When is it the right time get customers????

[alehandros_lilbreaker]

I am planning to open up a landscaping company, and want to know the best time to attract customers. Spring is ideal because that is when people think about lawn care, BUT, the customers that get yearly service usually end up signin a seasonal contract over the winter...therefore leaving no room for me to convince them to switch. I was thinking at the end of the summer. I can go door by door, talk to the homeowner and sell my services in advance, so that they remember me for the following year and they dont sign the contract with the other company. The following spring i can go back to them and have them sign one of my contracts. Now, i know that they migt forget about me from august all the way to the spring time, and might end up signin a contract anyway with the other company. So i was thinking, and if i write down the potential customers address down. I can send them a christmas card in the winter, reminding them that im still around, and that i still consider them a futur potential customer. Plus they will see that i took the time to send them a christmas card, that way they wont forget me. Do you think this is a good approach? Anything i can add to this idea?

[Little's]

Lawn care business tips

The best time to attract customers is every chance you get. Any time you get 5 or 10 extra minutes walk up to 5 houses and introduce yourself. Do this a few times and you will start getting calls. I found (for me) contracts don't work (again, for me) and I do much better without them. Most of the people I have dealt with get a little nervous when you mention the "c" word. Good luck.

__________________
Northern California

I never have residential customers sign contracts. I generate most of my customers in the spring, when people are searching for a lawn care company and they come across our website on Google.

[Fernando's CleanCut!]

Hi Alejandro.
Totally agree with Brandon, whenever you get a chance go door-to-door, hang up sings, pass flyers, whatever... you don't really know when someone moved in the neighborhood, or they thinking about the guy never shows up to cut their lawns, other thing, some of the contracts can be canceled with a 30-day notice.

Good luck.

[alehandros_lilbreaker]

very true.
I just wanto share something that is often repeated.
It is amazing how word can spread. I talked to one of my customers and he refered me to another customer down the street. I think the most important thing in building a company is building a good base. Starting off with a few houses in each neighbourhood and doing great personalized work will get noticed.

[Steve]

If you get a chance, listen to the podcast interview with lawn care business author Ken LaVoie. He had a lot of great insight as to when it's best to get started and now is a really great time.

Actually there is no better time than the present to get started. If you are starting even mid season, you can still get customers to switch to you. I have a free flyer in the free flyer section called 'make the switch' and it is designed to be used mid season.

What will you be doing next with your marketing campaign?

Hi,

I feel it is always the right time to land new clients. Every time you service a new customer you should ALWAYS "Clover Leaf" the homes around it with fliers introducing your company.

"Clover Leafing" means you door hang or put it on the mail box (mailboxes work better). The flier should be something like "TAKE A LOOK AT YOUR NEIGHBORS THEY USED OUR SERVICES" "GIVE US A CALL WE PROVIDE FREE ESTIMATES" Then list a few services you provide. CLOVER LEAFING WORKS! hang 2 or 3 house to both sides, go across the street hand as many back. Most people try to keep up with the "Jones" as they say and it is true most do. Then the word of month kicks in.

If your looking for commercial clients depending on their budget setting time frame, request letters to be placed on their bidders list also works. Most commercial facilities set budgets in Jan, July, Oct.

Try talking to some real estate agents and local municipalities about rendering your services to the "EYE SORE" market homes or abandon homes from repos.

Talk to local builders, but be careful with home builders they have a tendency to be slow payers and the market is slow for new homes so this may be a good time to get their attention.

Good Luck hope some of this helps
Tim

Lots of great info here, just keep in mind do not place your flyers in mailboxes as it is a federal offense and you will get complaints or even worse.

utilize craig's list and myspace these sites are free and worth the time spent on them.

Every day is a good day to market yourself.

John

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (ProCut TM @ April 20 2008,12:36)]Lots of great info here, just keep in mind do not place your flyers in mailboxes as it is a federal offense and you will get complaints or even worse.

utilize craig's list and myspace these sites are free and worth the time spent on them.

Every day is a good day to market yourself.

John

How is it illegal to flyer houses? I've definitely never heard that before. I live in Canada, but still...that seems a little extreme.

[makbootzy]

He said mail box....but you wanna look for no soliciting signs too