Welcome to Part 2 of our 4-part series: “Simplify Planning & Boost Results.”

In this episode, we tackle the two most critical drivers of janitorial growth: marketing and sales. 

Hosts Mark Anderson, Sharon Cowan, CBSE, and Ed Selkow break down how to use the Planning Wheel framework to evaluate your current efforts, cut what’s not working, and strategically plan for more predictable revenue.

No more crossing your fingers with marketing or relying on luck for leads. Learn how to take control of your growth engine — and stop outsourcing results you don’t understand or can’t measure.

💥 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• ✅ How to assess where your marketing & sales efforts truly stand
• ✅ Why outsourcing lead gen without oversight is a huge red flag
• ✅ What metrics to track to predictably grow revenue
• ✅ How to use the Planning Wheel to improve your close rate and funnel
• ✅ Why your funnel health determines whether you’ll keep growing
• ✅ A red-light / green-light method to cut waste and optimize fast
• ✅ Real talk on healthy account size % and chasing the right clients

📌 This Episode Is For:

• Janitorial companies struggling with inconsistent sales
• Owners outsourcing marketing without understanding the numbers
• Operators who want more control and clarity in their sales funnel
• Anyone building a marketing plan for the new year or next quarter

🧭 Episode Breakdown:

(01:00) – The planning wheel recap: where are you, how did you get here?
(03:00) – How to evaluate your marketing honestly (and objectively)
(05:00) – Why outsourcing blindly is like “hiring a $200 date”
(07:00) – What to track when running ads or managing an outside firm
(10:00) – Red-light / green-light method: cut, improve, replace
(12:30) – Sales funnel math: how to plan backwards from your close rate
(16:00) – Why most owners overestimate growth goals without a path
(20:00) – What percentage of revenue should one account be?

🔗 Where to Find Your Hosts

• Sharon Cowan, CBSE – LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram
• Mark Anderson – LinkedIn
• Ed Selkow – CleaningProphets.com

About Polishing Profits

Hosted by Mark Anderson, Sharon Cowan, and Ed Selkow — three of the most experienced operators in the commercial cleaning industry — Polishing Profits delivers no-fluff strategies that actually work. With over 140 years of combined experience, they’ve helped countless companies scale, win, and systematize their success.

Produced by The Profitable Cleaner Network

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