The Best Incentive is Open Book Management
Landscape professionals are always asking me “What is the best incentive?”
While that answer depends on the company situation, the best overall incentive is to empower your employees with “trust” in the form of more information.
One of the best ways to do that is with Open Book Management.
Two Quick Tips On Providing Undeniable “Value”
In March, I wrote that the common industry expression “100 days of hell” should be changed to “100 days to sell.”
It’s more upbeat and helps your team stay optimistic in tough times.
Here are two quick tips to keep you sane and selling in the 100 days of sales.
Learn From BrightView’s Costly Mistakes. You Can Do Better.
BrightView, our industry’s largest landscape firm, recently posted poor quarterly results. At the same time their CEO left, with no replacement announced.Did the CEO suddenly decide to leave or was he fired? Either way, the company has performed poorly. This begs the question: Is BrightView’s poor performance due to poor strategy or poor execution? Here is my view, with some lessons & cautionary tales for you.
18 Ways To Pivot with Jeffrey Scott
The economic winds are changing in different sectors and geographic areas around the country. Even if the economy remains strong in your neck of the woods, you will appreciate the savvy ideas that Jeffrey shares to tighten down your systems and approach. Jeffrey Scott...
Staying Proactive & Profitable in the Busy Spring
As I work with landscape business leaders across the continent, I see people who are either “proactive and strategic”, or “reactive and highly tactical”. However, the proactive ones will have a more-profitable and more-fulfilling year. We can put these leaders into 3 categories. 1. In the weeds: Those who are deep in the details, putting out fires, reactive in their day to day duties. They are sucked into client and employee issues; and doing “the work” themselves.
A Powerful Lesson From “The Steve Miller Band”
Every year I am blessed to go to the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, a 13 stage celebration of food and music.
I look forward to seeing the big names and the up-and-coming acts.
This year I was excited to see The Steve Miller Band. I have loved them ever since 6th grade.
I was lucky to catch a Q&A with Steve Miller right before he went onstage.
This Sales Tip Will Increase Your Design-Sales Conversion
Since we are in the middle of 100 Days to Sell, I want to share a timely sales tip. This tip will increase your design-sales conversion and improve your margins.
Thinking Outside The Box with Chris O’Bryan
Chris O’Bryan is co-owner and President of Limbwalker Tree Service & Lawn Care, based in Louisville, KY. It’s a 20 year-old, 5M business that is 60% Tree service, with the rest spread over lawn services, PHC and mosquito control. Chris is a true visionary and...
Develop “Sticky” Services, the Mariani way
Last week I shared two things that Mariani does uniquely well.
Here is the third thing they do uniquely well: Selling “premium specialty services” which helps to keep their clients “sticking” around.
Below are 3 examples, plus I explain “what it means for you.”
It’s a brilliant strategy, and one that you can copy.
(Note: Today’s the last day to get the super early bird discount for the Summer Growth Summit.)
Mariani’s Premium Specialty Services.
It’s not enough to do a great job serving your clients with commoditized landscape services.
It helps to find opportunities for additional services that go above and beyond your competition.
Mariani does this well.
What Does Mariani Do Uniquely Well? (Part 1)
For anyone who watches the show, Shark Tank, you have learned how the Sharks love companies with a unique, hard-to-copy product. It’s even more important for the Sharks that this uniqueness is translated into strong sales and profits.In prep for my Summer Growth Summit, I asked the marketing director at Mariani Landscape, Andrew Gross: What does Mariani do uniquely well? He shared with me 3 eye-opening answers.Over the next two weeks I am going to share those responses with you, in two parts. Here is Part 1.Note, I have included my own assessment on “What it means to you.”
