A reader writes: “I have a few accounts that were priced for me and I am trying to grow but do not really know how to bid very well. How can I get better at bidding accounts?

Welcome to one of the main aspects of running a successful custodial business: Knowing how to bid. Other aspects are knowing how to clean, schedule and manage a growing business just for starters. Knowing how to bid is essential if you are going to grow your business. In the next few articles we will touch on some basic points that should get you started in the right direction:

1. Bid often and learn from both your successes and failures. Always analyze why you got an account (price, relationship, trust or other reason) and also why you didn’t since you can only refine your technique if you learn from each step.

2. Work at generating notes that you can review at least weekly. For instance, you should track every opportunity, even those that are currently satisfied since you need to keep revisiting them periodically.

3. Research the manuals, estimators and web-based products available for businesses. You do not want a complex, involved product at this time but it would be great if the product generated a basic presentation with cover letter, cleaning schedule, pricing, etc.

4. Over time, develop your own sales presentation that could be enclosed in a nice folder with what was mentioned in # 3 as well as references, additional services and of course, proof of business license and any required insurance.

5. If you are managing (maybe even cleaning) the accounts, you can emphasize the “personal” level of cleaning and/or quality control involved.

We will continue these thoughts in a future article.

Your comments and questions are important. I hope to hear from you soon. Until then, keep it clean...

Mickey Crowe has been involved in the industry for over 35 years. He is a trainer, speaker and consultant. You can reach Mickey at 678-314-2171 or CTCG50@comcast.net


posted on 3/28/2016