By Chestin Salisbury

One of the most common complaints I hear these days from small businesses struggling to grow is that they can’t get anymore customers because they’re up against others that are willing to sell the exact same service at a cheaper price.

For example, what one hard working lawn care operator charges for a typical cut, edging, and blow, a potential customer might be able to get the exact same service for almost half the price from the kid down the street that’s simply trying to earn a few extra bucks.

So what can a serious-about-growth business owner do to overcome this challenge without resorting to low-ball pricing tactics?

Well, the first thing that needs to happen is they need to understand that if the only differentiating factor is the price, then prospects will ALWAYS go with the cheaper service. Again referring to the previous example, because there’s nothing that separates the two options the prospect has to choose from, they will almost always select the cheaper option.

Do you really expect to spend more for the exact same service?

So, the key to overcoming this pricing challenge and eliminating the discussion of price is to differentiate your products and services in the eyes of your potential customers.

Now, there are countless ways you can differentiate your business from your competition, but here are 7 specific ways you can very quickly set yourself apart from your competition and eliminate the need to compete on price:

1.Add more value to your products or services.

Adding additional services such as free mulch or pine straw in flower beds, free shrub trimmings, or free lawn stripping is a great way to differentiate you from your competition. While these services do add to your overhead, the cost should be minimal and the amount of new business you gain because of them should more than outweigh the additional expenses you incur.

2.Exceptional customer service

In today’s marketplace, customer service is severely lacking. So by going above and beyond by providing post service summaries, or by walking your customers property once a month, or by returning customer phone calls within 1 hour will go a long way towards differentiating you from your competition.

3.Become a specialist

People like to work with THE BEST. They like to know they have the most qualified person on the job, so by focusing on one area and becoming a specialist in that specific area, the process of selling your service becomes infinitely easier.

As an example, if a prospect is interested in having an irrigation system installed, your chances of landing the job are must better if your specialty is irrigation, instead of being a lawn care guy that also provides irrigation install services.

4.Provide one-stop solution

Now, while this goes against #3 above, it can also be a great differentiating feature if you can take care of ALL your prospects needs. That way, they don’t have to worry about going through the hassle of finding another service professional because they can get all their problems handled by you.

An example of this might be a full service lawn care company that in addition to the typical mow and go services, also offers fertilization, weed control, pest control, as well as plant maintenance services.

5.Specialized training or certifications

People prefer to work with experts and even though you may think specialized training or certifications are ‘no big deal’, your prospects view these as ‘seals of approval’ so don’t be shy about letting them know of any extra education or training you might have.

6.Relationship or affinity

If you really don’t have anything that differentiates you from your competition, you might consider tapping into a special relationship you have with your prospects. Even though this isn’t the strongest method of differentiation, people still prefer to do business with people they like and if you have something in common with them, it may very well be enough to give you the edge over your competition.

An example of this might be the simple fact you’re a ‘local’. Many people are loyal to their community so the fact you’ve been doing business there for the past X number of years could be a compelling reason to select you.

7.Risk reversal

Buying anything involves risk and it causes concern with everyone. In fact, it’s because of this that most people buy based on price because the cheapest option typically involves the least amount of risk.

Well, when you offer things that help remove the risk like satisfaction guarantees, bonuses, or premiums, you eliminate much of this concern, which in turn helps prospects to make the buying decision much easier.

So, if you find yourself struggling to win new business because you’re losing customers to the low cost, low quality alternatives, examine your offering and see if you can’t differentiate it better using any of these 7 steps.

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Using time tested, proven direct response marketing principles, Chestin Salisbury and Lawn Care Marketing Magic have the tools, resources, insights, and information required to help any green industry business cheaply acquire more new customers, effectively hold onto the ones they have, and effortlessly convert these customers into raving, loyal-for-life fans.

You can claim a FREE copy of the informative report, ‘7 Steps to Dominating Your Target Market in 21 Days or Less’ by visiting www.FREELawnCareMarketingSecrets.com.
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By Chestin Salisbury

Any serious small business owner knows the importance of continually adding new prospects to their sales pipeline. Without a constant stream of potential new customers, it’s nearly impossible for any business to grow and thrive long term.

Fortunately, there is an endless list of possible solutions for keeping this sales pipeline full. Unfortunately, many business owners make the mistake of looking for that one single method that will be responsible for keeping the sales pipeline full.

Sadly, those business owners seeking this ‘silver bullet’ will very quickly find there’s no such thing. While there are definitely marketing methods that have the potential to generate a large number of new prospects, it’s foolish to rely on just one single method.

In working with my clients over the past few years, I’ve heard numerous times before, “I need to generate 50 new customers. What method should I do?”

To be completely honest, I don’t know of one method that will generate a guaranteed 50 new customers.

However, I do know of 50 methods that will generate at least one new guaranteed customer.

And that’s how you should approach your marketing. You simply can’t expect to be able to employ just one marketing method and have it produce a flood of new business. To generate tons of new business, you have to employ NUMEROUS marketing methods simultaneously.

Some of the methods you could and should consider employing simultaneously include:

Sending out direct mail sales letters or postcards
Running ads in the newspaper
Running a telephone directory listing
Employing an outbound call center
Posting signs in appropriate locations
Encouraging your existing customers to refer you to their friends
Networking at local events or within associations you belong to
Developing joint venture relationships with similar but non-competing businesses
Driving traffic to your website using SEO, PPC, article submissions, link exchanges, etc.
Creating and submitting press releases to relevant news media

As you can see, each of these methods listed is something that can be done in conjunction with every other method. Doing one will not interfere with the effectiveness of another and in many cases, employing multiple marketing methods will strengthen the effectiveness.

Recent studies show that it takes on average 7-9 exposures to a sales or marketing message before a prospect buys. Employing as many of these methods as possible will only serve to accelerate the number of exposures, thus accelerating the buying cycle.

So, as you work to grow your business beyond its current levels, think about the number of marketing methods you’re employing. Are you hoping to find the ‘silver bullet’ that will bring in 50 new customers or are you smartly employing 50 different methods and counting on at least one new customer from each?

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Using time tested, proven direct response marketing principles, Chestin Salisbury and Lawn Care Marketing Magic have the tools, resources, insights, and information required to help any green industry business cheaply acquire more new customers, effectively hold onto the ones they have, and effortlessly convert these customers into raving, loyal-for-life fans.

You can claim a FREE copy of the informative report, ‘7 Steps to Dominating Your Target Market in 21 Days or Less’ by visiting www.FREELawnCareMarketingSecrets.com.

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I was contacted by InstituteforLegalReform.com in hopes I would share this story. Please read on and comment on this.

Rick Popp, owner of Ozark Outdoors in Springfield, Missouri, is featured as part of the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform’s “I Am Lawsuit Abuse” national awareness campaign. Rick’s company sold a riding lawnmower to a customer who used it all spring/summer season and then sued to get his money back once mowing season was over.

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxegWf-FWWw]

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Here is another great article from our from Chestin Salisbury over at www.lawncaremarketingmagic.com

Being in business is all about developing some level of trust with customers. In order to sell a product or service, there must exist a small amount of trust or there’s no way in this world anyone would hand over their hard earned money. Given the amount of commercialism and ‘hype’ that most consumers are subjected to today, gaining that trust is a more difficult task than ever before.

Let’s face it, today’s consumer is skeptical. Each and everyday he or she is bombarded with hundreds of flashy ads, screaming commercials, or the next ‘Be All, End All’ special. With everyone proclaiming their product or service to be ‘the best thing since sliced bread’, what can you do to cut through this hype and gain that much needed trust?

The most powerful tool for cutting through the hype is the use of customer testimonials.

You see, everyone expects you to gush about your own lawn care service. They expect you to say that you can make their lawn look like something out of a magazine. If they don’t hear you say how much cheaper, better, and more spectacular than anyone else your service is, they start to question your sanity and sense as a business owner.

However, just because YOU say it doesn’t make it true.

On the other hand, when someone that doesn’t have a vested interest in your business is willing to step forward and say that you can indeed make their front yard look like something out of a magazine, you’ve made a HUGE step toward gaining that all important element of trust.

Testimonials are very powerful. They have the magical power of persuasion. They create credibility with everything you’ve already said about your lawn care or landscaping service. They break down those natural barriers of distrust and skepticism that make acquiring a new customer a difficult task.

So how do you use testimonials to gain that trust?

First of all, you should use them whenever and where ever possible. Anytime you’re interacting with potential customers, you should have customer testimonials available. That means if you’re running an ad in the yellow pages, you should include a customer testimonial. If you have an ad in the newspaper, include a customer testimonial. Do you have a website? Have one entire page dedicated to customer testimonials and put a few on a sidebar on your home page. Handing out flyers or door hangers? Don’t forget to include a few customer testimonials on them.

Imagine this scenario for a moment. You receive a call for a bid from a potential customer and after looking at the property, measuring and figuring all your associated costs, you hand them a bid for a long-term maintenance contract. After looking at the numbers, their eyes get big, they take a deep breath, and say, ‘Wow, that’s a lot more than what I was expecting.’

What do you do? Do you start into your sales pitch about how you always cut in perfectly straight lines, leaving a perfectly manicured lawn? Or about how you personally inspect every square inch of grass to insure the proper cut? Or about how you use only top quality fertilizers and weed killers? While all this might have some impact on the potential customer, it’s a tough spot to be in. Isn’t it?

However, what if along with the bid sheet you handed them 4 or 5 pages of testimonials from customers saying things like, ‘well worth the cost,’ ‘a little more than the competition, but I couldn’t imagine having anyone else do the job,’ ‘I’m so thankful for the beautiful lawn AND time to enjoy it with my family’, or ‘I’m the envy of the neighborhood and I didn’t even do anything.’

Now, instead of you having to justify your price, you let your satisfied customers do the selling for you. You let them share with this prospect the reasons why they should choose you to do the job over ‘Joe’s Lawn Care’ from down the street. Their words are so much more powerful than anything you could EVER say.

You’ve also instantly cut through all the hype, double-talk, and chest pounding done by the majority of businesses and given your prospects a reason to instantly trust you.

Again, a third party endorsement is much more believable than someone out tooting their own horn.

Without a doubt, customer testimonials have selling power that could never be matched by even the best paid salesman or copywriter. Get them, use them, and let them make the job of selling your lawn care services much, much easier.

Chestin Salisbury is President of Lawn Care Marketing Magic, a direct response marketing consultancy located in Charlotte, NC that focuses on the lawncare and landscaping industry. He has been helping small businesses grow for 5+ years by creating marketing systems that use time-tested direct response marketing principles. Lawn Care Marketing Magic has access to 100+ years of experience and is capable of creating a marketing plan that grows YOUR business. Chestin is also the chief-editor of ‘The Lawn Care Marketing Magic Minute’, a weekly e-newsletter that focuses on helping your grow your business. To learn more about these lawn care direct marketing systems and to sign up for the weekly e-newsletter, visit http://www.LawnCareMarketingMagic.com.

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