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How Property Intelligence Drives Efficiency in Commercial Cleaning Services
Erika Carmichael
Introduction
The commercial cleaning industry is a crowded market. If you type “commercial cleaning services near me” right now on Google, you will be bombarded with a list of 13 pages of cleaning companies that offer the same services as you do.
This makes finding potential clients and landing ongoing contracts one of the biggest challenges for a local business.
Yes, cleaning services are always in high- demand. Commercial properties like office buildings, schools, and hospitals require daily or weekly cleaning and maintenance. But rising above competitors and securing a long-term contract? That’s where the real challenge begins.
One of the biggest mistakes you can make as a commercial cleaning business is forgetting that you have to stand out in the crowded marketplace.
The “one-size-fits all approach,” that many cleaning companies take is actually your big opportunity. Every property is unique and requires specific services, health and safety precautions, and decision-makers who are looking for the unique solutions that you provide.
The best way to succeed is to know how to adapt your services to meet their specific needs.
But how do you predict what they want? Better yet, how do you see what they’re actually searching for?
Enter property intelligence—a groundbreaking tool that integrates property data, sales intelligence technology, decision-maker contact data, and strategic insights to help you understand the products and services potential customers are trying to find to accelerate revenue and grow your business.
Gone are the days when your sales reps spent hours researching leads and physically prospecting potential customers who might benefit from your cleaning service. Everything you need to close contracts is now available through simple-to-use, affordable technologies that streamline the sales process.
Whether you want to target mixed-use spaces, corporate offices, apartment complexes, or commercial buildings, property intelligence can improve the efficiency of your professional commercial cleaning company.
But before we dive in, you need to understand what property intelligence software is.
What is Property Intelligence Software?
You may be familiar with the term property intelligence because it’s been widely used in the real estate industry for years. Not long ago, property intelligence software was only for professionals and real estate experts to find, compare, and perform due diligence on all the locally listed properties.
Today, however, property intelligence has evolved to become a goldmine of useful and accurate data to help grow commercial services businesses.
Imagine opening an app on your laptop or phone that shows you a map of all the buildings that might need cleaning services in a specific location. Platforms like Convex provide this exact information with accurate data such as:
- Property records
- Permit history
- Decision-maker contact information
- Who manages the Facilities
- Ownership information
- Tenant data
- Search Intent data (buying signals)
- and more
You can use all this information to help your sales reps identify leads and find potential customers to message. This equips your sales team to send the right message to the right person at the right time.
Which is powerful for cutting through the noise, providing relevant solutions, and closing sales contracts.
Investing in property intelligence software gives your commercial cleaning and janitorial service an edge against competitors. It’s like having a crystal ball for sales, showcasing insights on your entire territory in one place.
Benefits of Property Intelligence
Let’s break down a typical sales process to show you the benefits of using Convex property intelligence software. If you’re struggling with:
- High competition due to an abundance of similar service providers in the market.
- Difficulty in targeting the right decision-makers within a prospect’s organization.
- A lack of accurate property and contact data causes ineffective lead generation.
- Time-consuming research and prospecting without the aid of specialized tools.
- Limited understanding of client-specific needs and preferences.
Here are some more reasons why property intelligence could be an essential tool for your business.
1. Enhance Operational Efficiency and Reduce Costs with Data-driven Insights.
With property intelligence software, you can assess a building or property from the comfort of your office or on the road (on the Convex mobile app). This will help you better understand your target customers and improve sales operations.
You can also view the property’s history, permits, and other data-driven insights, which can facilitate project planning, risk assessment, and budgeting.
2. Improve Outreach, Customer Satisfaction, and Retention Through Tailored Solutions.
Now, it may seem like we’re skipping a step, but bear with me—when you understand exactly what your customers are looking for, you can tailor your solutions to their needs, making outreach more effective.
This includes regular daily cleaning to maintain hygiene and specialized services for specific needs.
Let me explain: Imagine taking a call from a sales representative trying to pitch a sale. It’s incredibly annoying when you can tell that they’re just reading off a script. It feels like you’re just a number on their list.
But with property intelligence, you gain insights into the services that owners, managers, and tenants are actively seeking. Commercial office buildings may require regular window cleaning and HVAC maintenance, while a restaurant might prioritize hood and kitchen services, grease trap cleaning, and pest control. A healthcare facility could need specialized cleaning and disinfection, air quality monitoring, and biomedical waste disposal. In contrast, a retail store might focus on floor maintenance, after-hours cleaning, and signage upkeep.
That’s how property intelligence works. In knowing specific detailed information about the property, and the exact services managers and owners are trying to find, you can tailor a customized script that suits your customers.
Understanding how to communicate effectively with customers will increase their satisfaction throughout the experience. This will help you efficiently deliver your cleaning and janitorial services and increase customer success.
3. Increase Productivity, Sales Results, and Job Satisfaction.
Property intelligence will also increase efficiency and employee productivity.
According to Salesforce, the average sales rep spends 21% of their time (or 2 hours 4-5 days per week) looking for opportunities to fill the pipeline.
With Convex, prospecting and lead research take 3- 5 minutes. This will reduce manual labor like driving to prospects, minimize errors with intent data, and increase productivity through time saving.
When Comfort Systems USA decided to implement Convex, their sales team went from an average of 2 days per week prospecting, to 2-3 hours per week, and they 2x’d sales over a four year time-period. Property intelligence enables your manpower to focus on strategic sales operations, planning, and growth initiatives instead of manual labor and tedious tasks like LinkedIn research.
In other words, property intelligence software can help you invest in your employees’ enhanced decision-making skills, productivity, and job satisfaction.
Understanding Commercial Cleaning Sales Challenges
Commercial cleaning faces many challenges today. Whether you’re offering one-time services, general commercial cleaning services, or regular cleaning options, here are some challenges you will have to overcome and how property intelligence can help.
1. High Competition in the Cleaning Industry
Competition is inevitable in any business, but how do you stand out when there are hundreds of other cleaning companies offering similar services?
Property intelligence gives you a competitive edge by providing accurate data to help identify potential customers and tailor janitorial cleaning solutions to their specific needs. This will make your sales and outreach efforts more efficient and effective, giving you an advantage over competitors who may not have access to such data-driven insights.
2. The Need for Targeted Outreach
In order to effectively reach potential customers, you need to know who they are and what they’re looking for.
With property intelligence, you can gather contact information for decision-makers in commercial properties along with data on the types of services they’re interested in. This ensures that your cleaning services contribute to a clean and safe environment for your clients. This allows for targeted outreach and personalized communication, increasing your chances of closing a sale.
3. Time-consuming Research and Prospecting
In today’s fast-paced world, time is money. Spending hours researching potential leads and prospects can take a toll on your sales team’s productivity and morale. This includes specialized services such as deep cleaning for thorough sanitation and preparation for special events.
Using property intelligence software like Convex significantly reduces this burden, allowing your team to focus on more important tasks such as strategizing and closing deals. This not only saves time and resources but also increases job satisfaction for your employees.
4. Inaccurate Data Leading to Ineffective Lead Generation
Having access to accurate property and contact data is crucial for successful lead generation in the commercial cleaning industry. Without it, your sales efforts may be wasted on outdated or incorrect information.
Property intelligence software ensures that you have up-to-date, verified data at your fingertips, increasing the efficiency of your lead generation process and ultimately leading to better sales results.
5. Limited Understanding of Client-specific Needs and Preferences
Every client has unique needs and preferences when it comes to their cleaning requirements. Without a thorough understanding of these details, it can be challenging to tailor your services and pricing accordingly.
Convex allows you to see what decision-makers are actively searching for and send messages that are personalized to their needs.
Leveraging technology might just be the answer to some of the biggest problems you’re facing right now.
Leveraging Technology in Commercial Cleaning Services
Commercial janitorial services and facility management is a fast-paced industry. Staying on top of the latest trends in cleaning equipment, customer demand, and competition is a necessity.
Trust me, it’s easy to be lost in the information realm.
It is for this reason you need to use technology to make your commercial cleaning business run as smoothly and seamlessly as possible. Here are some ways to utilize technology for your business:
- Utilize mobile apps and software to streamline communication and scheduling.
- Implement data analytics to track cleaning performance and identify areas for improvement.
- Invest in advanced cleaning equipment and technology to increase efficiency and effectiveness.
- Develop customized cleaning solutions based on property-specific data and insights.
- Implement specialized services such as graffiti removal to address specific client needs.
With the help of Convex, commercial cleaning companies can get ahead of the game easily. With accurate data for quotes, route mapping, and communication, you already have a head start against your competitors.
We’ve revolutionized data collection for commercial businesses, and it’s up for grabs. Take your business to the next level because, in today’s market, whoever has the right information at the right time wins.
Convex’s Industry-Specific, Targeted Solutions
Convex uses buying signals and intent data to help you narrow down what property owners, managers, and facilities personnel are looking for. With our property intelligence software, you can develop cleaning solutions tailored to specific industries like healthcare, education, and hospitality.
By understanding the unique requirements of each industry, you can provide specialized services such as infection control and biohazard cleaning.
And what does offering customized cleaning solutions bring you? A competitive advantage against similar businesses. You’re not just arming yourself with the right industry knowledge; you’re also providing high-quality services to your customers. It’s a win-win situation!
Best Practices to Land Commercial Cleaning Contracts
I’m sure that gaining new customers for your commercial cleaning service is at the top of your priority. Here are some of the best practices to land your future contracts:
1. Develop a comprehensive cleaning schedule that addresses core responsibilities and priorities.
2. Train and certify cleaning staff to ensure high-quality service and attention to detail.
3. Implement feedback loops with customers and quality control measures to ensure consistent quality and customer satisfaction.
4. Foster open communication and collaboration with customers to ensure tailored cleaning solutions.
People want meaningful relationships, even in business. Delivering excellence builds trust, and it’s the most effective way to make your business your first choice. By focusing on these key areas, you can surely land potential commercial cleaning contracts and establish your name in the market.
Measuring Success and Performance
The satisfaction of your customers must be the top indicator of your success. The most common ways to measure performance include:
- Develop key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the quality of your cleaning performance.
- Tracking customer satisfaction through feedback to identify areas for improvement.
- Conducting regular quality control audits to ensure consistent quality and attention to detail.
- Analyzing data to optimize cleaning schedules.
Overcoming Sales Challenges in Commercial Cleaning
Sometimes things “go wrong:”
- Staffing issues
- Equipment failures
- Supply chain disruptions
- Scheduling conflicts
- Communication gaps
To stay ahead, you need a strategy that will enable you to “nip the problem in the bud.” Develop contingency plans and emergency response protocols that your customers and staff will follow during unexpected situations.
This boils down to implementing great staff training programs to improve performance, morale, and employee retention. Remember that your employees represent your business. In fact, they’re the face of your business everyday.
Conclusion
Property intelligence is a game changer that some businesses are missing out on. Here at Convex, we can help elevate the success of your commercial cleaning business by enabling data-driven insights and tailored cleaning solutions.
By combining our technology with the best practices and customized cleaning solutions, you can drive efficiency, improve customer satisfaction, and reduce costs. All with one tool!
The future of commercial cleaning is bright. With emerging trends and technologies poised to transform the industry, don’t let your business be left behind.
Are you ready to tap into the most comprehensive pool of property insights to drive your business forward?
Schedule a demo with us today!