Marty Grunder: A look back… and forth 2012

Marty Grunder

So we've all made it through another year despite what I find to be a very unfriendly business environment imposed upon us entrepreneurs by the current administration. I would like to congratulate you on making your business work.

At times I think leaders tend to look back at what went wrong and try to make improvements and while that is a very beneficial exercise, it's also important to look back at what went right and try to do more of that. 

So, let's talk about what I saw going well at Grunder Landscaping Co. and the many other landscaping companies I work with.
 

Attitude. The landscapers that I know that are doing well have a positive, can-do attitude. They don't take no for an answer, they keep focused on the task at hand and keep working and working to find success. I have one landscaper who did not have a good winter snow plowing and did not have a good spring, due to all the rain. He was frustrated but stayed positive and just kept on working hard and you know what? It all worked out. He actually had a record July.

Think back to the challenges you had in the past year? How did you overcome them? Did a negative attitude help? It doesn't help a thing. You have to believe that things can and will get better. While "hope" in itself is not a strategy, it is a mindset that helps us win. Hope comes from us doing the little things well and gradually improving our chances for success.
 

Efficiencies. It is very hard in this business environment to raise prices. So, the best way to raise your profits is to find new, better and faster ways to do things. I have a client in Texas who has an inspection sheet they religiously use at each maintenance visit to a property.

He proudly boasts about the savings he has realized by the use of this sheet. He says they stay on top of things, know what to do the next visit and have found all types of things to bill for in the process.

Processes and procedures save time and money. Grunder Landscaping Co. is more efficient this year and we'll keep working on it. I hope you'll do that, too.
 

Sales. Successful green industry professionals are good at making sales. And, it goes without saying, but a good attitude and an efficient company make selling that much easier.

At my company, we have had a great year selling. We started out a little slow and just kept at it. We also have told a lot of people no. Why? We know who our ideal client is, and we know that our best chance for having success is when we work with a homeowner who values things being done right and is willing to pay for that work to be done right.

I ask you, who is your ideal client? Is that who you are looking for? Does your sales team have goals?  Do you meet weekly? Successful landscaping companies do. Successful landscapers are in "sales mode" 24/7. If you don't work this way, it's time to start.

It's been a good year for many of us. Look back on your year and learn from the bad and make a promise to yourself and your team that you won't repeat the mistakes. Do that, or at least try, and your 2012 will be a good one.

Marty Grunder is a speaker, consultant and author; he owns Grunder Landscaping Co. See www.martygrunder.com; mail
marty@gie.net.