Many lawn care business owners tend to think they have to spend a lot of money to effectively reach out to their potential customers when in reality, it's the simple steps that can really make a difference.
The average new landscaper who just got his business started tries to follow along with what everyone else does to attract customers. Normally this includes hiring a professional graphics designer and having them create some flyers, door hangers, business cards and brochures. Then they will have thousands of these items printed through a local printer. Next they will either mail out these pieces or they will go door to door to place their printed material in the door of home owners in their service area.
Now sure, this all sounds fine and good but the response rate to such marketing tends to be around 1 to 2%. Can you imagine going out and spending the day handing out a few hundred flyers in your area only to get 1-3 return phone calls? Such results could leave you feeling disillusioned.
Instead of doing what everyone else does with their marketing, why not try something different. Now I am not talking about some radical method, I am talking about getting back to the basics with your methods. Instead of spending all this big money trying to attract a few callers, why not instead spend some time and go out to meet people.
Meeting people face to face and shaking hands with them has been a marketing method used since the dawn of mankind. Why has it lasted so long? Because it works. So how can you take advantage of this? How can you spend a little time through out your day to meet new people? Try these simple methods.
When you are out and about mowing lawns throughout the day, you will see many opportunities to talk with homeowners in ways you just might never have thought of. How many times have you driven by a homeowner having a garage sale and you thought nothing of it? Well instead of driving by, why not stop and have a look around. They might even have a few garden tools or old mowers they are looking to get rid of that you could pick up on the cheap. While you are there, you could strike up a conversation with the home owner and talk to them a bit about the different items they have for sale. This is a great lawn care marketing method that comes across as simple and friendly. If something looks old or antique, why not ask them the history of the item? The would surely be interested in telling you what they know. Then at the end of your chat, consider pulling out a couple of lawn care business cards. Place them down on their table and let them know you own and operate a lawn care business. Remind them if they need lawn care or if anyone else they know needs their yard mowed, to call you. You would be amazed how a short conversation with a home owner, can really help smooth the sales process.
Also, how about lemonade stands? How often have you driven by a lemonade stand and kept on going? Why not stop there too! If the stand is within your lawn care mowing area, these kids would be the children of your potential customers. Buy a cup of lemonade from them and give them each a dollar. Tell them it's the greatest lemonade you ever tasted and they should raise their prices. Leave a few business cards with them. Ask them to give the cards to their parents and if they or anyone else their parent's know, could use lawn mowing, to give you a call.
There are plenty of other times where you can meet up with home owners on their terms and start up a conversation with them and not come across as a door to door salesman. Jump on these opportunities as they pop up. Don't be pushy and save your business cards until you are about to leave. If you do this regularly in between your lawn care business software scheduled jobs, you will see a strong and steady growth of people in your customer roster. Don't be afraid to make new friends, that is what selling is all about. After you do this a few times, you will become really smooth at the process and it will become a seem less conversation for your new potential customer.
Mike Harris is a retired lawn care business owner and a frequent contributor to the Gopher Lawn Care Business Forum. He has offered his lawn care marketing advice to new business owners for the past 20 years.
The average new landscaper who just got his business started tries to follow along with what everyone else does to attract customers. Normally this includes hiring a professional graphics designer and having them create some flyers, door hangers, business cards and brochures. Then they will have thousands of these items printed through a local printer. Next they will either mail out these pieces or they will go door to door to place their printed material in the door of home owners in their service area.
Now sure, this all sounds fine and good but the response rate to such marketing tends to be around 1 to 2%. Can you imagine going out and spending the day handing out a few hundred flyers in your area only to get 1-3 return phone calls? Such results could leave you feeling disillusioned.
Instead of doing what everyone else does with their marketing, why not try something different. Now I am not talking about some radical method, I am talking about getting back to the basics with your methods. Instead of spending all this big money trying to attract a few callers, why not instead spend some time and go out to meet people.
Meeting people face to face and shaking hands with them has been a marketing method used since the dawn of mankind. Why has it lasted so long? Because it works. So how can you take advantage of this? How can you spend a little time through out your day to meet new people? Try these simple methods.
When you are out and about mowing lawns throughout the day, you will see many opportunities to talk with homeowners in ways you just might never have thought of. How many times have you driven by a homeowner having a garage sale and you thought nothing of it? Well instead of driving by, why not stop and have a look around. They might even have a few garden tools or old mowers they are looking to get rid of that you could pick up on the cheap. While you are there, you could strike up a conversation with the home owner and talk to them a bit about the different items they have for sale. This is a great lawn care marketing method that comes across as simple and friendly. If something looks old or antique, why not ask them the history of the item? The would surely be interested in telling you what they know. Then at the end of your chat, consider pulling out a couple of lawn care business cards. Place them down on their table and let them know you own and operate a lawn care business. Remind them if they need lawn care or if anyone else they know needs their yard mowed, to call you. You would be amazed how a short conversation with a home owner, can really help smooth the sales process.
Also, how about lemonade stands? How often have you driven by a lemonade stand and kept on going? Why not stop there too! If the stand is within your lawn care mowing area, these kids would be the children of your potential customers. Buy a cup of lemonade from them and give them each a dollar. Tell them it's the greatest lemonade you ever tasted and they should raise their prices. Leave a few business cards with them. Ask them to give the cards to their parents and if they or anyone else their parent's know, could use lawn mowing, to give you a call.
There are plenty of other times where you can meet up with home owners on their terms and start up a conversation with them and not come across as a door to door salesman. Jump on these opportunities as they pop up. Don't be pushy and save your business cards until you are about to leave. If you do this regularly in between your lawn care business software scheduled jobs, you will see a strong and steady growth of people in your customer roster. Don't be afraid to make new friends, that is what selling is all about. After you do this a few times, you will become really smooth at the process and it will become a seem less conversation for your new potential customer.
Mike Harris is a retired lawn care business owner and a frequent contributor to the Gopher Lawn Care Business Forum. He has offered his lawn care marketing advice to new business owners for the past 20 years.
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