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Number 1: The ideal client system
You want to begin reaching out directly to your ideal client as soon as possible. Find out who they are and what they need, really create your client’s persona in your mind.
Consider giving your ideal cleaning client’s profile: a name, a job, a family, and a salary. Are they a nurse, a lawyer or a stay-at-home mom?
Pick a demographic, then type it all up in a document so that you can refer back to it or make adjustments when branding for your residential cleaning company.
Once you have identified your ideal cleaning client, call out to them.
Focus on meeting their cleaning needs, offer problem-solving solutions and begin to sell them on your home cleaning company before you even talk to them.
Speak to the cleaning client directly and be consistent with your message, this will warm them to your company, allowing them to recognize and trust you.
Don’t sleep on your website either! When a cleaning client looks you up, you should have a legit looking website for them to check out.
Branding is connected to perceived value. When you represent yourself at a certain level, you attract those who you want to serve.
If you are still cleaning and aren’t sure where to begin with pricing, then you should start mid-range in your area.
Price by the job – not by the hour – so that you have the opportunity to improve your times and earn more per hour instead.
“Hourly quoting attracts hourly thinking” – Ken Carfagno
As you are able to get in and out faster, be sure to keep up with your techniques in order to achieve a quality cleaning every time. This will translate into making more money per hour!
With this more effective cleaning, you will have more time to grow your Maid Service with marketing.
Filter the leads you generate to reveal your best cleaning clients.
You can do this by sharing your prices, FAQ, and availability for booking on your Maid Service website as well as on your voicemail recording in order to filter out those who aren’t the right fit for your brand.
Once you have a scheduled appointment and are serving a cleaning client for the first time, treat it as an audition for a recurring customer. Make a great first impression by showing up on time, having accountability, being prepared, and matching their energy.
After initial introductions, make a proposal then deliver on your promise and grow your Maid Service with this new cleaning client.
Number 2: The stand-out system
Now that you have your target client, separate yourself from the rest of the pack by focusing on your brand.
Be professional and show your legitimacy by having all of the appropriate insurances and documents required to begin your relationship with a new cleaning client.
Prepare to add a little flair in the form of a ‘leave behind’, your cleaning clients will love the thoughtfulness.
Stay organized and streamline your communication with clients both potential as well as recurring by batching your calls and emails. This means that you can focus on the job at hand rather than being interrupted.
The simple act of ‘letting it go to voicemail’ increases demand because your client’s know you are busy (but still responsive).
When speaking with cleaning clients use clean language, keep your car clean, your hair clean and continue generally branding yourself as a promoter of a clean life.
“This separates you to the upper 10% of all cleaning services!” – Ken Carfagno
Improve your home cleaning service and your life by setting these standards for yourself as well as your cleaners.
Hire people who share your values and treat them well so that you can be sure that they are someone your cleaning clients can trust and welcome into their homes.
You should be performing a high-quality cleanings every time by having systems in place to keep your Maid Service consistent.
Provide specialized knowledge about the science of cleaning and know your products.
Having knowledge of your products, knowing how they will work and what won’t work is a valuable trait in a home cleaning company.
Be the person that can help with problems, not create them. If you don’t do something like carpet cleaning, connect your cleaning client with someone who can.
This is also a great marketing and networking opportunity you can use to grow your Maid Service by collaborating with other companies.
Number 3: The optimization system
In order to optimize your Maid Service, you have to measure and know your numbers.
You should be tracking your revenue and your cleaning times, always know where your money is going or where it could go by measuring everything.
Set a path to where you want to go and start focusing on increasing your profits.
If you don’t enjoy math, you can certainly have someone do this for you. But make no mistake: you’ll struggle to truly know your business without also knowing your numbers.
Additionally, you can optimize your cleaning systems by practicing speed cleaning and timing your cleanings.
In order to be sure you cover everything, try using the ‘top to bottom, left to right, room to room’ method. If you are just starting out and don’t have a system in place, this is an easy one to pick up.
Be aware of other cleaning sciences, like knowing how techniques make you faster and why or what floor cleaning system you use.
Use productivity tools in order to maximize your efficiency, like setting deadlines, or sending smaller teams to homes in order to cover more at one time.
All of these options can help you increase your impact on individual cleaning clients, but all together they can positively benefit your brand and increase your business revenue.
The article above is based on a presentation by Ken Carfagno that happened live at the 2019 Maid Summit, hosted and organized by ZenMaid.
About the presenter
Ken Carfagnois the founder of Smart Cleaning Biz, a consulting company specifically designed to help you grow your Maid Service.
Prior to focusing his efforts on helping others achieve their dreams, Ken owned and operated Carfagno Cleaning Incorporated in New York, which was optimized and then sold in 2018.
By 2016, Ken had achieved success as a cleaning service provider, maximizing his profits and minimizing his work-week: working only 2 days a week and making $52,000 per year.
He now makes $100 an hour cleaning, averaging $60 -100 in recurring cleaning clients and is spending more time with his family from perfecting these 3 branding strategies.
This talk first aired at the 2019 Maid Service Success Summit.
The Maid Summit is an annual online event that brings together the most successful leaders in the cleaning industry, like Debbie Sardone, Angela Brown, Courtney Wisely, Amy Caris, Chris Schwab and more. Get free access to masterclasses and workshops that will help you to grow, scale and automate your cleaning business so you can get more leads and create more profit. Make sure you’re on our email list to find out how to get free tickets to the next event.
Read more articles for maid service owners on ZenMaid Magazine:
- 7 Must-Know Safety Tips for Your Cleaning Business (That Most Owners Miss)
- The Top 20 Cleaning Business Experts to Follow in 2025
- ZenMaid Year in Review: 2024 Was Pretty Amazing
- The Best Holiday Gift Guide for Your Cleaning Staff
- How This Single Mom Built a Six-Figure Home Services Business with ZenMaid
