[hardscaping4u]

i was wondering how e eryones season has been going so far. weve had quite a few leads and have only landed 3 jobs. i see that you guys are experiencing some of the same problems we are, lowballers and priceshoppers. i refuse to undermine myself just to get work, i have in the past and it always ends up being that we lose money on the job. i dont want to be spending money just to work. thats just silly. it almost seems like closing up shop would be a better alternative. but i dont want to do that either. i like what i do and really dont want to go back to work for other people, but i also have bills to pay.

i'm not really sure what to do here, anyopne got any ideas.

[Dale Wiley]

I also refuse to lose money. I can't fight the lowballers, the illegals and their associated ilk.

I had a feeling early in the year that this may happen and about a month and a half ago, we started going after the sports field market.

In this short time we have:

Purchased a used 45 hp tractor,
a top dresser,
a 26 foot deck over trailer,
made modifications to 2 of our trucks

We will be purchasing a truck, 22 foot with hoist, a utility vehicle and tow behind aerator and an Aervator / Seedvator unit. I am biting off some debt here, but I have to have this stuff, or I am out of business.

started and e mail marketing program
had a logo package designed
started additional employee training

contracted park renovation / aeration contract $ 15,000 in 3.5 days.

Contracted drainage systems on 3 soil based fields - $ 18,000 - 5 days work

4 hour consultation and soil test
$ 750.00

You have to be prepared to change directions at a moments notice in this business. If I had sat around worrying about how the landscape business is in my area, I would be out of business.

I have made some VERY drastic changes in my business in a short time, and it is starting to pay off.

[Matt Kulp]

Dale,
Would you mind explaining your email marketing program, and the feedback you have gotton from it. We are planning on doing the same thing in the next week, and I am torn about the amount of content to implement.

Thanks

[John Palasek]

.


So far, so good.

We're going steady and the quality of the jobs we've been looking at is up quite a bit. I've always said that I would rather stay home or play golf than work for cheap and I've held on to that thinking this year, (unlike some previous years), and it seems to be paying off so far.
I have thrown out some numbers on several jobs which I thoroughly researched and decided were fair and got no reponse or a "We'll get back to you".

Their loss.

I'd rather do a handful of quality jobs for the year than to be "busy" with a bunch of thin-margin Chinese fire drills and dealing with penny-pinching homeowners.

So I'm resisting the urge to drop prices and I've adopted a "Quality work costs money" attitude with prospective clients. I feel that if I come across more as a top-shelf professional than a hungry small guy, it'll parlay itself into better jobs, better clientele, and better dollars in the long run.

Besides, with the kind of work I do, I'm worth every penny and more!





(Now where the hell is my five-iron?)



-JP




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[GLAN]

Originally posted by John Palasek
.


So far, so good.

We're going steady and the quality of the jobs we've been looking at is up quite a bit. I've always said that I would rather stay home or play golf than work for cheap and I've held on to that thinking this year, (unlike some previous years), and it seems to be paying off so far.
I have thrown out some numbers on several jobs which I thoroughly researched and decided were fair and got no reponse or a "We'll get back to you".

Their loss.

I'd rather do a handful of quality jobs for the year than to be "busy" with a bunch of thin-margin Chinese fire drills and dealing with penny-pinching homeowners.

So I'm resisting the urge to drop prices and I've adopted a "Quality work costs money" attitude with prospective clients. I feel that if I come across more as a top-shelf professional than a hungry small guy, it'll parlay itself into better jobs, better clientele, and better dollars in the long run.

Besides, with the kind of work I do, I'm worth every penny and more!





(Now where the hell is my five-iron?)



-JP




.

Excellent.....

Ya know?.........it's kinda wierd.......but you have to conduct business this way inorder to get what you want.......You have to go into every prospective job that you are "The Cats Meow" I am not saying be overbearing or egotistical. Just have the confidence and show it.

I've known this for many many years and nothing has changed........People can easily sniff out desperation. When they pick up on it in you, me or anyone....They can beat you down with it......and it is so very hard to break out of it.

I'm actualy having a good year.......better than I could possibly have thought. With my area being so over flooded with LCO's, and all the others.


I have recently done estimates where I arrived tired, not very interested and distracted.......got the jobs and extra work. What one of them told me..........they had gotten other estimates and they came off so desperate......they were giving discounts and offering a free this or that. And the felt that the guys giving the estimates were only concerned with the $.....

Where as I came in concerned with the condition of the landscape and that I knew what went wrong....but more importantly knew right off how and what to do to correct. I wasn't at all concerned about getting them to sign a contract.

Then again that recently happening is a fluke

But I am finding it easier to sign contracts where I am going in confident and kinda in conrtol of the meeting with the property owner.......And my shtick lately has been to educate the property owner the concept of value and what part it plays in cost. Making them believe that the value is far greater than what they are paying and that they need to be paying me more.

[Dale Wiley]

Originally posted by Matt Kulp
Dale,
Would you mind explaining your email marketing program, and the feedback you have gotton from it. We are planning on doing the same thing in the next week, and I am torn about the amount of content to implement.

Thanks

Well... I am primarily dealing with public agencies in this business. I have some private groups to contact as well. With these being my targets, they are all very well represented on the web, so that is a big start.

I cannot tell you how happy it makes me to deal with people who know what they want, will pay for it, and there is only one other company offering the service in a 3 state area.

All public agencies have excellent web sites, with PUBLISHED e mail address's. These are very well targeted to individuals.

Goggle is my friend. I Goggle them up off list I have from the internet and a past life as a turf equipment sales person. Never throw away a data base or client list for anything.

I send them an e mail, with the brief intro about our new business, our 28 years of experience, some pictures of work before and after, and work we have done.

It opens with a nice shot of our professionally designed logo, a brief bio and background, some pain phrases, and our contact information with a live link to our web site.

I put the usual disclaimer about this not being spam etc, and offer to delete their names. Not one has requested it.

I have e mailed a total of 143 e mails. 4 came back with bad address's, and we have made 4 active contacts, and contracted $ 28,000 in work in less than a month of doing it. Not a bad return, marketing wise.

I still have about 400 contacts to make. better get busy.

Sports Turf Northwest

[Paydaze7]

this is our main focus as well. muncipal, state, dot, county work etc. landscaping and hydroseeding services and loving every minute of it. i hope to be out of the residential market completly by the end of the year!

Originally posted by Dale Wiley
[b]Well... I am primarily dealing with public agencies in this business.

[Dale Wiley]

i hope to be out of the residential market completly by the end of the year!

Right on.... I can hardly wait myself.

Good Luck

[4seasons]

my company is having a pretty good year as well. Ive done some estimates like John. hOPE wE GET THEM! I have about 3-4months of work waiting for a y/n answer. question for you long timers-- if you havent gotten an answer from someone w/in a two week period do you call them and ask if they have made a decision? I have done this a few times and had mixed results. I'm a newbie still (5yrs) but my prices are getting hammered by all the newer guys starting up. I'm just glad I never started out low balling.

[John Palasek]

.



I wait at least a week before making a follow up call. If it's a particularly pricey job, I actually wait a bit longer.

When I call, I ask them if they have made any decisions or if they have any questions or concerns and take things from there.

I recently looked at a job which I priced at $40K. I let things go for about two weeks and then I called and left a message. They called me back that night and asked if I was psychic because they were getting ready to call me to ask about payment schedules.

I signed that job just last week.

I'm currently looking at another job with similar to higher numbers. I just met with them last Saturday and they said they'd like to consider what we discussed and they'd get back to me. So I don't plan to speak with them again for at least a week or more.

The reason I wait longer on pricey jobs is basically to let them know that---

A. I'm not desperate, (whether I am or not).

B. I do not want to come off as someone who can't wait to sign a big job or worse yet, that I never signed a job that big and I'm somewhat overwhelmed by it. (for the record, I've done jobs over $100K and my average is about $30K or so).



Waiting also sends a message that I'm perfectly comfortable working with large complex jobs with mid to high five-figure price tags and that tells them that I've been here before and it's all in a day's work. It is, actually, but a nice potential paycheck can sometimes have the most jaded among us drooling a bit and chattering on like a smitten teenager. The wait time gives us all a chance to gain some perspective, get comfortable with the numbers, the scope of the project and with each other. Of course, there's no guarantee that they'll ultimately sign with us, but the more comfortable I look, the more comfortable they'll be, and the more likely that things will work out for both of us.

It's kind of like dating in High School. It is possible to seem TOO interested or TOO anxious about going out with someone. So we learn that acting a bit more aloof or even somewhat uninterested actually produces better results.

It takes more time that way, of course, but just like the dating, it's usually worth the wait.



The games we play, huh?




-JP






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[Lanelle]

Yes, John, I agree that not seeming overly eager does pay off. I got a call today from a client that I haven't been pushing, even though it is a good size job and he is making certain that I know that they want to settle the details and proceed.

[Stonehenge]

When I have a bit more free time I want to add to what John wrote - I've done some things a little differently this year and have been surprised at the outcome, and want to share.

[Paul]

It's very busy here now, Of course we just went thru a 5 day work stoppage (read strike) but it didn't slow down the jobs that are coming this way. We just let a nice mid 6 figure job go to other contractors, just don't need the work now. What we are going to have to do is figure how much more we are going to have to get per hour with the new contract just signed..........

[eclipsefence]

It's been inconsistent for me. A month of non stop estimates and work, then I get worried for a week or so, then slammed for a few weeks, and again the work seems to be drying up. I partially blame myself; being in the field all week leaves me no time or energy to bump up advertising, find ways to cut costs, and other office work. So I hired another guy and am trainign both my guys to work for me.

I have found there are more lowballers this year than the past two. I've been costanly underbid, by 3 digits, on two day jobs. I'd lose money for sure if I'd compete with them. So I'll jsut stay 3 steps above, and wait for them to sell off their equipment cheap.

[4seasons]

quote
I'll stay 3steps above, and wait for them to sell off their equipment cheap.


thats what I would do also. bought some nice stuff this spring that way.
Jeff you have any free time yet to let us know what you are doing differently?
Paul
you turned down a 6figure job? wow!