I was sitting here the other day dreading going out to check on a job our staff is cleaning.
It was the only real task I had to do all day so it wasn’t like I was overloaded with too much work!
I was only going to check up on a medium size office, fairly easy to clean, not much trash. It’s really just a routine check on our staff.
Why was I dreading it so much?
Well for one it’s been rainy day here in New Jersey. It is getting colder by the minute to boot (and I do not like the cold weather). I just gave myself some really poor reasons for not wanting to go out and make sure the money keeps flowing in didn’t I?
Our lack of motivation and happiness is based solely on what we think. It’s all between our ears as they say! I could talk myself into being really miserable before I go out to this job and be grumpy through the entire job which could effect my performance in doing the job.
So to get me out of my funk about going out in the rain and cold, I have to change the way I look at things. I need to appreciate nature and keep reminding myself that rain helps everything grow and fills the reservoirs with drinking water.
In other words I must change what is between my ears right now and find reasons why I should get happy and go out do the job and be grateful for having it.
I also must remind myself that I am going out to make money. I like to eat, have a roof over my head, wear nice cloths and drive a nice car. I can’t get that by sitting and staring out the window un-motivated and miserable.
I must take a page out of my dad’s book, he never complained about having to go to work, he always appreciated having a job right up to his 99 ½ year, and actually missed going to work when he did finally retire.
My message to you is: Work hard while you can, build your business and appreciate your customers, they put the food on your table, clothes on your back and a roof over your head.
If you think negative thoughts, you will be a negative person. If you think positive thoughts you will be a positive person. Which do you want to be? Remember it is all between your ears.
I’ll end this post with a quote from one of my favorite people…
“Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.”
Dale Carnegie
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Hi Tom When are you going to update your Blog we need some new knowledge.
Thanks!
I’m doing some “behind the scenes work”. I will be getting back into the swing of things shortly though, and thanks for asking!
Hello Tom
Iam new here and must say great info.
Ive listen to every podcast learn alot. Looking forward to the updates.
Thanks.
Thanks Eric! If you need anything, just touch base.
Hi Tom,
I’m starting a new endeavor as an Operations Manager for a major cleaning franchise. My background is mainly in order fulfillment but the bottom line either way is custom service. My first goal going in is to produce an Org Chart for the owner to help with some direction and give him some peace of mind that I’m coming in organized and ready. My second is getting underneath the labor costs and understanding the scheduling process and how its currently tracked. I don’t, however, have any experience with the actual cleaning process. At what point do you recommend I get my hands dirty and get to the residential sites to both introduce myself and start learning the process. I think the cleaning specialists would appreciate this as well. Just curious on the priorities I should take. Thanks for your time Tom, I enjoy reading your material!
Hi Mike!
I think you are on the right track with your priorities, so no need to change course. Getting a feel for the folks who are doing the work is a GREAT idea. You can learn a lot by just asking them “how would they do things”. You will get all types of ideas, some good, some goofy, but the input is invaluable. Take the feedback they give you and try to incorporate the useful info, as that will make them appreciate the fact that you LISTENED.
Getting a handle on “where does all the money go” is HUGE. At the end of the day you want to try to be a company that WASTES AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE. Look at everything from land line phone bills, cell phones accounts, office supplies like ink costs etc… Eliminate what is not needed!
Hi Tom, good stuff here. Quick question, do you think door to door physical in person cold calls are better than cold calling on the telephone? If yes could you tell me why? We have done both but we really want to zero it down to just one method, which one worked best for you? We have our own full color brochures, business cards, etc, with a nice intro letter that we cold call with, we still have to get dm’s name and then follow up by phone later but its better than mailing the item, at least we can say we have been to the location and are familiar with it once we get through to the dm, any comments or advice much appreciated.
Hi Matt!
We have had very little luck on the phone, perhaps we just “stink” at it. It takes a very special ability to perform the telemarketing effectively in my humble opinion. Not to mention it is tough to get by the gate-keeper.
Anyway…I like (and am a big fan of) just going the door to door route. I like it because we have had great success at it. We just make up goodie bags (http://cleaning4profit.kinsta.cloud/2010/06/08/promotional-ideas-for-your-business/) and gave them out at every occasion.
They pretty much always had a sales letter (one or two page) with a flyer (promoting a special offer like 50% off for instance) to go along with a business card. I would also always point folks to your website on all your material so that people can look at their convenience.
My approach is more “spreading the gospel” in a sense. We just give out the bags and say something to the effect of “I’m with ABC Cleaning Service. We are a local cleaning company in town. If you every need us, just give us a call” THEN hand them the goodie bag.
If they ask questions great, but don’t expect any. Over the long haul this approach has worked VERY well for us, landing us some rather large accounts (some over 25 K per year). The phone doesn’t always ring the next day, but it rings over time nicely!
I like this article; we all have those rainy day blues and I think at times being responsible for staff, clients and so many different tasks, it can be difficult to deal with issues in your life that may be causing you to feel low whilst keeping the motivation to please your customers. Especially when you have a really rude customer who just wants to make your life hell “because they can”, yet you’re also trying to cope with tragedy in your own personal life.
You’re right, you must change your perspective and remember they’re paying so they need a professional service. I think if things really are on top of you and you find you can’t motivate yourself or need some time away; it’s an idea to alert your clients of an “admin break” or “office break” and ensure your staff are fully prepped and able to take over for a few days. Better to take some time away than to explode and say something you regret if a client tries to hassle you when you’re at a low point already.
Thanks Laura!