I was hoping someone could give me some advise on going after commercial business i.e. Hotels, Movie Theaters and so on. Marketing, sales pitches anything that would help. Like who to ask for, what to charge for say hotels? The residential is going very well but I would like to get into commercial. I am located in Indian River County Fl If anyone is worried about compitition. Mak, Please do not be offended, but your marketing info in the manual that came with the Biz is not working for us at all. Thanks to all
Great to hear that the residential end of your business is up and going well. Some of the same techniques that I suggest in acquiring residential customers can also be used in the commercial sector, such as Farming. This is a word I have borrowed from the real estate industry, where you attempt to make some form of contact with people who live, or who run some kind of business, in the neighborhoods and areas closest to you. Do whatever it takes to position yourself and your company in the minds of those geographically closest to you.
In the case of businesses, this can be walking in to the types of businesses you want to have as customers, trying to speak to the key person in that business who deals with maintenance-type issues, or leaving behind your card or brochure. Be ready to perform a demo if this opportunity presents itself.
Or you could mail materials. Try to first get the name of the relevant individual. Or do both.
It can take several marketing efforts to make an impression.
Join the relevant business or civic organizations in your geographical area, or in the industry in which you want to acquire business. There are trade associations for Facility Managers, Executive Housekeepers, etc. Have you joined one or more Chambers of Commerce in your area? You could get involved with public service organizations such as the Lions, or others which raise money and awareness for specific humanitarian causes. People like to do business with others who support causes they are involved with.
Review some of the Guerilla Marketing techniques that I recommend to everyone, looking for those few which best suit your personality, your budget, and the particular circumstances of your community and region.
As for references for any of the commercial customers you might have already gotten, and use these in seeking additional customers in the same industry. Call the funeral homes nearest to you (a category I have had great success with over the years) and ask if they have a room or a hallway that could use your services. Tell them it will be a free demo, with no obligation.
Correction: first word in last paragraph should be "ask", not "as".
Additional comment: some commercial work can result simply from your emphasis on using green cleaning methods. I just booked a job, worth about $3500, because the Facility Manager of the company Googled something like "green carpet cleaning Boston" and my website came up on top. He said he read thru my commercial references, found my website overall to have credibility, and found my proposal to be reasonable.
I doubt that I was the cheapest.
