Sales season

As we roll through October, it’s time to kick off one of the most important seasons for any landscape company: the season for selling. This is the time to get proactive, build a solid backlog for 2025 and set the stage for a strong year ahead. Whether it’s securing maintenance renewals, making a final push before winter or aligning your pricing strategy for 2025, now’s the moment to focus. Let’s break it down:

Renewals for maintenance: Lock in the base

Maintenance renewals are the bread and butter of many landscape businesses. They provide that reliable, steady income. Now’s the perfect time to reach out and lock in your contracts for next year. You want to get ahead of your clients' process and provide them with no reasons to go out to bid. Think of this as the easiest sell you will have all year and can lock in 3% or more in increases.

The fall push: Let’s finish strong

As we all know, the end of the year can feel like a sprint. Before the slow or snow season hits, push for those last-minute projects. Whether it's holiday lighting installs, irrigation winterization or closing out some pending work, get it done while there’s still time.

This is also a prime opportunity to upsell services. Mulching, aeration or fall cleanups are all great add-ons that not only boost your revenue, but also leave your clients’ properties in great shape heading into winter. It’s all about finishing strong and showing clients that extra level of care.

During the fall push, speed is your friend. When potential clients call, it’s important to seize those opportunities as rapidly as possible. This sets you up to close the deal and get the project scheduled.

Align your team on pricing: Stay sharp

Let’s talk about pricing. It’s more than just setting numbers; it’s about reflecting your value and making sure your margins are protected. Sit down with your team and get everyone on the same page when it comes to pricing for next year. If you are pricing work for spring 2025, you want to ensure it covers your future operating costs.

Take a hard look at what’s going on with costs — materials, labor, inflation. Are your prices where they need to be to cover all that and still stay competitive? Your team should be able to confidently communicate your pricing to clients and know how to present the value you’re bringing to the table. Consistency here is crucial to maintaining your bottom line.

Invest in a sales system

If your sales team is still juggling spreadsheets and disconnected tools, it’s time to upgrade. Investing in a solid CRM or landscape management software can seriously streamline your entire process. From tracking leads and proposals to managing client communications, a good system makes it easy to scale and stay organized.

A great system doesn’t just make life easier — it helps you close more deals, improve accuracy and track performance in real-time. The more streamlined your process, the more time your team has to focus on what really matters — building relationships and locking in new business.

Final thoughts

This is the season for selling, plain and simple. October through the end of the year is the time to set yourself up for success in 2025. Focus on renewals, close out those fall projects, sharpen your pricing strategy and invest in the right tools for your team. With a little extra effort now, you’ll start the new year with a full pipeline, a clear strategy and a team ready to crush it.

Raise the bar is a monthly column by Justin White, CEO of K&D Landscaping, written to help improve professionalism in the green industry. He can be reached at justin@kndlandscaping.com.