Follow-up is super important to building the customer base that you want for your window cleaning business, and for securing the repeat jobs that takes your window washing income to the next level. First...a quick definition is in order. A window washing prospect is someone who has expressed an interest in our service, but for whatever reason, they have not decided to employ us yet. Even though I discuss at length the huge advantages of proper prospect follow-up within my manual How to Start Your Own Residential Window Washing Business, occasionally I still get emails asking "When should I follow up and contact a window washing prospect if they don't agree to have me do the job right away?" I also have some folks tell me they never follow-up. This is a big mistake. And by the time you get done reading this article, hopefully you'll see why. The ideal situation is obviously to have every prospect you present an estimate to say "Yes, do the job". And although I designed a powerful estimate presentation that does an excellent job of turning a large number of prospects into customers, you won't close 100% of the prospects after presenting your estimate. No window washer does. He or she might want to talk it over with a spouse, or they might be looking at other window washers. So...if the prospect doesn't say yes right away, always, always, always make a follow up phone call to the prospect at least 3 to 4 days after completing the estimate. Here's what you should say: "Mrs. Jones, this is Don Roberts calling with Sparkleview Window Cleaning Service. I just wanted to give you a courtesy call to see if you may have had a chance to review my estimate package I dropped off with you a few days ago, and to see if you're ready to put the sparkle back into your windows." Then don't say anything. See what she says. If she's not ready, no problem. Thank her for her time and give her a call in a week or so unless she tells you to call her back in another time frame. Of course, you don't want to be a window washing stalker, so a good rule of thumb is to call 3 times. If she still is not ready to commit to your window washing service after the 3rd phone call, then you should just drop a letter in the mail to the prospect thanking her for the opportunity to present your estimate and when she's ready for clean windows, to give you a call. Include a magnetic business card in with the letter. You can buy 25 peel and stick business card magnets at an office supply store for about 6 bucks. Peel the adhesive paper off, and slap your business card on the magnet. Here's what your letter should say: Dear Mrs. Jones: Thank you for the opportunity to provide you with an estimate to clean your windows. At this point, I understand you may not be ready for my services, so I've enclosed a magnetic business card for you to use when you are ready for clean windows. Please don't hesitate to contact me. If you use my service, rest assured that you will be getting a top-quality job along with the peace of mind that comes with hiring a professional who is fully insured and bonded. Feel free to contact my references listed in the estimate package you received. These satisfied customers will provide you with the added assurance that you're in good hands with Sparkleview Window Cleaning Service. Thanks again Mrs. Jones and have a great day. Respectfully, Don Roberts
Sparkleview Window Cleaning Service At this point you've done everything you can, so don't waste any more energy on them. On the brighter side though, through the efforts of your follow-up calls, you can usually secure the job. After all, she called you initially because she was interested in having her windows cleaned, right? A couple of people I spoke to mentioned to me that they were afraid they'd come across like a salesman and didn't want to harass anyone. Well...like it or not, even though the estimate package does the "selling" for you, this is still a "sales process". The good news though is that the prospect invited YOU to THEIR home. YOU spent your valuable time providing them an estimate which THEY requested. You have every right to contact the prospect in the future to see if you can be of service. This isn't your typical uninvited phone call at dinnertime from an MCI telemarketer looking to sell you some long distance service. The vast majority of my prospects appreciate the follow up call and certainly no one has hung up on me. As a matter of fact, I can't remember one single person who didn't respond favorably. Once again, they invited YOU. Even if after your follow up calls, they weren't ready to get their windows cleaned yet, your name and company name will be kept in the forefront of their mind through your repeated contact attempts. Your competitors will rarely do this (if ever), so the phone will give you a powerful advantage over your competitors. It's a marketing weapon that definitely WILL increase your business by turning those prospects into cash paying customers. Best Wishes, Steve
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