When it comes to selling your janitorial services, casting a wide net is no longer enough.
According to Jordan Tong, CEO of Frantz Building Services and founder of Elite Business Coaching (Elite BSC), the real growth lies in precision prospecting.
Tong, who leads a commercial cleaning company based in Owensboro, Kentucky, shared a hard-earned truth as a speaker at the Business Growth Strategies event at ISSA headquarters: “If I could give you a list of the top 200 clients in your area, the decision-makers, and when they bid—how much would you pay for it?”
Tong answered his own question with a smile: “You’d take out your checkbook.”
That insight frames his entire sales philosophy. For janitorial contractors looking to scale, the future belongs to those who can identify, nurture, and land the right kind of customer.
Target your ideal client
Much of the cleaning industry still relies on what Tong describes as the “shotgun method”—a broad and inefficient approach that targets everyone and connects with few. “In Kentucky, where I’m from, you use a shotgun for rabbits or birds,” he said. But for something big, like a deer or elk, you need a rifle. Bigger targets require a more precise but powerful approach.”
The same principle applies to cleaning contracts. “If you want to grow your business, you grow with the right kinds of customers—the right size, the right profile,” Tong said. He emphasized that larger accounts not only bring in more revenue but also offer more consistent opportunities for long-term partnerships.
The first step in successful prospecting is developing what Tong calls your “ideal client profile.” This involves analyzing your existing customer base to identify which accounts are most profitable, easiest to serve, and those that are most satisfied with your services. “You’re looking for the sweet spot where what they want and what you’re best at align,” Tong explained.
He encouraged attendees to categorize ideal customers by three key criteria:
- Location: Stay within a practical service area.
- Segment: Choose verticals that match your strengths (e.g., medical, education, manufacturing).
- Size: Understand that the number of users in a building often determines workload more than square footage.
For instance, a 1 million square foot warehouse with 20 employees might require less cleaning than a 100,000 square foot office with 500 daily users.
Create an actionable list
Once the target profile is defined, Tong recommends building a prospect list. He likened this step to studying a lake before a fishing tournament: “You don’t fish the whole lake—you study the underwater maps and pick five key spots to spend your day.”
Tong utilizes a combination of paid tools, including ZoomInfo, Apollo, and Convex, as well as free sources such as Google Maps, LinkedIn, and local economic development websites. “We always say we’re looking for parking lots,” he said. “If there are a lot of cars, there’s likely an account worth chasing.”
Tong also shared a practical tip: Verify the size and viability of prospects visually. “Use Google Maps street view and zoom out to see if it’s an office park or industrial complex. One good lead can uncover a cluster of others nearby.”
Hunt for decision-makers
A key obstacle for cleaning contractors is pinpointing the person who makes the buying decision. “It’s a needle in a haystack,” Tong said. “In a school, the facilities director probably isn’t your first call—it’s the business manager or someone in finance. But in a manufacturing plant, that same facilities manager might be exactly who you want.”
Tong advises creating a “buyer persona” for each vertical and using that as a template for prospecting. While tools like ZoomInfo and Sales Navigator can help identify potential contacts, Tong also recommended creative sleuthing. “Search LinkedIn,” he advised. “Google their name. Sometimes, you find an email in an old PDF buried on the internet.”
Don’t stop working after the first contact
Once a potential decision-maker is found, it’s not about selling—it’s about nurturing. Tong described the typical janitorial sales cycle as long and unpredictable. “You might call and hear, ‘We just signed a three-year deal.’ Well, guess what? You need to be there in three years.”
Tong’s advice: Build trust over time. Stay present. Offer value. And above all, don’t be pushy. “It’s about reducing the customer’s perceived risk while increasing their trust in you,” he said.
Tong uses email campaigns with a simple goal: Find the person in charge. “We’re not saying, ‘Let me bid on your cleaning,’” he explained. “We’re asking, ‘Are you the right person? If not, can you point me to who is?’”
Change your cold-calling technique
Despite trends toward digital communication, Tong maintains that cold calling remains effective—if done correctly. He cautioned against aggressive outreach to personal cell phones and instead advocated for respectful, well-timed calls based on earlier email interactions or signals of interest.
He also recommended tools to scrub and verify email addresses (such as NeverBounce) to avoid deliverability issues.
Dig for answers
Tong said the ultimate goal in janitorial prospecting is to uncover three pieces of information:
- Do they outsource their cleaning?
- Who is the decision-maker?
- What’s the contract status or bid timeline?
“Once you have these three things, you can prioritize, plan, and prepare your approach,” he said.
Commit to the long game
For those serious about landing high-value contracts, Tong offered clear advice: “This process takes work, but it works. You’re not fishing in the dark—you’re targeting the right fish in the right part of the lake with the right bait.”
His final advice? Get organized, know your customers, and resist the temptation to chase every lead. “Focus,” he said. “There’s treasure out there—you just need to take off the blindfold.”
