7 Tactics that will Amp Up Your "Face-to-Face" Cleaning Sales

“Hey! Excuse me!”

It's your client's neighbor.

Her name is Suzy and she just fired her cleaning company. She is looking for a new one, and you happened to be right next door. "Can you give me a quick quote?"

Selling in-person is a new challenge for you - and, frankly, it's a little nerve-wracking. Nobody wants to come off as desperate... or worse, sleazy. 

How do you sell cleaning services face-to-face without feeling like a used car salesman?

7 Tactics that Make it Easy to Sell Cleaning Services "Face-to-Face"

Some people are given the gift of gab. Some people aren't.

But anyone can learn to be a competent salesperson - even if you don't have a silver tongue.

In this article, you'll discover how - with the right preparation and a bit of practice - you can sell with the best of them.

1. Look like a Pro (Because You Are One)

You’re a business owner taking the time to meet with a potential client face-to-face. Look the part. You may be a one-man-band but there’s no reason for Suzy to know that.

• Keep a clean Polo with your logo on it in your vehicle.
  • You can change into before a meeting (great way to quickly “clean-up” if you’re giving a quote in the middle of your work day).
• Carry a Pen and a clipboard.
  • Make some note-sheets with your logo and some headlines (“Name:”, “Address:”, “Concerns:”, “Notes:”, etc.)
  • It goes a long way toward increasing your authority. You look like you know what you’re doing. You could do this in a notebook or on your phone, but forms convey authority in a way typing into a phone doesn’t. 
  • Tapping on a tablet with a stylus will work equally well.
• Keep your vehicle clean, park it neatly, and consider getting it wrapped or, in the least, having a magnet cling with your logo and phone number.

2. Listen to Potential Clients

Let’s be honest. Sometimes selling to a person is a lot more nerve-wracking than writing an email or placing a Facebook ad.

A lot of us, myself included, tend to talk more when we’re nervous. You can end up stepping all over what Suzy is trying to say to you.

You can actually talk yourself out of a sale.

Don’t talk for more than 60 seconds at a time. Don’t ramble. Ask if she has any questions. Prompt her to speak. Ask her about previous experiences with cleaning companies, which can be a great way to raise and resolve objections.

Ask open-ended questions, ones that can't be answered with a head nod or shake. They usually start with “what,” “when,” “where,” or  “why.”

3. Determine Their Need

This goes hand in hand with listening. Suzy will tell you what will make her happy client.

She doesn’t like dusty baseboards, she doesn’t like the cobwebs that perpetually form in her master bathroom, just out of reach.

She wants a cleaning service that will come on Wednesday afternoon because she plays Bunco on Wednesday nights and she likes everything nice and tidy before her friends come over.

If you’re listening, you can determine exactly what she needs. Take notes (see tactic #1)! It also helps you determine the correct price for your cleaning services.

4. Build Rapport

Find some common ground with Suzy. You are a stranger, in her safest, most sacred haven - her home. Make her feel like she can trust you.

Everyone loves to talk about themselves.

Find something about her, or her home, that you have a genuine interest in and ask about it.

• Is that an antique?
• Where was that family photo taken?
• Where did you get those dangly, owl-shaped earrings?

Genuine human interaction (not smarmy compliments) will make the sale. Suzy wants to like the person who comes into her home on a weekly basis. Common ground will go a long way.

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5. Keep it Honest

Consumers are smarter than ever before. They’re also jaded, cynical and suspicious. They can smell your dishonest sales blather from ten miles out. Don’t cost yourself a sale and a lifelong client by over-promising or making claims you can’t back up.

This is the true cost of a "dishonestly-gained" client:

• They figure out the lie and cancel.
• You have to issue a refund because of the lie.
• They tell friends and family about the bad experience.
• They post negative reviews and tell strangers about the bad experience.

Lies are not worth the hassle.

Run your business with integrity and you will sleep easier at night.

6. Don't Beg

Desperation is a bad look.

I’m going to beg, just this once, so that you never will: Please! Don’t ever beg Suzy to hire you!

No matter how badly you need to make the sale, resist the urge to beg. No one wants to hire a desperate business owner because they don't want to feel pressured.

Suzy wants to buy your cleaning services because you are right for her, not because you need money.

7. The Leave-Behind

Business cards are alright but a magnet or some other useful trinket is way more valuable to you. A business card is only useful to Suzy in that it has your contact information on it. 

A magnet can hold a grocery list. They put your magnet on the fridge and don't misplace it. Every time Suzy comes into her kitchen and does some chore she hates, she’s reminded that there’s a better option.

Leave-Behind Ideas:

• Magnets with your logo on them
• A well-written sales letter in a fancy envelope
• Notepads or sticky notes (make sure your logo is visible!)

You can experiment with different kinds of leave-behinds to see what results you get from each.

You're On Your Way to More In-Person Cleaning Sales

Just by reading this, you’re already way ahead of the game. You can learn even more by learning the "sales triggers" that help you close even more sales.

You took the time to research selling your cleaning services. That’s more than most. You’re ready to accelerate the growth of your business.

Put these tools into practice and bring more clients into your business. Remember to listen, then speak. Build rapport, keep it honest and, most importantly, get a cool and unique leave-behind.

Related: The 13 Best Ways to Market Your Cleaning Business