question for you old guys

[elegantlawns]

Originally Posted by orangemower

I have 16 accounts now. It's taken me 5 years to get them. I've lost only a couple due to moving. I get one or two new customers a season just by word of mouth. I got a call for snow removal by someone that knows a customer I do snow removal for a few blocks away. It turns out it's a private road and low and behold, I got 8 driveways and TWO private roads from the one call. Out of those I have 3 mulch jobs lined up for this spring as well and 2 as of right now for lawn mowing.

I could easily advertise and get 50 calls or more a season from god knows who that will only waste my time. When you have someone refer you, the person calling usually has already decided they want you to do the work simply based off of their friend's recommendation. Right away you have the upper hand. Offer them a reasonable price for the work they want done and you'll get the job 90+% of the time. The last couple of years I've had waves hit where I literally get 4-5 calls once I do a mulch job for someone. Next thing ya know I'm booking 3 or more mulch jobs.

Again, it's not going to happen over night. If it does, chances are you're doing something wrong unless you're after the cheaper type of customers. Just remember the three things I mentioned and strive to meet them.

good advice, I take everything everyone says into consideration even though the decisions ultimately up to me. iam a sponge always willing to learn. thanks.
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[Groomer]

I have a number of accounts that I've been mowing since 1980.

[elegantlawns]

Originally Posted by Groomer

I have a number of accounts that I've been mowing since 1980.

ok.....care to share your secrets or tips to gaining customer? or just wanted to mention you have a lot of accounts going all the way back into the 80's

[Groomer]

gaining accounts in today's climate is waaayyyy different than when I started. Economic and regional factors are entirely different now. I've been fortunate to offer and maintain a decent, quality program in an ever-shrinking client base. I have no secrets or really any tips, except for the obvious things that have been discussed on this forum for years. Fairness, common sense, work ethic and communication skills, of course. Compassion as well. And you have to really like doing it, which I still do.

[dwlah]

Giving the tenth cut free or any other one time free thing will lead to hard feelings and eventually a lost customer then what are you going to do 2 months into mowing season when you and the customer get into an argument

Do quality work even on the crappy yards and word of mouth will do its thing

Be competitive with your price

[dathorpe]

Do an excellent job every time out. Be consistent. Be accessable and be very responsive to the client. I would also mention that you should have an upbeat positive attitude whenever you're speaking with the client. As much as people like to say it isn't, business IS personal. If people like you and they like the job you provide, they're more forgiving if you miss something. There are no short cuts. You have to build it.

[dhardin53]

I must come from a different planet. Some times i am amazed with people in business (any business) that know so few people.
I live in a small town, everyone knows everybody, this can be good and came be bad. But over all the national average are that every person in their life will touch 250 people. I previously worked in a business that banked on these statistics and its true.

If your so young or anti social you don't have family and friends to amount to something close to 150 personal contacts that you can go to and sell yourself. Why do you think you are suited for self employed? Have you just moved into town? did you just get out of jail? there is the old adage in the world, "Its not what you know its who you know".

In the advertising business there is a 3 to 5 % rule. Any advertising if its good should reap 3 to 5 % return. Same with family and friends. If your worth anything that one would trust you to do a service for. You should be able to sell 4% of your family/friends your services. OK i know not all your family/friends need a mowing service. But if you are close to your great uncle, you been to his house or he has been to yours. This great uncle well might know of someone that dose need your service. This is what is called networking.

A long time mentor of mine told me " you will never make real money till your age 45". At this time you should have the 250 friends/family number.

[joshua]

Just a thought if lets say you cut 50 lawns at $30 a cut and did the 10th cut free you lost $1500. Then lets say you did it again next year and so on. After 10 years that's $15,000. Or if you had 100 lawns at $30 that's $3000 the first year and $30,000 after 10 years.

Way to many guys all around the country do this same stuff year in and year out and then complain they don't make enough and its way too hard making a living doing this. And to be honest its their fault. All you are doing when you do that is driving down the price of you make and to be honest what other guys in your area make as well. My customers give me fliers like yours or i find them in the beds during the spring clean up and i don't know whether to laugh or cry. Price is $4-5 or more less than what i charge and some gimmick.

You want to pick up more lawns find guys who are solo or smaller companies and take them to lunch, talk to them, something. Build a friendship with them. Personally in the last 4 years I've probably given away 30-40 lawns to 3 guys that were just starting out. Not lawns i didn't want but lawns in areas i don't go and i just don't have time for. I'm solo and cut 91 a week the only lawns i pick up are replacement for accounts i lost the year before ( moved, house sold, ect. ) and this is usually less than 6 on a yearly basis. This year i have on 3 accounts i need to replace, after that i give them their card or if they called me i have one of the guys i refer call them that day.

[Groomer]

joshua, 90 plus lawns a week/solo is pretty agressive. I bet you hate seeing 3 consecutive days of non-stop rain!

[hi_speedreed]

Originally Posted by joshua

You want to pick up more lawns find guys who are solo or smaller companies and take them to lunch, talk to them, something. Build a friendship with them. Personally in the last 4 years I've probably given away 30-40 lawns to 3 guys that were just starting out. Not lawns i didn't want but lawns in areas i don't go and i just don't have time for. I'm solo and cut 91 a week the only lawns i pick up are replacement for accounts i lost the year before ( moved, house sold, ect. ) and this is usually less than 6 on a yearly basis. This year i have on 3 accounts i need to replace, after that i give them their card or if they called me i have one of the guys i refer call them that day.

Do you work every day? The math says 13 a day for 7 days, 15 a day for 6 days, and 18 per day for 5 days. You must have every lawn on a street and have no need to ever move the truck. I have one day I do 13 and I always felt like it was pretty tight. They are all in the same area, but I still have to move the truck 8 times. Most of those moves are 2-3 blocks. That is my longest day and it is about 10hrs from pulling out of my drive to locking it up for the night. That day I have about 90min of seat time.