The hidden goldmine in your landscape business

Most landscape business owners think scaling means hiring more salespeople, spending more on marketing or chasing ever-bigger jobs. But in my work with companies across the U.S., including many in the Top 100 landscape companies, I’ve found that real, sustainable growth stems from doing a few things better. There’s more untapped revenue and margin in your daily conversations and jobsite routines than in any new campaign.

Rethinking Reviews: Your Best Marketing Asset

Too many companies treat online reviews like a chore, something you try to collect after the job is done. But in companies that consistently outperform, reviews aren’t an afterthought. They’re a system. Crew leads and project managers are trained to ask for them in the moment, right after delivering great service, when the client is still standing on the lawn. That one shift — making review generation part of the job — transforms your field staff into a frontline marketing team. You get more authentic reviews, stronger local presence and a steady stream of future business built on trust.

Recorded Sales Calls: The Secret to Consistent Growth

Sales in landscaping isn’t about slick talk — it’s about helping clients make confident, informed decisions. You can’t spot patterns. You can’t coach real objections. You can’t improve what you never hear. The companies I’ve seen grow the fastest record every closing conversation and build a weekly rhythm around reviewing them. The best reps follow a simple process: hear the objection, ask a better question, clarify the concern and solve it with confidence. Over time, this creates consistency across the team, and that’s where margin lives.

“The companies I’ve seen grow the fastest record every closing conversation and build a weekly rhythm around reviewing them.”

Two Simple Habits for Compounding Growth

If you want these systems to stick, you don’t need a full reorg — just two weekly habits. Recognize and reward the team for crew-earned reviews. Review a handful of sales calls as a group. Track what’s working. Make it part of your rhythm. These aren’t flashy moves, but they unlock the hidden gold already sitting in your business.

I’ve helped companies scale from $5 million to $40 million and beyond, not by chasing what’s next, but by tightening what’s already there. The real gold isn’t in a new department or a bigger deal; it’s in the systems that most leaders walk past every day. If you want consistent growth, stop searching for silver bullets and start mining the routines already happening inside your business.

Words of Wilson features a rotating panel of consultants from WILSON360, a landscape consulting firm. Robert Clinkenbeard, CEO of WILSON360, can be reached at robert@wilson-360.com.