A colleague of mine is upset about some of the downsizing occurring almost on a daily basis. Not the kind that involves reducing your workforce due to soft economic conditions, but the trend of charging the same, or even more, for less product and services. This ploy is really obvious at the grocery store. The same product, at the same price, suddenly is packaged in a smaller bag or container, meaning that you, the consumer, are getting less for your money. Since it is done in such a stealth fashion – sometimes even promoted as “new and improved” – consumers feel cheated.
This form of marketing, in a veiled attempt to increase profits, does not endear consumers to the offending brand or product. Advertising and Marketing 101 stresses the importance of devoting attention to quality, providing more than you promise, and promoting an honest, positive business approach. If companies will do those things, especially during difficult times, the end result will be increased business that will only get better and the market share gains will be even greater when the economy re-gains strength.
This magazine is trying to do just that for our readers with at least two new products introduced during the fourth quarter of 2008. Included with this issue you will find a comprehensive chemical identification and application guide. It is a stand-alone, digest-size reference tool that can be used over and over during the next year. Hopefully, you will find it handy and quite useful. Next month, in the December issue, Total Landscape Care will introduce our first-ever equipment specification guide. This tool will enable you to make side-by-side comparisons of the specifications on many of the equipment types that you purchase and use – everything from skid steers to ZTR mowers, compact excavators, utility tractors, and utility vehicles will be included.
Equipment is probably the biggest capital investment that you will make as a professional landscaper, and we want to help you become a more informed buyer. What we want to create is an expectation by you for the very best information available from us. By consistently living up to and surpassing your great expectations, perhaps you will come to think of us as the invaluable partner we seek to become.
