Create a check list to win over commercial lawn care jobs.
Here is are a few great ideas on how to land commercial lawn care jobs. You can join this discussion at the Gopher Lawn Care Business Forum.
John: “I need some help here. The new lawn care season will be coming and I was wondering how lawn care business owners find out which lawn care contracts are up for bids for commercial areas as well as housing addition common areas, etc? I have looked at public notices in the newspaper and emailed property management companies with little to no luck. What do I need to do?? Thanks”
Keith: “Emailing is a good first step but don’t stop there. You have to get your name in front of them and in their heads.
Pick up the phone to find out who you need to speak to. Get the name of the purchasing manager.
Pound the pavement to pay them visits. On your first visit, bring flyers, business cards, and photos of previous (current) lawn care projects.
On your second visit, bring your lawn care equipment. Invite the purchasing manager outside to see that you have the equipment necessary to complete their lawn work in a timely manner and with professional results.
Never take the first three “NOs” as a defeat.”
Chris: “I never take my trailer to a commercial lawn care estimate. I think you look smaller when you show up by yourself with a bunch of stuff. I did this once and was asked if I thought I could do it alone. I told them that due to rain I gave my guys the day off. I didn’t get the lawn care work. I like to go to the site an hour ahead of our meeting so I can walk the whole place. I make a list of what I see and make it a point to tell them that I would never allow this to happen. I came up with a list of 25 reasons for a property management company to switch to us. This is just a list of the most common problems I’ve seen in my time. This gives them something to judge their current contractor by. A lot of them don’t even know the place has a problem. I just put in a bid for a local commercial facility’s lawn and I was standing in the entrance for about 20 min. waiting for the head maintenance man. When he got there I had a list of 22 lawn care problems that I would fire my father for. Now he knows that we know what he needs without him saying a word.”
Steve: “That is fascinating! What kinds of things are on your list?”
Chris: “Here is some of the items listed on my property survey checklist.
1)inconsistant triming on viburnums
2)inconsistant triming of boxwoods
3)Vines growing up vibur.
4)weeds growing through bxwod
5)lack of edging of jasmine min.
6)jasmin growing on entrance sign
7)low tree canopy
8)lack of tree rings
9)lack of round up or eq.
10)dead or dying hollies
11)lack of bed edging
12)annuals need cut back
13)pond not mowed
14)myrtles need trimmed
15)ligustrums need balled
16)african iris oversprayed
17)irg. boxes not edged
18)beds not edged
19)crack weeds
20)juniper die back
21)weeds in juniper
22)tree suckers”
Steve: “Now not everything on this list may work in your geographic growing area but that doesn’t mean you can’t come up with your own list of 25 lawn care problems. Use this list to point out what is wrong with the current property’s lawn care condition. This should help show you know what you are talking about and help you land more commercial lawn care accounts.”
