Managing by A-B-C - Applying it to YOUR Cleaning Business

While rummaging through some old newsletter files, I cam across this article which I had written ten years ago.  It is based on the A-B-C management principles defined by Leslie Wilk Braksick, PhD in her book UNLOCK BEHAVIOR, UNLEASH PROFITS

In re-reading it yesterday, I concluded it would be worth sharing with you on this blog site.

We teach new hires how to clean efficiently and effectively. We explain how wearing the apron helps save time by keeping their tools and supplies with them so they don’t have to retrace their steps. We show them how to start in one place in the room, clean top to bottom, back to front, and left to right. We explain how we go around the bathroom twice, once to do the wet work and the second time to clean the other areas. We explain that “efficiency” doesn’t mean working faster; it means working smarter.

During the interview and orientation process, we explain that since we work in teams, prompt attendance is critical. If they’re late, they will be holding up the other team members and delaying the start of the work day for everyone, including our clients. We emphasize the importance of perfect attendance; if they don’t show up for work their absenteeism creates chaotic working conditions for their team members, the office staff and their clients.

Surprise! People Don’t Always Do What You Tell Them To Do.


After putting our new hires through orientation and training, what happens as often as not?


Instead of putting their spray bottles back in their apron loops, they put them down on the counter. They’re constantly going back across the room to pick up their cleaning tray and bottles. Instead of working smarter, they work harder. They clean what’s clean. They figure that if a little bit of all-purpose or glass cleaner is good, a whole bunch is better, and then work twice as hard wiping it up. They translate “speed cleaning” to mean moving fast, rather than working efficiently.

Simply showing and telling people what to do does not ensure that they will do it. Getting angry and yelling at them is not the long-term solution to achieving the desired result, which is doing what you want them to do.



This new updated version can
be purchased at Amazon for
$18.95

 In an excellent book I recommend entitled UNLOCK BEHAVIOR, UNLEASH PROFITS by Leslie Wilk Braksick, Ph.D. the author describes training and instruction we give our employees are the “antecedents” that set the stage for a behavior to occur. Antecedents always come before any behavior takes place, but they do not cause the behavior to occur.

Antecedents have limited control over behavior. The role of an antecedent is to get a behavior to occur once. It is the role of a “consequence” of a behavior to get the behavior to occur again. The consequence is what always follows a behavior. Antecedents get us going, but consequences keep us going. People do what they do because of what happens to them when they do it.

Consequences Reinforce Behavior.

You instruct an employee to wear the apron (the antecedent). She wears the apron (the behavior). The apron is uncomfortable and she feels clumsy (the consequence).  The consequence of her behavior is Negative (for the performer), it is Immediate and it is Certain. It IS easier to put the spray bottles down on the counter than it is to remember to put them back in the apron loops. The apron IS heavy and awkward until one becomes accustomed to it. To change the undesired behavior (in this case, not wearing the apron and/or not putting the spray cleaners back in the apron instead of down on the countertop), it is necessary to reinforce positive consequences for the person performing the behavior.


The 4 Consequences Of Behavior And Their Effects.

Behavioral consequences are defined as: Those things and events that follow a behavior and change the probability that the behavior will be repeated in the future.

Employees may perform up to 1,000 different behaviors at work every day. Each behavior is followed by a consequence that will either strengthen or weaken them. There are four behavioral consequences: 2 that increase behavior and 2 that decrease it. The 2 consequences that increase behavior are referred to in behavioral science as positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement; the 2 that decrease it are called punishment and penalty.


Some of the 1,000 daily behavioral consequences occur naturally. The team’s driver puts the car in gear, presses down on the accelerator and the vehicle moves forward. An employee puts the house key in the lock at a client’s home, turns the knob and the door opens. A team member hits the “on” switch on the vacuum cleaner, and it turns on.


Another portion of the 1,000 daily behaviors is followed by consequences provided by fellow employees. An employee smiles, says “good morning”, and she receives a cheery “good morning” in return. She tells a joke, and her team mates laugh.

Still another portion of the 1,000 behaviors is followed by consequences provided by supervisors and the business owner. These consequences should increase the behaviors that directly add value to your business and decrease those which interfere with value-added performance.



Here are a few examples of how the 4 consequences of behavior are at work every day, along with how they are likely to reinforce the future behavior connected with each consequence:


(1)  A team member puts the team control book on top of her car while helping to load supplies. She drives off without retrieving it and it’s gone forever (penalty). This consequence is likely to decrease the likelihood of this behavior reoccurring in the future.

(2)  A new employee tries to follow the cleaning methods taught by her franchise owner, but the team leader chews her out for being too slow (punishment). She decides that its more important to work quickly than it is to work efficiently. The consequence reduces the probability of the right behavior being repeated in the future.


(3)  A team is cleaning a home for a particularly fussy client. The team leader takes extra quality control measures because she knows this client will call the office and complain if your client finds any dust or finger prints after the team has left. She wants to avoid being reprimanded and forced to go back and re-clean (negative reinforcement).

(4)   You share a letter of appreciation with employees of team two from Mrs. Smith praising their work. During the next week you get back a higher than normal number of excellent performance questionnaires from team two’s clients (positive reinforcement).



To Get A Desired Behavior, Provide Positive Consequences


If you look at the Summary of the Four Behavioral Consequences and Their Effects and review these examples again, you will see that an employee’s behaviors can be directed by altering the consequences of behavior. Needless to say, the right antecedents need to be in place to launch the desired behavior in the first place (training, coaching, instructing, the working environment, and supervisory leadership).


If an employee is not adequately taught to perform the desired behavior, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that we can’t expect her to exhibit the behavior we’re looking for.

If we expect an employee to be cheerful on the job, management needs to set the example. It’s easy to “extinguish” a cheerful behavior if an employee’s jolly “good morning” is met by a grumpy acknowledgment (or no acknowledgement) from management when she arrives for work. We’ll touch on the phenomena of “extinguishing” behavior a little later.


Let’s use the situation we referenced at the beginning of this article, dealing with the undesirable behavior of not using the apron properly. How might we go about achieving the correct behavior by changing the consequences for performing this behavior?

We have a new team member who tries to follow the rule about putting the spray bottles back in the apron loops, but becomes frustrated because she finds it awkward and keeps forgetting (punishment). She reverts back to what comes more naturally to her and leaves her AP and GC bottles on the counter instead of trying to follow the system. In this instance, the wrong behavior is being reinforced, thereby decreasing the chance that the right behavior will be repeated.



We know that the eventual consequence for this worker is that she will save time and effort when she gets into the habit of putting her sprayers back in the apron loops instead of down on the counter, and then having to retrace her steps to retrieve them. The consequence will then become something she “wants” to do because it will make her job easier. She’s been told that and knows it’s what she’s supposed to do. Still, the wrong behavior persists because the immediate consequence of doing it the right way is punishment (it is unnatural and more difficult at first).

In an effort to correct this behavior, a trainer or team leader will often verbally chastise the employee for not using the desired behavior. Because the employee is likely to want to avoid the displeasure of her supervisor in the future, this may achieve the desired results . . . at least, temporarily. This is an example of “negative reinforcement” (negative reinforcement is a consquence by which the behavior allows the performer to escape or avoid something they don't want). Negative reinforcement can alter a behavior, but the performer’s behavioral change is likely to show minimal compliance. It may only exhibit itself under direct supervision thereafter, almost begrudgingly. Negative reinforcement tends to produce behavioral performance that is “just good enough to get by.”

The best way to change behavior is to eliminate or minimize any punishment or penalty which may be a consequence to the employee for performing a desired behavior, and provide positive reinforcement as a consequence for doing so (or that results in a positive consequence that far outweighs any immediate punishment or penatly associated with performing the desired behavior).


So, how can we get our new employee to perform the desired behavior of always putting her APC and GC bottles back in her apron loops using positive reinforcement? Think about it for a moment. It is our objective to get our worker to perform the desired behavior to “get something she wants” as a consequence of performing the behavior.

Actually, this is a bigger issue than merely getting our employee to use the apron properly. This behavior is just one element of the whole issue of performing specific desired behaviors that are required to do the work efficiently.


Not using efficient cleaning methods (which include the proper use of the apron, and ALWAYS putting the spray bottles back in the apron loops) means that the employee will have to work harder. I don’t know of too many people who would rather find a way to work harder than they have to. Do you?


Your challenge is that until this new employee masters our efficient cleaning methods, the “positive” consequence promised is “future” and “uncertain” to the employee. While she’s learning, the consequence to the employee for performing the desired behavior is usually “negative”, “immediate” and “certain”.


An owner might say, “This is nonsense! I’m paying her to do the job the way I tell her to do it, and she better do it or else!” News flash! The prospect of losing one’s job might have been a feared penalty at one time. But this is the year 2000, and that threat is not a big stick these days. We have all heard of that little thing called employee turnover. Furthermore, what you really want out of your employees is “discretionary behavior” (which translates to behaviors that exceed the bare minimum performance required to “just get by”).

The reality of this situation is that positive reinforcement needs to occur during the initial training period. You can’t change the fact that learning efficient cleaning techniques may prove to be uncomfortable and unnatural for new employees. But you can minimize the punishment the employee experiences during this time and replace it with a consequence the employee will want to experience: recognition for her progress and praise for performing the desired behaviors. WE SHOULD NOT UNDERESTIMATE THE POWERFUL IMPACT THAT POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT HAS ON ACHIEVING A DESIRED BEHAVIOR. This positive reinforcement must begin during the initial training process.


The person responsible for training a new hire needs to understand the principle of positive reinforcement of desired behavior. From the very first time a new employee follows direction, she needs to receive positive reinforcement for this behavior. “Way to go! That’s it, keep doing it that way.” Making a game of the training process can make this easier for both trainer and trainee. “Spray, loop, wipe. Spray, loop, wipe. Spray, loop, wipe,” repeated while teaching a new hire to apply cleaner, put the sprayer back in the apron loop, and wipe the surface as she cleans is just one example. “That’s it, you’re getting it. Good job. You’re learning well,” is positive reinforcement to your new worker. And the trainer must not skimp on providing constant praise as the new person continues to learn new procedures.

Continuous positive reinforcement of the desired behaviors of your new trainee needs to offset the negative consequences, which are going to be experienced by your new employee during the learning process. As she learns the right behaviors, she gains confidence (positive reinforcement), starts to experience the benefits of efficient methodology (positive reinforcement) and becomes accepted as a peer by her coworkers (positive reinforcement).


Training Is The Antecedent

Remember that “training and guidance” are the antecedents to workplace behavior. How we provide this training and guidance sets up the behavior and can positively or negatively impact the consequences that follow the behavior.


Inadequate or cursory training of a new employee will not beget the desired behavior, and the consequence will be a negative experience for the trainee. When you’re in a situation where you need an extra pair of hands on a team, the temptation is to short-circuit the training process. However, this management decision inevitably leads to a revolving door of new hires coming and going.


A seasoned team has been programmed to get the job done efficiently. They’re used to getting in and out of Mrs. Smith’s home in 45 minutes. They know how to produce quality work within a certain time frame. The sooner they can get their day’s cleanings done, the sooner they can get home to the kids. Now you introduce a new, unseasoned pair of hands to the mix.

Instead of being an asset to the team, this new person is a liability. She hasn’t learned the system, she’s slow and unsure, and her work has to be monitored closely. She drags the team’s efficiency down. Instead of finishing up in 45 minutes, the team is still not finished after being in the house an hour. The team leader loses patience, the other experienced coworker becomes exasperated, and the entire experience is frustrating and bewildering to the trainee. The consequence is that everyone is punished. Not only do you stand to lose the new employee, but if the scenario continues to repeat itself (new people coming and going on the team), you risk demoralizing and losing even your seasoned workers.

Most team leaders dislike training. The scenario pinpointed in the preceding paragraph defines the reason why. Certainly, the long-term consequences can be positive for the team ¾ if and when the new team member is experienced and up to speed. But when the new person is assigned to a team, the consequence, although potentially “positive”, it is “future” and “uncertain”. The initial consequence to the experienced team members is “negative”, “immediate” and “certain”. It is uncertain whether the new hire will be around in the future to contribute efficiently, but it’s certain that there will be an immediate negative impact on the team’s efficiency.



This scenario is yet another example of where negative consequences influence future behavior, in this instance, the behavior of the team leader (assuming she is the one responsible for training the new hire), as well as the behavior of the third experienced team member.

How do you change the behavior of the team to which the new person will be assigned? The same formula; you change the consequence of performing the desired behavior from negative to positive. So how do you do that?


First of all, the trainer needs to be trained on how to train. A new hire can certainly learn through osmosis by observing what the trainer does. This is how most ms expect a new person to learn. The team leader shows the trainee once, twice, perhaps three times, then expects them to perform the behavior expertly and efficiently. And this where the problem begins. The team leader's expectations are not met, the trainee’s expectations aren’t met, and the negative consequence overlaps onto the third team member.

Before a new person is assigned to a team, that person needs to receive her initial training from you or a dedicated trainer whose sole objective is to teach the employee the basics before being put on the firing line. This will help to alleviate the negative consequence for the team leader that is associated with training a brand new recruit, as well as for the new hire and the other team member. The new team member will be better prepared to contribute to the efficiency of the team, rather than detract from it.


Another way to create a positive consequence for the behavior of training is to compensate a “qualified” team leader specifically for training a new employee. Note the emphasis on “qualified”. This is a way of turning a negative consequence connected with training a new person into a positive consequence for the team leader (and, as a byproduct, the team leader is likely to put less pressure on the trainee . . . also a positive consequence for the new person).


Beware Of Extinguishing Desired Behavior.

One of the sins that management often commits is that of unwittingly “extinguishing” desired behavior. A behavior can be extinguished when a performer fails to receive positive reinforcement. Let me give you an example.


An employee does outstanding work. She cheerfully helps her other team members finish their rooms. She receives no positive reinforcement and soon becomes less willing to pitch in to help her coworkers; in fact, she starts to take her time and pays less attention to detail. Soon, she’s less efficient than her teammates. Her quality workmanship diminishes. Eventually, her desired behavior is no more.

If someone tells a joke and no one laughs, the chance that the teller will repeat it decreases. If he tells the joke a couple of more times and no one laughs, he likely won’t tell it again. The teller received no positive reinforcement for this behavior and the result is that the behavior becomes “extinguished”.


The same thing can happen if management does not provide continuous positive reinforcement in response to desired behavior. It’s easy to put all our attention on correcting undesired behaviors and ignore employees performing desired behaviors. But giving positive reinforcement to desired behaviors IS critically important to sustaining the behaviors we want.

Can you build a successful house cleaning business during a recession?

With thousands of business owner clients around the world over the past 7 1/2 years, many of whom keep in touch with me, I get a good pulse on the state of the industry.  Many businesses are susceptible to the swings in the economy and either prosper or suffer accordingly.

When the overall economy is in a downturn, we can't put our heads in the sand.  No business is recession proof -- but, the residential cleaning industry has proven over the past two years to be very recession resistant.  Instead of running for cover, aggressive owners have shown consistantly strong growth in 2010 over 2009.  Some have reported sales increases of $200,000 or more over the previous year to date period.

I thought you might like to hear the logic as to why this is the case so I am sharing the following link on youtube which is also available to visitors to our Web site:

YouTube Video

Want to attract job applicants without wasting a lot of time, money and effort?

There is no shortage of job applicants out there these days.  That's the good news.  The bad news is that you can waste a lot of time and effort on the answering responses to your ads on the phone trying to weed out poor candidates.  Then, when applicants arrive for the interview and fill out their applications, you still wind up wasting time with unqualifed applicants.  This situation is particularly problematic due to the large number of people looking for work these days. 

About a year ago, we set up a new Web site to help you attract workers while taking 90% of the effort and expense out of the recruiting process. The National Home Cleaning Service Employment Center is a great resource that you may not be taking advantage of and is probably worth your consideration.  Be sure to check it out through the above link.

Here's how this Web site can help you:

• It provides an overview of what the work entails, along with a job description, so the applicant is fully aware of what he or she will be expected to do;
• Job seekers can fill out your application form right online, and it is sent directly to the email box of the person in your business who looks after recruiting employees;
• Unless you decline the option, there will be a link to a map on the top of the application form so that applicants can (a) print out directions to your office and (b) determine the distance from their home to your office, which eliminates people who live too far away to make the job practical;
• If you wish, the application can be translated into a selection of other languagues at the click of a button;
• The site works for you 24 X 7 and you even receive applications in your inbox while you are sleeping;
• You review incoming applications at YOUR leisure and call back only those you're interested in interviewing in person, which means no sitting around the office taking phone calls from job seekers and less time and effort spent on the recruiting process.

How well does it work?  Well, Ken Steele, one of our House Cleaning Biz 101 customers who subscribes to this program had 370 people go to his online application in September alone.  That's 370 phone calls he did not have to deal with.  Of course, he did not get 370 applications (and I am sure he didn't want that many) because (1) many visitors disqualified themselves for whatever reason or (2) they chose not to answer all the questions on the application, in which case the system will not allow it to be submitted.

To direct prospective applicants to his application, he runs the following FREE help wanted ad on Craig's List on a continuous basis.  So be sure to look around the site to see if it could be a benefit to your recruiting efforts, too.  It gets its share of visitors every day, but if you really want to make it work for you, drive traffic to it like Ken is doing.

__________________________________________________________________________________


Maid Service, House Cleaners (West Orange County)


________________________________________


Date: 2010-09-19, 11:44PM EDT


Reply to: job-vb8ug-1963122449@craigslist.org [Errors when replying to ads?]
________________________________________


Join our Team - we look for quality people who live close to our service area.


We're very selective about the people we hire. New applicants are thoroughly screened. Before hiring, they are subject to a background investigation, including employment history and a criminal background check. Also must be DRUG FREE, as we are a Drug Free Workplace with random testing.


We know that to attract, motivate and retain quality people requires excellent compensation. Hiring minimum wage workers can only result in minimum performance. We try very hard to make Better Home Cleaning an enjoyable place to work. Many of our employees stay with us for years.


If you're the "right stuff" we'd like to talk to you about joining us in serving our happy customers in a friendly, team environment. Cleaning experience isn't necessary because we will train you to become a professional using our methods, equipment and cleaning products. Following are what we expect from you and what you can expect from us:


What You Can Expect From Us


• Excellent compensation
• Paid training program
• Monday through Friday, 10 to 30 hours weekly
• Nights or weekends optional if you want them
• Easy dress code
• Work in a friendly team environment
• Low stress workplace
• Specialized equipment and supplies provided


What We Expect Of You


• High energy and physically fit
• Positive attitude
• Dependable and responsible
• Trustworthy and bondable
• Pleasant personality
• Able to work well with others in a team environment
• Drug free
• Punctual and committed to good attendance
• Valid driver's license
• Reliable, insured vehicle, although you would usually use a company vehicle.




We operate primarily in West Orange County plus the Clermont Area


Apply online at http://www.workenders.com/Better-Home-Cleaning.htm


• Location: West Orange County
• Compensation: $50 per day while training then percentage
• This is a part-time job.
 phone calls about this job!
• Please do not contact job poster about other services, products or commercial interests.• Principals only. Recruiters please don't contact this job poster.
• Please, no


___________________________________________________________________________

All craigslist postings are free, except for:



1. Job posts in the San Francisco Bay Area

The fee for posting a job in the SF Bay Area is $75. This fee pays for one job in one category. (One job posted in two different categories would cost $150.)


2. Job posts in Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Orange County, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Portland, Sacramento, San Diego, Seattle, South Florida, and Washington DC


The fee for posting a job in these cities is $25. This fee pays for one job in one category. 
(One job posted in two different categories would cost $50.)

Chemical-Free Cleaning? Now this is truly green cleaning,

In a press release dated September 22nd, our friend and president of Charleston, South Carolina- based Modern Cleaning, Tom Stewart announced a revolutionary new cleaning methodology that is completely chemical free. That's right, totally chemical free cleaning. You can't get any greener than that!

Before you raise your eyebrows in doubt, it might help to know that this chemical-free system was successfully tested in over 5,000 Charleston homes before this announcement.

Modern Cleaning offers training materials and consulting services that will allow schools, hotels, and cleaning contractors to train staff on how to clean chemical free and enlighten all stakeholders of the benefits of being cleaner, safer, and greener.


"What we're doing goes far beyond house cleaning, because we're not just selling cleaning equipment. We are changing a paradigm, " says Stewart. "One day kids will be asking 'why did we ever clean with chemicals?', and the fact remains today that we clean the same way that we have for decades. Our aim here at Modern Cleaning is to help lead the evolution of the way that we clean."

This sounds to me like an exciting and ground-breaking innovation that everyone involved in the professional cleaning industry needs to investigate and at least be aware of. Tom's site is under construction, but you can get an excellent overview of what Modern Cleaning and its products are all about at http://www.moderncleaning.com/WhyChemicalFree.aspx .


Tom Stewart is the founder and president of Castle Keepers, one of America's largest and most successful residential cleaning services. Castle Keepers is the only home cleaning service in the world to achieve the Cleaning Industry Management Standard Certification (CIMS) through ISSA. For more information on the CIMS and its criteria for certification, please visit http://www.castle-keepers.com/CIMS .

The Arizona Law. What’s the big fuss about?

I find all the fuss the present U.S. administration is making over Arizona’s stance on illegal aliens is rather bemusing. The fact of the matter is, the Federal Government has had stricter laws dating back to 1986 on the responsibility employers have of checking the eligibility of job applicants to work in the United States.


When we began compiling information for our training materials on operating a residential cleaning business back in 1995, we included a segment on Federal and State legal employment issues. One of those issues was IRCA, the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. This Act shifted the burden of compliance with INS law to employers. Unlike other laws, this one even applies to employers with as few as one employee. Failure to comply with this law can result in stiff penalties.


Here, in part are excerpts from the current HANDBOOK FOR EMPLOYERS regarding the Employment Eligibility Verification Form (I-9).


"In 1986, Congress reformed U S immigration laws These reforms, the result of a bipartisan effort, preserved the tradition of legal immigration while seeking to close the door to illegal entry The employer sanctions provi¬sions, found in section 274A of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), were added by the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA) These pro¬visions further changed with the passage of the Immigration Act of 1990 and the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRIRA) of 1996 Employment


Employment is often the magnet that attracts individu¬als to reside in the United States illegally The purpose of the employer sanctions law is to remove this magnet by requiring employers to hire only individuals who may legally work here: citizens and nationals of the United States, lawful permanent residents, and aliens authorized to work To comply with the law, you must verify the identity and employment authorization of each person you hire, complete and retain a Form I-9 for each em¬ployee, and refrain from discriminating against individu¬als on the basis of national origin or citizenship (See Part Four for more information on unlawful discrimination ) Form I-9 helps employers to verify individuals who are authorized to work in the United States You should com¬plete a Form I-9 for every new employee you hire after November 6, 1986


Employers must retain completed Forms I-9 for all employees for 3 years after the date they hire an employee, or 1 year after the date employment is terminated, whichever is later. These forms can be retained in paper, microfilm, microfiche, or electronically.


The Homeland Security Act of 2002 created an executive department combining numerous federal agencies with a mission dedicated to homeland security On March 1, 2003, the authorities of the former Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) were transferred to three new agencies in the U S Department of Homeland Security (DHS): U S Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), U S Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and U S Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) The two DHS immigration components most involved with the matters discussed in this Handbook are USCIS and ICE USCIS is responsible for most documentation of alien employment authorization, for Form I-9 itself, and for the E-Verify employment eligibility verification program ICE is responsible for enforcement of the penalty provisions of section 274A of the INA, and for other immigration enforcement within the United States


Hiring or continuing to employ unauthorized aliens


If DHS determines that you have knowingly hired un¬authorized aliens (or are continuing to employ aliens knowing that they are or have become unauthorized to work in the United States), it may order you to cease and desist from such activity and pay a civil money penalty as follows:


1. First Offense: Not less than $375 and not more than $3,200 for each unauthorized alien;


2. Second offense: Not less than $3,200 and not more than $6,500 for each unauthorized alien; or


3. Subsequent Offenses: Not less than $4,300 and not more than $16,000 for each unauthorized alien.


DHS will consider you to have knowingly hired an unauthorized alien if, after November 6, 1986, you use a contract, subcontract or exchange, entered into, renegotiated or extended, to obtain the labor of an alien and know the alien is not authorized to work in the United States. You will be subject to the penalties set forth above.


Failing to comply with Form I-9 requirements


If you fail to properly complete, retain, and/or make available for inspection Forms I-9 as required by law, you may face civil money penalties in an amount of not less than $110 and not more than $1,100 for each violation.


In determining the amount of the penalty, DHS consid¬ers:


1. The size of the business of the employer being charged;


2.The good faith of the employer;


3.The seriousness of the violation;


4.Whether or not the individual was an unauthorized alien; and


5.The history of previous violations of the employer.


To get copy of the Employer’s Handbook on this issue and download a copy of the I-9, please visit http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/m-274.pdf

Again, I ask you:  What's all the fuss about now?  Arizona might consider suing the Federal Government for interference with its right to enforce it's own long-standing laws.

An Inspirational Video 1 - The Law Of Attraction

When I hear, “All my business comes from referrals,” it sends up a red flag.

There is no argument to the fact that a referral from an existing client is about the best advertising you can get. The problem is that, when I hear the above statement from someone in the residential cleaning business, it tells me two things:

1. They have a very small customer base; and, 
2. They’re not growing very quickly

Think about it. How often does the topic of house cleaners come up at cocktail parties or around the water cooler at work? How many people scream from the rooftops about how terrific their cleaning service is? How many of your clients actively bird-dog for you in their neighborhoods? Well . . . .?

Oh, yes, I am a great believer in generating business from referrals. I built a very large business on doing just that, without any additional marketing activity. This program was the vehicle that helped produce thousands of sales per month for my organization. But it didn’t happen passively. It was because of a very aggressive referral program which rewarded current customers for actively referring friends, relatives, coworkers and neighbors.

However, when I hear owners – almost always owners who are out there cleaning homes themselves – say, “All my business comes from referrals,” I know those referrals generally come far and few between. Perhaps a neighbor saw the car pull up like clockwork every second Tuesday and noticed one or more people taking cleaning equipment and supplies into the client’s home; then decided to ask the client who was doing the cleaning and how satisfied they are. Or, a coworker was asking around the office if anyone could recommend a good house cleaner. These are what I call “accidental referrals.”

I suppose if a person lives long enough and remained fit enough over the years to continue cleaning homes themselves, they could eventually grow a decent size client base through accidental referrals. As a practical matter, “it ain’t gonna happen.” This may be fine for people content to act as self-employed house cleaners, but certainly not for anyone who wants to build a serious business and achieve critical mass as soon as possible.

Don’t be Passive about Seeking Referrals

If we’re willing to invest in adverting media to attract clients – and $150 to attract a new client is not out of line, does it not stand to reason we can afford to reward our clients for sending new business our way? In fact, it’s pretty safe to say that a referral from an existing client is pretty much presold before you even visit to come up with a price for the referred prospect. But don’t wait for this to happen passively.

Create a formal “Referral Reward Program” and aggressively promote it to existing clients. Put it in writing. Explain that their team still has openings and explain what areas or neighborhoods you can accept new clients in. If they refer someone not in an area that their team serves during any week, tell the client you have other teams equally as good who would be happy to accommodate people your client refers. Then, consider giving your client some “$50 OFF FIRST TIME CLEANING” coupons to hand out on your behalf. Have a “Offer good until…” date on the coupon. Now, you can reward your client for each successful referral in one of two ways:

(a) Offer a $100 cash reward for each new client referred; or,

(b) Offer one or two free cleanings for each new client referred.

Remember, if the average client represents $3,000/year in revenues, this equates to an average of 5% of revenues – a more than reasonable client acquisition fee. To be successful, a paid referral program needs to be lucrative enough to encourage clients to go out of their way to dig up some new business for you. And unlike other forms of conventional media (other than, say, Croupon.com or LivingSocial.com), you don’t pay money up front to generate the new business.

• Note: My suggestion of giving a $50 off discount coupon sounds contradictory to my stated position on using discounts to attract new clients. However, this scenario is a little different. Your client may be more open to solicit new customers on your behalf by offering their friends a special deal they would not otherwise receive.   Just make sure it is significant enough to be considered of value to both your client and to the person to whom they give the certificate.

In the meantime, don’t wait for passive referrals from your clients. For that matter, even an aggressive paid referral program should take place in tandem with neighborhood door hanger campaigns or whatever other form of advertising works for you. That is … if you do want to grow a substantial, successful and profitable residential cleaning business.

Exotic-car dealers say some brands doing better this year

There are many ways to measure the economy.  One of them is when the affluent crowd starts buying high-end items like yachts and exotic automobiles again.  In 2001 sales of exotic cars represented 4.6% of U.S. auto sales; today this number has doubled to 9% as revealed in the following newspaper article out today.  We're hearing a similar surge in new business in the residential cleaning industry with sales in most companies up over the same period in 2009 -- some as much as 200% (as in increasing from $200,000/year to over $400,000/year).


Reproduced from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel newspaper
Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Lamborghini Diablo

Sales of some exotic luxury automobiles have revved up this year as affluent Americans indulge more freely in these pricey pleasures.


In the recession, mounting concern over stock portfolios and feelings of guilt about extravagant buys caused some wealthy consumers to rein in conspicuous sending.

It didn't feel right buying a $300,000 Rolls-Royce when people were being foreclosed out of their homes or were losing jobs, said Jesse Toprak, vice president of industry trends at TrueCar.com, a Santa Monica, Calif.-based new-car pricing website.

With the economy improving — albeit slowly — the well-heeled are splurging again.

Nationwide, combined new-car sales for the top six exotic luxury brands have grown 16 percent in the first seven months of 2010, compared with the same period last year, Toprak said.


That's 3,065 exotic autos sold by Bentley, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati, Maybach and Rolls-Royce through July versus 2,650 in 2009.

"It's not a full recovery, but certainly things are improving," he said.

In South Florida, exotic-car dealers are seeing similar results.

"Sales are definitely stronger this year," said Garrett Hayim, president of Ferrari-Maserati of Fort Lauderdale on North Federal Highway.

Ferraris are produced in such limited quantities that sales of these "upper echelon" vehicles are less "swayed by the changes in the economy," Hayim said.

Still, the average selling price for some pre-owned Ferraris did take a dive in late 2008 — as much as 40 percent for some models — but has since rebounded. The price drop however lured new customers to the brand who seized the opportunity to snag a Ferrari at relatively "cheaper" prices, Hayim said.

There is a 5 year waiting list for the $300,000 Ferrari Italia 458

Hayim said most of his pre-owned exotic cars in stock sell within 30 days, but there's a waiting list for new Ferraris. It's about five years for the 458 Italia, Ferrari's "latest and greatest," Hayim said.

The two-seater hits a top speed of 202 miles per hour and has several new design, aerodynamics and engine elements.

South Florida dealers say it's mostly well-off locals who are buying their exotic vehicles and some still prefer to keep their prized purchases under wraps.

A Boca Raton man would not comment Thursday at Hayim's Ferrari dealership as he took delivery of a new 458 Italia, worth about $300,000.

"The exotic luxury car market has eased up quite a bit, starting from December," said Chris Murray, director of sales at Braman Motorcars of Palm Beach in West Palm Beach.

Braman has been in business for more than 30 years and sells several exotic and luxury brands including Porsche, Rolls-Royce, Bentley, BMW and Audi.

Exotic luxury cars generally cost more than mainstream premium brands because they aren't mass produced and have rare or signature design and engineering elements that assembly-line vehicles don't.

Nationwide, exotic-car models will represent about nine percent of all new-car models on sale in 2010, that's up from 4.6 percent in 2001, according to Edmunds.com.

Murray said Porsche sales are better this year and Rolls-Royce sales have climbed significantly as well, especially in the Southeastern U.S. region.

He attributes Rolls-Royce's success largely to sales of the Ghost, a smaller and less-expensive model from the iconic brand.


With base prices starting at $250,000, the "entry-level" Ghost has brought a lot more interest to the brand and is attracting a different type of Rolls-Royce buyer than usual, Murray said.

At Ferrari-Maserati of Palm Beach, Ferrari sales have also remained relatively unchanged in the downturn, General Sales Manager Tom Clinton said.

"The Ferrari world is still the Ferrari world and people who buy Ferraris will always buy them," he said.

Clinton said Maserati sales had been slower, but started picking up recently. The price tag for a new Maserati typically ranges on average from $110,000 to $150,000.


Veteran auto dealer Craig Zinn said activity has increased recently at his Spyker dealerships in Pembroke Pines and Miami on word of the new C8 Aileron.

The Dutch-minted sportscar is priced around $240,000, but won't be in-house until later this year, which is inhibiting his ability to meet current demand, Zinn said.

While pent up demand has brought some affluents back into the driver's seats of these swanky wheels, some analysts remain cautious about future sales.

"It's unlikely we'll see extremely robust exotic car sales until consumer confidence, the job market and stock indexes improve," TrueCar's Toprak said.

Not Knowing What You Don’t Know Can be VERY Expensive

We have all crossed paths with the proverbial “know-it-all” more often then we care to think about. You know: the expert on every topic from the secrets of the universe to the science of medicine and the idiosyncrasies of politics. It’s almost jaw-dropping when a peer group gathers at a business function and a discussion ensues on a topic on which a person in the group, who has no experience or expertise on the subject, takes the floor and asserts his or her opinion. It is instantly obvious to most other people at the meeting that this individual really has no idea what he or she doesn’t know.


I’m not sure what motivates this behavior in some people, and since I know what I don’t know on this topic, I did some research on the Internet and found the following: “Know-it-alls are set on 'transmit' most of the time. They are not up for receiving input from others. They want to be the ones giving out, transmitting their pearls of 'wisdom'. What they don't know isn't worth knowing and when they do learn something well… according to them, they knew it already. The know-it-all may be a highly intelligent person but their know-it-all attitude makes them narrow minded and less and less able to learn as the years roll by.”


Know-it-alls usually stand out quickly in a crowd because they tend to be bombastic and often arrogant. In fact, today with Internet forums and a variety of social media like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, people can easily voice their opinions unrestricted by the formality of face-to-face protocol and virtual anonymity. I have witnessed forum discussions specific to the cleaning industry where one or two individuals who dominated the conversations were your typical know-it-all folks. It was clear from their comments they were far from being the knowledgeable authorities they purported to be. We all know people in the cleaning business who certainly know how to clean a house but only think they know how to run a business. Just because a person has been cleaning homes on their own or operating a cleaning service for years, doesn’t necessarily quality them to espouse advice on operating a successful cleaning business. Yet, these are exactly the class of people who shrug off the concept of seeking out expert advice which could shave years off their learning curve, save thousands of dollars wasted on trial and error, help them manage their businesses more effectively and efficiently, attract great employees and build a wonderful staff and – and this is no small item, make a lot more profit in the process.


Take our House Cleaning Biz 101 course for example.


Some people might say, “I know a lot of the stuff you address in that program.” And, they might be right. In fact, let’s say they know 75% of the information we discuss. Let’s go so far as to say they know 90% even. It’s the 10% or 25% they DON’T know that could make the difference between failure, mediocrity or fantastic success! The problem is that these people simply don’t know what they don’t know.


I have been hiring, training and managing people in various industries since 1961. And I have done pretty well at it, too. However, after just four years in the residential cleaning business, I recognized the unique challenge of employee turnover in this industry. Yes, I was able to resolve some of the employee retention problems based on my decades of human resource management experience. But I knew what I didn’t know and I turned to some professional help. I hired a human resource expert and, at a cost of $25,000, we implemented a 5-step employee selection process, which is now part of the House Cleaning Biz 101 program. When properly implemented, it, along with other HR issues discussed in our program, has helped our clients find better employees and dramatically increase their workforce tenure.

If this was the only thing they were able to gain from the program, it would be worth thousands of dollars (and they didn’t invest $25,000 like I did to gain access to it). This is just one little gem that we share in the course; there are many, many more – any one of which can easily justify many times the small investment. This may sound like an excuse for a sales pitch for my program, but in fact most people who read this blog already own a copy of House Cleaning Biz 101. I use this example because it is a good one to illustrate my case in point.


I would be remiss in not adding one more thought to this topic: Not using what you DO know can also be very expensive.


Bypassing the opportunity to learn proven ideas and systems is one thing; failing to use information you do become privy to is an equally flawed outcome. However, human nature being what it is, this scenario plays out from grade school through college and throughout peoples' careers.


Not everyone who attends Harvard Law School becomes a top lawyer; some don’t even graduate. Not every student who graduates from Johns Hopkins University becomes a noted doctor. Yet all students get the same education from the same books and professors. Then, it also depends on whether and how the knowledge is subsequently applied which makes the difference between the drop-outs, the mediocre, the average and those who excel at their professions. Our industry is no different.

The truth of the matter is, we should be like sponges when it comes to learning things we don't know and to be ready to admit that we don't know what we don't know.  Then, when we know what we don't know and learn what we need to learn, we need to do our best to apply what we've learned.

.

PRESS RELEASE ISSUED TODAY BY HOME CLEANER MAGAZINE

August 18, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Gary Goranson and WorkEnders, Inc Endorses the Verified Home Cleaning Pro Program

Atlanta, GA - Home Cleaner Magazine is pleased to announce that Gary Goranson of WorkEnders has officially endorsed the Verified Home Cleaning Pro program and has signed on as a Program Partner. "Having an endorsement from Gary Goranson is clear indication we are on to something big for the industry. Gary is well known in the professional home cleaning industry as a trail blazer and pioneer. His program, House Cleaning Biz 101 course has help thousands build credible professional companies, we are very excited about this," said Home Cleaner Magazine Founder and Publisher Perry Phillips.

"Most consumers looking to hire someone to clean their homes ask one basic question of the potential provider, "How much do you charge?" While price is obviously a consideration, in the overall scheme of things it is not at the top of the list of criteria which should be considered. The fact is, most householders just don't know what other questions to ask the person or company to whom they're thinking about entrusting their personal property and, ultimately, the well-being of family and pets. While asking for references from some of the prospective provider's other customers can be helpful in determining how satisfied they are with the provider's cleaning, there are other factors which overshadow workmanship issues.

Recently, Home Cleaner Magazine launched a new independent screening program wherein professional house cleaning companies go through an extensive approval process which allows them to qualify as a participant of the Verified Home Cleaning Pro program. Over the course of approximately two weeks, the process includes verification that the provider is currently and properly licensed and insured, including legally required Workers' Compensation Insurance. There is a requirement for the participant to ensure a safe working environment for its workers and to teach and enforce an OSHA-compliant safety program. The process also includes a requirement to provide verifiable customer references. The participant must also commit to a Service Pledge which includes ethical business practices, fair pricing, prompt attention to resolving complaints and a commitment to excellence. The Verified Home Cleaning Pro seal will help identify professionals with whom the public will feel more comfortable hiring, thereby providing a benefit to both participating member companies and consumers alike. I fully endorse the Verified Home Cleaning Pro Program"- Gary Goranson, WorkEnders, Inc.


WorkEnders, Inc., a Boynton Beach, Florida based company which has provided extensive training programs for more than 2,700 cleaning business owners in 55 countries through it's House Cleaning Biz 101 course http://www.housecleaningbiz101.com/. Gary Goranson  is the founder of WorkEnders, Inc. and developer of this one-of-a-kind training program for the residential cleaning industry."


Home Cleaner Magazine is the only publication exclusively for the professional home cleaning industry. Subscribers have access to business building information, industry news, and events. Home Cleaner Magazine is also the only publication for the industry offered in print. For more information visit http://www.homecleanermagazine.com/

You Own a Cleaning Business, but Who are YOUR Clients?

As the owner of a residential cleaning business, the answer to this question appears to be obvious: Your clients are the families and individuals for whom your company performs house cleaning chores. However, if this is your answer you would only be partially right.


Actually, YOUR clients are the hard-working folks who clean for those customers. The folks they clean for are THEIR customers. Does this sound like some form of abstract double speak?



The Definition of a Customer or Client


According to Wikipedia, “the word derives from "custom," meaning "habit"; a customer was someone who frequented a particular shop, who made it a habit to purchase goods of the sort the shop sold there rather than elsewhere, and with whom the shopkeeper had to maintain a relationship to keep his or her "custom," meaning expected purchases in the future . . . . However, some managers in this environment, in which the emphasis is on being helpful to the people one is dealing with rather than on commercial sales, comfortably use the word "customer" to both internal and external customers.”




Let’s think about this for a moment.


Good client relations are a key to encouraging purchasers of your service to continue to patronize your company on a long term basis; hopefully for many years. You have read books and articles on the subject and have likely attended seminars on the topic as well. However, and this point is key to my argument, neither you nor your management or office support staff have direct oversight of how well your employees are serving their clients. You are forced to rely on the people to whom you assign cleaning schedules to provide high standards of service and customer care. Without this result, people will certainly cease to patronize your company’s service.


Now, if you view your employees as YOUR customers and regard the relationship similarly to the way you should want to nurse a paying customer (as referenced in the underlined portion of the quote from Wikipedia above), think of how this management behavior can create a positive impact on your company’s end customers.


You see, if you want to get a paying customer to trust your company, do business with you on a long-term basis – in other words, becomes totally loyal and committed to your company, this won’t happen unless you earn their loyalty and respect. The same holds true with the people who work for your company.


How do you behave to attract a new client to your business? You advertise and market and tout your service’s best features. You make a case for why the public should do business with your company rather than the competition. Then when your courtship works, you go all out to earn their continuing patronage. Doesn’t it make sense that we adopt the same behavior when it comes to our employees?


You go out of your way to keep your paying customers happy because you know you’re not the only game in town. There are other cleaning services actively looking for an opportunity to usurp your clients at the first opportunity. Well, think about it; the same holds true when it comes to good employees. Good workers are in big demand in this industry but, on top of that, they’re in demand by other types of businesses as well. To attract and retain the best employees, think of using the same kind of behaviors and tactics you use to find and keep loyal and profitable clients.



You May be the Boss, but . . .


Many, many (too many then I care to think about) years ago when I was opening up sub-distributorships in the vacuum cleaner business, I encountered a bad situation with one of my offices. The sub distributor decided to move on in another direction, and left town without notice leaving a staff of angry, unpaid commission sales people for me to face.


I called a meeting with his abandoned sales staff, found out how much money they were owned, and wrote each of them a check right on the spot. Needless to say I garnered some fans right on the spot, too. Since I had intended to place the abandoned operation under my wing, I felt it was better and less expensive to pay a week’s worth of owed commissions than to lose the people in place and start all over again. I also felt it was the moral thing to do, regardless of whether the staff stayed on with me or moved on like their recent boss had done.


Near the end of the meeting, when I sensed I had won the attendees over, I made the following statement: “I don’t care if you like me or not, I just want you to do a good job selling. However, one thing I do demand is your respect.” At that point, a cocky young man in the group responded to my comment with, “Gary, you cannot DEMAND my respect; you have to earn it.” After I took a minute or so to react, and after thinking about his comment for a few seconds I said, “Do you know what – you’re right, and I will do my best to do just that.”


I must have earned his respect, as well as all the other sales people, because he and the rest of the crew went on to produce record new sales numbers for that office.



That early lesson paid off throughout my career


The Golden Rule tells us to “do unto others as we would have done unto you.” I like to give a little twist to that code: “Do unto others as they want done unto them.” In other words, treat them as THEY want to be treated, not strictly as you think they should be treated. This might sound like a play on words, but if you really think about it there is a difference.


Many years following the incident I described with the brash young salesman I described above, we had opened up a 4,500 automotive appearance center in Toronto for my TIDY CAR business. The people we hired to polish cars, detail interiors, install sunroofs, etc. were of a similar mold to that of the good folks we hire in the residential cleaning industry. But we treated them like the V.I.P.s all good employees really are and handed out Employee of the Month Awards and hung their Employee of the Month Photos in the customer waiting area.


One 23-year-old young man was Carlos Frietas, an immigrant to Canada from Venezuela. When we presented him with an Employee of the Month Award, he broke into a huge smile and then went out into the shop area and set a new time record for cutting a whole in a car’s roof and installing a sunroof in a total of nine minutes! When I went out into the shop to admire the quality of his work and the new installation record, he said, “Mr. Goranson, this is the first place I’ve ever worked that has treated me like a real person. I love my job and I love working here.”


As it turned out, Carlos went on to become one of two travelling Operations Managers for TIDY CAR, travelling from town to town throughout the USA training franchise owners and their employees on the art of auto appearance and enhancement services. Today he resides in South Florida and has done very well for himself in other business environments.


I believe that the way we treat the employees we are lucky enough to supervise and share space on this planet with can make all the difference in the world for both us and them. A HUGE DIFFERENCE. Start today to look for ways you, too, can improve the relationship between you and your employees so that they will in turn do what they can to satisfy THEIR clients and YOUR bottom line.

Good Salesmanship is Not a Contest

Some fifty years ago after graduating from high school I answered a help wanted ad promising huge rewards for selling “education.” It turned out to be a job selling encyclopedias door-to-door on straight commission. After spending a week learning the sales pitch, I hit the street to seek my fortune. I actually made a sale on my second call. It was also the last sale I made for that company and I quit two weeks later. I didn’t realize it then, but in retrospect the reason I failed to make another sale was because I just didn’t believe in the product. After making that first sale, I think that I subconsciously felt guilty about taking all that money from that family for over-priced books using high pressure tactics I had been taught. Lesson number one: You must believe in the product or service you’re selling.

The Tri-Star Vacuum Cleaner

Up until about 25 to 30 years ago, professional sales trainers advocated sales tactics which in fact made the selling process a contest of wits between salesman and customer. While my career in encyclopedia sales ended abruptly after only a few weeks, I did spend the rest of the 1960s in direct sales, most of those years in the vacuum cleaner business. I believed in my product so much that I managed to build a sales organization of some 300 men and women across western Canada that sold over 37,000 machines in a four-year span (machines which, today, retails for $1,900 U.S. – about ten times what we used to sell it for back then. http://www.oregoncityvacuum.com/aihoclsy1.html). Still, we used to train our sales force to view the selling process as a game of manipulation, like mental arm-wrestling with the prospective customer. Frankly, these practices were the norm for the day in the direct sales field and remain the status quo with many sales people to this day.


The major reason for my company’s success and ethical reputation was due to two important policies I implemented: (1) never to hire experienced direct sales people and (2) to let customers who woke up the next morning with buyer’s remorse cancel their contracts.


With respect to the first item, experienced direct sales people tend to float like gypsies from company to company and product to product. Oh, yes, they could sell – but, the problems they could cause in the process were an unwelcome side effect. Manipulation of the customer is one thing; deceit and misrepresentation is something else altogether. I managed to avoid this problem by hiring inexperienced people from virtually all other walks of life – other than direct sales, and training them my way.


As for the second policy, back in those days there was no cooling off period wherein the customer could cancel the contract after making a purchase. Once they signed on the dotted line and the sales person walked out the door, the purchase was legally binding and non-cancellable. Believe me, when you have a successful sales closure rate of 55% on cold call sales presentations (that is, when the customer did not contact you or even know what you were selling when you knocked on their door), you’re going to have your share of buyer’s remorse. While it was common practice in the industry to hold people to the contract at all costs, I figured it didn’t take a genius to understand that it is better to have 90% of your sales be satisfied customers than to have 10% of your customers angry and complaining to friends and the Better Business Bureau.

By the way, these are two more of the lessons I have learned and practices I have followed throughout the balance of my 50 years in business: (1) wherever possible, bring in raw recruits and train them YOUR way; they're less likely to bring any baggage with them from previous jobs and they tend to be more loyal to you; and, (2) don’t be afraid to give people their money back if they’re unhappy with their dealings with you; how can your company incur negative publicity if all you have on record are clients who were happy with their business dealings with you?

So, What IS the Art of Selling?



Selling is a process by which both you and another party have an equal opportunity to achieve a benefit from the transaction. It is not an adversarial contest of wits but rather a form of communicating a potential gain for the prospective client. I gained more insight into this theory beginning over three decades ago from the world-renowned sales trainer and motivational speaker, Jim Cathcart.

A must-have book for any
 sales professional's library

Jim’s concept of Relationship Selling has brought the art of salesmanship into the 21st century. It is the model every professional sales person needs to adopt to truly succeed at salesmanship. He does not merely preach the philosophy of relationship selling, he lives and breathes it himself. Since hiring Jim as a speaker back in 1979 (and he discusses that experience on one of his video previews), I wound up hiring him for several other major events over the years prior to selling TIDY CAR a decade later. Our relationship has transcended that of business and we remain friends to this day.

Unfortunately, many people are uncomfortable with the sales process due in no small part to the scenario I described above. They dislike the thought of entering a mental jousting contest with a prospective client. And having been through the old school of salesmanship myself, I can understand why. However, when you understand the process of relationship selling, I can tell you from experience that you will embrace the concept with your heart and soul. You’ll actually look forward to every opportunity you have to develop a mutually rewarding relationship.

In the old School of Thought, the sale was completed when the sales person "closed" the sale.  In reality, the sale only begins when the client says, "yes."  There is no business-to-client relationship where this holds truer than in our industry.  Every week on every visit you're reinforcing the fact that your client made the right decision in hiring your company.  And instead of over-selling your service, the strategy should be to undersell it and deliver more than you promise. 

People do expect a clean home when you visit.  What they don't expect is the fresh carnation your team leaves behind when they come -- or the Andes mint glued to a card that says, "We enjoy keeping your home in mint condition."  The ongoing relationship your team reinforces by leaving a personal note on every cleaning day is another little "extra" they didn't expect when they hired you -- "We love the new living room suite," or "We see Mitzi visited the dog groomer this week ...so cute," or "We included the baseboards in our rotational schedule this week." 

I strongly encourage you to get a copy of Jim's book on Relationship Selling.  In the meantime, on your next sales call think of the meeting with your prospective client as the beginning of a long and mutually rewarding relationship and not a mere dollars and cents transaction.  When you, too, adopt this philosophy you're going to find the process far more relaxed and the prospect much more comfortable.