Joe Polish & Lisa Wagner’s Rich Cleaner Blog ::

Every month we have a Call-In Day with our Piranha Members, where they can ask any marketing or business question to Joe Polish and Lisa Wagner.

This most recent call was valuable. Incredibly valuable.

Questions about how to get out of the day-to-day administration.

Questions about hiring and getting off the truck.

Questions about how to maximize an incredible business joint venture opportunity.

Questions about fighting fear and getting more things done.

This was such a valuable call, we want to share it with anyone looking for some marketing ideas and business motivation.

The replay is here – do us a favor and please post a comment about the one nugget you really valued from this call.

Keep it ELF!

Joe & Lisa

P.S. For more information about becoming a Piranha Member, and the huge power of our Buyers Group (you save on EVERYTHING!) – click here www.JoePolish.com or call 800-275-2643.

When you sort through your mail, you probably have an “A” pile and a “B” pile. The personal looking stuff goes into the “A” pile. The junk goes into the “B” pile and then into the garbage can. But, that’s not what this post is about; we already did a blog post on that.

In today’s economy, many newspapers and advertisement publications are doing poorly or going out of business. That means advertising space and “remnant” advertising space is more available and more affordable than ever before. Unfortunately, much of the time the advertisers or companies taking advantage of this opportunity (especially in the cleaning industry) are the low-price, unethical, bait & switch companies.

But that’s not what this post is about either (although the first minute or so of the video below is me babbling about this).

Although… if you’re NOT a low-priced, unethical, bait & switch advertiser then now is the time to buy advertising – especially remnant ad space. If you didn’t know, remnant space is what’s created when other advertisers pull out of a publication at the last minute and therefore the publication is forced contact advertisers who’ve made it known they WANT remnant space for 1/2 price or lower!

If you do that, you’ll want to get our 7 Steps To A Successful Ad free report from our NEW www.JoePolish.com.  Yes, go read this report right now and check out the new layout of the site.

But again, that’s not what this blog post is about.

This is actually about an idea we want to give you on “Joint Ventures” – specifically Joint Ventures with Dry Cleaners. Piranha Members can use the “Dry Cleaner Letters” (from www.PiranhaCentral.com) to initiate and run extremely successful Joint Ventures with Dry Cleaners….

Or interior designers, or realtors, or allergists, or carpet retailers… or any other ethical business owner in your Chamber of Commerce or BNI group.

This works! Even in a tough economy.

Here’s a video explaining:

Best,
JOE

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At one time, I believe this was the COOLEST cleaner on the block.

Or was it these guys?

Now come on! That brought a smile or two, right?

Don’t you love looking back to see the way things used to be? What we thought was ultra-cool, suddenly makes us ask “what were we thinking?!?” Big feathered hair and leg warmers (puhleeeez don’t remind me).

But decade to decade, styles change.  Our “packaging” changes.

Twitter, social media, mobile websites – things that most “brick and mortar” small businesses say “huh?” to, will shortly be what EVERYONE is doing.

You have to, or you are going to lose business.

For years Piranha Members have done a Carpet Audit™ presentation in the home, with a presentation folder and support materials.  It’s always worked beautifully.

But innovation happened to it and it became a DVD presentation (shown on a laptop) and then an on-line streaming video. Sales conversions AND invoice averages both went up an average of 25%.

This is HUGE.  Here’s one Member sharing his experience on the tool:

Packaging isn’t just about how you bundle your services together.  It’s about how you package yourself, your presentation, and your company. From the uniforms you wear, to your paperwork, to your tools, to your van, to your marketing material and messages, to YOU.

I can chuckle about the two “vintage” cleaning photos … or laugh at my own rug shop’s photos of our first old blue Dodge van, with duct tape as the “fix all” tool used on the front grill. Gotta love those good old days.  It’s nice to look back, laugh, and be incredibly thankful about how far we’ve come and how satisfying it is to build your own business.

If you are looking for the best tools, templates, and systems for success in the cleaning and restoration industries, mark your calendar for September 23-26 – The Rich Cleaner Conference and Trade Show.

Keep it ELF!
Lisa

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