Step 2

Step 2 takes you through the process of advertising, how to properly bid a lawn, and tips for gaining new customers.
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Advertising- It is common knowledge that advertising is how you gain some of your customers and it is a way to get your name throughout your neighborhood. I will explain the techniques I used which were door to door prospecting, how to create an effective flier, and the use of business cards.

Door-to-door prospecting- The first part "door-to-door" is pretty self explanatory. The term prospect means a potential customer, so prospecting is finding these potential customers.

The method I found to generate the most customers was knocking on each individual door in my neighborhood and introducing myself and explaining a little about what my company could do for their lawn. First off people will respect this. Instead of just passing out fliers on everyone's doors your letting them know your serious about starting a business and don't mind putting in a little extra effort. Also it's a great way for people to put a face with a name. They most likely get 2-3 companies passing out fliers but some are hesitant as to who is actually going to do the work. A lot of people would rather give their business to someone who lives in their neighborhood and not to a big company that sends out workers that do not care about their lawn. Letting them know who you are and showing that you don't mind doing some extra work will add to your credibility throughout the neighborhood.

When I would knock on a door and the potential customer would open the door it's pretty obvious that they don't want to hear what your trying to sell them. To help break the ice always introduce yourself in someway such as "Hello, my name is Joe Lawn with Lawn Care Managers". At the same time always go to shake their hand whether it's a male or female. When you shake their hand do not grip too firmly or too softly, and look them in the eyes. Once again people will respect this.

From this point your probably going to get a response that is negative and people will say things such as "I already have a lawn service, thank you" or "I take care of the yard myself". Do not think these people will never be your customer or bring you new customers. If you get a response like this tell them it's ok if they already have a lawn service. Tell them why they can still use your service in the future and let them briefly know that your service is professional.

If they respond with a comment letting you know that they already have a lawn service respond to that with a counter statement. "If you ever encounter any problems with your company in the future due to their service not being reliable or their work not being professional don't hesitate to give me a call. I always cut the lawn, trim around fences and trees or anything the mower could not get to, edge your lawn anytime your grass meets concrete, and finish by blowing off all hard surfaces." At this time hand them a business card and flier still and thank them for their time and leave off with a closing hand shake. Now they know if problems occur in the future, which they always do, then they can call you at any time.

If they respond with a comment indicating that they cut the lawn themselves try another counter statement. "I understand paying for something you can do yourself is smart, but if the summer heat ever gets too hot, if you ever go on vacation, or have a function at your house and want a professional touch feel free to give me a call. My service always includes cutting the lawn, trimming around fences and trees or anything the mower could not get to, edging your lawn anytime your grass meets concrete, and finish by blowing off all hard surfaces.". Now you just gave them three options in the future that they might call you for while still being able to do the lawn themselves. I know it's a pain to do one time jobs but you would be surprised that once these people call you and see you respond efficiently and do good work they might not ever want to go back to cutting the lawn themselves again. Also they will talk to neighbors and let them know the quality of your work and that could lead to new customers.

Now for the few people who will be interested in your service it's time to sell them on why your service could help their lawn or most importantly, why it is better then your competition. Again start off telling them why your service is professional and finish by saying something like "We are a smaller company and that works in your benefit. Larger companies cannot adapt to your needs and most of the time do not care if they hurt your lawn. I treat your lawn as if it were my own, and if you prefer to have your lawn bagged, certain parts cut with a push mower, enjoying having your ivy trimmed every two weeks, need a special payment plan, or feel comfortable knowing that your business is going to a hard working man/woman in the neighborhood then my services are best suited for you." People will be impressed and feel safe knowing that they can receive a service that is specialized for their needs.

No matter what response they give you always be polite, shake their hand, counter with a statement as to why they can still use your service in the future, and leave them with a business card and flier. Even though you might not get their business instantly, you can make sure to get it within time. It is hard to really explain how to prospect effectively because it is an improv game meaning each time you knock on a door your response will require you to think on your feet with a clever professional response.

Effective Fliers-The most common form of advertising for lawns is through passing out fliers. Many people will try to throw together a flier quickly and by doing this make many mistakes.

Fliers are simple. Do not over clutter your flier with long explanations or filled with a lot of information that is not needed. At the top should be your company's name and logo. You want people to start to recognize your logo with your service. Next you want to put what your trying to sell them. Meaning you might be trying to sell them your lawn service, lawn fertilization, leaf removal ect. I would always try to put a simple catchy phrase at the top. My company is DLC and one year i put "Spring is here and your lawn needs a little TLC, do not fear though because your in the hands of DLC". After this I listed my services in the middle. Each service would take up one line. It would look like

____________________Donovan Lawn Care____________________

"Spring is here and your lawn needs a little TLC, do not fear though because your in the hands of DLC"

_____________Our Services Include:____________________

Lawn Mowing
Trimming around fences, trees, bushes ect.
Edging around concrete
Blowing off all hard surfaces

If your looking for a professional service that can adapt to your specific needs, then look no further than own neighborhood. Give us a call for free estimates and how our service can work around your needs.

Thanks,

Joe Lawn
(555) 555- 5555

It is simple and to the point. People do not want to be overwhelmed with a bunch of information, they just want to know what you can do for them. Remember though to put your signature between the thanks and Joe lawn at the bottom of the page. Also I never printed my fliers in color, and I mean my text. Some can debate over this saying it looks unprofessional but for a company just starting out, it gets expensive really quickly when printing 500 copies in color. I would though print the color of the paper in a bright festive color. This was only 1 cent more at my Office Depot and I was willing to take on that extra cost. Also remember most people will throw away your flier the second they get it so try not to spend too much money on this.

Business Cards-This to me was the most important part of my advertising campaign. Unlike the fliers where I would try to conserve costs, I would spend a little more money on my business cards. I never went to a professional service and had them make them which did save me money. Business cards are simple to make, there are free programs on the internet or you can spend $15-$20 bucks on a program to install on your computer. Heck, I'm pretty sure newer versions of Microsoft word have a program already installed. Anyway, keep them simple like your flier. At the top have your company name and logo centered. Be sure to include a brief overview of your services and your name and number. Now, once you have made your company's business card it's time to go out and buy printer paper that is already pre-cut to 8 business cards and can be put in your printer. They are called business cards and if you ask a worker at whatever store you choose to go to they can help you. Again, unlike my fliers, I do print my business cards in color. I do this because I know people will throw my fliers away but will keep my business cards for years. When I say years I mean I have people who still have my original card from when I was 11. Now if you have a color printer great, if not you can go through a professional service or find a friend with one. You might have to replace their color ink cartridge though. After I printed out a couple hundred business cards and I separated them, I would go on to the final most important step.

At Office Depot I found magnets that you stick your business card onto. These are a bit pricey but the benefits you get are priceless. This one key step is what really helped me to get new customers. You have to put each one on individually and be careful because you only get one shot at it, but again it's worth it. Whenever I would prospect I would always let people know "My business cards are magnetic so you can stick them on your fridge. If you ever need my service again it will conveniently be there for you" This works so great because people like magnets. Even if they don't like the company they will still use it to hold papers and things on their fridge. This can assure you that even if you flier is thrown away, your business card will be kept. The next benefit is that they will see your company every time they go to the fridge. So if the lawn is getting out of control or they are looking for a new service, once they see your business card again they will most likely call you. The last thing I can say about this is don't be cheap. There were two magnets when I went. One that was cheap and flimsy and one that was quality. Spend the extra $10 bucks and get the quality. If you get a cheap magnet, people will throw them away.
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Properly Bidding A Lawn- This can be tough when starting out because you want to gain new customers and sometimes end up under bidding a lawn. Then your stuck for a while being under-payed for your service. An easy way to bid a lawn is to know that you work within a range of $24-$35 dollars per lawn. For me, most of the houses I cut were on quarter acre lots and the average was about $25. I would do odd number bids like $26, or $27 if they were a little tougher and people did not mind paying the extra dollars as long as they knew why. When bidding a lawn you need to first see how much work is there. It can be a small yard but have a lot of work. A list of questions to ask yourself is:
1. Is the lawn flat? Things like little dips or bumps in the yard can make it tougher to cut because you have to avoid scalping the lawn?
2. Is there a large hill somewhere that is going to take extra work?
3. Is there a lot of trees, bushes, landscaping, that is going to take extra trimming?
4. Is there a lot of edging to do?
5. Does the customer require an extra service like bagging the lawn, or requesting?
If you answer yes to any of these, you should add a few dollars to the price until you feel like your getting paid what you deserve. So just keep in mind an average price of about $25 dollars and add or subtract a few dollars due to the specific needs of the lawn. Also if a lawn is large compared to what your used to bidding, don;t be afraid to quote them $30-$35 dollars. You will kick yourself if you under bid a job.

Last thing is always give free estimates. They are quick, easy, and get your face out there again. Also, I do not know any lawn service that charges for estimates. When you are called for an estimate though your doing more than giving a price. Explain to them the process you use when cutting and really sell your self. Let them know exactly what they are paying for!
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Tips for Gaining New Customers- A few tips to point out when trying to gain new customers are as follows:

1. Prospect, prospect, prospect. Set a goal of 10 or 20 houses a day and stick to it.
2. Always be polite and courteous no matter if your right or wrong. Believe that people in the neighborhood will hear about confrontations you had with an ex-customer. Keep your reputation clean.
3. Do not procrastinate. If someone asks you to cut their lawn that day and you have time, DO IT. People will be very impressed each time you choose to go the extra mile and they will pass the word along.
4. Keep your fliers simple and use magnetic business cards.
5. Advertise 3 times a summer, and continue doing it year after year.
6. Always remember that the majority of your customers will come from word of mouth. Meaning when people start to enjoy your service and gain trust in you, they will tell neighbors about you and that's more powerful than any flier or business card.
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I hope you enjoyed the notes I have written out. If you thought they helped please click on one of the ad's on my page. You can click out after but it puts a little spare change in my pocket. Think of it as a thank you back to me.

Thanks,

Lawn Care Boy