contractor success commercial office space, a specific buying season that applies to all members typically does not exist. Many have a cleaning equipment and supplies budget they can draw on through-out the year. This means the JanSan distributor ser-vicing these clients can help them with their smaller consumables — paper products, cleaning chemicals and the like — but may also suggest new machines that are greener, more efficient and more effective throughout the year. As to BSCs, facility managers in these industries may take bids at any time of the year. However, particularly in health care, once a vendor has been selected, it is not uncommon for a facility to have a contract with the BSC that runs two or more years. Typically, contracts for health care facili-ties tend to be more ironclad and can only be terminated due to poor service or if the BSC is not providing services as contracted. Even if an industry has a buying season or a commercial facility has a contract with another company, that does not mean JanSan distributors and BSCs need not call on these organizations. In fact, just the opposite is true. These facilities, as with most large orga-nizations, maintain a vendor list, and the only way to get on the vendor list is by mak-ing sales calls or by marketing your firm to these organizations. To get on these prized lists, both BSCs and JanSan distributors must follow certain steps. Among them are the following: ■ Know who the decision maker is This can be surprisingly difficult, espe-cially if it is a large organization. Often, there are gatekeepers who put up roadblocks that can be hard to get around. And, for a retailer, health care facility or property management company, the physi-cal buying office for the organization may be halfway across the country. A good way to work around this problem, if possible, is to have a connection. If you know of other vendors who have already established a relationship with the organization, they will possibly have the contact names you need. And, if you are really lucky, they may even introduce you to one or more key buy-ers in the organization. ■ Be prepared What if you call on a location and are able to meet with the decision maker that day? In this case, be prepared. The decision maker will likely only give you a few minutes to introduce yourself and discuss your company. Develop a presentation and have profes-sional-looking brochures and information ready. If you pass this test, the door to the ven-dor list may open for you. ■ Know your market JanSan distributors that sell to health care facilities, as an example, will generally know what types of products these loca-tions purchase on a regular basis. Similarly, astute BSCs know that the ser-vices provided to a school or office building may not suffice in a medical setting. Each market may have specific cleaning needs. Know those needs before walking in the door so you don’t waste the client’s time or yours. ■ Find out if the client has special hiring programs At one time, many large organizations like retailers would have a central buying office that selected vendors such as clean-ing contractors to service all locations of the company. While this is still prevalent, some orga-nizations now have what are termed local purchase programs that give facility man-agers the authority to hire local cleaning contractors and JanSan distributors. In some cases, they may also have hiring initiatives favoring women business owners or minority groups. Along with locating the decision maker, find out if the organization you are inter-ested in servicing buys locally or has one of these special purchasing programs. It can be a real timesaver. ■ Patience pays off Even if you do get on the approved vendors list for organizations in a variety of industries, it can take a year or lon-ger before the organization takes bids for cleaning or considers selecting another JanSan distributor. Frustration will get you nowhere. Keeping in touch with the decision maker can definitely get you somewhere. And, even if your bid is not selected to provide services or products to this orga-nization, that does not mean you cannot try again. Treat it as a learning experience; often, you can find out why your company was not selected and can rectify this the next time around. Which Market Is for You A mistake some JanSan distributors and BSCs make is calling on everybody as if each facility is the same and has the same needs. As referenced earlier, this one mistake can result in scores of marketing failures. For instance, one BSC in California spe-cializes in cleaning medical facilities. He even started his career working for a large hospital as a maintenance worker. Very simply, he knows just about every-thing there is to know about cleaning a health care location — and the decision makers like this. This industry knowledge and experience counts and helps decision makers feel bet-ter about the vendor they select. Specialization can have other positive ramifications as well. Some decision makers hire vendors based on referrals. If similar organizations, even competi-tors, are happy with a contractor or JanSan distributor because they have heard the vendor is well-versed in that market’s spe-cific needs, when the time comes to make a change, that contractor or distributor may be the first in line. Marketing to disparate markets can be complicated; however, knowing the various markets’ needs and landing a spot on the preferred vendors list are the first steps in what can be a very successful and lucrative direction for your business. CM Michael Schaffer is a senior executive with Tacony’s Commercial Floor Care division. He is also president of Tornado Industries Inc., which manufacturers a full line of professional cleaning equipment, and CFR Corporation brand carpet extractors that recycle water and cleaning solution. For more information, visit www.TornadoVac.com and www.CFRCorp.com. 36 CM/Cleaning & Maintenance Management ® • January 2012
CMM – Archives Jan 2012: 36
