Are You Qualifying Your Home Cleaning Prospects?

The phone rings and it's a prospective client who wants to know how much you charge to clean a 3 bedroom, 2 bath home. Before you even get a chance to get any more information about the home, she takes over again by saying, "I don't want you to come to the house, I just need a ballpark price".

What is wrong with this picture? You let the customer take the lead. When a potential client calls, they want to interview you to see if you provide the service they're looking for, at the price they're looking for. But what you need to keep in mind is that it is your job to interview the prospect in order to find out if they are a good fit for your business.

Too many cleaning business owners just assume that anyone who calls is a prospective client. I challenge you to rethink that concept. You need to qualify prospects by asking a series of questions to see if they are in fact a good fit.

What questions should you ask? Here are just a few:

• What type of service are you looking for? (if they just want a one-time clean they may not be a good fit if you only want repeat clients)

• What type of home do you have? (apartment, condo, rental, home?) (You may only be interested in cleaning homes or high-end condo's)

• Have you ever used a cleaning service before? (If they answer yes, ask the next question)

• Why did you stop using your last cleaning service? (this question is important and could raise red flags depending on their answer)

Think about the type of information you need to ensure your prospective client is a good fit for your business and then "interview" the client. By having the right information you'll not only be able to qualify the prospect, but you'll be able to answer their questions too. If they are a great prospect for you, then the next step is to set up a time for an in-home walk-through and presentation.