One of my cats is trying to kill me. More accurately, one of them is desperate for me to have a nervous breakdown. And I just might be on the verge, ask my co workers.
Two months ago, brand new cream colored Berber colored carpet was laid in the bedrooms and basement stairs. I love this carpet more than I love baseball- well, almost as much. Apparently, one of our cats is extremely confused as to the purpose of this carpet. So, every morning, a bright yellow pee spot mocks me on the carpeted landing to the basement. We’ve put up baby gates, scent diffusers, sound machines: but, every morning, my husband chuckles as I scream at carpet cleaners which promise to prevent future accidents.
Lies. Lies. Lies. Lies. Lies.
I put in a service request for a carpet cleaner the day a blood vessel popped in my eye. After each service professional called me, I logged online to examine their profiles. It didn’t take long.
Your online profile is the most important connection you will make with potential customers, aside from the initial phone call. If you are receiving leads from online customers, there is something you need to understand. They make informed decisions. The internet affords them the flexibly to work according to their timeline. It also allows them to do comparison shopping.
Two of the profiles I examined highlighted the businesses in a poor light. Grammar and spelling mistakes can be the first turn off for a customer. It makes you seem unprofessional and not detail oriented. Next, post pictures of work you have done. As a customer, I am a huge fan of before and afters. I want to see that you are a magician. Now you see that mess in my house, now you don’t. Houdini’s got nothing on you, right?
Where are your reviews? You’ve been in business for 10, 15 years and only one customer has written you a review? That’s extremely suspect. I don’t know who you are, but your previous customers do. New customers rely heavily on reviews to make their decisions about service professionals.
What does your “about” section say? Is it compelling? Don’t tell the viewer that you are the best, prove it, give facts. Tell us how many happy clients you have, if you give back to the community, skills which only you have. What is your customer service like? Do you wear booties in the house? Are you on-call? Do you offer a warrantee or guarantee?
The profile of the company I hired compelled me to hire them, even before hearing their quote. They explained who they were, what they offer, where they are located, and why they are the best choice for carpet cleaning. A family business, with lots of satisfied reviews: sold.
More importantly, my basement carpet is cream colored again. They even convinced us to Teflon coat it. My cook ware is going to be so jealous, that is, when I learn how to cook.
The bottom line is this: your online profile absolutely, hands down, can make or break a sale. It speaks volumes to potential clients.
In other news, the cat peed on the carpet again this morning. If you don’t see a post next Saturday, don’t fret. It means I’ve finally been committed.
Emily Goldin posts “The View From My Desk” every Saturday. Are you subscribing yet?
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi my name in Paul, I’m from Louisiana,my company name is Johnson Advance Cleaning we clean carpet but it look like you need to keep some product on hand to spot clean behind your cat, or get rid of the cat.
Paul,
Thanks for the suggestion. We do use a spot cleaner and a couple other tips I learned from the carpet cleaners. Unfortunatly, I think we have kitty with a bad attitude. Perhaps we’ll buy him diapers…
Hi Emily,
You make a lot of good points. You have convinced me to really follow up with my happy clients to insure they fill out the reviews.
thanks for the good article.
ps
You must be a lovely lady, but I can’t see your eyes well in this photo because of the shadows.
Thanks for your feedback. Let me know if the improvements to your profile help! Looking forward to future comments and feedback from you.