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How do I get new accounts?

3K views 9 replies 6 participants last post by  Team Gopher 
#1 ·
I know this must be an often asked question. This is my first season back in business since I was in 8th grade (and it really wasnt much of a business it was just me and a lawn mower) Any ways, now im 16 as and as much of you know I have a lot of new equment not to mention the truck payments... I was wondering how would I get about 10 new accounts in the middle of the season... I m already doing what was previously suggested to someone else with telling current customers (3 at the moment) that I'll give them dicounts for referrals and Ive put ad after ad after ad after ad all over the darn neighborhood and still nothing. The ads are great I think and I have ideas for new accounts next spring( Because next spring I'll havea bigger trailer to put on my truck) but right now im using my John Deere to get me where i need to go and i can only go about a mile @ time so I just need some advice.

Thanks guys
 
#2 ·
Hi BVLAWNCARE,

Here is just an idea. You could take part in our Yard make over challenge and maybe hand out flyers to all your neighbors. Possibly have them contact you if they would like to take part in this. You could then choose a yard to make over. Your make over could be something simple from planting flowers to something more involved. While doing this you would also be creating a list of customers to contact in the future for other services as well. Like fall clean ups.

Just a thought. Sometimes it takes doing something a little different to really stand out.
 
#4 ·
WOW! Great idea with the make over thing!!! Quick question, the yard im suppose to make over am i suppose to charge them for the work that im doing? OR will the sponsors pay for it? What do you think I should say to the folks @ the local garden store??? One more thing? Should I go to big garden stores like Home Depot or smaller ones like Pechies or something???
 
#5 ·
You said the ad is great you think. Perhaps its time you ask what some adults you know think of it. It may be great but there’s always room for improvement its one of the things I like about having a partner in my business we throw ideas and wording back and forth before we ever agree on the final version of what we are writing.

Next get in the local paper we have one that’s free to every house hold this generates about 2-4 calls a week when we run the ad. Not a lot but some of those jobs are for thousands of dollars so it more then pays for its self.

Perhaps you need a more professional form of advertising I mean flyers are great and iv never tried them but most people here say its only around 1% hit rate. We have used direct mail where we send them a letter addressed to them by name stating our case and have found it hits 2-6% so we send out a 1000 we get 20-60 new customers.
 
#7 ·
ADVERTISE. ADVERTISE. ADVERTISE. ADVERTISE. ADVERTISE.

DO EXCEPTIONAL WORK. DO EXCEPTIONAL WORK. DO EXCEPTIONAL WORK. DO EXCEPTIONAL WORK. DO EXCEPTIONAL WORK DO.....

ADVERTISE. ADVERTISE. ADVERTISE. ADVERTISE. ADVERTISE. ADVE

WORD OF MOUTH. WORD OF MOUTH. WORD OF MOUTH. WORD OF

ADVERTISE. ADVERTISE. ADVERTISE. ADVERTISE. ADVERTISE. ADVE

HAVE A MARKETING PLAN THAT INCLUDES ALL OF THIS. DON'T TAKE THE AD OUT EVEN IN THE DEAD OF WINTER AND NO LAWNS ARE BEING MOWED. WHEN SPRING COMES, YOU WILL BE LIGHT YEARS AHEAD OF YOUR COMPETITION UNLESS THEY ARE ALSO MEMBERS HERE AND READ THIS POST. IN THAT CASE, TAKE OUT A VERY BIG AD.

now that is a marketing plan. in a nut shell. good luck.
 
#9 ·
So you guys do think it is effective to deliver flyers even when it is cold outside and the grass is not even growing?
 
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