Ok I want to vent. So I have been canvassing for storefronts and commercial. Every chain says that I need to contact cooperate. Ok no prob except when I try. Its freaking impossible to get ahold of them. If I do, they refuse to give out regional managers contact info. So recently I stopped by our local verizon and AAA stores. The AAA store treated me like scum of the scum. Even though I look very professional. Could not contact verzion corp. The online info for that store sends me to my local store not corporate. Well while getting turned down for our local applebees today I seen the other local company that pretty much has our store front clients dominated. They were cleaning a local bank. I seen them leave and head straight over to AAA and Verizon. I was told by those two companies to contact corporate and that they had a window cleaner already. My freaking frustration is this company does no advertising right now. They have no website, no facebook, no google business. But yet they are dominating our local stores. They have no uniforms or anything like my company. I have facebook, instagram, google business and a website. Nothing. Still can not get storefronts. I dont get it. I get so discouraged. This company has been around since 2010. Im a start up. But dang every business I go into tells me know or tries to spray me with Raid. And before the bucket bob word gets thrown around the owner wasnt even working. He had three grown men doing his route. So obviously he isnt doing it for beer money. He is paying three men to do his work for him. Im shaking my head
i has no website dont use social media and dont advertise. you need too learn too network amigo make some business friends.
its not what you know but who you know really does make a difference
Listen, stay calm. Be the professional cool head. Go back, say hey, I’m trying to contact corporate and not getting anywhere, what am I doing wrong? Scum? Remember, these are frustrated poor people, they like that they have power over you. It’s an ego trip. You be the bigger man and show kindness. So next week or two weeks you’re back: hey how ya doing, anything I can help you with today? Thanks have a nice day. Oh, before I go, what would it take to do business with you? Thanks, I’ll check back with you. When I did commercial cleaning, vendors would court a prospect for 2 years to sell them a bucket of wax. Then we hear he got salesman of the year for all the wax he sold that client.
Competition doesn’t even do advertising? Yeah! Get that Facebook going! Get those flyers out, make those contacts. Get referrals. He’s sleepin’ ! You’re getting the school! I’ll see you in that post. Keep working! You’ve been at this two days. Keep hammering, tell us about it in a year and we’ll all have a great laugh together. You are a business man. You do great work. You can’t be beat! Go keep doing what you are doing until you find that one that can’t stand the other company. Oh, and just wait until that happy school is on your reference list! Well…you get the drift. I did $20 store cleans inside and out. Now I’m doing resi for 50 an hour and more work next week, and repeat customers. I dumped the dumpy store front. His 13 year old kid can do it just like he said. Don’t sell yourself short! You are the best window washer here now! Get back at it! Salute!
Go after residential.
District Managers. That is who you need.
“Corporate handles all that.”
“Oh ok you guys are corporate. So do you have a district manager?”
“Yes.”
“Would it be possible to get some contact info for them - either phone or email?”
DMs. DMs. DMs.
Well, just because a guy has a few employees, doesn’t mean he is killing it. Unless you talk to his guys and know if they are getting paid well, if they are getting paid under the table, or even subs, don’t assume this guy is making a killing.
Secondly, some of these corporate stores use a maintenance company that subs out all the work. This may or may not be the case in your town. I have gotten calls from those companies to sub for them. I’ll pass at the LOW pay they offer.
No offense, but is store front REALLY what you want to chase? You can see now how hard it is to land, and how much work you have to put in. Maybe low rise commercial and resi is more your game. Get income flowing and later worry about chasing store front?
In ANY event, don’t get frustrated. You are going to hear ALOT of No’s. Get used to it and don’t take offense.
What you posted in the absolute truth. This is how it goes. This is also what guys like Keith never say. This is a real job, a real business, a real struggle to get off the ground. Nobody wakes up to a full schedule and checks in the mailbox. Keep grinding.
They wont give up the information. I hit a road block. Pisses me off. I call the number online and get told the same thing. I am not authorized to give out that information. Of course. Never hear back
Go beat residential like you have retails. Pass out flyers, door hangers. Be yourself, get some customers. You’ll feel all better. The first house I did was a good friend. Lost about a hundred. Well…she died; but the windows still look great. But, I have two home owners now. Repeat customers. One 450K house, one 750K house. Been to the 450 three times now. (They live by the ocean; I love wind and fog.) Have leads going, flyers going out, getting referrals. 6 months ago…nothing. C’mon, you can do this. Skip the stores. Get the houses, 'tis the season. 
I hear you. Sounds like you just need to vent. I know you arent giving up and yes, it is exasperating as heck sometimes. But all it takes is one helpful GM and you’re off to the races.
That can be frustrating when you know you’re better, look better, but don’t seem to be making a dent.
One other thing which obviously calls for great patience and observation is hitting up new tenants in commercial locations. They may have no idea who the supposed ‘guy to call’ is. So you might as well be him.
Personally, I never go after corporate stuff. If they find me, I’ll consider it. But I’d much rather get mom and pops or well-known stuff that is privately owned. I’ve got a couple BKs owned by a local fellow and he is buying up other places and opening new like crazy. I’ve been in his good graces for many years.
Also, if there are any older guys still doing windows in your area, try to befriend them. They just may give your name out when the time is right.
Yup a decent route can be built in 8 years . But sounds like this guy has your area on lock down . I personally wouldn’t spend to much time canvasing for storefronts anymore . I would go into some nice neighborhoods for resi windows and see the feed back you get . Don’t give up , you’ll find your niche somewhere . It might be in small commercial or residential , who knows . But it takes time to build a business , there’s no shortcuts
Ya I agree the guy has the area on lock down. If your walking around ,an see clean glass everywhere ,An know one is biting them not much you can do.
Go 30 miles south ,or north ,or west ,An try there.
Small commercial building is s good idea , also find some industrial areas. Start thinking marketing towards residential
If you really want to be in the route game look , An see if someone is selling.
yeah I am going to start resi this coming week. Was waiting on my door hangers which arrived today. Thank god. I clearly have to focus on resi which I am fine with. Store fronts is just a good off season thing for me. Well would be if it wasnt for that company. I have two now but only making $50 month off of them. Wanting more. But my focus for the next couple weeks is getting these 1,000 door hangers out. I dont think that company is doing that. I think they are more store front based. Although my canvasing today. It sounds like that company just changed hands. I was told by one of their customers that they was not exactly happy with the new owners. No communication or anything. So I am hoping to slowly be the one that lends the crying shoulder and make them feel good.
I’m not sure that the naysayers think you are scum. They probably just don’t have incentive to deal with you. I know that I have no time or patience to deal with salesmen but that doesn’t mean I dislike them. As was mentioned earlier some salesmen work an account for a year or two before making a sale.
I have worked at a variety of jobs where doughnuts and other goodies were dropped off in the hopes of getting work or referrals. This includes the hardware store that I worked at where a handyman would give us yummies and he was always one of the first people who came to mind when customers would ask who could help with a project.
Bump it up to a goal of $100 hr. 30% bump, then 30% bump again and you’ll be close. Life is short.
There is a Yelp sales guy hounding me for months to buy his product. I just don’t want anything to do with them. He never stops even when I say no. Today he said he’ll call me in a couple of months to see where I am. Where am I? I’m at no!
Block his number Gary. Or next time time he calls say…“Thank you for calling 911, what is your emergency?”
I bet he hangs up before you do. LOL
When I read this, I couldn’t help but imagine Roy Munson at a bowling alley trying to sell his florescent things for the dispenser in the men’s room. 
… and you call this a bowling alley.
You’d kill it doing residential. Word of mouth would be your plus because of your other job, they don’t hire diddlers or rapists at the FD, or PD would have em for breakfast right?
Trust is a big focus point over here where I am, that should be a huge plus for your business without putting it in print, people will talk and it would probably be part of the conversation when they are talking about you. I’d say its a pretty solid score right there.
