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How to get clients quickly - The Secret

3K views 20 replies 16 participants last post by  lawncuttinfoo 
#1 ·
Well, I finally figured it out. I found out the secret. Yes, it is a secret and I am going to tell everyone how to get as many accounts as they want quickly.

I met another LCO and he told me the secret and I am now going to share it will all of you fine people.

This should put all of the "Lawn Care Success" manuals/tapes/CDs etc... out of business.

In fact I think I might just sell my own manual. It is a guaranteed to win method.

Here it is...

Go to a neighborhood where lawns are cut for $30 to $35 for a basic mow blow and go.

Now...here is the secret.....mow them for $20....and do a fairly decent job.

BAM!!!!! Word of mouth will spread like wildfire and you will have more business than you can handle.

I really wish I would have thought about that method years ago. It would have saved me a ton of time building a good business.

Ok, now that you know, don't tell anyone else. I am going to make a million.


Man, I hate lowballers :hammerhead: :hammerhead: :angry: :angry: :blob2: :blob2: :realmad:
 
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#3 ·
I hope you are kidding, anybody will tell you that there are two sides to that story. I won't elaborate, b/c someone else will in about 2 seconds:rolleyes:
 
#4 ·
Jpocket said:
I hope you are kidding, anybody will tell you that there are two sides to that story. I won't elaborate, b/c someone else will in about 2 seconds:rolleyes:
Yes, I am kidding. But the other LCO that built his business this way surely is not. He has clients coming out of his ears. He is killing my prices.
 
#6 ·
Tn Lawn Man said:
Yes, I am kidding. But the other LCO that built his business this way surely is not. He has clients coming out of his ears. He is killing my prices.
Of course he is... his cost of doing business is different... The question is, is he making money?

If we all had the same costs, we could all charge the same prices, otherwise it's every man for himself. (yeah yeah i know some don't like to hear that)

Sorry to hear he's hurting your business...

All Clear
 
#7 ·
Tn Lawn Man said:
Well, I finally figured it out. I found out the secret. Yes, it is a secret and I am going to tell everyone how to get as many accounts as they want quickly.

I met another LCO and he told me the secret and I am now going to share it will all of you fine people.

This should put all of the "Lawn Care Success" manuals/tapes/CDs etc... out of business.

In fact I think I might just sell my own manual. It is a guaranteed to win method.

Here it is...

Go to a neighborhood where lawns are cut for $30 to $35 for a basic mow blow and go.

Now...here is the secret.....mow them for $20....and do a fairly decent job.

BAM!!!!! Word of mouth will spread like wildfire and you will have more business than you can handle.

I really wish I would have thought about that method years ago. It would have saved me a ton of time building a good business.

Ok, now that you know, don't tell anyone else. I am going to make a million.

Man, I hate lowballers :hammerhead: :hammerhead: :angry: :angry: :blob2: :blob2: :realmad:
This secret is well known to a lot of people , what they dont now is another secret "that they will be out of business soon" :clapping:

Its funny though in a lot of areas there is all one bugger that keeps going year after year they make little money and stop others making good money, i dont care how you live your life but when you are L/B you are affecting others around you....:cry:

Its funny when one goes another one fills the vacancy.....:hammerhead:
 
#9 ·
As long as we cut grass for a living we will have to contend with lowballers . And you will also find that in any business you have low ballers .I found this out the HARD WAY in the trucking bizz.I think the trick is to put the emphasis on everything but price . I have found that the biggest part of lawn service is sales , not the actual work .I live in an area where the lowballer wins 75% of the time and the other 25% do quite well. I cut grass to supplement another income and I could low ball but I refuse to do so because I once made a living cutting grass .
 
#11 ·
Everybody *****es about lowballers. Frankly, I'm tired of hearing about it.
We are (primarily) American's! You know, Capitolist's.
The good ol theme of supply, demand, and market-driven prices apply to us just as they do to any other business.

Its very simple guys, and you dont need to be a "business man" to figure it out... If your overhead is low, then so can your prices.

Here is how it plays for me.
I have one nice hydro wb that is paid for, along with a trailer, trimmer, stickedger, two blowers, etc... I have no fixed expenses (except insurance), no employees, and just normal small stuff to pay for - fuel, blades, grease, fund for repairs and a fund for my next mower, taxes, etc...
I do a damn-nice job and I am priced where I do make money and its well worth my effort.

Am I priced too low for some of you? Probably, and to that I say "Tough ****".
 
#13 ·
Read this bs is the fine print:

* BAM!!!!! Word of mouth will spread like wildfire and you will have more business than you can handle. *

Get it?
Hint: Did you see the word 'money' anywhere?

Let me repeat:
You will have more business than you can handle.

Quoteth the Sandgropher: what they dont now is another secret "that they will be out of business soon"
Conclusion: This bit about more business than you can handle also means you will be financially incapable of supporting your services.

And you're right, it is guaranteed.
 
#14 ·
Here's a thought...

To some degree, I'll bet that the lowballers, in effect, are actually creating some of their own accounts instead of taking them away from the rest of us.
I'll explain: By charging $20 they bring new low-end customers into lawncare service that would normally pass because "normal" pricing is out of their reach.
In other words, they never would have bought our services in the first place.
 
#15 ·
Dashunde said:
Here's a thought...

To some degree, I'll bet that the lowballers, in effect, are actually creating some of their own accounts instead of taking them away from the rest of us.
I'll explain: By charging $20 they bring new low-end customers into lawncare service that would normally pass because "normal" pricing is out of their reach.
In other words, they never would have bought our services in the first place.
to some small extent. But those margin people do not create any advantage to the industry as a whole. Once the math impaired LCO goes belly up, they are no longer a consumer. But the LCO has put downward pressure on the market all around.
 
#16 ·
topsites said:
Read this bs is the fine print:

* BAM!!!!! Word of mouth will spread like wildfire and you will have more business than you can handle. *

Get it?
Hint: Did you see the word 'money' anywhere?

Let me repeat:
You will have more business than you can handle.

Quoteth the Sandgropher: what they dont now is another secret "that they will be out of business soon"
Conclusion: This bit about more business than you can handle also means you will be financially incapable of supporting your services.

And you're right, it is guaranteed.
That may have been your best post ever.

Good going
 
#17 ·
and think no on here has ever thought about doing that...:hammerhead:


after you go broke you will understand....work more for less you really are a genious arent you....:dizzy:
 
#18 ·
How about this?

Pick up a ton of people for $20, do a really really nice job, even lose a little money doing it. BUT, only do it for $20 for 2-3 weeks. By then, they will be tickled that they have a lawn service that does excellent work for cheap.

After the 2-3 weeks, go up in price to the amount you deserve to get paid. Some may dump you, some may not. But some may not!!! There you go!! A bunch of new accounts that pay you what you deserve!!!

Say if you pick up 20 new clients and tell them you'll cut them for $20. You go way out of your way to do a great job for them (be very meticulous). Then after 2-3 weeks, use a very good excuse to justify your price increase. Probably 12 may dump you, and 8 continue to use your services.

That's 8 new accounts!!!!

Wonder how something like that would work?
 
#19 ·
topsites said:
Read this bs is the fine print:

* BAM!!!!! Word of mouth will spread like wildfire and you will have more business than you can handle. *

Get it?
Hint: Did you see the word 'money' anywhere?

Let me repeat:
You will have more business than you can handle.

Quoteth the Sandgropher: what they dont now is another secret "that they will be out of business soon"
Conclusion: This bit about more business than you can handle also means you will be financially incapable of supporting your services.

And you're right, it is guaranteed.
Yep its guaranteed that after about two months you'll realize that you have all of these underpriced accounts and maybe then realize the difference between cash-flow and net profit.

I had a guy come into a neighborhood where I have 17 accounts. He undercut me by 5 dollars and intially three of my customers went with him. I was more angry at the customers then him. One customer wound up calling me back and I would like to say I jacked his price but I didn't. The other two can KMA because they lied about why they left. The one I did get back said he left for the 5 dollars but wasn't happy with the guys work. I look at pricing as part of competing and the only thing you can do is keep the quality of your work that much better then the next so you can charge more. Think about it. If you walk into a store and they sell a widgit for 10 and you can get the same widgit at lo-mart for 5 you are going to buy it where its cheaper if its the same product. So again the quality of your work is going to let you command the price you charge. Albeit some people will never know the difference and hopefully I can weed them out as customers.
 
#20 ·
All_Clear said:
Of course he is... his cost of doing business is different... The question is, is he making money?

If we all had the same costs, we could all charge the same prices, otherwise it's every man for himself. (yeah yeah i know some don't like to hear that)

Sorry to hear he's hurting your business...

All Clear
Interestingly enough we have the same cost of doing business. For the most part he runs the same set up as me.

Really it comes down to how much each of us WANTS to make. Could I go down in price to his level, yes.

But, what I find so obtuse about so many people is that he could come up to my level and make better money. There is more than enough grass for us all. (yeah yeah, I know some don't like to hear that either :) )

It is true. There is one street where I have two accounts and he has three. I made $65 in one hour and he made $60 in an hour and a half....or $40 per hour.

There are more than enough clients to go around. Every LCO I know has plenty. Would they like more....probably....but don't we all.

The problem I have is that he brings down the prices/profits for BOTH himself and me.

If we could all just see that the amount of clients is not as finite as everyone thinks. Do a good job, show up when expected and people will be happy with your service. You don't have to undercut by 30% to get and keep a client.
 
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