SALES AND MARKETING: Can You Use This Technology?

My assistant, Nancy, laughs at my infatuation with gadgets. If there’s something that will make life easier or save time, in most cases I will get it. If you can find ways to save time, think about how many more clients you can call on. And it goes without saying that the more clients you call on, the more sales you’ll make and sales is something we can all use.
  
QuieTunes are available from the Duluth Trading Co. (www.duluthtrading.com). They are ear muffs that protect your ears from loud noise like mowers, weed eaters and chainsaws. The neat thing about this product is you can plug them into your iPod. By doing this you can actually hear whatever you are playing on your iPod without blowing out your eardrums. Think about all the lessons your team could glean from these. Ask them to listen to one of John Maxwell’s lessons on leadership, or a Lawn & Landscape podcast? Maybe you offer up a test and those who pass get lunch? When you take an interest in your people, they’ll take an interest in you. And listening to music or an educational program on something that also serves as ear protection is a win-win, and it might be the reason someone works for you instead of a competitor.
  
Next is a GPS device mounted in your truck – maybe all of your trucks. I know they are expensive and you may already have one, but what about your drivers? If you have a Spanish-speaking work force and they seem to get lost often, maybe installing these would help? Think about the cost of gasoline and it’s pretty easy to see why $200 for a device that saves $4-per-gallon fuel is money well spent. I realize GPS is something most of you have. I just want you to think about getting them for others in your company in hopes of saving money, and maybe making them feel important in the process?
  
I just ordered a Ford Hybrid Escape for my wife. It will be a while before it comes in, but I believe it will be money well spent. The technology behind the Escape Hybrid is nothing new. It’s an SUV that runs on batteries at speeds of 25 mph or less. The gasoline engine kicks in above that and when the air conditioning is put on the “max” setting, so it’s not perfect. But, it gets over 30 mpg in the city, which is the type of driving my wife mostly does. With four children, she can haul them to school, to sports and the like and we can save a ton of money on gas and feel good in the process. To be honest, I still have one of those full-sized SUV’s in my garage as that’s all that can hold my entire family when we need to travel together. But I spent a lot of time running the math on the Ford Escape purchase and it makes sense. Throw in the fact that the government will give you about a $3,000 credit for purchasing one when I wrote this column. This is a great deal. I encourage you to look into this vehicle and research with your accountant the tax credits available. Learn more about hybrid vehicles at www.hybridcars.com and learn more about the tax credits at www.savefuel.gov. This vehicle might be one you or your company wants to consider.
  
Finally, I’ve saved the best for last. There’s an incredible program called ooVoo that I use to stay in touch with clients, friends and family. ooVoo is available for a free download at www.ooVoo.com and you need to check it out today. ooVoo allows you to talk with anyone who has Internet access and a camera as if they were sitting in front of you. My brother lives in Seattle and my sister lives in Washington, D.C. I live in Dayton, Ohio, but a few times a month I talk to them for free from the comforts of my favorite chair. It’s amazing and there are many other types of applications you can use it for. I’ve introduced it to hundreds of landscape contractors and the common response when they see what it does is “this is incredible.” I hope you’ll look into this tool as a way to save money, time and improve relationships with family, friends and even clients. I have sold thousands of dollars worth of work to my clients while talking to them on ooVoo, so this is also a sales tool. LL
  
Marty Grunder is a speaker, consultant and author, as well as owner of Grunder Landscaping Co., Miamisburg, Ohio. Reach him at 866/478-6337, landscapesales@gie.net or via www.martygrunder.com.