According to Joe Polish, the former carpet cleaning technician who has become an internationally acclaimed sales instructor, when small business owners consider marketing strategies, they must focus on the most effective programs that save time, money, and energy.
 
One of his suggestions, shared by many marketers, is to develop ways to build trust and remove the fear potential customers frequently have in meeting a business owner or a salesperson. Ironically, this fear is often there even if the prospect needs your products or services.
 
To overcome this obstacle, Tornado Industries focuses on ways contract cleaners can market their businesses successfully and still save time, money, and energy:

Create trust-building eBooks. How many of your customers really know how to hire a contract cleaning service? For many, it's "hit or miss" and "hope for the best." Create an attractive, free downloadable eBook that walks facility owners and managers through the steps of hiring a cleaning service.

Take LinkedIn seriously. If someone is considering hiring you, they may checkout your LinkedIn profile. Consider writing your profile as if it is an "elevator pitch." You've got 30 seconds to tell someone who you are, get comfortable with you, understand your business goals, and why they should consider hiring you.
 
Become "Dr. Clean." Because our goal is to build trust, offering a free telephone consultation that allows building owners/managers to discuss cleaning issues they are challenged with turns you into an expert they can trust.
 
Educate, don't promote. Put educating the prospect above selling the prospect. "If they think they have learned something from you," says Jolynn Kennedy, marketing manager for Tornado, "then trust develops and it's this trust that can help get you in the door."