Free services

[Palmer]

I am new to business ( 1 account, 1 on line) and just finished my flyer to distribute to target areas. After researching this site (GREAT SITE!) I put &quot;Ask about our FREE lawncare services&quot; as a teaser to raise interest. My question is what service can I offer the 3rd or 4th cut that does not take long and is still high impact (seen as a value) for the customer? Edging? Fertilizing? Weed pulling? (just kidding about the weeding)<br>Thanks to all!<p>Palmer

[Evan528]

you should be already including edging when you do your weekly mowing.

[lawrence stone]

Along with offering free services you should also include the words &quot;senior citizen discount&quot;.

[River Hill]

I don't know about the senior citizen discount thing. I put senior citizens 20% higher on my flyers. Most of them tend to be a pain, not all but most.. Just from experience. I am just kidding about the 20% higher.<br><p><font size="1">Edited by: Brians

[geogunn]

someone else has used the &quot;ask about our free lawn services&quot; tagline before. the gimmic was that when the customer asks, the response is that they don't do anything for free. they just wanted the customer to ask. kinda funny in a way.<p>GEO

[curlawngreen]

If you need to do any more free stuff give me a call.@ BR549.

[Guido]

Palmer - Not a great idea! Do you really want customers that are choosing you because of a deal or gimmick? Those are the ones that are going to ditch you for the next company that comes by and underbids you by 50 cents !! Now, since you already did the damage, if I were you, I'd offer the folowing promotion:<p>If one of your referrals signs on with me for a years maintenance contract or a landscape job over $xxx. dollars, you get one free cut.<p>Not a bad idea for getting more customers, just be careful when your going to do something like this again. You should have thought about what you were going to offer BEFORE you made the flyers!! And another thing, unless they did give good referals, why would you give them anything free anyway?? You provide a weekly service, they pay the bill. They're not really doing anything to deserve it. If you want to show your appreciation, save up and send out some pointsetia's or candy around christmas time with a handwritten card. Sorry to babble, hope this helped!<p>----------<br>&lt;a href=&quot;http://communities.msn.com/guidosequipmentpics/&quot;&gt;&quot;Guido&quot;&lt;/a&gt;<br>David M. Famiglietti

[GrassRoots Lawn Care]

Only free service we offer is a free estimate. <p>----------<br>Mike Reynolds,<br>GrassRoots Lawn Care, Florida

[KirbysLawn]

I go to the same store, same bank, same YMCA, and so on... I pay a price and get a service or product. I have yet to get anything free from any of these so why should you be different?<p>Offer them knock out service at a fair price, give freebees for referals is a good idea, and good luck.<p>Ray

[Palmer]

Thanks respondants. Guido, I haven't had the flyers printed yet, I only have a master that has been changed. My thinking was to get the phone ringing as my last 300 flyers netted zero calls. This new flyer is much more professional and will be distributed to a better group of prospects.

[curlawngreen]

I will call you to something for free.

[GrassRoots Lawn Care]

Palmer, I know it's hard to do, but try door to door or telemarketing in the nicer areas. Get a reverse directory phonebook at your local library, it lists #s but addresses. Find the streets in the areas you want to pursue and call. You'll get about 1-2 accounts per 100 calls (but that vaires from market to market as well as your sales approach). But then again you said you had zero responses from 300 flyers. <p>----------<br>Mike Reynolds,<br>GrassRoots Lawn Care, Florida

[Getmow]

Stone, you crack me up.<br>

[Dale]

And I will bet your next 300 flyers will net you zero phone calls also. Telemarketing?? Please..

[bob]

Don't give any services away for free. If you do a good job you&quot;ll have that customer forever and they won't be lured away by someone elses free services.

[Lazer]

When you're first starting out, offering something for free isn't a bad idea.<p>I would offer free aeration. You do it later in the year (no immediate capital outlay) It doesn't take long and you get them started on a high-margin benificial service they otherwise probably wouldn't buy.