A simple but highly effective way to get more soft washing customers

April 26, 2024

When people have just moved into a new home they are emotionally and financially invested to their purchase and are pre-disposed to spend a little more money to look after it.

We could say they are in the "honeymoon" stage of their relationship with their home.

Soft washing and window cleaning contractors can use this to their, and their customer's, advantage by offering their soft washing services when new owners have just moved in and are full of the joys of their new property.

They have just spent thousands on their new home. They are acclimatised to spending large amounts of money, and so to have their property professionally cleaned is a relatively small additional expense.

How to get new soft washing customers

This system is so simple, anyone can do it:

1) Keep an eye out for For Sale signs.

2) Make a note the address and the date you saw the signs – and carry it with you in your van on a clipboard or small notebook.

3) Then, when next in the area, check to see if the sign has gone down, or been replaced by a Sold sign.

4) If so, knock on the door and introduce yourself and your services.

Many soft washing contractors also clean windows and vice versa. The two services go together, as Forrest Gump said, "Like peas and carrots".

So if you are in this position the chances of the potential customer going for either your window cleaning or soft washing service, or both, are very high.

Quick tip: It's never a good idea to try to sell two things at the same time. It forces the potential customer to think too much, and few of us like to do that. So they fall back on their default position of "If in doubt, say No".

If you have both a window cleaning and soft washing business we suggest offering window cleaning first. It's the easiest sale and opens the door to building a trusting relationship with the customer.

Then, after a few months, you can casually tell your new customer about your other services while cleaning their windows. Easy peasy!

If they say No to having their windows cleaned, use the "Columbo Close" (from the famous tv series) by, as you complete the window cleaning conversation and are about to walk away, turn around and say something like, "Oh, by the way, I also clean roofs, patios, walls from that black/yellow/red staining I can see on your home.

"Would you like me to quote for cleaning all that dirt off? Would make your home look and feel so much better, and it would help protect the structure as well." Something like that ... in your own words of course.

Chances are they will at least be interested to know more, and that's your opening to explain the benefits of soft washing.

We often achieve an 80% success rate using this simple but highly effective strategy to find new window cleaning and soft washing customers. So we know beyond all doubt that the system works and is highly profitable.

How much to charge for repeat soft washing

This is the eternal "how long is a piece of string question". The rate you can charge mostly depends on your eographical area and can vary dramatically. As a rule of thumb, soft washing pays approx twice the day rate of a competent window cleaner in any given area.

There's no need to try to undercut the competition. A "race to the bottom" serves no-one. There are three simple principles to running a successful trade business:

1. do a good job
2. be polite
3. clean up after you

Put those principle into practice and most customers will be happy to have you return year after year.

Trust is at a premium in today's world and most people prefer to choose a tradesman they can trust rather than a "cut-price cowboy". The extra cost of having someone do a good job and look after a customer's property is well-worth paying for.

Quick tip: Make a point explaining this in your marketing materials.

First soft wash treatment

These usually take longer because the property has been neglected and the biological growths have rooted themselves into the surfaces. Using Benz Lightning Cleanze to get rid of the worst of the infestation on a first visit is often the best choice.

Lightning Cleanze gives your customers the rapid results most people want. Then follow up with a treatment of Benz Bio Cleanze, either on the same day or 1-6 months later.

Repeat soft wash treatments

If you are maintaining a property regularly using the Benz "Clean & Maintain" softwash systems, there will usually be little need for repeat treatments with Lightning Cleanze. Simply spray with Bio Cleanze and walk away!

This is how you can reduce the time a job takes and therefore reduce the price to your customer. It's ths regular re-treatment with Bio Cleanze that enables you to lower your price and make your business more profitable at the same time.

Running your softwash business like this produces a profitable win-win for you and your customers.

• Click here to explore more softwash business-building articles and videos

We hope this information is helpful and sincerely wish you great success in your soft washing business,

Benz Team

Click here to get more practical soft washing how-to tips

How to find answers to most soft washing questions: Simply enter a relevant "keyword" or short phrase – e.g. keyword for the above link = "how to" – into our in-site Search Engine (magnifying glass icon on the main menu).

Click here to download our Product Documentation Pack (includes Application & Dilution guides, SDS, PDS, RAMS, PPE & Mask info, COSSH, sample Contract and more)

Order Benz Softwash chemicals & equipment online or by phone:

GB (England, Scotland, Wales)

Phone: 0800 70 74 222 

Online: www.benzsoftwash.co.uk

Ireland and other countries

Phone: 00353 214 622 978

Online: www.benzsoftwash.com

Lines open Monday - Friday, 9am – 5pm

Please note: The above numbers are for orders only (click here for tech support)

PS: Click here to set up your "Clean & Maintain" programme. After completing an initial soft wash treatment, put your customer on a "Clean & Maintain" ongoing maintenance programme. Your customers will enjoy a permanently clean property and you will enjoy a steady stream of repeat business.

This is clearly a win-win arrangement for you and your customers.

Click here to explore the extensive range of Benz softwash cleaning chemicals & equipment

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