Do you need a business card? Marketing 101 says yes. But there may be something better to give a prospect that will help you close the sale.
Listen: Do I Need a Business Card for My Cleaning Company?
Watch: Do I Need a Business Card for My Cleaning Company?
Today’s Question: Do I Need a Business Card for My Cleaning Company?
Hi there, I’m Angela Brown, and this is Ask a House Cleaner. This is a show where you get to ask a house cleaning question. I get to help you find an answer. Today’s question comes from a woman who is starting house cleaning company and wants to know; “Do I need a business card?”
Answer: Do I Need a Business Card for My Cleaning Company?
Alright, so this is going to contradict everything that I’ve ever said about business cards because I’m a huge fan of business cards, and I think that everybody needs a business card, but not for house cleaning.
What? Not for house cleaning? What’s up with that? Okay so if you have a flyer that you run, your flyers are going to have a specific set of things on that flyer, that are going to tell people more than your business card.
The purpose of a business card is to give somebody something so that they can contact you back immediately.
But a business card is small, and it gets lost. So, what I recommend is this: Do you have a worksheet? If you do not have a worksheet go over to https://savvycleaner.com/worksheets
Do You Use a Worksheet For Your Cleaning?
Download yourself a worksheet. This is one that I’ve used for years. It works I’ve been using it for 25 years. It’s amazing. You can change all your contact information and just print it out. https://savvycleaner.com/worksheets
So get a worksheet and print up several of them. You’re going to use them for all of your jobs, and keep them in the back of your car.
When someone asks you for a business card, do not give them a business card. Give them instead, a worksheet.
Here is the reason why. A business card has what? It’s got a logo, it has your name, it has a phone number, and an email address. That’s it.
Some people put a little coupon on the back. “20% off.” What is 20% off? What does that mean?
Does that mean you’re going to raise your prices 20% so you can give me a 20% discount, and I pay the same price? What does that mean? It doesn’t really mean anything right?
Free Sales Assistance
And although a business card as small, a worksheet is not. A worksheet, my worksheet is three pages. 
And so what happens when I give you a worksheet that has all my contact information on it? And it has a checklist of all of the things that I do when I come clean your house. On the back page which is the third page for me, it has all my rules and regulations. This is how I expect for us to work together. My boundaries and customer satisfaction guarantee are clear.
So, when you go through all that you’re like; “Oh. Well, that’s super easy. I can follow all these rules. This woman does all these things. Well, I should have her be my house cleaner.”
So instead of me giving you a business card because that’s my opportunity to sell you something, I’m going to give you something that will sell itself.
So, when you go to my website, when you go to my Facebook, when you go to whatever the social medias are so that you could vet me – you already have a pretty good idea by the time you get there what you’re expecting. Now a business card is a little bit different from just a referral for this reason.
When somebody gives you a business card, they’re giving it to you. “Here’s my business card.” It’s something physical I’m handing you.
Because I’m handing it to you – you just met me. You saw me in my uniform. We just met; you saw my face, you know what I look like. And you know if I’m articulate and you can understand what it is I’m saying.
Which is really important to a lot of people who hire house cleaners. They want to be able to communicate with their house cleaners. Are you articulate?
When you hand someone your business card, they can see that right up front. But when you hand them a worksheet, not only are you articulate, and you’re in uniform, and you have a great personality. And now they know how to hire you.
Rules Don’t Fit On A Business Card
All of your rules are right there.
Now one of the biggest referral techniques that I have, and this is Magic listen to this.
It’s people taking my worksheets that are filled out – that I fill out at every single house every single time I clean.
And they give that to their friends at the school bus stop.
They give that to their neighbors.
Referral Magic
Okay so what happens is they’re at the school bus (stop) talking, and they say; “Oh man, my house cleaner quit on me.” and someone that is standing there says; “Oh, I’ve got the best house cleaner ever. When I come back this afternoon to pick up our kids from the school bus, I will bring you her information.”
Now, of course, they have my information on their phone, they could just retweet it or share the contact, or whatever, but they don’t. They bring back the worksheet.
It’s got my contact information on it. It’s got my website. It’s got my email; it has a checklist of all of the things that I’ve done. And it has all of my rules and regulations.
I can’t tell you how many times over the last 25 years, I’ve gotten a call from someone they say; “Oh, I’m friends with so-and-so.” Oh great. I go over to bid the job and guess what? My worksheet, from someone else’s house, is on their counter. They’ve already vetted me.
They’ve got a referral from one of their friends, someone that they know, like, and trust. And they already know what I do.
My Work is Done
My work is done. I don’t have to go through the whole reselling the process or whatever. I go straight to the close.
“How soon do you need someone? Why don’t we take a look through your house, show me what you need to do, and let’s pull out our calendars and figure out a good time for us to get you on my schedule.”
I don’t I don’t have to sell. My worksheet already sold for me. So, are you going to use that opportunity to hand someone a business card this says so very little about what you do? Or are you going to use that one opportunity to actually close the sale?
Against Popular Opinion
Do you need a business card? Yes, you can have one. Should you give it out? No. No, you should not.
In every opportunity give someone a worksheet. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been in a neighborhood and I’ve been loading up my cleaning supplies in my car, and someone will drive by. “Oh, you’re the cleaning lady I keep hearing about. Do you have a card?”
“I don’t. But let me give you this worksheet. It’s got all my contact information on it. If you have any questions, give me a call. I’d love to come by and give you a free estimate.”
“Well, I just live two doors down. Can you run over right now?”
“Well, I’m just finishing this job right now, so yes I can. I’ll be there in 5 minutes.”
And so, then you go over, and you bid the job. And the next thing you know, you’ve scheduled two houses in the same neighborhood, for the same day that saves a whole lot of travel time. Right?
So use your marketing materials to the maximum.
Exceptions To The Rule
The exception for the business card rule is this:
Carry the business cards with you everywhere you go. I carry them in a fanny pouch when I’m out jogging.
Or when I’m at the gym because I go to the gym in my neighborhood. Or I go jogging in my neighborhood, so these are the areas I’m marketing in. This is my market.
So, when someone’s like; “Oh you’re the housecleaning lady!” “I am. Here’s my card.” I don’t carry the worksheets that would just be obnoxious, right?
But I’m out running “I do I have a little card right here, ” and you give them the card, okay that’s great.
So there are a couple of occasions, but like I say I’ve given out a handful of cards in 25 years. I’ve given out a boatload of worksheets.
Work Smart Not Hard
Alright, o that’s it for today if you like this tip please pass it along. Share it. Retweet it. Repost it. Repin it. Whatever you guys do, and if you have a question head on over to https://askahousecleaner.com Click on that little button and record your question for me. Until we meet again, leave the world a cleaner place than when you found it.
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Resources For This Episode
MaxGear Professional Business Card Holder – http://amzn.to/2Al69xE
Business Marketing: Connecting Strategy, Relationships, and Learning – http://amzn.to/2ADnwOs
The 1-Page Marketing Plan: Get New Customers, Make More Money, And Stand Out From The Crowd – http://amzn.to/2ASgHFz
How to Open & Operate a Financially Successful Cleaning Service – http://amzn.to/2C1cpLw
Cleaning House: A How-To Guide For Marketing your Cleaning Company – http://amzn.to/2C1qUiy
Worksheet Examples – https://savvycleaner.com/worksheets
Cleaning Business Card Templates – http://bit.ly/2AlfWUn
13 Secrets for Making Your Cleaning Business a Success – http://bit.ly/2ievHsA
Cleaning Business Card Templates – https://www.canva.com/templates/business-cards/cleaning/
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Show Sponsor
SAVVY CLEANER – House Cleaner Training and Certification – https://savvycleaner.com
HOUSECLEANING360 – Referral database of the world’s most prominent home service providers and the homeowners they serve. https://housecleaning360.com
