Growing your landscaping business can sometimes be a challenge. Not only are you competing against other local companies, but you also have to continually be on the lookout for potential new customers. Doing so can be time-consuming, particularly when you consider the actual work you have to do. However, there can be no denying the benefits of great landscaping for your customers. So how do you convince them of this?
Take a look at these 10 tips for increasing your sales from landscaping. They can help you build a strong customer base and grow your business.
Be proactive
It’s always a rewarding feeling when customers approach you about work. Whether they’ve seen your advertising or been referred by a previous client, it shows they’re impressed with your work. However, when you’re growing your business, you need to be proactive about increasing sales.
If you’ve completed work for a client in the past, you can revisit the customer over the following year to potentially grow that account. You can offer free inspections of how plants and trees are progressing and make suggestions for their improvement. The same goes for suggesting maintenance work that could improve the value of their property. Don’t be pushy but do be friendly and proactive.
Find your focus
A common mistake that many small landscaping businesses make when they’re trying to expand is to try and be all things to all people. Spreading your resources too thin can mean you have less time to concentrate on giving your customers what they need. The temptation may be to take every small job that comes your way, even if it’s not quite related to your specialty. This can be detrimental.
Focus on your specialty areas and ensure that each project you take on is delivered to the best of your abilities. Customers will be more likely to recommend you in the future if you’ve done a good job. Landscaping requires in-depth knowledge for a garden to succeed. You know far more than a robotic lawnmower, for example.
Build relationships
Word of mouth is one of the most powerful marketing tools you have. As we mentioned above, a referral from a previous client can be rewarding and potentially lucrative. It’s therefore vital that you build relationships with your clients.
Although you are there to do a job for them, it’s the smaller touches that go a long way. Be thoughtful and considerate of your clients and their property. Communicate with them throughout the project to ensure they’re happy and familiar with the work you’re doing. These personal touches can go a long way to securing more sales further down the line.
Advertise online
If you don’t already have an online presence, then you’re missing out. The rise of social media, affordable website platforms and online marketing means it’s easier than ever before to advertise online. Whether you use platforms such as Facebook and Twitter to promote your business locally or create a website for the company, you can drastically increase your sales and visibility.
Advertise your jobs
Whenever you’re working on a project, you should have some clear signage on display. This allows everyone who’s passing by to get a glimpse of your high-quality work and contact details. The signs themselves don’t have to be particularly elaborate or expensive; they simply need to have your phone number or email address and business name on them.
Once you’ve completed a job, you can also request to leave a sign-up for a short period after. This kind of advertising can be invaluable and keep you front of mind when passersby see it.
Advertise on the move
One excellent way to increase your visibility and net some more sales is to use vehicle graphics. This can range from a simple logo on your truck’s panels to a full-on graphics wrap. Regardless, having your business advertised this way will get it noticed in the neighborhoods you’re working in.
The return on investment with this kind of advertising is often very good. It also gives you excellent visibility wherever you travel. Just make sure that your contact details are clearly distinguishable.
Get involved with your community
Being involved with your local community is an incredibly useful way to make business connections. Don’t forget, the people who live in your area will be the people you are serving. It’s therefore vital that you understand their needs and make your landscaping business visible.
One useful way of getting involved with your community is to undertake some charitable work. Benefiting local causes in this way can be incredibly rewarding and will allow you to meet with many different types of people. Don’t forget though, this should be about giving something back, not about promoting your business.
Learn how to sell your services
You might know how good your landscaping services are but increasing sales is about selling those services to others. When you’re working on a project in a neighborhood, it’s the perfect time to try and find some other nearby customers.
If you see homeowners out in their gardens, try to engage them and offer some friendly advice if appropriate. You should also have some literature handy that you can pass out to interested parties.
Start a referral program
We keep coming back to word-of-mouth sales, but they are incredibly important for growing your business. Having some sort of referral program can really help with this. If you have some kind of incentive for your current clients to pass on your name, they will be far more likely to.
Follow up leads
Once you have a potential client lined up, don’t let that lead go cold. You don’t want to annoy them into choosing you, but if you think you can offer them a truly beneficial service, then you should make contact. If you’ve met and felt they’re a potential lead, you should contact them while you’re still fresh in their memory. Doing so will increase your chances of closing a sale.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article was written by Kelli Gardener. Gardener is a healthy lifestyle blogger for GroomandStyle.com. She has been a regular contributor to sites talking about the newest trends in home improvement, smart style, fashion and fitness. When she’s not writing, she enjoys photography, hiking and pretty much anything outdoors.