How do most customers find out about you and your business? Invariably, they go to your website.
And what’s on most cleaning contractors’ websites?
A list of all the features their service provides.
If there is anything I would like you to learn from this blog and my recent webinar, is that features don’t count. Let me repeat: features don’t count.
Features may generate customer interest, but it is the benefits your company can bring to the table that can:
Result in inviting your firm to submit a request for proposal (RFP)
Increase your odds of winning the account.
This is one of several topics I discussed in the webinar hosted by Swept, a janitorial software company. I also made what I believe was a convincing point: that the ways our customers purchase everything, including cleaning services, have changed drastically in the twenty-first century.
If contractors are going to survive and thrive in this new world of decision making, they are going to have to make some changes to their websites and how they market themselves.
Additionally, they will need to make changes in how they conduct themselves in a walk-through of a facility. By this I mean, contractors need to learn what to say and what not to say during a walk-through, along with several other do’s and don’ts.
Before we dig deeper in to the webinar, let’s take a look at why certain features on contractors’ websites are often meaningless to potential customers and how we can turn them around to create value.
Stating the number of years in business
Many janitorial contractor websites mention they have been in business for ten or twenty years. An interesting fact, but how can that be a benefit for the customer? We could add that “as a result of being in business for so many years, we have learned how to take care of our customers; we know what is important to our customers, and in the process, can eliminate issues before they become problems.”
“We offer green cleaning.”
Again, interesting, but let’s make that a benefit. “Not only is our staff trained on green cleaning procedures and programs, we are also very focused on sustainability. We are working with our clients to achieve zero waste, enhance their recycling programs, and improve energy conservation, all in an attempt to help them lower operating costs, enhance worker productivity, and protect the health of all those who work or learn in their facility.”
To learn more about what we discussed in the webinar, along with those do’s and don’ts, click on this link. I think you will find this a very valuable webinar.
As always, if you have any questions, please reach out to me.
Ron
