Marketing plan

[Hedgemaster]

Is there a Craigslist listing for your area? I'm just asking because you keep posting everywhere that you need customers, but have little money to advertise. Free is free and just because some people say that all you get is terrible, cheap clients from CL, that only happens if you let it. I had great success using CL last season. Not as good this season, but really, all sorts of people look there for services. That said, $100 to target a specific cluster of homes that you'd really like to get "in" with might not be a bad deal if you pick up a few of them. What's $100 in the grand scheme of things anyway? You'll put that much in your gas tank every week.

[SECTLANDSCAPING]

Lawn care business tips

Originally Posted by Hedgemaster That said, $100 to target a specific cluster of homes that you'd really like to get "in" with might not be a bad deal if you pick up a few of them. What's $100 in the grand scheme of things anyway? You'll put that much in your gas tank every week. I think thats a good idea also since its targeted. Typically people pay to do whole neighborhoods and you get a lot of apartments, condos, and general people that wont pay for service.

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[Sprinkler Buddy]

Originally Posted by xandrew245x

For $100 I could send a postcard to all of the houses in that development, not a bad price especially if I even got just one client.

With that amount of $, you can't go wrong. Even if no one calls, you haven't lost much. Go for it!

[xandrew245x]

Originally Posted by Hedgemaster

Is there a Craigslist listing for your area?


I'm just asking because you keep posting everywhere that you need customers, but have little money to advertise. Free is free and just because some people say that all you get is terrible, cheap clients from CL, that only happens if you let it.

I had great success using CL last season. Not as good this season, but really, all sorts of people look there for services.



That said, $100 to target a specific cluster of homes that you'd really like to get "in" with might not be a bad deal if you pick up a few of them.

What's $100 in the grand scheme of things anyway? You'll put that much in your gas tank every week.

There isn't one for my specific area but there is one for harrisburg. I had a listing up for about a month, it got flagged for removal yesterday, I don't know why. I had one person visit my website from it, but they were in Michigan.


Its not that I don't have the money to advertise, I just don't want to spend a whole lot right now on advertising. I would rather wait until fall and advertise cleanups, or wait until spring and really advertise my lawn service.

[xandrew245x]

For my postcards this is what I'm thinking of including
1. Pay for 4 mowings and get the 5th free
2. Be the first new customer in your neighborhood and receive 15% off your first month of service
3.Receive 5$ for every friend or family that hires me from your referrals.

I think i'm going to make a customer appreciation page on my site that goes more into depth of the customer referral.

What do you guys think?

[PVMS]

Originally Posted by xandrew245x

For my postcards this is what I'm thinking of including
1. Pay for 4 mowings and get the 5th free
2. Be the first new customer in your neighborhood and receive 15% off your first month of service
3.Receive 5$ for every friend or family that hires me from your referrals.

I think i'm going to make a customer appreciation page on my site that goes more into depth of the customer referral.

What do you guys think?

This attack is very common, and,....i'm afraid useless. You need to market a fair dinkum offer with no BS attached to get the phone ringing.
People want a great offer today,....not in a month or two, and after finally finding a great customer, you then have to do a free mow?
Better off doing the opposite and use it to quickly weed out customers who you don't want.
eg: instead of offering a percentage off, make an offer of x$$$$$ off your first mow!
Make it clear that it a one off per customer. Make an offer that at least covers your expenses minus labour,but seems too good to refuse,.... and I will guarantee that you will build a client base very fast.
Once you have your foot in the door, have done a good job first time, ....they will accept your full price quote, almost whatever you ask.
The main thing people decide on when choosing somebody, is how much they like you as a person, followed by your work standard, and lastly price.

[xandrew245x]

Originally Posted by PVMS

This attack is very common, and,....i'm afraid useless. You need to market a fair dinkum offer with no BS attached to get the phone ringing.
People want a great offer today,....not in a month or two, and after finally finding a great customer, you then have to do a free mow?
Better off doing the opposite and use it to quickly weed out customers who you don't want.
eg: instead of offering a percentage off, make an offer of x$$$$$ off your first mow!
Make it clear that it a one off per customer. Make an offer that at least covers your expenses minus labour,but seems too good to refuse,.... and I will guarantee that you will build a client base very fast.
Once you have your foot in the door, have done a good job first time, ....they will accept your full price quote, almost whatever you ask.
The main thing people decide on when choosing somebody, is how much they like you as a person, followed by your work standard, and lastly price.

Thank you.

So say something like "$15 off your first service" and then something like "$5 off your monthly service for every friend or family member you refer to me"

Or something like $30 flat fee mowing for 2 months for the first 5 new customers? Something to get them hooked quick.

[PVMS]

Originally Posted by PVMS

This attack is very common, and,....i'm afraid useless. You need to market a fair dinkum offer with no BS attached to get the phone ringing.
People want a great offer today,....not in a month or two, and after finally finding a great customer, you then have to do a free mow?
Better off doing the opposite and use it to quickly weed out customers who you don't want.
eg: instead of offering a percentage off, make an offer of x$$$$$ off your first mow!
Make it clear that it a one off per customer. Make an offer that at least covers your expenses minus labour,but seems too good to refuse,.... and I will guarantee that you will build a client base very fast.
Once you have your foot in the door, have done a good job first time, ....they will accept your full price quote, almost whatever you ask.
The main thing people decide on when choosing somebody, is how much they like you as a person, followed by your work standard, and lastly price.

To add further,.....the opposite is true before they pick up the phone, so one off offers do get the phone ringing.

[PVMS]

Originally Posted by xandrew245x

Thank you.

So say something like "$15 off your first service" and then something like "$5 off your monthly service for every friend or family member you refer to me"

Or something like $30 flat fee mowing for 2 months for the first 5 new customers? Something to get them hooked quick.

Well,...no,....just offer friends and relo's the same one off offer, but make it seem extra special, and give each three or four "special referral coupons" to give out to others. I would give the original client a free mow.
Just keep in mind that multiple referring clients are worth many thousands of dollars over time, and each referral will result in possible long term relationships and many more dollars.

[xandrew245x]

Originally Posted by PVMS

Well,...no,....just offer friends and relo's the same one off offer, but make it seem extra special, and give each three or four "special referral coupons" to give out to others. I would give the original client a free mow.
Just keep in mind that multiple referring clients are worth many thousands of dollars over time, and each referral will result in possible long term relationships and many more dollars.

Okay, do you think I should just skip the postcard and send them a letter with the special coupons in it? State in my letter who I am and what i'm doing along with hand these coupons out to your family and friends and have them present them to me. They will receive a discounted price, and you will receive a free mowing. Something along those lines?

Since I'm targeting just one neighborhood, should I send it to all the people living there, or only half in hope they pass out the coupons?