Bidding or Estimates on Office Cleaning Jobs--Tricks and Tips

Need Bid Forms or Estimate Charts? Everything to get you started professionally is included in the Office Cleaning Business StartUp Kit!

You've got the appointment to do a bid or estimate, so how do you give yourself the winning edge?

I will share a few of tips I have come across from Pros in the cleaning business...

1. Do more listening then talking....

2. Point out a cleaning issue that you observe , but not in a direct manner, like a swipe of a area that has a collection of dust... put it in there head that they can do better with who they have cleaning the place...

3. You dress according to the type of account, shirt and tie is usually best.
Should you wear something with your company logo on it , even if its just a shirt.?
If you have a nice company dress shirt, wear it. But if you just have a company t-shirt, I would still go with a dress shirt, even if it isn't branded. You want to look good regardless, the logo on the shirt is just a bonus.
It's an old saying, but first impressions sure do count. I wouldn't dream of doing a quotation/survey without a shirt and tie, no matter how small or whatever the state of the contract is. I think if you've made an effort then you have made the potential client feel important right away, which can only be a bonus.... :


4. You take legal pad, 2 pens, any company brochures and business cards
Legal pad? .... does a legal pad look less professional than the fancy black binders people take with them....?
The key to the pad or binder you take is it must be extremely easy to use, without a lot of fumbling around, or it will make you look unprofessional. You want something either clipboard style or something that flips completely around so you look slick when you open it not like a high school freshman on the 1st day of school with a new 'jumbo organizer'.

5. You arrive in a clean vehicle, company or not
Whatever you drive make sure it is clean and looking good. That's a priority with me anytime I go to a bid or to clean. Pull up front get out like you own the place. Always appear to be successful even if you are not as of yet.


6. You only ask questions about pricing and current cleaner if you FEEL they will talk to you about it. If they come across as pure business and professional, don't ask--you will look unprofessional. If you establish a quick rapport with the person and they are talkative--then go ahead and try to work it in

7. I always wipe off the chair that they point to when they tell me have a seat, it leaves them questioning their current service.

8. Wear dark pants, make a point of wiping your finger on things and then on your pants, by the end of the walk you will look like an old dust rag, which you can then dust off, adding to your point.

9. Keep it simple and be confident in yourself. Doesn't hurt to listen to some "pump up" music on your way to the bid either. Puts you in the ZONE.

10. Be on time. Never show up late. If you go into a restroom and there is a toilet stopped up ... plunge it. Be complimentary of their office (not how clean or dirty it is). Find something in the person's office your meeting with to talk about for a few minutes. They might have a sports team, etc., you can have a few positive comments about even if you do not like them. I always check the tops of pictures when they are walking us around. They will catch a glimpse of you doing this. I have also had timely phone calls come in that I really really had to take. But have the phone on vibrate.

If you aren't already doing the above tips, you could be losing potential clients, business and your reputation. Implementing these time tested strategies will help your cleaning business be successful.

Need more resources? Visit How to Start an Office Cleaning Business for more tips from the pros and more exciting resources to get you going fast and on the right foot!