Social Networking

I have been busy the last couple days getting knee deep in social networking. I have been working hard on my LinkedIn page creating a company page, creating a group for Canadian Window Cleaners, and trying to connect with other window cleaners and current and former customers, friends and colleagues. I am also learning how to use Twitter properly and the etiquette that they expect.

I certainly think that all this work I'm doing will in the end bring some dividends in terms of more traffic, more phone calls, better SEO and less of a chance that my customers lose my info and lose touch with me.

I have followed Rob Young's sage advice and made sure that I always have a signature that has all my information. I thought I did. But when I checked my signature I realized some information was missing. You should make sure that all social networking has all the necessary info filled out, including your website, phone number and other ways to connect with you.

It certainly is a time wasting endeavor. Hopefully the time will be an investment and not a waste.

Now I have to go back to the urgent matter of preparing my books to send to my accountant to do my taxes. I hate doing that.

Mike Polsky
647-409-8144
http://mmwindowcleaners.com

Marketing with Other Service Professionals

Today I had the privlege of doing cold and warm calling with Victor a printer and toner salesman. He sells printers and cartridges and also services them when needed. He is well liked and has two hundred and fifty accounts.

I moved out to Bowmanville where Victor has lived for many years. We both attend the same place of worship so he graciously offered to help me find accounts in Bowmanville and Oshawa.

Today for the first time I canvassed with another salesman. It was quite the fun experience. It was far more encouraging and easier.

He introduced me to his clients who were very friendly and took my card. That is what I call warmcalling. Victor simply said this is a friend of his who has moved to the area from Toronto proper and is looking for some clients. It worked well. WE only visited about 5 or 6 places and of those I have two serious prospects. That is quite something, often when I cold call I have to make several dozen visits or calls before I get a serious inquiry.

We are going to plan to do this again. Speaking in person to existing customers is very valuable since the clients are warmer and they trust you more quickly. I am likely to get jobs that I wouldn't normally get since they may only choose a window cleaner who is recommended by their friends.

On an encouraging note a pizzeria owner called me. I had left a quote and card a couple months ago, and she wanted me to come biweekly to clean the windows. She was happy with our work and is now a new client. It restored my faith that leaving business cards works at times, I was starting to think that it was pretty useless since I seemed to get little response from even serious people that took my card but for one reason or another never called me back

Are you looking for a reliable Toronto Window Cleaner. Call Mike, 647-409-8144

mike@mmwindowcleaners.com
http://mmwindowcleaners.com

Useful Window Cleaning Sites

Useful Window Cleaning Sites

 

Are you looking for worthwhile sites to improve your marketing, your expertise and to improve your business?

If you are a window cleaner you are in luck. There are many valuable Facebook groups, websites and mailing lists that will help you take your business to the next level.

 

But remember, the real problem is whether or not you will actually use the information. Many people may spend a lot of time or money to learn marketing, or how to improve their business but then put off or don't actually apply what they learn. What a waste. Apply what you learn, take a chance, implement the strategies you learn from this website and from others.

Here are some websites and resources I have found valuable.

 

Window Cleaning Resource. A discussion forum, A window cleaning store, how-to-videos, and even a marketing association, all under one roof. An amazing resource that will help you to find window cleaning equipment, learn how to window clean, and learn from experienced window cleaners how to overcome challenges 

 

Don the Window Cleaner Blog. Don Marsh is a great inspiration to me. I love watching his videos since he doesn't hold back any info from his viewers. He is not concerned about holding something back, thinking his competition is going to imitate him. His videos are very motivating. I don't agree with everything he says, and I probably price higher than he does,

Don's YouTube Channel. Here you can watch all of Don's videos. Not all of his videos are about window cleaning, he is heavily involved in local and national politics so there are some political videos there too. I stay neutral on politics by the way.

National Window Cleaning Directory is a great forum too. It has mostly died, but in its archives there are great discussions. Before the advent of Window Cleaning Resource it was much more active.

 

http://www.window-cleaning.net/aboutwcn.htm. This is the Window Cleaning Network, run by Gary Mauer. It has some good discussion through email. The strongest discussion in this group revolve around the International Window Cleaning Association, a sort of boring to myself. And Fabricating Debris which is a very important issue.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/windowcleaners/. A great group in Facebook with lively discussions about all things Window Cleaning. Ask to join. 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/129112985412/. Karl Robinson's Facebook group where all window cleaning news is aggregated and compiled. I'm not sure how he gets all the news, but I appreciate it as do thousands of others.

Here ishttp://robinson-solutions.blogspot.com/. This is Karl Robinson's Blog with all the fantastic news from around the world.

 

Kevin Dubrosky is a very successful window cleaner and marketer who has helped many window cleaning business including myself implement strategies to improve profitability and advertising. Kevin's Marketing site is essential, even if you are not in the cleaning business.

http://kevindubrosky.com/ 

 

The Good Life Window Cleaning. Paul McQuillan's website devoted to improving the marketing of your window cleaning. Paul has many good suggestions, and I actively read his website and his discussions on LinkedIn.

I apologize to any I may have left out. As time goes by I'll update this post with new resources that will help to bring your business to the next level.

Thanks For Reading My Blog. Feel free to give me a call for window cleaning or any advice.

Mike Polsky

647-409-8144

http://mmwindowcleaners.com

info@mmwindowcleaners.com

 

 

Keep your competition close

There is a saying to keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Although a few of your competitors can be your enemy, not all of your competition is, in fact many are not.

My Toronto window cleaning competitors include some good friends and acquaintances, We respect each other, although we do get jealous of each others successes. Especially when they are ahead of us on Google.

Some we have got to know on window cleaning forums, and from there we built up a friendship and trust. And others I have known because many of my friends are window cleaners as well. Because they treasure the flexibility and good pay in the field.

It's good to keep in mind, especially in a service business that there is more than enough work out there for everyone. There is an infinite amount of windows to be cleaned. No one company can clean everyone store and house out there.

Not every business owner has the same focus of his business. In my industry, some prefer to clean stores and commercial, whereas others love cleaning residential and despise commercial. Some do add ons to their regular work, which I will not mention what they are in this post. They serve niche markets and at times make much more than window cleaning.

Keep Your Competition Close

Many times I have used my competition to pass on jobs, to have them do a job under my name. They have also been kind enough to pass on work to me often without expecting anything in return.

They have proven to give me honest and reliable advice when I needed some help with pricing, dealing with employees and subs and their compensation, and common issues in window cleaning.

Of course, you always keep some info to your self, and don't let them know every business strategy that you are planning to implement, but sharing business knowledge is far better than keeping things to yourself for fear that they may copy you. To learn and to grow you do need to share some of what you are doing now and learn what they are trying as well.

Why am I saying all this? Well today, three of my competitors, two - who I do business with who work for me on certain jobs - met up. We enjoyed a burger and fries with them. We shot the breeze, talked about window cleaning, the industry, our marketing, some of our goals and needs, and what we wanted to accomplish in 2012.

So go ahead, have a coffee with your competition. You do of course have to use common sense, take your time to get to know someone, and not give away your "secret" recipe, but sharing information and knowledge with a trustworthy and kind competitor may help you to grow and thrive in the window cleaning field, or whatever field you are in.

I'm not saying there are not unscrupulous or dishonest competitors in your field, so use your head. But there are likely many honest, decent people that are just trying to make a living for their family, that would love to sit down and have a coffee with you. You can learn a lot.

Do you want your windows cleaned? Call the Toronto Window Cleaner. Mike Polsky. At 647-409-8144.

Thanks for reading my blog.