Well the lawns have stopped growing the trees have shed their leaves and soon most of us will be under two feet of snow. For those of us that do not do snow removal this can be a real depressing and a motivation stopper. Well it doesn’t have to be. This is the perfect time to put together new services, products and marketing for your business. Get customer feedback and what they think of you.

What they want, what they really really want.

Sit down grab a hot beverage and go through your notes from the year. Have your clients shown interest in anything new? Did they express how happy they were about any particular service you provided? If so, how can you expand on that service? For example:

You installed annuals for the Smiths in the spring and they loved how they turned out. The colors were perfect and placement couldn’t have been better. They have a long laneway and a large front porch that are pretty much empty.

Why not send out a flyer to your clients advertising that you are now offering planters and hanging baskets. You can customize the planters with specific annuals that match or contrast with the landscape you already maintain. Your foot is already in the door, heck you are already in the room! Up-selling your services is how you can grow your business effectively.

What do they think of you?

Make some phone calls, send out a survey and get your customers opinions on how your service was for the year. This is very important information to find out and work with. Most customers won’t even let you know if they are displeased about something, they just won’t resign in the spring. So get on the phone and start asking:

How did you find our services this year?
Is there anything in particular you would like added to your services in the spring?
Is there any areas in our services you can see room for improvement?

This is even a good time to let them know about a new service or product…you got them on the phone already, so just ask! Make sure to thank them for their time and ask them if you may call back and how often may you call back. Communication with the customer is key, and recognizing concerns early is good practice.

Get out of here!

Sitting in the office all day can make you stir crazy, so get out there and introduce yourself. Knock on doors let people know who you are bring a flyer too. You are not necessarily selling products or services directly like most canvassers, you are just saying hello and informing ‘the potential customer’ of who you are and what your business can offer them . Leave them with some contact information (flyer, business card) and move on to the next house. This tactic can be very successful, neighbors talk, and they will spread the word around that you came to visit.

So make sure not to sit around twiddling your thumbs and then run like a madman weeks before your start date.

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