How to get your first 10 customers (part 1)

The only reason you’re reading this is because you want more customers. Maybe you’re at 10 wanting to get to 20, or maybe you’re at 1 just trying to get to 2.

Or maybe, just maybe, you’re exclusively a residential cleaner looking to break into Airbnb. If that’s the case, this edition is FOR YOU! Here are 3 solid ways to land your first 10 Airbnb clients (part 1).

(p.s. you’re going to want to save this and send it to a friend)

Word of Mouth

Let’s kick things off with the easiest, and honestly, the most effective.

Tell people that you clean Airbnbs! It’s that simple. Tell everyone you know (friends, neighbors, pastors, kids’ teachers, everyone). Why do this? Because even if you don’t know anyone who personally owns an Airbnb, chances are super high that they know someone who does.

Often folks are looking for cleaners and simply don’t know where to find them. Let’s say you told Sally that you’re cleaning Airbnbs and then Sally goes out to lunch with Jessica. When Jessica mentions she needs a new cleaner for her Airbnb, guess who Sally is going to name drop? YOU. Even if it’s not until several months later.

Too many cleaners are unable to find customers because they are unwilling to tell their friends, families, etc. that they have a business! Get out there, be bold, and tell some people.

Here’s a challenge, tell 10 people a day that you own an Airbnb cleaning business. It can be in casual conversation or simply a text to a friend or acquaintance. I promise it will pay off.

Facebook Groups

This is by far my favorite approach and likely to be yours too if you love sharing, educating, and meeting cool people!

Here’s what you do for this one: log into your Facebook account (yes, likely the one you made in college / high school) and go to the Groups section. Start a search for an Airbnb / STR host group in your area.

For example, if I lived in Miami I would search “Airbnb hosts Miami” and boom! So many groups for you to explore. These are all your potential customers in one Facebook group.

Despite what you’ve seen in other Facebook groups, it is highly inadvisable to advertise your services right away. It’s a bit off-putting because you don’t have trust established yet.

Here’s how we’re going to solve this.

Start first by observing the group - who is posting, who are the leaders, etc. You’re going to want to become friends with them. If you want to eventually promote your business in their group, make sure you have their approval. Remember, you entered their territory.

So send the Admin a DM and ask how you can be helpful. Then, start by posting ONE helpful piece of content in the group. It can be directed at hosts or cleaners. The goal here is to be helpful. That’s it. The goal is NOT to sell your cleaning services. That will come later.

Here’s an example post that I did:

My goal was to simply remind hosts of upcoming home football games so they could adjust their prices accordingly. Of course, I signed the post with our cleaning company information.

By doing this regularly, you are laying the ground work for a thriving business and a respected company. Build trust first, then sell. Eventually, once you have built rapport, you can offer your services. But now your sales post will mean something significant because hosts have learned to trust you.

Airbnb DMs

This method is highly controversial in the Airbnb community, but it has earned its place on this list as a top way to get new customers. Did you know that you can message a host on Airbnb without reserving the property? Yep.

(before we begin, here’s a friendly reminder that this tool should be used with respect for hosts and their time. Do not, and I repeat DO NOT spam hosts).

Now, here’s how you can use the Airbnb platform to find your first 10 customers:

Login to your Airbnb account (surely you have one from that trip for your friend’s wedding, the girl’s trip, or your big birthday bash).

Search your city and take a look at the Airbnbs in your area. Be selective about which ones you choose. If it’s a massive property and you’re a solo cleaner, this might not be the best fit.

When you find a few properties that you would LOVE to clean, scroll down on the page to the button that says “message host.” This is where you’re going to pitch your services in a clear and respectful way. Here’s a script you can use:

“Hi! So sorry if this comes across as a booking. I own a cleaning company in the area and we’re trying our best to grow! Would you be opposed to getting a quote for cleaning?”

Again, please do not abuse this. Airbnb will remove accounts that spam hosts or that send too many messages so be mindful of that. Also, these are your potential customers so the last thing you want to do is be a thorn in their side.

Not all will respond, and not all will want a quote. But those who do want a quote will be grateful you found them.

There are SO many other ways you can find customers for your Airbnb cleaning business. Next newsletter will break down part 2 so please share this with a work associate, boss, neighbor, etc. Let’s grow the biggest community of Airbnb cleaners!

P.S if you want my full run down of all the ways to get new customers for your Airbnb, check out my $49 course (way undervalued if you ask me). It’s 2.5 hours of me explaining how to grow an Airbnb cleaning business from $0 - $20K/mo. It’s my story with all the details.

Heck, if you buy it and hate it, I’ll give you your money back. That’s how confident I am that it’s worth way more than $49. Get it here!

Until next time,

Logan

Get the goods 🧼 

Want more knowledge to build your cleaning empire? The below are some of the best pieces of information to grow your business, perfect your clean, and become an expert in the field.

• Departure cleaning checklist

• Airbnb cleaning business course

Some of our greatest hits:

• How to get customers - the ULTIMATE list

• Cleaners, protect your worth

• If a host says this, RUN!

• Levels to Airbnb cleaning