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Identifying ProspectsNo matter what promotional methods you use to sell your services, you will need to call on potential clients. There are three primary ways to contact potential clients - by phone, via the mail and in-person. Often you will be contacting people using all three, as well as potentially using a variety of methods to identify them prior to contact. Before you start, however, you should identify what cross-section of people you would most like to develop as clients. Although this will be somewhat dependent upon the exact type of sweeping you'll be concentrating on, you will typically want to talk to the managers of business complexes, malls and shopping centers, as well as individual stores and professional centers. Before you go any further, think about the answers to the following:
Compile a list of the companies you should target. We recommend that you... If you follow the guidelines in this manual, however, in a short period of time you will be able to make a strong, persuasive presentation to anyone. Here is a technique which can generate many prospects immediately. This is also one which you should continue to do as often as once a month: Drive along every business street and through every area zoned for industrial use or for apartments within your primary market geographical area. Look for several factors which may make a business property a good prospect for sweeping. One is any lot which seems littered or otherwise unkempt. This may well mean that the company doesn't have a sweeping contractor working for them, that the contractor isn't doing a good job of sweeping, or that the contractor has recommended too few sweeps per week or month. Whatever the case, if you can notice that the lot is dirty, so can their customers and potential customers. A good way to get the contact number for the property manager is to... Another item to note is any vacant commercial and industrial building that has its own parking lot. When you see vacant property...  Also watch for commercial buildings that are for sale, even though they may be fully tenanted. It doesn't matter whether someone is currently doing the sweeping or not, because often the first thing a new owner does is to assess and re-bid all contracted services. If they weren't planning to do so, offer to provide them with a competitive bid. Often the reception to this idea will be positive. During your monthly survey also record... Think of this type of contact work as an investment in the long-run health and welfare of your business. It's sort of like hunting for a job, except that the competition isn't nearly as stiff! Remember that the more contacts you make, the more leads you will obtain. The more leads, the better are your chances of getting the work. You may also wish to subscribe to the National Shopping Center Directory for your area of the country. This is a listing compiled by the National Research Bureau, and includes all the shopping centers of the country along with a description of the center, address, phone, and key contact personnel. This is also a good directory to use as a mailing list for your initial mail-outs, if you decide to conduct a direct mail campaign to gain new clients. The publication lists for $235 per year per quadrant of the country (divided into South, East, Midwest and West), and comes with a 30-day free trial period. To order, call 1-800-456-4555. |
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Parking Area Sweeping Contents
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