Next Project

[picframer]

Today's project is to remove this asphalt walkway, remove sod from around all trees, shrubs, build three gardens, move shrubs to a new location, plant 32 hedge shrubs and prep the walkway for brick. The 2520 transports everything removed to a dump trailer, we haul 15,000 pounds per load, hauled two loads today and have one more. The Hydraulic auger on the excavator sure saves a pile of time drilling holes for the hedge plants, and makes everything neat and tidy. We use an old Deere edger to cut the sod then a landscape/ditching bucket to lift out the sod. It was a fun day, hot but fun! Then again when your office is a sand box and playing in the dirt, everyday is awesome! Doing this manually would take the three of us over a week, with the equipment we will be done tomorrow, Friday morning at the latest.

Attached Images

	Start.jpg (127.5 KB, 25 views)
	Pavementout.jpg (114.8 KB, 21 views)
	pavementout2.jpg (129.8 KB, 16 views)
	pavementout3.jpg (262.0 KB, 17 views)
	pathgrade.jpg (134.0 KB, 24 views)
	Edgeeverything.jpg (139.7 KB, 19 views)
	loadsod.jpg (142.4 KB, 20 views)
	drillforhedge.jpg (114.5 KB, 23 views)
	hedgeplant.jpg (124.1 KB, 26 views)

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Andy
Halifax, Nova Scotia

[MAKLawnCutter]

Lawn care business tips

Someday, ill be calling the local Car supplier for equipment like that. Nice job man. Matt

[The Cleaning Doctor]

I hear you on the equipment Andy. Today we laid 150' of water line 3' deep in 2.5 hours. That includes the travel time to load and drive to the site with the ditch witch. Gotta love machinery. Tomorrow we will install the sprinklers and replace the well pump.

[picframer]

Originally Posted by The Cleaning Doctor

I hear you on the equipment Andy. Today we laid 150' of water line 3' deep in 2.5 hours. That includes the travel time to load and drive to the site with the ditch witch. Gotta love machinery. Tomorrow we will install the sprinklers and replace the well pump.

It's how one makes serious bucks, having the gear. I had a client last night, and I have herd this many times say, You were selected over your competition as you seem to have just about every piece of equipment going. We do have a lot but I like working on volume and having the gear allows us to do what would take manually a week, in a day. And honestly it's so hot here, manual work is a very short day at the moment.

[Steve]

I had a client last night, and I have herd this many times say, You were selected over your competition as you seem to have just about every piece of equipment going.

Andy,

This is such a great point. Now in this case, when you are out there bidding this job, how is the customer to know you have the equipment to do it? Do you show up with it all on your trailer for the bid? Do you have a photo of your equipment to point out what would be used?

What's the best way to use this as a selling point and be proactive where you tell the customer, you have the equipment and will be able to get the job done for a better price in shorter time than competitors?

Should you use testimonials from other customers to show this off?

Like maybe a photo album in the truck to show the beginning, middle and end of a similar job, so the customer can see you know what you are doing?

[picframer]

Originally Posted by Steve

Andy,

This is such a great point. Now in this case, when you are out there bidding this job, how is the customer to know you have the equipment to do it? Do you show up with it all on your trailer for the bid? Do you have a photo of your equipment to point out what would be used?

What's the best way to use this as a selling point and be proactive where you tell the customer, you have the equipment and will be able to get the job done for a better price in shorter time than competitors?

Should you use testimonials from other customers to show this off?

Like maybe a photo album in the truck to show the beginning, middle and end of a similar job, so the customer can see you know what you are doing?

It's all part of the sales process, I explain every piece of equipment that will be used, if I see other things my typical line is "Don't feel like I have my hand in your wallet however we have the a ............ that would do a fine job at .........and if you are interested it would only cost......."

Many visit my website before I ever meet them, I would guess 70% of our gear is on there, some in action.

I picked up one client here, somehow she found me through this forum, that was two weeks ago, super client! Now that we finished her job, two of her neighbours want their property done similar.

Many times prospects see us at the coffee shop, having lunch, getting gas etc. We are almost always pulling something and it turns into a conversation piece. Then you have clients that we did work for telling their friends.

Finally customers ask, how will you do.........It sends a red flag in my experience to say, we have hard working staff and I will put 4 of my staff here for a week where as I will say two employees and a helper, a whatever excavator, a tractor loader and a a helper, we will be out of your hair in two days.

[The Cleaning Doctor]

I had a friend tell me what he tells his customers when he get done so fast and they ask why he charges what he does. (usually they want a break)

He tells them "You can dig a ditch with a shovel or a backhoe and I prefer to use the backhoe. It gets done faster"

[Steve]

Finally customers ask, how will you do.........It sends a red flag in my experience to say, we have hard working staff and I will put 4 of my staff here for a week where as I will say two employees and a helper, a whatever excavator, a tractor loader and a a helper, we will be out of your hair in two days.

So the quicker the job can be done, in a sense, the better your chances are of selling it? Because the home owner will not want their property to become a construction zone for too long?

[picframer]

I am seeing this more and more this year and no idea why, "How long will it take", "We do not like work being performed on weekends or evenings", "We want you to complete the job as soon as possible" It's almost like people want more and more privacy, some even ask if we can schedule while they are on holidays. I don't recall this happening last year but this year it has been a comment I have herd quite a few times. The first couple of times I didn't really pay attention, then when I herd it three or four times, I turned it into a closing sales opportunity so now I added "We respect your time and appreciate you do not want a construction zone for a long period, as I explained we have the equipment that will get us out of your hair in ......days."

Same as new services, if I hear it once or twice and it's something we do not do, I explain that but I record it in case we offer this service in the future, if however I keep hearing a question for the same service and it fits within the scope of what we do, I promote it and then get the equipment when the sales are lined up.

[Steve]

Is it possible, because of the slow down in the economy, more people are spending time at their home over the summer and therefor don't want much of a disturbance?

Maybe if they were going on more vacations, this wouldn't be such a factor?