marketing

I am on the east coast also. I find the best time is at the start of Feb. I pick up alot of spring clean ups by doing so, I am in Florida, usally the get prices in Feb and schedule for March. GL

[CHEESE2009]

Lawn care business tips

Originally Posted by Steve Should a lawn care business owner be hitting the same houses multiple times or is once enough? If the budget allows for it, it is highly recommended! Also a great time to test out a new flyer design. Maybe something was wrong with the first?! People may have thrown out the flyer because it was not of importance to them at that time in their life. Doing a second pass around the start of the mowing season will probably grab their interest, now that they finally realize their grass is starting to turn out. If they didn't just throw out the flyer due to the service not being important at the moment, & rather just through it out because they didn't like what they saw. Maybe the second batch of flyers can have a new look & better deal. Maybe these people want to see what they would be paying monthly, though on your previous flyer you only put the annual cost, which is a large & scary number.

[Steve]

You have to have the mindset that YOU have no competition. YOU are the best. Kill people with kindness. Customer service wins. Go the extra mile for folks. You don't HAVE to be everything to everyone.

Be organized with all aspects of your accounting. Keep your equipment well maintained. Think ahead. Always be thinking "what can I be doing to make things better?" Just take 15 minutes to brainstorm and write things down to help keep things organized.

Those are great thoughts!

What kinds of things do you feel you can do now with your lawn care business that you are the best and to make yourself stand out?

What would you say are the top 5 things a newer lawn care business should be writing down as they brain storm ideas?

[legendlawn]

I hand out flyers year round... I just handed out some the other day. There was some snow on the ground, but it was a nice day. I have found that people hang onto them, then call when it gets closer to mowing season. Also, everybody with a lawn care business should read The Arborist's and Landscape Professionals Marketing Bible by: John P. Davis. I have made my entire 2010 marketing plan by what I have learned from this book.

[Steve]

What lessons do you feel stood out that really helped your marketing plan this year?

[legendlawn]

The book has many lessons, but I would say the one that stands out the most is to sale on value, not on price. This can be applied to all of his concepts like providing a guarantee in writing, how you deal with complaints, your sales process etc. That's another thing I learned is to have a sales procedure in writing. Have a written process with steps to follow from the time the potential client contacts you, to when you follow-up after completing the job. As far as the actual marketing goes the book taught me to use direct response marketing, which is always including an offer and a deadline for response. He also goes over the most effective ways to advertise in print, such as newspapers and yellow pages

[Steve]

Have a written process with steps to follow from the time the potential client contacts you, to when you follow-up after completing the job.

Oh that is fascinating!

What kinds of steps to you suggest a lawn care business owner have in their written sales procedure?

[legendlawn]

Step 1: Client Contacts us. Thank the client for contacting us Ask the client how they found out about us, so that you can track the cost effectiveness of your current marketing methods. Set up a time to meet with the client for bid proposal.

Step 2: Meet with client. Assess mowing, landscaping project, and/or current landscape management needs. set up a time to meet with the client in person to deliver the bid proposal. Put together new client package.

Step 3: Meet client in person to deliver bid proposal and new client package. New client package includes the proposal, our written guarantee, referrall program information, current and past newsletters, information and offers on other services.

Step 4: If client does not hire you on the spot have a follow-up letter postmarked within 24hours that: thanks them for giving you the oppurtunity to bid. reaffirms your key selling points, encourages them to call to schedule their mowing/project, and call with any questions.

Step 5: Schedule Job.

Step 6: If you are not going to be on the jobsite and it is a project rather than routine maintenace, make a job packet for your employees. The job packet should include: materials list, directions to jobsite, customer contact information, digital pics with directions such as move this tree, or leave this rock undisturbed etc.

Step 7: Complete Job

Step 8: Bill Client

Step 9: Send a thank you letter within 24 hours of the completion

Step 10: Follow up by phone 1-3 days after completion if you have not talked to client after completion

[Steve]

Oh Logan, that is very interesting.

Step 4: If client does not hire you on the spot have a follow-up letter postmarked within 24hours that: thanks them for giving you the oppurtunity to bid. reaffirms your key selling points, encourages them to call to schedule their mowing/project, and call with any questions.

What is your view on the effectiveness of sending a letter in such a situation vs. calling them?

Step 9: Send a thank you letter within 24 hours of the completion

Would this be kept simple, like thank you for giving us the opportunity to work on your property, or something like that?

Step 10: Follow up by phone 1-3 days after completion if you have not talked to client after completion

I am guessing this would be more for larger projects to make sure they are satisfied and not with mowing jobs?

[CHEESE2009]

My personal statistics; I have an error somewhere but I forgot how to read... Most of this is from memory & somewhat of a close estimation on a number I cannot share .

Door to Door
0.005% are willing to hire per flyer.
0.001% of these people who don't hire you, will refer you to someone else.
You will need 7000 flyers, or 35,000 referrals from these people in order to gain 35 new customers.

This is the best way to go about retrieving customers over time & budget. Regardless of the stats.

Current Customers
0.2% will refer you to someone else.
You will need 175 referrals from your customers in order to gain 35 new customers.

The problem is that you need customers to make customers, which actually doesn't solve the problem. The benefits are it doesn't take any effort to do.

Card Placement
0.1% are willing to hire per card.
0.001% of these people who don't hire you, will refer you to someone else.
You will need to place 35,000 business cards in order to gain 35 new customers.
You will need 35,000 referrals from these people in order to gain 35 new clients.

Cards are expensive, though if you have a few to spare it will not hurt your business. Judge the convenient store owner carefully, as he may throw your cards away as soon as you leave. Basically we'll go 50/50 on this with the 0.1%.


Friends
0.13% are willing to hire.
0.33% of these people who do & don't hire you, will refer you to someone else.
You will need 269 friends in order to gain 35 new clients.
You will need 106 referrals from these people in order to gain 35 new clients.

Once you use up all your friends, you can't necessarily expand. The above doesn't include anything other then your actual friends, though you could go to a few gatherings to meet interested people "networking".

Internet
0.13% are willing to hire.
0% will refer you.
You will need 269 ads in order to gain 35 new clients.

There is no way to really judge any of the above, especially when it comes to placing internet ads. We do not know the exact time frame, luck seems to play a big role on this one.


PLEASE CHECK IF YOU ARE ABLE TO AGREE WITH THE ABOVE STATS.

0.1% are willing to hire per card.

0.1 x 30 cards placed out in May in one dep = 3 customers in the middle of May

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