When I started my cleaning business I did what so many of us do – I looked up what people were charging locally and I priced my cleaning at a little bit less than the average.
I got clients, and the business built up nicely. Some great clients (many of whom are still with me, years later) and some really not great clients. I won’t go into details… that’s a different post altogether!
I didn’t get those great clients because of my cheap price. I got them because what I was offering was what they were looking for.
What makes a client choose you?
The relief of a clean house.
Looking back, I think EVERY SINGLE ONE of my clients has come to me because they were feeling stressed, or overwhelmed, or fed up, or that they couldn’t cope.
Some were too busy. Some were mentally overwhelmed. Some wanted to be able to spend their weekend relaxing. Some were not physically able to clean themselves.
Every single one of them was looking for that feeling. The feeling of walking into your home and going “Aaaaaaahhhhhhhhh…. And relax”.
And that feeling, that need for calm relaxation – I think it’s worth reminding ourselves of it, especially as we start our cleaning business or look for more clients.
Why? Because it’s up to us to make sure our clients KNOW that that calm is what we are going to give them. We must show them that that is what we provide.
Maybe you think that’s obvious – we clean their house, they enjoy the clean house. But it’s not just the clean house that gives them that feeling. It’s also the EASE.
The ease of finding us, meeting us for the first time. The ease of agreeing to the first clean. The ease of payments.
And it’s also the fact we make them feel safe, and confident in us when we meet for the first time. They trust us. If they don’t, they probably won’t give us the job.
Trust matters. A lot.
Think about it – what other person would you allow such close access to your home? We are there, in our clients’ personal spaces. In their bedrooms, their bathrooms, their kids’ rooms.
We see, touch, clean their personal belongings. We might hear their arguments, pick up their post, hug their pets. We know when they go on holiday, when their family comes to visit, we often even have their door-key.
Many times I’ve shared a coffee with a client, offloaded our stress of the day, put the world to rights. We are a source of support, not linked to family, neutral.
We might be there through births, deaths, divorce, weddings, new babies, new pets… all the stuff life throws at us all.
So why oh why would a client pick the cheapest option?
It just doesn’t stack up, does it, that you’d choose the cheap option when this is the access you are giving to someone?
Instead, clients choose the cleaner they feel they can trust.
What makes a client trust a cleaner?
What makes us trust someone, anyone? Thinking through the first time we meet a client, what do they notice? This is my own view, it’s subjective, and perhaps you’d have different things? It’d be interesting to know how we vary on this!
Confidence.
I think this is crucial, and it shows in lots of ways, but much of it is down to our communication. Do we hold eye contact? Shake hands or smile a “hello”? Do we sound like we know what we’re talking about? Explain procedure, pricing, products or whatever, clearly and calmly? We also need to listen to the client, make sure we ask if they have any questions.
Confidence boosters:
Walk in like the boss! Make sure you have ample travel time, running late is such a stress.
Be prepared: I always take a new client form, a copy of my terms and conditions, and a timing estimation sheet so I can note down what the client wants. Write down the client’s name and address (on the form), that way you can’t forget either!
Know you look the part: If you have a uniform, wear it. If you’ve been cleaning all day then stick a spare set in the car. Take 5 minutes to check the mirror if that helps you – do whatever helps you feel like your best self.
Feeling heard and being positive.
Bear in mind where we started – clients come to us because of stress, or overwhelm. We need to let them know that we hear them. We need to let them know that yes, that is no problem, if that dirty whatever it is is really doing their head in – we will sort that first.
A scenario. At the initial client meet and greet they ask if you can clean all the doors, and all the skirting boards, and inside of the fridge.
It’s really a deeper clean than the weekly you’ve spoken about.
As the client, which answer do you prefer?
a) “That’s not really a regular clean. It’s a deep clean. I mean I can do it but it’ll cost you more”
or
b) “Of course, no problem at all. I can do a longer clean the first time and all that will be done. That would be a deeper clean so the price will be £XX. And then after that the regular cleans will be cheaper, £XX”.
In reply a), you are leading with the negative. There is an implication that the client is wrong, and they are left unclear as to the outcome or the cost.
With reply b), the client immediately knows you have listened, understood what they want, and can sort it. Most won’t mind that the deeper clean costs more – because you are providing the exact thing they want. And are doing so with a polite smile!
Straight away – that client will be imagining when it’s done, and the relief of having this sorted.
Thoughtfulness.
Did you take your shoes off at the door? Ask them if they have any allergies? Or the name of their pets?
These things might seem like little details, but they are all signals that you respect the client and their home, that you care.
All of these small things – they add up to trust.
Which brings me to one last thing:
Professionalism and reliability matter too.
We’ve touched on some elements of this already, but let’s do a little round up. How do we show we’re professional?
I think it’s the basics – turning up on time, looking clean and smart, speaking with confidence and clarity.
But it’s other things too. Do you bring fresh cloths and professional products? Let the client know. How much will it cost, and how do you take payments? People may feel uncomfortable talking about money (very British I think!) so it’s part of our job to be clear about that, to make sure it’s covered.
The clearer, and easier we make every step of our client process – finding us, meeting us, hiring us, paying us, relying on us – the more value we offer our client.
And when someone offers the exact solution to your problem – you don’t mind paying a bit more.
And then what happens? Two months down the line, your client values you so highly that they sing your praises to their friend, and the friend wants you to clean their house too. Good clients often lead to more good clients. And so our cleaning businesses grow.
And so we go back to why clients don’t choose the cheapest cleaner.
The answer? It’s that they don’t just want a clean house.
They want trust, and to feel confident in you.
They want reliability, and a pro who runs things smoothly.
They want ease, a simple solution.
They want to feel heard, and respected.
They want less stress, to end the overwhelm, to walk in and go “Aaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh”.
And that, my lovelies, is well worth paying a few quid more for.
A few useful things:
Download my New Client Kit (free), here: https://grow.cleanersbusinesshub.com/freenewclient
If you want to start taking card payments or professionalise your financial set-up, find out about my Financial Foundations course here: https://grow.cleanersbusinesshub.com/financial-foundations-5288
And if you’d like support about confidence, clients, pricing or any other aspect of your business, book a free Coffee Break Chat here: https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/bookings/coffee-break-business-chat
And finally, a thank you and a photo credit: the featured image is by James Cousins on Unsplash