Pro-Tip

[CHEESE2009]

Tomorrow evening, call all of your *current* customers and say; I just wanted to let you know that I will offer you a very generous discount if you refer my company to a friend and they hire me for the season. It doesn't hurt, and it's helped me grab a few lawns. "Generous" is what you make it to be. Current = customers who know what you are capable of and have reason to refer you with having seen your work. /////////////////////////////////// Other news; Did my second thatching job, grass was wet but the job for some reason went extremely smooth. Weird. Also did a few estimates and then watched Netflix for the rest of the day while eating McDonalds. I hate spring. It will be over soon though!

[cruzgardening]

Lawn care business tips

Originally Posted by CHEESE2009 Tomorrow evening, call all of your *current* customers and say; I just wanted to let you know that I will offer you a very generous discount if you refer my company to a friend and they hire me for the season. It doesn't hurt, and it's helped me grab a few lawns. "Generous" is what you make it to be. Current = customers who know what you are capable of and have reason to refer you with having seen your work. /////////////////////////////////// Other news; Did my second thatching job, grass was wet but the job for some reason went extremely smooth. Weird. Also did a few estimates and then watched Netflix for the rest of the day while eating McDonalds. I hate spring. It will be over soon though! you think this might work for my new clients? i mean i just bought this company last year :P

[CHEESE2009]

Originally Posted by cruzgardening

you think this might work for my new clients? i mean i just bought this company last year :P

It's for sure worth a try. Though I don't think they would want to refer someone who may or may not offer decent service until they see what you can do.

Actually, you could even offer benefits to those who found you through a customer. This way, they don't care about the quality at first thought.

It's something to think about. Most of us can pour so many hours into finding new customers, when this simple plan could bring them to us with ease. It's as simple as asking.
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In a way, it's like making our customers work for us - and everybody wins!



The truth is, customers aren't interested a.k.a lazy when it comes to helping out most of the time. Though, if there is a reward - you might be surprised.



Scott: Would you happen to know anyone in need of my services?

Customer: Not really, but I'll let you know.

Scott: Well if you do, I have a nice discount waiting for you.

Customer: Well I know this one guy!

[Steve]

I will offer you a very generous discount

What kind of offers do you feel would work out well with this?

[CHEESE2009]

Originally Posted by Steve

What kind of offers do you feel would work out well with this?

Well, you can give a customer a percentage off their next bill for the duration the newer client decides the stick with you.

If you are just starting your business, it's alright to lose a little. You can offer a full month off for every three months the new client stays with you. It doesn't' make a difference, the idea is building a customer base and hoping they will BOTH stick with you the following year.

Sure this could be dreadful, sure you aren't making a full profit. Here are the key points of why I do this;

1. You are getting your customers involved.

2. Your customers are being rewarded.

3. Your customers will do the best form of advertising for you, and the chances are 1 of every 5 customers you have will land you a new customer.


4. It's cheaper for me to offer a discount/ trade my service for advertising and have my customers work for me for than it is to create and distribute advertisements alone.

Think about it;

1,400 really cheap flyers = $350.00 at $0.25 per flyer. 1 customer is received.

1,400 flyers can be approx distributed on 28 streets / 50 houses per street.
Which would be approx 24 hours (1 minute per house)= "insert your hourly wage" x 24hrs = WASTE (without prep/drive time).

You spent $350.00 + 24hrs for ONE (1) customer

vs

Offering your customer a simple discount, which can range from anywhere below the money you would have spent!

[TLC131]

3. Your customers will do the best form of advertising for you, and the chances are 1 of every 5 customers you have will land you a new customer.


4. It's cheaper for me to offer a discount/ trade my service for advertising and have my customers work for me for than it is to create and distribute advertisements alone.

I agree with what you say, I guess I'm sometimes just lazy and I don't really want to hand out flyers anyway But my experience is that handing out flyers is definitely not the way to aquire a lot of customers, it just shows your presence. Especially in my neighborhood, where I have a good amount of customers. But referrals can really strengthen your customer base. I've gotten 5 new lawns this year from referrals and only 3 from the phone book. But then again, I'm lazy so I havent handed out flyers yet or asked my customers about referring me yet this year

[Tom53]

An idea! (not that I have many)>

Pick out your high end customers, assign each of them a "customer #".
Give each of them 10 of your business cards with their personal customer # on each of them.
If they refer you to 10 new customers who stick the season with you, give that original customer his lawn care (only - not other services) free for the year. The way you know who referred the new customer is when the new customer gives you back the original customers business card with his # on it. Track the referrals on a spread sheet or some other way, but make sure you track it.
If a customer has brought you 10 referrals and you are making a few to several thousand dollars on his referrals, he deserves free lawn mowing for the year. Yeah it might cost you a little , but with income like that, dont think you cant give something like that away.....and talk about word of mouth advertising. WOW.

The higher end customers should be able to refer you to higher end new customers, and if that happens, and you are overwhelmed with business, then would be the time to take on a helper, or it might be time to let a few lower end customers go.