How to Sell Cleaning Services: A Guide to Boost Your Sales

You may not need a lot of money to start a cleaning business. But you will need to make money consistently to keep it going. And there is only one way to bring in actual income to your business – consistent and growing sales. 

This can be hard for some businesses. But not for you as we will show you how to sell cleaning services with 6 smart strategies.

Implementing those, will not only grow your business but also establish it as a trusted and professional provider in the industry. So let’s get started.

Identify and Understand Your Target Market

Your target market refers to the group of people or businesses that are most likely to benefit from your cleaning services. 

By identifying it, you can customize your marketing efforts and services to meet its specific needs. And that means an increase in sales.

Here is how you can do it:

• Determine the demographics of your ideal customer
  

  First and foremost, consider the demographics of your ideal customer – age, gender, income, and education level. 

  For example, if you specialize in residential cleaning services, your ideal customer may be a middle-aged or older homeowner with a higher income. 

  However, if you want commercial cleaning contracts, your ideal customer may be a business owner or manager in a particular industry.

• Consider geographic location
  

  You will want to target people in your business region. For example, it makes no sense to reach out to a customer in New York if you are a local cleaning company in Los Angeles. So be clear about the region you want to target.

• Identify industry-specific needs
  

  Different industries have different cleaning needs. Thus, understanding the needs of your target industries is a must. 

  For example, healthcare facilities have strict cleanliness standards and require specialized cleaning services. 

  Meanwhile, restaurants and food service businesses require cleaning services that adhere to food safety regulations.

• Conduct market research
  

  It is used to identify the pain points, preferences, and expectations of your target audience. So, start brainstorming by asking yourself these questions:

  • What need brings a client to me?
  • What do they expect from my services?
  • How can I provide the services in the best possible manner?

  However, talking to them directly is most effective. You can use online surveys and social media polls to gather information about your target audience.

Many cleaning businesses do not understand who they are trying to sell to. However, you are not one of them. Follow the points above, and you have given yourself a great advantage over your competitors.

Create a Professional Proposal

One of the tools for increasing conversion is to make such a proposal to your clients that it is hard for them to refuse. How?

Start by clearly outlining your services and the USP (unique selling proposition) that set your business apart. It can be the experience you have in the industry or any unique expertise.

Next comes the trickier part – pricing. Include pricing details in your proposal but also offer the flexibility of custom pricing for customized services. To go a step further, you can even provide add-ons to your primary service (Of course, with additional charges).

Recommended:

• How to Price Commercial Cleaning Jobs
• How Much to Charge for House Cleaning Services

For the final touches, make sure your proposal looks visually appealing and professional.  Use high-quality images, branding elements, and formatting that make it easy to read and understand.

Are you done with creating your proposal? If yes, then this brings us to … 

Build a Strong Online Presence

Every business benefits immensely from a strong online presence. Yes, even cleaning companies like yours. It can help you: 

• Reach potential customers
• Build credibility
• Establish your brand

Here are some tips for building an online presence:

• Optimize your website
  

  Make sure your website is optimized for search engines and user experience. This means using relevant keywords, having a clear layout, and ensuring that your website loads quickly.

  Recommended: To get an idea, here are 23 great cleaning business websites

• Create valuable content
  

  Creating valuable content can help showcase your expertise to potential clients. Consider creating blog posts, videos, or infographics that address common cleaning problems or share helpful tips and tricks. 

  This can help position you as an authority in your industry and attract potential customers. 

  Don’t know how to start? Then read this guide from HubSpot to create a content strategy.

• Utilize social media
  

  To be honest, social media is a great tool to build your brand presence. But it offers less for making a sale. However, a brand presence may indirectly bring you sales you would have otherwise missed.

  So if you decide to go with it, make sure to regularly post updates, share valuable content, and engage with your followers. 

  Pro tip: For faster results, try using social media advertising to reach your potential customers.

It takes time to build an online presence. But the effort is worth the results you get. Look for insights and feedback to get better at it.

Leverage Referrals and Recommendations

Think about the last time someone recommended a business to you. Haven’t you felt more confident purchasing from that business? Thus, the power of referrals is more than you think.

When people have a positive experience with your cleaning service, they are likely to recommend you to others in their network. These referrals bring you the best leads possible. So, here are some tips to do this right:

• Provide exceptional cleaning service
  

  This is a no-brainer. If the quality of your services is mediocre, the referral of your client will turn into a warning to other prospects. 

  Thus, make sure to go above and beyond to meet the needs and exceed the expectations of your clients.

• Ask for referrals
  

  Don’t be afraid to ask your current customers to refer you to someone. Let them know that you value them and would appreciate any referrals they can provide. 

  If feasible, you can consider offering incentives such as discounts or free services for each referral they send your way.

• Create a referral program
  

  Create a formal referral program to incentivize current customers to refer new businesses to you. 

  The incentive usually is a commission, which is a pre-decided percentage of the total amount of business done with the referral.

By doing this, cleaning business owners like you can tap into the power of word-of-mouth marketing to attract new clients.

Handle Sales Objections

When selling cleaning services, you are inevitably going to encounter objections. And handling these objections well will result in more sales. So, here are some tips for it:

• Listen to their concerns
  

  Listening is underrated. Thus, when a potential customer raises an objection, take the time to listen to his concerns. 

  Ask questions to understand their perspective and why they have reservations about your services.

• Address their concerns
  

  Never wait to address the concerns of your potential clients. Upon understanding their concerns, address them head-on.

  Provide examples and case studies that demonstrate your ability to deliver high-quality janitorial services.

• Position your services as the solution
  

  In selling, it is taught to be a part of the solution, not the problem. For this, highlight the benefits of doing business with your company and how your services can help your clients achieve their goals.

  Testimonials from satisfied customers work really well to demonstrate your expertise and value.

Potential concerns can range from the cost to doubts about the quality. Brainstorm them beforehand to prepare well to knock them off. The key here is to always be honest, transparent, and customer-focused in your approach.

Manage Your Sales Pipeline

What is a sales pipeline? Here the what PipeDrive has to say about it:

“A sales pipeline is an organized, visual way of tracking potential buyers as they progress through different stages in the purchasing process and buyer’s journey.”

To effectively manage it and close more deals, follow these tips:

• Track your sales metrics
  

  There is a famous saying from Peter Drucker, “what gets measured gets managed.” So, to improve your sales performance, it is important to track your sales metrics. 

  Watch out for your lead conversion rate, average sales cycle length, and revenue per customer. And then, use this data to identify areas for improvement and refine your sales strategy.

• Prioritize follow-up
  

  Most probably, you won’t make a sale in the first meeting with your target customer. You will have to follow up when he is ready to decide.

  So make sure to prioritize follow-up activities and respond to leads promptly and professionally.

• Use tech tools
  

  Utilize technology tools such as customer relationship management (CRM) software to streamline your sales process. 

  With a CRM, you can track leads, automate follow-up emails, and prioritize your sales activities.

Remember always to prioritize customer relationships and provide exceptional service throughout the sales process.

Conclusion

You need to hear a maxim in sales – “Don’t get caught selling.” It is the one who serves the best often wins. And by implementing the strategies mentioned above, you are well on your way to success.

Identify and understand your target market because it will lay a strong foundation for the rest. See you on the other side.