Pitching the service

[ChrisLeon]

Hey all, my question is: how do you guys pitch your service weekly lawn service when giving your customer an estimate? Is there anything I should include in my pitch that has worked for you? Anything I should avoid saying? Do you close for the contract upon estimation? I am just looking for some advice on how to package my pitch when selling my self and the brand. Thanks guys! Christopher Leon College Kid Lawn Care "we study your lawn so you dont have to"

[Steve]

Lawn care business tips

Can you walk us through the process of how you are presenting your estimates now?

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[CanadayLandscaping]

Like Steve, I would like to hear how your "pitch" goes now.

Personally, when I get a call for an estimate, I go into the estimate knowing that I am going for a contract. I never think to myself that this is a one time deal.

Usually, I start off by introducing myself and asking what I can do for them. I then ask permission to walk the property and evaluate upsells, and look for any problem areas.

I then meet back up with the customer and start off by asking, "Do you prefer to have your lawn serviced weekly or bi-weekly". I give them my quote and immediately offer my contract. If they hesitate or say they have someone else coming in to give another estimate, I have a section on my Estimate form that says "This estimate is good for ______ days"

I have about an 80% estimate to contract signing. After the first mow, or service, that is when I start mentioning the upsells I have noted in their file. Upsells is where your money is.

[jrod14]

Originally Posted by CanadayLandscaping

Like Steve, I would like to hear how your "pitch" goes now.

Personally, when I get a call for an estimate, I go into the estimate knowing that I am going for a contract. I never think to myself that this is a one time deal.

Usually, I start off by introducing myself and asking what I can do for them. I then ask permission to walk the property and evaluate upsells, and look for any problem areas.

I then meet back up with the customer and start off by asking, "Do you prefer to have your lawn serviced weekly or bi-weekly". I give them my quote and immediately offer my contract. If they hesitate or say they have someone else coming in to give another estimate, I have a section on my Estimate form that says "This estimate is good for ______ days"


I have about an 80% estimate to contract signing. After the first mow, or service, that is when I start mentioning the upsells I have noted in their file. Upsells is where your money is.

i offer free fertilizing. sometimes 4 times a year depending on the customer. i dont always offer free fertilizing but if its a person that i get a good feeling he or she is gonna be a good customer and wants a great lawn. i will do it. that in turn will allow me to cut weekly. others have then noticed thier lawn and ask me to do the same but....i will charge them. i guess its kind of like im paying for advertisement but makin money at the same time. i try to get some big accounts to offset the costs on my residentials. if im making $85 an hour as a business...i am good. if im making $100+....im really good. I do work my business part time but i put in a lot of "office" hours or behind the scene hours with a website, facebook, phone calls, bidding, etc, etc. i guess for every hour i spend mowing....i spend 3 times the time doing behind the scenes work. its fun as hell though and i love this business. its a challenge every day but i have learned if you stay motivated and get off your butt to make things happen...they will happen. hard work pays off!

[Steve]

I then meet back up with the customer and start off by asking, "Do you prefer to have your lawn serviced weekly or bi-weekly". I give them my quote and immediately offer my contract.

Do you try to persuade the potential customer to take one package over the other? If so, how? Do you price your bi-weekly service more than your weekly? Or does it not matter to you?

[ChrisLeon]

I had my first call back today on my flyers and locked in the service, but I did not pin him to a contract. I dont have any yet, where can I make those or get those?

I went over and introduced myself, we spoke a little abit and got to know each other, we then went out onto his lawn and he asked me for an estimate. I had already seen the front, and we went through his back door on to his porch and I saw his lawn wasnt big so I just said I do lawns about this size for $25 a week. He then told me some other service was offering him 30 or 35, he then said ok lets do it.

The great thing about this account is it is right behind my house! One thing I also wanted to ask was he has grass that looks like it doesnt grow. Crabgrass, creeping charlie, dandelions, you name it, he has got it. I went to Home Depot and picked up some Vigoro Weed and Feed Phosporous free 28-0-3. Now i'll be the first to admit, that I have no idea how to cure and rid his lawn of all this weed, but I am able to sound knowledgeable thanks to all my previous sales jobs. After, I picked up the weed and feed, I left him a text message saying I got some stuff for his lawn that would help his grass grow and look alot better, and I would save him ALOT of money, but since the stuff was "expensive" (13.89) I told him I would have to charge him a $7.00 application fee and he would only have to do this every 8 weeks, if he decided too.

First question is: Anyone know about this weed and feed or have tips on how to help customers kill bad looking lawns filled with weeds?

Second question is: Should I just be sticking to the mowing and let the customer figure out his weed problem themselves?

Thanks guys!

[CanadayLandscaping]

Originally Posted by Steve

Do you try to persuade the potential customer to take one package over the other? If so, how? Do you price your bi-weekly service more than your weekly? Or does it not matter to you?

I always try to persuade them for the weekly service. Where I live, and with the economy some people just can't handle it. I also look at the grass type to see if it's a quick growing grass or not. I do tell the customer that I add, in general 15% for bi-weekly service just for added wear and tear on my equipment. I have transferred a lot of my bi-weekly's to weekly because of the higher rain levels, and have offered them the weekly price.

[Steve]

I had my first call back today on my flyers and locked in the service, but I did not pin him to a contract. I dont have any yet, where can I make those or get those?

Check out the lawn care contracts here.

First question is: Anyone know about this weed and feed or have tips on how to help customers kill bad looking lawns filled with weeds?

Second question is: Should I just be sticking to the mowing and let the customer figure out his weed problem themselves?

How bad is the lawn? Is this something you may need to till and reseed?

[LawnMoore]

Well, you will want to start off with a soil ph test before anything.

[shadrach]

If you kill all the weeds will there be any grass left?