How will my business stand out?

Last week, while our owner and Head of New Businesses took a well deserve break, I stepped into his role and had the opportunity to speak to everyone who made an enquiry to learn more about our businesses and our network.

Goodness did I learn a lot! I learnt what the market REALLY wants to know about us and how we work.

The very first information session I did, I asked the enquirer, ‘what’s on your mind the most, what concerns you the most about a franchise network or about business ownership in general’. And his answer actually took me by surprise. He said…

“There’s a lot of competition in my area. How will James help me stand out anymore than if I do this on my own’.

To me the answer is obvious.

But my first lesson of the last two weeks is, just because it’s obvious to me, doesn’t mean it is to others. That is indeed, why they enquire in the first place… simply to learn more.

On reflection, I did a very poor job at articulating an answer to this person’s question.

And I’ve since been asked the same question, multiples of times.

So, I thought I’d make a blog post, so anyone looking for this information, can find it easily.

Our entire system is designed to make you stand out. All the various strings to the James web, are woven together to create businesses that stand head and shoulders above their competition.

We’re the ones people called once they’ve tried the ‘cheap’ option, and were bitterly disappointed.

We’re the ones people trust with their bond cleans, when getting their bond back is paramount.

We’re the ones Real Estate Agents call when other cleaners or lawn and garden people have failed to meet satisfactory standards in a bond service.

We’re the ones people call when they want someone who will actually return their phone call AND show up when they say they will.

We’re the ones people will confidently refer their friends and family to.

We’re trusted by DVA and aged care providers all around Australia to deliver exemplary services and care to those in our community to need it most.

And none of this is ‘luck’, or ‘right place right time’. All of this is an outcome of a system designed to make your business stand out… for all the right reasons.

Standing out isn’t difficult. And I’ll be brutally honest about why… the bar for quality service in our industry is embarrassingly low.

Allow me to demonstrate:

• When’s the last time a service provider actually returned your call on the same day, let alone within 15 minutes?
• When’s the last time a service provider took the time to create a detailed quote, based on a conversation centered around YOUR expectations.
• When’s the last time a service provider showed up when they said they would?
• When the last time a service provider presented professionally, communicated articulately and filled you with confidence that your expectations will be met, and that they genuinely are focused on ensuring you are pleased with their service.

If you’re like me… then you’ll be casting your mind quite far back to recall an experience that was all these things.

The bar is embarrassingly low!

Don’t get me wrong, there are providers out there doing all this, exceptionally well. But they’re a small percentage of the total providers in the market. Those same providers are fully booked and not taking new clients… and that’s the point!

Why? …because there is always demand for quality.

So, the question to ask may not be ‘is there enough demand for my services given all the competition’… the right question may actually be…

‘Is there demand for the professional services I will offer’.

Just because they offer the same service as you… doesn’t mean they are your competition.

Here’s just a handful of ways our system is designed to make you stand out as a professional and reliable service provider, even if your market is flooded with people offering the same service:

• Our branding is some of the most professional looking in the market. It’s clear, fresh and consistent. It makes a statement about our businesses and the level at which they operate.
• We have a standard of service… and we teach you what this is, and how to deliver it in your business. This is not ‘luck’, this is strategy.
• Our quoting process is not just a quoting process. It’s a strategy to secure work, and leads the customer through an initial call, quote, negotiations and booking the job all in two smooth steps. This process, when implemented correctly if very effective at winning work at a high hourly rate because it instils confidence in your customer that you are trustworthy and reliable.
• Our IT systems and custom-built software is designed with speed and efficiency in mind, to aid in your provision of a seamless and simple experience for your customer.
• The online presence we create for your business is sophisticated, tactical and gets results. And we teach you how to leverage this, to increase the volume of leads you receive. We have specific strategies for web, Google and socials. We cover all the bases, so no matter where online your customer is looking, the impression they get of your business is consistent and professional.

When it comes to standing out, you don’t earn your stripes overnight… we’ve been earning ours over the past 31 years of business in this country. But when you align with a brand like ours, you get a head start on earning your stripes… because we give you ours to wear whilst you’re building your own.

If you’d like to know more about our stripes… or anything else about the way we work… just reach out.