Motivational Thread

[element009]

Originally Posted by Steve And the situation was they can't just be stuck in the door, they can only be handed to a homeowner? If that is the case, does that effect the time you are going to go out and do this in order to catch them when they are home? Correct, I can only give literature to someone who answers the door and accepts it. I'm going to go out in the morning on the first day (around 9am). I'm hoping that because this is a very well-to-do town, there will be a lot of wives who stay at home. If I notice that there are a lot of empty houses, I will try again from maybe 3 -5pm. I'm not allowed to advertise after sunset, and it's completely dark right now and it's not even 6pm. I hate changing the clocks back!

[Steve]

Lawn care business tips

This will be a great experiment with a bunch of variables to consider. Such as: Will mornings be better than dinner time? Will weekdays be better than weekends?

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[element009]

I did one estimate last week, I'm still waiting for a reply. I got a lot of calls this weekend from the flyers I put out. I have about 4 more estimates to go on today and tomorrow and also some messages on my phone I haven't been able to check yet.

I really think the timing for this was important. Putting out stuff right as the leaves are about to start falling en masse seems to be working well so far.

[element009]

Hello all,

I'm still doing pretty well with this. I'm at about 8 new clean-ups, with a few more estimates this week. It's tough to fit them in during the day because daylight is short and I'm trying to get all my clean-ups done, but it's a good problem to have. It looks like I will meet my goal of 10 new clean-ups plus maybe a little extra. Also, 3 of the new clients have already signed on for weekly mowing service next year, and I'm hoping more will follow suit.

How is everybody else doing with clean-ups this year??? Anybody else using this time to pick up more clients?

[Steve]

That is fantastic!

When you are there on their property presenting them a bid for leaf cleanups, what do you find is the best way to upsell them on future lawn mowing? Do you have them sign a contract for it on the spot? Do you offer some kind of discount for prepay as well?

[element009]

I don't do contracts yet, although I will be implementing that next season. Basically every estimate i do I make sure to let them know the other major services I provide before I do the job. It works well in the fall because their lawn is covered with leaves. So once they see what the lawn looks like when I'm done, it has a big effect. It's not easy to convince rational people to pay for something that they weren't already considering buying. However, if they did have it in mind, the effect of seeing a very clean lawn after it was covered with debris has sealed the deal on several occasions for me.

[Steve]

What's your plan on how you will be implementing the contracts?