having problem picking up more customers

[redrddvl]

Hi ive been having trouble getting new customers. I've passed out flyers and business cards and have only gotten a couple of calls also been using Craigslist but only one or 2 hits. Any suggestions

[poolplayer]

Lawn care business tips

im in the same position as you. i think this is going to be a bad year for some of us. im actually thinking of selling my equipment. ive only sold 1 customer this year and unless i can pick up atleast 50 more in the next week ( not likely ) i will be shutting down and looking for a job with someone else. best of luck to you.

[CHEESE2009]

Originally Posted by redrddvl

Hi ive been having trouble getting new customers. I've passed out flyers and business cards and have only gotten a couple of calls also been using Craigslist but only one or 2 hits. Any suggestions

Don't worry, most of your customers will come while the season has already started.


Expect to double your customers in June. People who decided to cut their own lawn this year will realize how annoying it can be - and they will be looking. Happens every year.



Suggestions

Ask family and friends to refer you.

Take a drive around, as you see people out on their yards or working in their garage - feel free to introduce yourself and talk to them about your service. I've gotten quite a few customers by showing my face - instead of relying on a piece of paper.



Own the city you are in by being known as the friendly freak who has nothing negative about him. Become Mr. Popular when possible.

When you speak to people, don't start off by mentioning your service;


If I see someone washing their vehicle, I'll say, "You wanna do mine next?" along with a compliment of their choice in vehicle, color/model, etc.

If I see someone working on something in their garage, i'll say,
"Whatcha workin on?" and take interest.

A wife told me she has all the tools to cut her own lawn and that she will be doing it herself, i said, "You're Hired!" to brighten up the mood and leave without feeling disappointed.
Making a customer laugh might make him/her consider helping you out and referring you to a friend. After all, you were very friendly.

I passed an elderly man walking on the street and said, "You look like your in better shape than I am!" as I was handing out flyers.


The trick is to show interest, show that you are friendly and have character. Make the customer feel special, and impressive. Then say, "I thought i'd come and bug you for a little bit about something you might be interested in"



It helps if you are Irish or Newfie, as we can get away with being intrusive and still remain friendly in the eyes of potential customers. lol. It's like being a cartoon character in real life.

[Steve]

I've passed out flyers and business cards and have only gotten a couple of calls also been using Craigslist but only one or 2 hits.

Give us some insight as to how you have been passing out flyers and how many you passed out.

Also, how often are you posting on craigslist? Do you experiment with different offers?

Are you looking at other ads to compare and contrast how your ad compares?

[redrddvl]

I usually walk down 2 streets in a neighborhood and put a flyer on everybody probably about 100 flyers. On Craigslist I'm doing it every 2 to 3 days because there so many people posting lawncare. I have been comparing to other ads but try to switch it up.

[JP Landscaping]

pass out 1000 fliers and wait for some calls

keep posting on craigslist as you are now or switch up your offers there

build a website. You can go to www.webs.com and build a free one. pretty easy.

[Convenient Lawn Care]

100 flyers is not going to do it. I have passed out 1000's of them, it works, just have to give it time. If you are doing nothing else on a given day, go advertise, if you have a trailer or a truck with your bussiness on it then use it every time you go to the store or do any kind of running. The more people see your name, the more you will start to stand out.

In my exp, the 3 main things you have to do to be successfull, not the only things but the main...

1. Do quility work and do it EVERYTIME
2. Price your work fair
3. Advertise, advertise advertise advertise.....

[Steve]

100 flyers is not going to do it. I have passed out 1000's of them

That is a very good point. If we in general see a 1 - 2 % response rate from flyers, you might only get 1 call per 100 you distribute. Knowing that, it shows you how important it is to get a lot more out.