I just wanted to tell everybody to calm down.Its a numbers game! Hey! Some people will be interested and some wouldn't. All I do is talk to the people in a certain way. I can tell if they are going to get the work done by me or not. I tell them a price. Some come out and say yes; I am going with you. You are very fair. Others area yellow light, they need to be convinced. I offer to do something extra, and then they say yes; you can do the job. I have had 22 leades and I have closed about 48% of them. Like I said its a numbers game. If anybody wants some help email me a swead@hotmail.com
          

Service magic is acctually a very good tool! closing on about one out of two leads is pretty good! for the fee they charge! And some sales and people skills do help! 
          

Great Form I'll start using it asap
          

We have been with ServiceMagic for about 9 months.  In paid advertising, factoring in their brand and traffic and stacking it up against all other alternatives, it is a wise investment.  If, of course, you follow the plan (use common marketing sense practices), you can make it work for you.  Go try newspapers, radio, other sites, etc. and we'll see you when most of you come back.
          

I have to agree with Baisa, we were with SM back in 2006, but the economy was booming and the need for extra work by our company was not needed. I was concerned about their program back then, but since have rejoined and found that a lot of their program changed for the better. All the concerns and questions that I had, had been addressed and answered. We are now receiving leads and closing them as fast as we receive them. I do feel that if you are not business savy or do not have any knowledge in marketing and sales in business then you need to start accepting their help, instead of complaining. I have followed all of there support this time around and have found that it wasn't them, it was me that only would look at the mighty old dollar sign and leads that they would send me. This program is here to help you. If you were to go out and try to locate work on your own instead of paying $12.00 to have it done for you, then you really need to sit back and think how much time and effort you are wasting, because their are alot more people under cutting you in the open market than here. I have tried radio, newspaper, other sites, mailers, flyers and door hangers and found that my cost for marketing was astronomical because of associated cost of printing, distribution and most of all fuel cost. Anyhow if you decide to leave then it only open more door for me and others who decided to follow there program, so sionara
          

I have been with SM for about 3 months and I am pleased with them. I book about 50-55% of the referrals and the others I send a future customer letter.  I have come up with some great marketing ideas to win their business the next time.  I am going to start sending out quarterly newsletters to keep my name out there.  

You have to start thinking outside the box in order to boost your business.  I appreciate SM because they are sending me customers and with the right marketing strategy, future customers.  

If you do not know how to market, go to the book store and do a little reading.  Everyone should be researching their profession to get ahead of their competition, to find out about their competition and learn how to close the deal.  No one will win all of the bids but if you put the time in, it WILL pay off. 

Another thing is your presentation.      Using proper grammar and being knowledgeable helps.  Saying things like please and thank you goes a long way.

For the leads that are bogus, call and email customer service.  I get positive feedback each time I speak with them.  If the customer service rep does not give you satisfaction, ask for the supervisor and keep going up until you are satisfied.  

I hope my comments help.  Stay positive and everything will work to your advantage.

          

I have not started taking leads yet but I am scheduled to start tomorrow. I have 15+ years in marketing at IBM and it is tough but qualifying your customer over the phone is a big money saver.  The other thing is most contractors do not want to be sales people so if possible hiring a sales person part time to qualify you leads over the phone and then going with that person on a few calls might give you the sales experience you need and make all the difference in you bottom.  Often times people will double with marketing and project management skills because they are people oriented people so you may want to look into that instead of doing it all yourself.  You must invest money to make money and we all know that.  I believe that SM will be less costly then most sources.  It is a matter of selling yourself and word of mouth is the best advertisement.  If anyone would like any marketing tips not to be conceited buy IBM drills it into you like the military I would be happy to help.   You can contact me at cdmpiii@att.net.  I taught classes for 2 years and can come up with an answer to about any objection and help you sell why your value is better even at a higher price.  Stay positive and GOOD LUCK to all.  I will comment again when I have taken leads and see what I really think/ 
          

Service magic has helped me turn my failing business into a booming one . All you negative people are never going to make it in sales until you stop complaining and start selling . When someone asks me how many leads I actually sell, I say "all of them "
because the ones I don't sell I forget about. 

make it a great day ! 
pat F. 
          

I cant bring up the tracking sheet it comes up as INVALID MENU ITEM? would someone please tell me how to fix this??
          

With the economy in shambles and businesses closing all over, my company is diong GREAT.Service Magic has made a big impact on leads and sales. I have only been with them for 2 months. One lead led me to 10 neighbor referals within 2 weeks! I have reccomended S.M. to every business owner I know. I am a sole proprioter so every aspect is done by me and me alone. If I can do it so can YOU!!! 
          

My first encounter with SM was like 8 years ago and wow have they got it together since. Probably the only construction promotion outfit that actually under stands what service means. 
          

I have been with Service Magic since April 08 and have added 14 new Maid Service Clients and from those clients referrals I received 4 more Clients. I love Service Magic and they offer so much help to make your business successful and this is the first time I learn about the tracking sheet and it is the greatest. Thanks Service Magic

Linda B. - 01/08/09 6:08 am EST
          

I was one of those guys that walked on broken glass when first speaking with them.  We'll 7 months later I tried it out and WOW WOW and WOW. 

I've been with service magic since December 08, and have closed a surprising 75% of my leads sent to me. You have to be willing to work a little extra and be on top of the leads, and not every lead is a close but again like the other people are saying, you need to send out future work letters and read read read.

Michael W
          

Try getting a CRM (Customer Relationship Manager) program. The best are off-site so you can use a "netbook" computer and an aircard to access your information from anywhere. This type of program allows all lead sources to be used, Service Magic, other companies, calls, referrals, etc. in one place. This allows you to "flesh-out' each lead completely when you have the time.
          

How you take your failures determines how quickly you will win the next time. Don't beat yourself up when you receive a no. Evaluate how you could've presented better and implement it the next time. I have found that a positive attitude resonates onto your clients and mirrors back to you, making you a stronger closer. Educating yourself on changing trends and what consumers are looking for, proper installation and use of products are ways to add value to your sale. If you want to make more, make yourself more valuable. Join the NKBA, they are a fantastic resource and networking opportunity, when I tell clients not only that I am a member, but what the last meeting was about and what I learned, they see that you really are a seasoned professional and are genuine on wanting to bring your clients the best. Make your associations work for you, instead of it just being another acronym on your wall or vehicle. Service magic does so much in educating us on what consumers are looking for as well. Use that resource, and tell your clients it's not just a lead source!
          

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