On the Landscaper of the Year cruise, the finalists share business advice and tips for success.Our Landscaper of the Year finalists share the secrets to their success.
Your clients should like you and your crews, right? The 12 best landscapers from across the country think so.
While on a cruise to the Bahamas in November, our Landscaper of the Year finalists shared equipment tips, lessons learned and other business strategies during a roundtable discussion. And when asked what was the biggest reason for their success, a lot of the finalists answered, “relationships.”
“Relationships power my business,” says Joe Hanauer, owner of Landscape Architecture in Madison, Wisconsin.
Matthew Gilligan, owner of Magnolia Landscape in Virginia Beach, Virginia, says he becomes close friends with his clients. “Once they think of you as a friend, they’ll recommend you to their friends,” he says. His advice: “Be a straight shooter, give fair prices and if clients ever want to chit chat with you, do it.”
Another landscaper takes a long-range approach to his relationships. Mark Halla, owner of The Mustard Seed Landscaping & Garden Centers in Chaska, Minnesota, has a petting zoo at his garden center for customers’ children, and he also puts on special Christmas events each year for students. “I’m going to capture those kids 10 to 20 years from now as clients,” he says.
So whether you built trust with clients by being attentive, respectful or just plain friendly, it’s important you do it. Customers want to work with someone they know, so make sure that person is you.
