Dear Lawn & Landscape Business Owner,
Many landscapers think their job is cutting grass, installing mulch, or planting trees. But let me tell you a secret…
Your REAL job is to Create & Keep Clients while making a solid profit.
Not just “customers” who shop for the cheapest price, but clients—people who trust you, respect you, and choose you because of the value you bring, not just because of a low price.
Big companies (public companies) can sell stock before they ever turn a profit. But YOU, my fellow business owner, don’t have that luxury. Your success depends on having a great sales system that generates cash today, tomorrow, and for years to come.
And that’s why the BEST landscape businesses follow this 6-Part Create Clients Formula.
We designed the work flow illustration to help you see how these ideas are inter-connected. The work flow never ends. And over time, your process gets better and better…
1) Marketing – Make Them Want You
You’ll need a steady stream of buyers. That’s where marketing starts. Great marketing builds awareness about YOUR COMPANY, creates a perception of value for YOUR SERVICES, and drives the desire to buy from YOU today—not next year, not “someday,” but right now. If your marketing is not generating leads that are ready to buy NOW, you’ve got work to do.
We’ve learned that the very best marketing is consistent. It never gets “turned off”. You provide a steady stream of education to five important groups of buyers: a) existing clients b) past clients c) unconfirmed leads d) dream 100 target list e) community influencers.
When a landscaper commits to steady, education based communications every month of the year to their list of names inside this targeted group, they are almost certain to have high-profit work year after year.
2) Lead Generation – Bring ‘Em In
Effective marketing creates leads, but not all leads are created equal. You need multiple channels bringing in potential clients—referrals, direct mail, social media, website inquiries, etc. Now, the big question… what do you do when a lead raises their hand?
The easiest group of people you will ever sell to are those who have already hired your company and they know you like you and trust you. But invariably there will be new people that enter your Create Client System.
Remember not all leads are created equal, but without a steady stream of leads coming in you will face the painful existence of seasonal demand. You will have more work than you could possibly do in the spring and you may starve to death in the winter. We don’t want this for you … so keep reading.
3) Needs Analysis – Separate the Best from the Rest
You’re not a desperate landscaper chasing every lead like a dog after a squirrel. Instead, you sift, sort, and select.
You need to know:
✔️ Have they established a budget? If so, does it meet your minimum or maximum size job?
✔️ Do their schedule expectations match your schedule? Do you have an opening in March? How about May? Schedules matter. Find out their schedule expectations up-front or you’re like the dog chasing the squirrel.
✔️ Are they serious or just kicking tires? Referral buyers buy faster than those who are shopping around. Treat those referrals special.
If there’s no fit, walk away and move on to the next one.
If you want to separate the tire kickers from the serious buyers here’s what you do: never provide a free estimate to a new buyer again. Always have a small fee for the first time you meet with someone. And let me be blunt. If you can’t sell a $25 initial on-site consultation, then you need to get out of sales right now!
With eggs costing $12 a dozen and many landscapers having an eating habit (yep – those eggs are expensive and we need money to pay), the idea of writing free estimates is just plain dumb. We recommend a small fee up front for new buyers who did not come in from a referral from an existing client, past client, or influencer in your network.
This is all part of a well written needs analysis process.
4) Lead Conversion – Ask for the Sale (Then Follow Up!)
A client isn’t a client until they say YES and sign on the dotted line. That means you have to ask the obligating question: “Will you buy from us?” And if they don’t say yes right away? Follow up! A well-oiled sales process eliminates most objections before they come up—because you’ve already addressed budget, timeline, and expectations.
Now listen up. Today’s technology allows you to automate much of the follow up process. But remember what we said up above about your marketing?
A steady commitment to ongoing education based marketing messages will provide dividends to you, your family and your company for a lifetime. The very best marketing and lead conversion system is created when you have the discipline to execute month after month after month after month after month after month… that’s a lot of months! 🙂
5) Billing – Get Paid & Get Better
Most landscapers don’t think of billing as part of the sales process, but it absolutely is. After all, you need the money for the jobs you sell right now! From collecting initial security deposits for construction projects to offering pre-payment discounts on annual service plans, you want to get paid. Companies that get paid faster while reducing accounts receivable and collections problems are able to improve cash flow.
Hear me…Every time you send a bill, you have an opportunity to strengthen the Create Client System.
You need a steady stream of feedback coming into your company. The people that you are currently working for are the ones that matter the most. They can help you get better. Ask for feedback when you bill the buyer…every single time!
We know that not every single customer is going to give you feedback every single time you provide a service, but here’s what we do know: when someone is upset, they will certainly let you know! And your ability to respond quickly when someone is upset is the key to improving your company.
And the best way to improve your marketing messaging is going to come from your happy clients. When someone tells you they are pleased with your work, you should immediately respond with the following:
“Wow you’ve just made my day! Would you do me a huge favor and put that in writing via an email or text message?”
OR
“Wow, that’s the nicest thing I’ve heard all day. Would you mind scanning this QR code and sharing your comments via our Google Review page? That would be the most helpful thing to keep our team energized about providing landscape services and you’ll help us keep our costs down by avoiding expensive advertising”.
Ask for a WRITTEN testimonial, an online review, or a referral to a friend, family member, neighbor or business associate. If they love your work, they will be happy to help you!
6) Client Retention – Keep ‘Em Coming Back
Want to know the fastest way to grow? Hold on to your existing clients. A landscaping company is only as strong as its recurring revenue—lawn maintenance, seasonal cleanups, fertilization programs, holiday lighting, or snow removal contracts. Your past clients already trust you. Stay in touch with a steady and consistent stream of education based messages.
Since gardening is America’s number one hobby, and every property owner has maintenance challenges, you’ll always have an attentive audience.
As time moves forward, simply add these words towards the end of every conversation you have: “What else can we do for you?”
Property owners always have needs, wants and desires to improve. If you listen carefully, you’ll discover exactly what folks are looking for and you’ll adapt to the landscaping trends people want.
Put It All Together & Document the Process
The E-Myth Landscape Contractor taught us that a business is only as good as its systems. If you can’t document it, you can’t scale it.
This 6-part formula isn’t just a theory—it’s a proven process that turns a struggling, low-margin business into a high-profit, well-oiled landscaping machine.
So, are you ready to build your system and start creating clients instead of chasing customers?
Let’s make it happen!
To your success,
Tony Bass, founder
Co-Author, The E-Myth Landscape Contractor
PS – We are holding the highly rated Profit Builder Training event in Atlanta next weekend. We have just two seats open for this special event. If you’re on the fence about it, call or text Tabitha Lovell, our director of Training and Education at 678-943-4856 to register or with questions… or just click here to register online: www.superlawntoolkit.com/profit-builder
