Take a moment and ask yourself…do you deliver the average, “satisfaction
guaranteed” type of appointment for your customers?

Or do you give your clients a “dream come true experience”…something
that surprises and delights?

I call this stage of your contact with your prospects and clients your “During
Unit” and it’s definitely something worth your while to develop!

When you put your efforts into orchestrating a really special experience that is
unique, high quality and full of “extras” that your clients aren’t expecting…that
is when you create loyal customers who become your company’s
personal “cheer leaders” and send you lots of referrals!

But there are other payoffs when you turn your attention to creating “dream come
true experiences”…

When you deliver a “dream come true experience” it gives you the ability to
charge higher (even the highest) prices in your area. Yes! When you create
a “Four Seasons” experience vs. a “Motel 6″ kind of experience, you can dictate
a much higher price for your services.

When you offer this kind of high-end service, it also helps to eliminate
your competition. “Eliminate” them, in the sense that you are able to remove
yourself from the competing marketplace…never again will be in competition
with the other low priced companies. (Does Niemen Marcus compete with Wal-
Mart?) In fact, you will find that people will seldom call you, price-comparing
you to the other cleaners in your area because it’s no longer an “apples to
apples” comparison – it’s apples and oranges!

So how do you go about creating this “dream come true experience”?

There is a method…a process. And one of the best places to start is to sit
down and write a narrative in the “voice” of your client describing this “5 star
experience” with your company.  When you do this exercise, be thorough, and
cover the experience from “tip to tail”.

Here is an example of what I mean. Check out this fictional narrative from
a “client’s perspective” after they have a “dream come true experience”:

I found XYZ Cleaning through a really informative advertisement that explained
several reasons I should call them, plus it “debunked” some of my own
misconceptions I had about carpet cleaning. I thought this was so awesome that
the owner of XYZ was educating me, as a consumer, but it didn’t stop there.

First of all, when I phoned him, even though I got a VM he had a unique
message unlike any I had heard before, and it motivated me to leave my name
and number. And, just like he promise on the VM, I got a prompt call back. He
was really kind, courteous and helpful on the phone so I scheduled something he
called a “Carpet Audit.™”

When he came to my home to perform this “Carpet Audit™” he was very well
dressed and neat and he didn’t tromp around my house with his dirty shoes on,
instead he removed them at the door. Then he performed his Carpet Audit™
which I found very eye-opening and was like nothing any other cleaner has done
for me.

He showed me a short informative presentation on his service, and shared lots
of happy client testimonials with me, which built my confidence that I had made
the right choice. Then I was so surprised to see all the different steps that his
company performs when they clean – he totally convinced me that I would be
getting the most thorough cleaning ever, and that I would not have rapid re-
soiling from residue, or spots re-appearing, like I’ve had in the past.

He also educated me on importance of re-protecting my carpets and gave me
several different price options to choose from. It was so nice to be presented with
“Packages” of service. Even though the price was more than I’m used to paying
I could tell this was a whole different level of service than I’d ever had before
– besides he showed me in writing his really bold, money-back guarantee so I
knew his company stood behind their work in a really powerful way.

On the day of the appointment, the technician was running a little behind
schedule, but I received a phone call well in advance to inform me of the delay so
I was totally fine with it, and glad to be shown the courtesy.

When the cleaning tech arrived he slipped covers over his shoes when he was
in my home, which I thought was great. It always bothered me when carpet
cleaners cleaned my carpets and then walked all over them with their dirty shoes,
so I was pleasantly surprised with this gesture.

Then I was handed a really great “Welcome Packet” that contained a free gift for
me, plus instructions on “after care” – what a nice touch. He went on to cover
my doors and furnishing with protective guards and did not drape his hoses over
my nice sofa (which I have seen in the past) – I was so happy with how XYZ
Cleaning treated my home and furnishings, it made me feel like they thought my
home was really something special.

When the technician was done cleaning, the carpets sparkled and were groomed
free of any wand marks, they looked brand new. And he left behind a nice thank
you note with a card that gave me an awesome free bonus for 90 days – I almost
shrieked with delight!  I’ve never had a service company treat me so good.

But it didn’t stop there…I couldn’t believe it when they called me later that night
to see if I was happy. So many companies never bother to check with you once
they have your money. I told him I wasn’t just happy, I was thrilled! I haven’t
been shown so much consideration from a company…ever. And a few days later
a handwritten note arrived in the mail. What a personal touch. I’ve “Liked” them
on Facebook, Tweeted them, wrote a Yelp! review (5 stars of course), wrote a
Google review and told everyone I know about this company!

Doesn’t that sound like a “dream come true” for this client?

Can you create your own “dream come true experience” for your clients? Of
course you can! And to make it a total “no brainer”, I’ve given you every tool you
need to execute this “dream experience” easily in the Rich Cleaner System!

Everything from the education based marketing templates, to the unique
voicemail message, to every step of my trademarked Carpet Audit™, to the “new
client packages”, free gift ideas, scripts for quality calls and template “thank you”
letters, to the way to build value and sell carpet protection, to how to package
your services, to the details of protecting your client’s home during cleaning are
all in the Rich Cleaner System – all “paint by number” easy to create this “dream
come true” experience so take advantage of it all!

Think about how important this really is, especially with the power your client has
to either sing your praises or scream your faults all over the internet these days!

Notice how many times this client was surprised and delighted throughout her
experience. See how easy it is to charge higher prices when you position your
services like this? Even though this is a fictional narrative, I based it on my own
experience and the experiences of my Rich Cleaner users. This is the kind of
reactions and results real professional cleaners get when they implement
my systems.

I like to think of creating this kind of  “dream come true experience” like
orchestrating a 5 star performance. Your client is your “audience” and
everything they experiences is “front stage” – And it’s up to you to create
all the necessary “back stage” steps to pull off a “dream come true”
experience flawlessly.

Best,
JOE

P.S. Of course, none of this will do you any good if you don’t have lots of
clients to create “Dream Come True Experiences” for…that’s the job of
effective Direct Response Marketing. All done-for-you and ready to plug-
and-play in your Rich Cleaner System!

P.P.S. Dean Jackson and I have gone deep on this at www.ilovemarketing.com
episode 69 “The One About Creating Dream-Come-True Experiences.” Listen
and discover…

• How spending money in all the wrong places is costing you big time
• Why having a vision for what the experience could be is essential to your success
• Ways you can be looking for ways to surprise and delight your prospects and clients
• Plus some ‘dream come true’ homework for you!

P.P.P.S.  – Please comment on the blog and let me know your thoughts, and your
successes, or any questions you might have!

One of the most important jobs of your marketing is to… “read the minds” of your prospects.

Or as Robert Collier put it in his great reference work on direct response copy writing, you must “Enter the conversation already…occurring in your prospects mind.”

Is this “mind reading” difficult?

No. It’s not hard but it does take a little forethought…a little focus.  I love the saying, “If you sell what John Smith buys you have to see through John Smith’s eyes.”

So, let’s start by asking your self the question…

What is everyone’s favorite brand?

That’s an easy one…”Me, me, and me!”

Your next question should be… (And I don’t remember where I got this one from originally, it was either Dan Kennedy or Gary Halbert, I think.)

What keeps your prospect up at 3:00 in the morning, literally ridden with anxiety? Is there anything?

Of course there is.

As a professional cleaner you have to think about these questions every time you communicate with your prospects and clients.

What is your prospect’s motivation, desire, or pain?

You can sell with features, you can sell with benefits, you can sell with rewards and you can sell with pain.  (“Pain” is one of the best ways to actually approach a situation, if you have the ability to remove it, because when people hurt, they don’t want to be in pain.  They want you to fix it.)

Do you think it is easy for your prospects to choose a professional cleaner or restorer?

No way.  There are tons of people in your prospect’s area offering “professional cleaning” or that are “professional restorers”.  How do they decide?  Who do they call?

What is your client worried about?

Over-wet carpets?  Stains reappearing?  Getting ripped off? Rapid re-soiling?  Getting someone is their home who tromps around in dirty shoes?  Filthy hoses scraping their furniture or walls?  Crunchy carpets?  How do they choose?  Who can they trust?

What does your client want?

An ethical company?  Excellent service? A great value?  Someone who treats their home with respect? Someone who is honest?  Someone who is thorough?  Reassurance that they get their money back if they don’t get what they want?  Soft, sparkling clean carpet?  Spot-free carpet?  Fast drying carpets?  No crunchy carpet?  No rapid re-soil?  A chemical free cleaning? To be treated with 5 start service?

Now it’s your job to “enter that conversation” and through good, direct response, education based marketing, answer all of your prospect’s fears, wants and desires.

If people aren’t responding to your marketing then guess what?

Chances are you’re having a conversation that is not relevant to them. (Sometimes it can be the wrong target market or bad timing too.  Remember, Right Message + Right Market + Right Time = Success)

And always keep this in mind (especially when you start to get busy this can be an issue you “pay” for later in the form of dead weeks in your schedule)  – marketing is not an event, it’s a process.

That means you don’t just send out one promotion and expect your business to skyrocket from one delivery.  Yes, you can make an amazing ROI (return on your investment) from a single promotion.  But, successful marketing is so much more.  Follow all my systems; implement multiple strategies.  Develop “marketing stamina”.  (Learn more about “marketing stamina” on an earlier post.)

Becoming an expert “mind reader” is crucial to your success. You need to engage with your prospects and clients, which means you need to enter a conversation that is existing in their minds, and continually share powerful, compelling education based, direct response marketing with them.

And it’s worth the effort of “reading minds” and the “stamina” to get this right.  Because every day that goes by that you’re not putting out marketing that works, you are literally keeping yourself from putting out value into the market and from making money.

Best,

JOE

P.S. Some cleaner’s slack off marketing efforts during the busy season and get caught up riding the sudden wave of work, not considering the consequences.  First, you could be bringing in much higher profits through “marketing stamina” and consistent use of my strategies during the busy season. This can result in the much needed “cash cushion” for time off and lulls in the schedule.  Second, continually marketing the “right way” is critical to avoid “flat lining” when the wave of the busy season passes…and it always happens sooner than you think.

PPS.  For a more in-depth discussion on this subject please go to www.ilovemarketing.com and listen to Episode 68 “The One About Reading Minds” and discover…

• Going in depth on “entering the conversation” that’s happening in people’s mind
• An amazing example of short, but effective direct response advertising
• Great examples of profit activator #2
• How to figure out what’s going on in people’s head
• The importance of making your message about your consumer

PPPS.  Please share this blog on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn and wherever else you feel you could help other business owners to learn, grow and elevate their incomes and their industries.  And I love it when you leave comments…what do you think of this post?

Did you know that there are two different paths you can take in your business?

99.9% of your competition is on one path…

…which can be great news for you because that path is very crowded and the
price competition is “cut-throat.” That is the path that keeps you locked into a
cycle of struggle and frustration. But if you want off that path…

The good news it the other path is known by very few…so there is plenty of
room. But even better…it’s a major shortcut.

A shortcut to a really profitable business that provides you a great income, fun
lifestyle, low stress, and lots of well deserved freedom.

Both paths can be ethical. Both paths are easy to find. It’s just most people
don’t know about this “shortcut”.

It’s simply because they are too busy to find out about it. (Just the fact that
you’re reading this Blog shows you’re taking the time to find that “shortcut” to
success.)

The first path, the one MOST cleaners are on, is riddled with struggle, stress
and frustration.

Even during the busy season…the pressure to make as much money as you
possibly can to pay off your debts from the winter is daunting. And wouldn’t
it be nice if you actually got in front of that proverbial “8 Ball” and had a nice
stash of cash to get you through the next (just around the corner) slow season?

If you are applying the 8 Profit Activators -
(get them in my free report at the top right of this blog)
- and are actively engaged in using my Rich Cleaner System…chances are you can
afford to take time off to enjoy the summer holiday with your family. You’re
not trapped in the scramble to try to reap as much money as you can during
this “busy time”.

But many cleaners fall into this cycle: during the “slow season” they
diligently market and now they are coasting off the combination of
the “spring cleaning fever” and their marketing efforts.

That’s when they get a little lax in their marketing efforts. And before they know
it they have slipped right off that “easy” path to profits and find themselves
in a lull. Holes in the schedule right in the middle of the “busy season” simply
because they relied on the momentum of their marketing and didn’t keep it
consistent.

It doesn’t take much to maintain your marketing even when you start to get crazy,
busy in the spring. And it’s worth it because it keeps you busy all year long.

Just take a few minutes to review the 8 Profit Activators that will put you on
the “little-known” path to profits, and you will enjoy a busy season that is richer in
cash and time off then you ever thought possible. (Available in my free report upper
right on this blog and also in the Rich Cleaner System.)

This is the path that will lead you to your dream lifestyle you imagined
when you embarked on your entrepreneurial journey. This is the only path
that will allow you to command the highest prices for your services while allowing
you to create massive value and extraordinary service for your clients.

(By the way…This is how a Member of mine is on track to break $1 million this year
servicing only 1000 clients. That is 1000 high end clients each spending $1000
dollars = $1,000,000.00 with a huge profit margin.)

Can you do this?

Yes. Even if you only have 100 clients right now…the secret lays in choosing
the right path…and staying on it.

Just remember even the busiest cleaner can go broke if they are on the wrong
path. (I’ve seen it happen again and again in my almost two decades in the
industry.) And even the busiest cleaners can suddenly find themselves back on
the “wrong path” if they don’t keep up their marketing efforts…even when
they are busy.

So choose wisely. Actively apply the 8 Profit Activators and the Rich Cleaner
Systems to your business even in the busy season and you will get (and stay) on
the path to success and profits.

Best,
JOE

PS. Here is a way to boost your busy season…instantly…raise your prices
at least 10%. That’s painless. And you will be shocked at what just a 10%
boost will do to your bottom-line. For an in depth look at how to make even
more money this busy season check out episode 67 “The One About Immediate
Money Getting Ideas” at www.ilovemarketing.com where Dean Jackson and I
discuss:

• Pricing psychology and how to raise your prices by 10%
• Assets that everybody has that can easily be deployed
• 3 things that are very easy to implement that can have a dramatic impact
• How to lose 40% of your revenue and still maintain the same bottom line profit
• Why you can’t be the low cost leader

P.P.S. Please leave me comments below. And please feel free to Tweet my
blogs and share them on LinkedIn, Facebook and Google +. No one should
ever have to struggle and compete with low prices…join me in spreading
the message.