This rule goes back to the days of being a small child and having parents always saying the word “no.” Now, there is a difference between being 5-years-old and running a business, so always saying no in every situation is not going to work.
Employees and clients need to trust you and always responding with the word “no” is going to hurt that relationship. If a new worker has some great ideas, but they might be too costly, find a way to either fund those ideas down the road or see if the employee can tweak the idea to not have it cost as much. There is nothing more discouraging to an employee than constantly being told no. The creative ideas will come few and far between.
Not returning phone calls/emails
It’s very easy to ignore emails or phone calls throughout the day. Let’s say you’re on a jobsite, and your phone begins to ring. It’s not a good time, because you’re speaking with a client so you ignore the call. But here’s the next step – as soon as you are back in your truck, listen to the voicemail or call the client back anyway. The client not leaving a voicemail is not a good excuse not to call back.
Not returning emails or phone calls makes your business look unreliable, and the potential clients will quickly begin to dwindle down to nothing. Even if it’s the last thing you ever want to talk about – always return the call.
Not having a website
It has never been easier to start a website. There are free programs out there for landscapers to start a website. They’re easy to maintain, easy to find and easy to organize.
In this day and age, not having a website means you’re not going to get business. Word of mouth is great, but the first thing a prospective client is going to do is go see if you have any type of online presence. And, guess what? Facebook isn’t enough. Having a Facebook page is great, but if you don’t have a reliable, professional-looking and updated website, the clients won’t call you.
Lying to clients
I’m not talking about the big lies that everyone knows they shouldn’t be telling – it’s the white lies. It’s not OK to tell white lies to clients – no matter how small they are. Being honest with your clients is going to be a lot better in the long run.
Negative attitudes
Even if you have had the worst day, it’s important to keep a positive attitude. Your employees will feed off your good vibes or your bad ones, so staying positive will help your staff be more productive.
It’s good to be open and honest with how you feel, but always find that silver lining or always be positive about the new day.
Landscapers use a variety of attachments for doing everything from snow removal to jobsite cleanup, and regardless of how often they are used, every landscaper has a favorite attachment.
