F EATURE ARTI CLE
MARKETING YOURSELF Materials offer another profit opportunity. Some contractors do installations with products the customers buy and store themselves. But the majority of contractors install commercial-grade products clients buy or lease through them. Generally, materials account for about 30 percent of the cost, with about a 15-percent markup. Some contractors also use warehouse storage for decorations in the off-season, with storage fees built into the bid. Contractors say one of the biggest challenges is getting potential clients to understand how much labor is involved to justify the cost. “Explain why you’re the professional,” says Nick Roth, owner of Nick’s Landscaping of Ohio in Copley, Ohio. “You come back if bulbs go out. You won’t have sloppy wires drooping along the gutter line. You use 100 clips when they might use two or three if they’re doing it themselves.” You also need to understand customer expectations. “You may agree to decorate an ornamental tree’s canopy and think one man can do it in 20 minutes. But your client may want each limb wrapped, which is going to take two or three hours,” Roth says. “Communicate that kind of detail beforehand so you’re not underestimating your bids.”
Start by informing existing clients about the service through flyers, billing inserts or e-mail. To garner new clients, door hangers and direct mail should target homes with a certain minimum square footage, price or within a specific zip code. “Postcards with photos are great tools because this is a visual business,” says Travis Freeman, president of Brite Ideas Decorating in Omaha, Nebraska. Time them to arrive in the first part of November when people start thinking about the holidays. Consider media such as Google ads, and don’t forget to announce services on your company’s social media accounts. Placing yard signs with your company name and phone number in front of your current clients’ homes can drive sales for next year.
This story, written by Arricca Elin SanSone, originally ran on the Total Landscape Care website, located at /www.totallandscapecare.com.
The Growing Concern | December 2018 | 29