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.
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.
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.
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...
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.
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.
There is an expression in our industry, The 100 Days of Hell. While it is humorous, it sets the wrong tone.I like the following upbeat expression better: 100 Days To Sell. Spring is here and many of you across the country have already been selling into this year’s goals. But you can always get better. Answering the phone and returning calls promptly puts you ahead of 90% of your would-be competitors. The following ten tips above will help you get ahead of everyone else. 10 Sales Knowledge Bombs to help you up your sales game.
Here is a proven approach to finding golden opportunities in your divisional numbers. But first, the back story:I just spent the day in Macon, Georgia, with one of our Leaders Edge peer groups, reviewing everyones 2022 benchmark numbers.(Thank you, Tommy Thornton, Southern Eco-Scapes, Gray, GA for hosting!) Benchmarking is one of the highlights of our peer group meetings! Everyone huddles around studying their numbers and their peers, looking for blind spots, golden nuggets and affirmations. Its always eye opening, humbling and exciting to watch the aha’s unfold.
Do you know if you are winning the GPM (gross profit margin) game? This was a question I posed at my Jan 2023 “Financial Master Class.” We collected the financial numbers from almost 200 participants, and looked at both their overall company margins, as well as their divisional GPM numbers. How Do You Compare?
Grace can play a very powerful role in your business, and separate you in a crowded market.
Last week I wrote about my client and friend, Kevin Werbrich, who uses grace when firing employees and when they quit.
He reported that his grace-based “Red Carpet Exit” has created a backlog of past employees who want to return to his company.
He has filled and “re” filled many foremen and high level positions with men who have grown up and learnt their lessons.
They return better people.
It takes real vision to consistently give people the benefit of the doubt and invest in them right as they leave your firm.
