Bad marketing

I see it all the time and I see it so much it’s scary. Owners need to be intimately involved with the selling and marketing of their firms. And when I say intimately, I mean you, the owner, are the one who should be championing this task at your company.

There is a recovery coming around the corner and now is the time for us small business owners to take some action. So, it’s time you let your clients and prospects know you are alive and well. Some good marketing is in order.

Here are five things I’d be doing now if I were you: 

1.Clearly identify your target. It’s easy to get in panic mode and take on any work you can get. But often when we do that, we only cut into profitability and our reputation. I’ve taken on smaller jobs that we normally might not take to help fill up our backlog but I have not changed our focus from high-end residential. We’re not good at the big mowing jobs or big commercial installations; it’s not what we do best.

If you haven’t taken the time to clearly define who your ideal client is, you need to. You don’t go fishing with dynamite. You fish with the proper rod, reel and bait for your intended target. Resist these acts of desperation, and stay focused on what you do best.

2. Get out there in person. In today’s age of e-mail, voicemail, Facebook, Twitter and the like, face-to-face communication is seemingly going by the wayside. Let’s zig when everyone else is zagging. At a bare minimum you need to be out seeing your best clients – the ones that most likely bring you 80 percent of your business. It is amazing what you can sell to a client just by scheduling a “yard tour” and walking around and showing your client enhancements you could make. A mentor of mine, who is a very successful landscaper, often tells me, “Every yard in America could use a flat of pachysandra.” I tend to agree. But it’s pretty hard to sell it sitting in your office. Get out there!

3. Make business easier. It sounds simple and it should be, but a lot of companies don’t get this. Are your phones answered quickly by a smiling professional? Too many companies have an unqualified, untrained person handling the phones. Can I call your office and set up an appointment right now? Set it up when they call if possible. Empower your people to do this. Will someone go out immediately? Crazy? I don’t think so.

Speed sells, folks. The faster you get out there, the better your chances for selling the job. What terms are you offering? We have had a lot of success offering clients these terms: one-third down, one-third due when the project is complete and the final third due at the end of the year. Get your team together and ask them how you could make your company easier to do business with.

4. Follow up. No matter how big or small the job is, follow up. It could be a survey you mail or a phone call – just make sure your clients are happy. You’ll make an impression, build trust with the client and create plenty of loyalty. If something is wrong, go make it right as fast as you can. Many times having a small problem on a job can be a good thing. The client sees how you react when things did not go right and you really build loyalty if you make things right. 
 
5. Target your marketing. If you know who you want your client to be, send offers to those types of people. Generally speaking, mass marketing like Yellow Pages advertising, Valpaks and card decks are only marginally successful. You should get a higher return on investment if you aim your message directly at the type of client you want.

If you are in the commercial maintenance business, the biggest bang for your buck is cold calling the buildings and facilities with which you want to do business. If you are a lawn care company, it might be a mailing to the neighborhoods where current clients live. If you are a residential landscape design/build firm, mail before-and-after photographs of your best work with an offer to walk the prospects’ properties.

Business is tough, but a recovery is coming. Get ready with these five strategies and you’ll be prepared to recover fast when it comes.