FREE demos?

Used to have the 'experts' always tell me "Do it for free and they will give you lots of business.". Guess what? If you do the biggest job that they have for free, where is the profit going to come from when all you get are the crumbs from their table? After all you already did the 90% of the work they needed for FREE! This did not work for me. Most people place the value ot your work upon the service they get. If you do the whole thing for free they can feel that you don't place much value on it either.
INSTEAD : Do a section for free. Like the side of the porch or half of the corner with all the webs or a 8'x 8' area beside the door. You are not trying to get them mad at you for the only clean spot on the house but you can only do so much for free. Don't finish the house that day (if you get the job) try to schedule the job in 2-3 days. This way you can get alittle pulicity out of it.
HANG UP A JOB SITE SIGN!





------------------
Jackett Enterprises Inc.
Houlton,Maine

<FONT COLOR="Blue">Make sure you ask first because if you clean a spot in an area that is visible and they decide not to have you do the work. You will have a lot of problems. Things like that can get you in a weird spot. </FONT c>

------------------
Dan Flynn
Flynn Service Pro www.powerwash.net
708/715-4206

I do free demo's every time I get in a new area, that is worth my time.
I drive around the subdivision and find the worst house in the neighborhood, the one that the whole neighborhood talks about. You know the one.
Well anyway I knock on there door and offer them a free job if and only if they do me two favors:
1) Allow me to place a large business yard sign in there yard close to the house
2) Allow me to place yellow (wet paint or danger) tape all over the front yard as if there was a crime scene
and they have to keep it there for a minimum of 2 days.
What happens is you end up getting everyone in the neighborhood coming down to find out who got killed and in turn they only see your yard sign and a clean job. It makes for a lot of laughs and makes doing the free job worth while. One thing that happens is people from all over the place seem to get your name. Remember word of mouth spreads fast and everyone seems to call everyone before they even come down to see what is going on. Even if they do not hire you right now, they will remember your name like that annoying radio announcement that you hate to hear but it sticks with you.
Beats doing the job for free, just to do it for free.
Have fun this year and make a ton of money!!!
Good luck in 2000.

Rob