I think it’s safe to say that most of us did not originally get into window cleaning for recognition, prestige, or social status. Some of us kind of ‘slid into’ it. Perhaps a friend asked us to work, and we realized after a while the income potential existed if we decided to start our own business. Some of us may have read that it has an easy and inexpensive entry and has an impressive financial upside. But for the right to brag and rub shoulders with doctors, lawyers, and bankers? Likely not.
The principle applies to any field of business, really. The way we view ourselves and what we do will guide the way we carry and present ourselves. Do we walk around with our noses up in the air or do we have a hard time making eye contact when telling others what we do? Do we carefully craft our business description to show our importance, or do we mumble something and hope the questions stop? Whatever makes us tick, one thing is for sure: when it comes to window cleaning and other related professional services like pressure washing- we offer something that has value, and many people are willing to pay good money to get that value. Think of the headaches we are allaying when we come through for our customers. We contribute to happiness; we allow families with second homes to enjoy their getaway; we take an enormous item off the plate of Mrs. Smith, who is having a graduation party or wedding reception at the house next month; we help homeowners and building owners save face when we beautify their property. Sometimes our friends or family members don’t see things how we do when it comes to what we’re selling or offering.
Have you been laughed at or elicited a smirk or roll of the eyes when you say you are really selling a lifestyle or convenience as opposed to selling ‘clean windows’? Regardless, then, of whether we feel the need to compare our successes with those of our classmates, cousins, friends, or whomever, or we don’t care about any of that, we can and should take pride in what we do. Turning something ugly into something pretty in a skillful and responsible manner can be a good feeling. There is for sure a significant value in this service. Knowing that we can charge good money, often better money than the traditional professionals in society can be an incentive to stay on top of our game and shine. Knowing we can potentially tap into local and even remote markets and scale can keep us focused more on the business and less on how others view us.
Getting back to the question of where our noses are pointed – have we convinced ourselves that we have earned the right to be a bit snooty because we are deeply into six figures, maybe seven figures annually? Or do we quickly jump, spin, flip, and dance for anyone who is willing to throw some money our way? We probably fall somewhere in between. I’ve read some comments over the past several years that imply a few feel their professional cleaning business is a golden gift to their community and should be lauded as such. Maybe they are the go-to company for the richest and most influential people in the area and thus view themselves as a cut above the rest.
And there are some who seem to view the whole deal one transaction at a time. The customer can take them or leave them. How they dress or groom and behave is how they are. Any desire to be viewed a certain way by their customers is not a concern.
How about how we interact with homeowners when bidding on jobs or on the job? Do we fawn over them to get them to like us, or do we, by our words and air, place ourselves at their ‘level’ of status and attainment? Does one approach prove more advantageous to us when it comes to revenue potential? If psychology enters in, both ends of the spectrum may be less advantageous. If we convey the message that we are just so grateful that we can be in such a wonderful home owned by such a wonderful person, we may not be taken too seriously as a professional. We may be inadvertently telling ourselves that we are not worth what we really are worth and should accept any amount of revenue we can get for such a privilege. On the other hand, if we imply that we are on an equal social footing with homeowners and that they should be grateful for us being there, we may become a little much for those who have just a tiny amount of ego to feed. Please don’t get me wrong; I honestly don’t care much about gaining access to awesome homes or proving I’m ‘somebody.’ I care about being a highly respected service company built on honesty, quality, and kindness. I’ve found for myself the best way to remain ‘persona grata’ is by being respectful, responsive to customers’ needs, and not talking about myself too much. Being real and being friendly are straightforward objectives when we choose where our noses are going to be pointed.
In the long run, it seems much easier to me to craft our businesses to reflect our personal values. People eventually see it and us the way it really is and may not like discrepancies. We can tire ourselves just by trying to look like something we are not.
2024 has started off great! Make it great for yourselves, and stay true to yourself!
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