Success rate of cold calling/walking in to commercial accts

[shade tree landscaping]

Just wondering what everyones succes rate is at cold calling or walking in to commercial places and speaking with the managers about soliciting bids.

[LouisianaLawnboy]

I'm interested in a percentage also.
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[shane mapes]

This topic has been on my to do list for 5 years & i have not done it.

[elite lawns]

Good question?:cool2:

[Hanau]

Personal experience, slim to none.

I get mine through networking. Meet the decision maker in a social setting, become beer drinking buddies, get the job without being the lowest bidder.

[Stillwater]

Really want commercial? why? how bad do you want it, first do a little homework, if possible Identify who owns the building, complete a professional and detailed assessment of the property outlining issues, and problem areas. Within the assessment you clearly in very understandable and reasonably brief terms spell out where you can make a positive and definitive improvement. Outline and address all aspects of the property and close with a very detailed itemized cost for the year that they will pay, attach proof of insurance your fert and squirt lic# and a list of references and their addresses so your current work can be inspected. Do not forget to specifically mention litter pick up will take place throughout the week This is assuming you have excellent writing and communication skills, clean trucks, your reasonably clean cut, you look professional and you know what your talking about, you know turf and you know all aspects of landscape and property management and have an unwavering ability to communicate this in brief conversation with great confidence with your ego safely in your back pocket. How many of you guys are willing to do this as it is layed out? Ill bet none of you. A lot of landscapers fail to realize the reason people own commercial buildings in the first place is to make money. Not spend it on their building. The guys that can effectively make the owner realize you are on the same page with that the better chance you have. Owners know the landscape industry and most likely who you are dealing with will have been burned before, You have a very limited time to demonstrate to them it is in their best interest to talk further with you. if you can't identify the property owner then you mail the assessment with all the attachments and pray. Their are some properties you will never get because of good work is already being done and loyalty.

[CkLandscapingOrlando]

To say nobody would do it is pretty broad yea? I wont provide insurance untill I got the bid. This is the norm here. I also wont pick up trash through out the week. When we service yes, out side of that it's on there porter. If they would like us to do the porter service, I will on a second bid. I'm not concerned with the money they want to spend. I'm worried about my money. The fact remains that a poorly maintained apartment complex next to a well maintained one, will loose money. They have one chance to make a first impression to perspective tenents. If they just loose one client due to landscaping, my price is justified, and paid for.

For the most part, every thing above is dead on. What I do disagree with, may be just because of diffrent areas.

[Stillwater]

To say nobody would do it is pretty broad yea? I wont provide insurance untill I got the bid. This is the norm here. I also wont pick up trash through out the week. When we service yes, out side of that it's on there porter. If they would like us to do the porter service, I will on a second bid. I'm not concerned with the money they want to spend. I'm worried about my money. The fact remains that a poorly maintained apartment complex next to a well maintained one, will loose money. They have one chance to make a first impression to perspective tenents. If they just loose one client due to landscaping, my price is justified, and paid for.

For the most part, every thing above is dead on. What I do disagree with, may be just because of diffrent areas.


Yes admittedly it is pretty much a blanket statement. established veterans in this industry should just ignore it, This applies to the guys who are having issues landing commercial accounts where competition is huge. You are not having a problem therefore you can afford to call terms on your terms, or stay in the norm to use your term.

If you are in a area where commercial is slim to none for what ever reason if you want what is available you have to stand out, you have to break the mold or to use your term you need to step out of the norm. Create a new norm set new standards otherwise your just another bid with a truck and trailer in a pile of bids that will not even get read. If someone wants commercial but is facing a monopoly they need to break that monopoly how to break it is determined by how bad they want it remember this is cold calling and if you get a chance remember you have only 30 seconds or less to stand out.