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Any successful business relies on a continuous flow of work, whether it’s new customers or repeat customers…or ideally, a combination of the two. There are many ways to try and get business, but most take time and expense and usually without a high degree of success.

Conventional Wisdom Is Great…If It Only Worked

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If you’re in business I’m sure you’ve been approached by those selling advertising or those who tout the latest and greatest way “to get more customers”.

You can buy newspaper and magazine ads, do direct mailings, be part of a “coupon” campaign, or be listed in this and that directory.  And of course there’s the good ole yellow pages.

And if someone does respond to one of those ads or strategies what do you think your “prospect to sales” ratio will be?

Years ago I offered these beautiful redwood play structures installed on my projects.  On a whim I thought I’d do some advertising to see if they might sell on their own.  On recommendation I ran ads for a stretch of time in different publications. After all was said and done I sold one unit.  On the other hand, most of my design clients who wanted a play structure chose from this redwood line. They trusted that the product would be of high quality and properly installed.

Here’s What Works And Feels Good At The Same Time

Today, your reputation is probably the most important asset you have – second maybe to your customer base, which is actually the other side of the same coin. And that brings me to the topic of this post.

Your customer base whom you have served well all along, advising them, looking out for their best interests – they have remained loyal to your landscape business. They respect you and count on your help and suggestions.

Your customer base contributes in a big way to your word-of-mouth business.  And they’ll continue to add to your reputation and bring more “perfect customers” to you.

Look after the customers you have. Visit their properties when you can and take a quick tour around the home. Jot down any thoughts, ideas, recommendations, etc. and either zip them an email, a short note or even make a phone call.

Not only will your customers appreciate the personal care, but your projects will only look and perform better with this attention.  Your clients and their landscapes will continue to be “ambassadors” to your landscape business.

Some companies use various types of “advertising” as more of a branding tactic to reinforce their name and presence.  And this can have merit.  But this and other forms of traditional advertising need to be part of a present day approach to marketing.

Having a presence on the internet is a crucial piece to marketing today — even for small businesses.  It gives you the opportunity to speak to people in almost a one-on-one way — just like you do everyday.  I’ll be sharing more on how to do that in future content.  Just know this: the effort you put into your online presence is a long-term strategy and asset.  It will work for you 24/7.

Word-of-mouth, traditional advertising, online marketing.  How are you using any or all of these strategies to grow your business?  If you don’t mind sharing please leave a “comment”.

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