OPE daily

This question gets floated by every landscaper (and most every service company) on the planet. “Should I use direct mail fliers and brochures?” Well here is an excerpt from the Portland Business Journal’s Penny Pincher’s Almanac by Gene Marks who has a lawn care professional that sent him a mailer.

Recently I got a slick marketing brochure in the mail from Bob, my landscaper. It advertised all the great things Bob’s company can do for me…No penny pincher would waste his time doing this.

The whole exercise costs a lot. Too much. Landscapers, and small businesses like this that cater to homes and consumers shouldn’t be spending this kind of money unless it’s really part of a continuous marketing effort that has defined objectives. Brochures and marketing pieces can be effective. But penny pinchers know that a one-off mailing like Bob’s isn’t going to accomplish much.

Why am I receiving this stupid brochure anyway? The guy’s MY landscaper.

So what should my landscaper friend be doing to get more business from me? Penny pinchers know it’s not that hard.

First, Bob fires his marketing firm. Then he sits down and makes a list of the top 15 things he knows that his customers like to do to their homes and gardens. He includes in this list some great ideas of his own. Then he gives this list to each crew leader.

Each week, when out doing his work, the crew leader checks his list and identifies opportunities. Then he makes it a point to find me. And he says this:

“We noticed that there’s an excessive amount of dog poopiwawa on your lawn. We can create a lot of fertilizer from it to nurture a new garden of polka-dot flowers. It would be very nice.”

And I would say, “Gosh Mr. Crew Leader, that sounds like an excellent idea. Please have your men turn my dog’s poopiwawa into beauty.” And there you go.

And hey, Bob, why not give your crew leader and his hard working team a few extra bucks when he sells these new services. Incentive. Motivation. Involvement. Sounds like one of the posters hanging in your office, right?

Want another crazy idea? OK, here it is: Call me.

“Hello Mr. Marks, it’s Bob, the owner of Bob’s Landscaping Services. Other than the time you stiffed me on that one spring cleanup, you’ve been a super customer of ours. I spoke to my crew leader and we think your house would look much, much better if we were to clear away that pile of wood and garbage behind your garage, take care of that family of raccoons that live there and re-plant a beautiful bush right there. What do you think?”

And I would say, “Thank you, Bob for calling me and proactively thinking of ways to make my house look more beautiful while at the same time exterminating the vermin that live so close to where my dear children play. And even though you overcharged me on that spring cleanup I’m prepared to let bygones be bygones. Bring on the bush!”

Good penny pinchers know that if they take care of their existing customers they’ll navigate their way through these tough times and be in a good place to benefit when the economy turns back around.

Gene Marks has written best selling business books and is regularly featured in Forbes and Business Week. I recommend taking a look at his vast knowledge, especially in the area of penny pinching. He is also your customer. Information is what’s important here.

Finding out what your customers think, want, or need is where your opportunities are waiting. Now, more than ever, it is important to inform and act. The next week we’ll feature articles on education, information, and just all-around tips and ideas. Let us know what you think, what you are doing, and what does and does not work for you. Get involved and be apart of building your company.