How to market: DIY vs Professional

[rcreech]

In most cases right now...many people are trying to cut back on everything and do it themselves to save money (ie painting, mowing, house cleaning etc).

In turf applications though...I can prove that I can do it cheaper then a person that buys Scotts at the store and I will do a better job (calibration and timing), while using a much better product!

I know most one here will say that my prices are too cheap...but I make a very good living, know my market very well and also charge more then the larger companies so I know I am doing it right!

This year it costs a homeowner around $135/acre to treat their lawn using Scotts from Walmart but I would be able to do it for them for $130-140!

I want to market to the DIY people next year as I know I will be able to kill the box price...and they don't have to worry abuot it! They just come home to a green lawn and no worries about how much of what to apply and when!

I see Scotts Pre being in the $60+/bag or 15K range which will be around $180/acre.

I will probably be around the $150-160+/acre mark next year. So I can "save" them some really good money and grow my business $$$$$$$

What is a good way to convey this to people and get them to understand? I was thinking to trying to put something in the paper or a billboard...but not sure how to word it or get this info to these people!

Any suggestions?

I think this will be a HUGE opportunity for all of us to tap into the DIY market!

[FdLLawnMan]

This is a great idea Rodney, I will have to look into what the prices of out local supply store will be selling fertilizer for. I am thinking of some kind of direct comparison advertisement in a local paper, or put a comparison chart in your website and point people to that. Just some of my thoughts.

[TLS]

I'm at least $160/acre, but would like to get more.

My material costs are in the $80-90 range/acre using the cheap stuff. Add dimension and/or Speedzone or another premium herbi and my material costs shoot up pretty good.

I sell on premium products and custom applications. And downing the "one tank treats all" guys.


I've seen very few homeowner applied jobs that look decent. Most are small townhouse lawns. When you get up around the acre lot size, homeowners get sloppy and it really shows.

[Runner]

I've been selling on this concept for years. I have the numbers all prepared in my head (constantly being upgraded now, which isn't easy for MY head lol). Anyway, I not only mention the price out the door from the big box store, but I add the story. I say that If you drive up to the store, get your stuff (for x amount) bring it home, load it in your spreader, spread it, and put everything away - storing the fertilizer you have left over, (because inevitably, if you have some left over, what do you DO with it?) and pay yourself a dollar an hour to do all this, what did it cost you? And guess what??? You STILL HAVE WEEDS!
SO!, for around 20 bucks, you can have the stuff not only delivered to your door, not have to HANDLE the stuff, have it applied at a perfectly calibrated rate in a perfect spread pattern, AND have all your weeds taken care of! AND, you have a trained professional monitoring your lawn for you - for any potential problems that could arise, and having the knowledge to address them with the right product, at the right rate, at the right time.
The thing I usually hear after this, is "When can you start?"

[rcreech]

I've been selling on this concept for years. I have the numbers all prepared in my head (constantly being upgraded now, which isn't easy for MY head lol). Anyway, I not only mention the price out the door from the big box store, but I add the story. I say that If you drive up to the store, get your stuff (for x amount) bring it home, load it in your spreader, spread it, and put everything away - storing the fertilizer you have left over, (because inevitably, if you have some left over, what do you DO with it?) and pay yourself a dollar an hour to do all this, what did it cost you? And guess what??? You STILL HAVE WEEDS!
SO!, for around 20 bucks, you can have the stuff not only delivered to your door, not have to HANDLE the stuff, have it applied at a perfectly calibrated rate in a perfect spread pattern, AND have all your weeds taken care of! AND, you have a trained professional monitoring your lawn for you - for any potential problems that could arise, and having the knowledge to address them with the right product, at the right rate, at the right time.
The thing I usually hear after this, is "When can you start?"

I totally agree and also use the "same story" when I talk to people when comparing as it makes the sale pretty easy

But what I am asking is "How do we get to the DIY from a marketing standpoint"? The ones that may not be interested in calling us or getting an estimate. If they don't call us...then we can't share with them the savings and differences in product performance!

[Hissing Cobra]

Go for the smaller lawns! I see a lot of homeowners who have 1,000 to 4,000 square foot lawns and they are forced to buy bags for 5,000-15,000 sq. ft. (Scotts) or 9,000-14,000 sq. ft. (Lesco or comparable brands). This forces them to:

A. Pay too much for product and purchase a lot more than they need
B. Have too much left over
C. Possible mis-application of product
D. Inferior results because they may not follow a good program with proper dates and times between applications or not applying the products during the correct windows of time.

If you market yourself to these people, it'll be easier for them to understand the benefits for them to hire you, especially since you're a Professional with the knowledge to do a good job. You'll also make a good amount of money. Say for instance that you buy a bag of straight fertilizer for $30.00 or so. If you can get 10,000 sq. ft out of the bag, you could do ten 1,000 sq. ft. lawns from that one bag. If you're charging $30.00 or $35.00 per 1,000 sq. ft. lawn, you're doing good!

[LIBERTYLANDSCAPING]

If you can get 10,000 sq. ft out of the bag, you could do ten 1,000 sq. ft. lawns from that one bag.

A 1,000 sq. ft. lawn? :confused: Never heard of it:laugh:

[greendoctor]

Go for the smaller lawns! I see a lot of homeowners who have 1,000 to 4,000 square foot lawns and they are forced to buy bags for 5,000-15,000 sq. ft. (Scotts) or 9,000-14,000 sq. ft. (Lesco or comparable brands). This forces them to:

A. Pay too much for product and purchase a lot more than they need
B. Have too much left over
C. Possible mis-application of product
D. Inferior results because they may not follow a good program with proper dates and times between applications or not applying the products during the correct windows of time.

If you market yourself to these people, it'll be easier for them to understand the benefits for them to hire you, especially since you're a Professional with the knowledge to do a good job. You'll also make a good amount of money. Say for instance that you buy a bag of straight fertilizer for $30.00 or so. If you can get 10,000 sq. ft out of the bag, you could do ten 1,000 sq. ft. lawns from that one bag. If you're charging $30.00 or $35.00 per 1,000 sq. ft. lawn, you're doing good!

In my market, what brings the otherwise frugal and DIY types over to my program is weeds. As well as the realities of controlling them. A common weed problem here are sedges. Sedgehammer is sold OTC at garden shops, however it does not do much for kyllinga. You need Certainty or Image to control that weed. However, most lawns that I treat are under 5000 sq ft. The smallest package of Certainty is designed to treat 1 acre. Then there is the problem of how to accurately apply herbicides to a lawn. Due to the high sensitivity of the warm season grasses, most DIY and "landscaper" applications result in damaged turf. My selling point is that I can control most weeds without burning holes in the lawn. Some of the herbicides needed to properly control the kinds of weeds are also RUP in Hawaii and/or they are not available in small quantities. I do not know of any homeowners who has use for a 10 lb bag of simazine 90DF(RUP) or a 21/2 gallon bottle of 2,4-D or Banvel.

Another factor that converts DIY types is insect control on their trees and shrubs. I have not seen any homeowners here with a high pressure spray rig and the proper gun/nozzle arrangement. Many people have signed on with me as a monthly management client because I was able to control insect and mite problems they were being defeated by. Not even most landscapers get the same results. That is what happens when an illiterate labourer is sent out with a hand operated sprayer. I expected to see a lot more truck mount or at least engine driven backpacks, but so far I am the only one running that kind of equipment.

[Hissing Cobra]

A 1,000 sq. ft. lawn? :confused: Never heard of it:laugh:

:) There's a LOT of them around here in the Cape Cod region and in the trailer parks, retirement parks and newer "cluster" subdivisions. Many of the Lawn companies out this way love the smaller lawns because their profit margins increase greatly. Of course, that's in a perfect world. Not all regions of the country have lawns that size but if you do, you'd be crazy to NOT market yourselves there.

If you've got spray capabilities, that's the icing on the cake. With the ability to spray, you can take care of their weed, crabgrass or even nutsedge problems the correct way. Once you tell a homeowner that they need a spray, that should sell your program easily.

[greendoctor]

There few residential lawns here over 5000 sq ft. My gross on those lawns is around $1200 per year per 1000 sq ft. Add in what I charge to treat trees and ornamentals on a one time basis. There is no need for me to do 100's of lawns almost at cost and at inhuman rates of production. I got into this side of the business so I would not have to work very hard or under poor conditions.

[rcreech]

There few residential lawns here over 5000 sq ft. My gross on those lawns is around $1200 per year per 1000 sq ft. Add in what I charge to treat trees and ornamentals on a one time basis. There is no need for me to do 100's of lawns almost at cost and at inhuman rates of production. I got into this side of the business so I would not have to work very hard or under poor conditions.

Up here in REALITYVILLE....I would gross about $150/year on a 1K lawn!

My avg size lawn here is around 25K and is probably a little bigger then that now as I havn't checked it in a while.

Not Good! :dizzy:

Glad you guys have a market like that, but there is NO WAY that I could do it here.

$1200 is what I gross on a 2 acre lawn with 4 apps!

Why in the world would someone pay you that much for 1K? Are they rich or just stupid....or both maybe?:laugh:

[phasthound]

What is a good way to convey this to people and get them to understand? I was thinking to trying to put something in the paper or a billboard...but not sure how to word it or get this info to these people!



Rodney,

Great idea and i'm sure you'll find a way to word it. As for getting the word out effectively & economically, I like target marketing best. Billboards & newspaper ads are shot gun approaches or spaghetti marketing (throw it against the wall & see what sticks). Have you priced billboards?

I think a better approach would be to target the areas you are already working in with handouts & post cards, I can refer you to an on-line company that can let you target mailings just in the neighborhoods you want very economically with minimum orders of only 20. You pick the streets or neighborhoods around current clients, chose the demographics and they will print, label & mail them at a good price.

Offer current clients discounts for referrals that sign up. See if your clients will let you put a sign on their yard. These are simple yet effective tools and I'm sure you've thought of them already.

[greendoctor]

Up here in REALITYVILLE....I would gross about $150/year on a 1K lawn!

My avg size lawn here is around 25K and is probably a little bigger then that now as I havn't checked it in a while.

Not Good! :dizzy:

Glad you guys have a market like that, but there is NO WAY that I could do it here.

$1200 is what I gross on a 2 acre lawn with 4 apps!

Why in the world would someone pay you that much for 1K? Are they rich or just stupid....or both maybe?:laugh:

They are neither. Correction, I do not deal with the low to middle income. It is either retired widows or the financially stable. I am not into mass production. Most of the lawns I deal with are not serviceable with tractors or ride-on machines. Even pulling a hose can be a logistical nightmare. My price structure reflects that. Now if I could do most of my work from the 10 ft boom on my truck, prices would be different. This is why there is no way to say who is right, wrong or ridiculous. My program is also drastically different. I do a minimum of 12 rounds per year on a lawn. I also manage the irrigation system. There are lots of things I am doing besides just fert and squirt. When I am on a property, the client only needs to worry about getting the lawn mowed once a week. I also do not play the"insecticide or fungicide will cost you extra." Many lawns here need at least 3 applications of insecticide and 3 of fungicide in a year. I rather roll that into an annual program. If the lawn does get excessive disease, it is largely my fault because I am keeping the lawn too wet or inadequately fertilized.

[rcreech]

They are neither. Correction, I do not deal with the low to middle income. It is either retired widows or the financially stable. I am not into mass production. Most of the lawns I deal with are not serviceable with tractors or ride-on machines. Even pulling a hose can be a logistical nightmare. My price structure reflects that. Now if I could do most of my work from the 10 ft boom on my truck, prices would be different. This is why there is no way to say who is right, wrong or ridiculous. My program is also drastically different. I do a minimum of 12 rounds per year on a lawn. I also manage the irrigation system. There are lots of things I am doing besides just fert and squirt. When I am on a property, the client only needs to worry about getting the lawn mowed once a week. I also do not play the"insecticide or fungicide will cost you extra." Many lawns here need at least 3 applications of insecticide and 3 of fungicide in a year. I rather roll that into an annual program. If the lawn does get excessive disease, it is largely my fault because I am keeping the lawn too wet or inadequately fertilized.


I was just kidding about that...and that is why I added the laughter!

I still can't believe people pay that!

What would you get for a 5K lawn and 10K lawn?

You just have me curious now~! :)

I have to work my balls off (not really as I use ride on's but it sounds good) and use a ton of fert! You definitly have if figured out!

[greendoctor]

I was just kidding about that...and that is why I added the laughter!

I still can't believe people pay that!

What would you get for a 5K lawn and 10K lawn?

You just have me curious now~! :)

I have to work my balls off (not really as I use ride on's but it sounds good) and use a ton of fert! You definitly have if figured out!

I do give discounts for areas over 5K. For example, a 20K lawn and landscape is $4800 per year. That is for weed control, insect control, fertilization and irrigation management. A 5K lawn is done for $3600 per year. Do understand that my program is very different. Fertilizer is all liquid, formulated according to the results of a soil test. Hawaii is the purple nutsedge and kyllinga capitol of the US, so anyone who can get that under control without burning holes in the lawn need not be the lowest bidder. Same can be said for the LCO capable of bringing a lawn back from Take-All patch. Things are not as simple as 4 rounds of granular fertilizer with preemergent and a few shots of three way. What I spend on chemicals per year would blow your mind, considering the small area I am maintaining. If I go cheap, I do not get the same results and I will have to be the lowest bidder.

[ted putnam]

I have a a handful of "postage stamp" yards 1500 sq ft or less. Just a handful. I have many under 4k. Profit margin is much better for me and if you can get just the right combo of lot size/household income they are much easier to sell. Those will be the ones I am targeting Spring 2009. Greendoctor, all I can say is it must be nice making $1200/thousand/yr. No way I could do that in my area although I have noticed I get more per acre than many here....much more in some cases.

[greendoctor]

I have a a handful of "postage stamp" yards 1500 sq ft or less. Just a handful. I have many under 4k. Profit margin is much better for me and if you can get just the right combo of lot size/household income they are much easier to sell. Those will be the ones I am targeting Spring 2009. Greendoctor, all I can say is it must be nice making $1200/thousand/yr. No way I could do that in my area although I have noticed I get more per acre than many here....much more in some cases.

Just remember I do have to work for it. In November and December, another two rounds are applied. Dependent on the weather, it might be Eagle or Insignia + Dithane. Refer back to what I said about property value here. Someone with a 5K lot and 2K of landscaping would be considered rich in the midwest. Ironically, someone with 1-2 acres of land is usually maxed out financially and not a candidate for my services. They can only afford mow and blow with some throw and go. Fine turf and ornamental management is not in the budget.

[rcreech]

Just remember I do have to work for it. In November and December, another two rounds are applied. Dependent on the weather, it might be Eagle or Insignia + Dithane. Refer back to what I said about property value here. Someone with a 5K lot and 2K of landscaping would be considered rich in the midwest. Ironically, someone with 1-2 acres of land is usually maxed out financially and not a candidate for my services. They can only afford mow and blow with some throw and go. Fine turf and ornamental management is not in the budget.

Funny how the world is so different everywhere! That is one reason I love this site! You get to see it all.

Here it is the exact opposite.

People with money here own anywhere from 1-4 acres and want it taken care of.

The smaller the homes around here the less money they have! There are some people that live in small homes I am sure that have money...but very few.

People with money around here get the heck out of town and I also take care of many farmsteads that have probably been paid off many many years ago or are passes down in the family!

That is where I make most of my money. People build or move out of town and that is where my .5 - 3 acre business comes from.

I have also noticed that the "smaller homes in town" are not usually taken care of. TG does a lot of lawns in these neighborhoods and I think they will be the ones cancelling this year. They are the typical $29.99 lawns the TG does! :dizzy: I don't even want in that market.

So we are just the opposite around here as the rich live big and take care of their place and the not so rich live in the small places.

[greendoctor]

Funny how the world is so different everywhere! That is one reason I love this site! You get to see it all.

Here it is the exact opposite.

People with money here own anywhere from 1-4 acres and want it taken care of.

The smaller the homes around here the less money they have! There are some people that live in small homes I am sure that have money...but very few.

People with money around here get the heck out of town and I also take care of many farmsteads that have probably been paid off many many years ago or are passes down in the family!

That is where I make most of my money. People build or move out of town and that is where my .5 - 3 acre business comes from.

I have also noticed that the "smaller homes in town" are not usually taken care of. TG does a lot of lawns in these neighborhoods and I think they will be the ones cancelling this year. They are the typical $29.99 lawns the TG does! :dizzy: I don't even want in that market.

So we are just the opposite around here as the rich live big and take care of their place and the not so rich live in the small places.

Anything over 0.5 acre here is worth 10 million +. It is rare for me to find people who have that kind of property and are financially secure. Not that they are poor, they are just maxed out. Getting lawn service from me can be almost like buying a car or house. I do not want to deal with cheapskates.