it will get your juices flowing... http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1885167601/qid=1130849139/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/002-3536746-8460829?v=glance&s=books

NOW YOU NEED TO GET OUT THERE IN FRONT OF THE PROSPECTS...

10) Get out there! Put your face in front of the people that you want to have for your customers. Hand them your sharp looking new card with an appropriate business name, logo and slogan. Hand them your corresponding flier that tells them a little bit about your company.

TRICK FOR GETTING TO THE DECISION MAKER:
I typically like to call larger "choice accounts" on the phone first. I introduce myself and ask to speak to the person that handles carpet cleaning. The gatekeeper will most likely roadblock you (expect that). Then ask the gatekeeper if you can send them something in the mail. The gatekeeper will generally say yeah sure. Now ask the million dollar question --- who to make it attention to. Most of the time, the gatekeeper will give you the person's name who is responsible for deciding on carpet care. COOL! You now have the decision makers name. Send the decision maker an introductory marketing letter. The sales letter is simply used as a door opener to give you a way to follow up, by phone or in person. You're now able to follow up by calling on the decision maker, since you know who that person is and since you have made contact with that person by mail. When you call, you can now tell the gatekeeper that you need to speak with Mr Smith because you sent him some information about carpet cleaning. The gatekeeper assumes that you and Mr Smith are already working together on the carpet cleaning since you asked for him by name and since you already sent him information about carpet cleaning. Sneaky, sneaky

11) Dress appropriately. I wear Dockers, and a white oxford dress shirt with my logo embroidered above the pocket. I may also wear a tie, depending on the type of customer I'm pursuing. Ask to speak with the person that's responsible for the carpet cleaning. This may require making a few return visits. BE PERSISTENT, the effort pays off.

12) Once you get in front of the decision maker, take about 10 minutes to show them your Presentation Binder and get them excited about your service. The sharp looking presentation sets you apart from all the other carpet cleaners in your town. In fact this places you light years ahead of the competition.

13) Measure the account and work up your pricing. Do a carpet inspection. Help them see areas where their carpet maintenance can be improved. Become their commercial carpet ally.

14) Do a demo. If possible, during your demo clean half of a spill stain using the Releasit Spill Stain Treatment technique... http://www.cmmonline.com/article.asp?IndexID=6635489 By cleaning half of a stain, they'll be able to see that the side you treated didn't come back. Guarantee they'll call you back.

15) Mail, E-Mail or Fax them a Proposal and a Contract. Follow up with a phone call.

And then follow up afterward. They may not be ready to make a carpet cleaning move at this particular point in time. So you may need to revisit them a few times. Hang in there though, because your future prosperity hangs on getting the account. Successful marketing REQUIRES a measure of commitment. Be willing to devote a designated portion of your weekly schedule to doing marketing work.

I hope these few suggestions will help you. These techniques have worked for me. If you'll put these pieces in place, you will be successful. How do I know that? Because this approach to marketing WORKS flawlessly for me, and I'm not any more special than anybody else. It will work for you too.

P.S. Everyone please don't ask to use my marketing stuff. Marketing is personal. I created elements that fit my company. And if you will do this too, you'll find that marketing can be a very rewarding and enjoyable part of your business.

Go for it!!!




Rick Gelinas
encapman

Rick,
Thank You very much for the GREAT knowledge! You really are an inspiration to get moving! Thanks Again, I will put these ideas to work.

Thanks,
Aaron Baum
Brownell's E-Z Clean, LLC

The "little red book of selling" is a must read, a must read.



Greg Loe
Chico,Ca
www.gregs-ucs.com