“Do ‘The Never,’” says Joe Morrison, who spoke about “Alternative Marketing for Landscape Contractors” recently at the Green Industry Conference in Columbus, Ohio.
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No, it’s not a new dance craze. It’s what landscape contractors need to do to identify and communication their unique value proposition to their target clientele. “What do we never do that people really want?” he asked the crowd of design/build/installation contractors. “If you can find a way to do what your competition never does, you’re going for have a lot of business.”
Morrison, a Flemington, N.J.-based business coach and former landscape company owner, peppered his talk with various elements of marketing, touching on basic principles, theories and how-to’s.
In addition to the concept of “doing ‘The Never,’” which Morrison says he borrowed from one of his favorite business Web sites (www.gazelles.com), he explained that the crux of marketing – which is not merely a synonym for print advertising, he notes – is clear, consistent communication of your message to your target clients. For example, Nike hits the nail on the head with “Just Do It,” a slogan that resonates with its competitive-minded customers. Landscape contractors should communicate similarly emotionally charged sentences within their clients’ frames of reference, Morrison says.
Also, Morrison cautions contractors not to confuse strategy with reality, an idea he simplifies by relating it to the old adage, “Under promise and over deliver.” “Make sure what you communicate is your difference,” he says. “And make it a guarantee you can live up to.”
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Joe Morrison of Joe Morrison Business Coaching, Flemington, N.J., a certified landscape technician and former owner of a design/build firm, shared his list of five must-read business books. Drum roll please... |
Often, design/build contractors can create or identify these types of differences in their sales processes, Morrison says. For example, if five out of six firms in a market meet clients at their properties, then the differentiator would be to meet with clients at the your office. Another way business owners can identify their companies’ unique value propositions (UVP) is to ask themselves the following questions: What excites me? What comes easily to me? What do I do that no one else does?
After a company understands its UVP, it can put a marketing plan in place. It’s important that contractors create marketing plans with goals in mind, Morrison says. These should include:
1. What do you want to accomplish?
2. How will you measure results?
3. What actions will you take?
4. Is it possible? (You should have at least a 50/50 chance of achieving you goal, Morrison says.)
5. What’s your timeline?
In terms of the tactics you’ll use to get there, Morrison recommends analyzing who your best clients are and where it’s likely they’ll look for you. “If you’re doing high-end design/build, then you probably shouldn’t be marketing with a display ad in the Yellow Pages,” he says, noting that Web sites are essential and an upscale regional magazine may be a more appropriate place to run print ads.
All companies should practice public relations, he says, referring to sending press releases to news organizations and participating in volunteer efforts as a free way to get your name out in the community.
“There is no more powerful tool than having your company written about in the newspaper,” Morrison says, noting that positioning yourself as a local gardening expert may allow you to take this tool to the next level and land a regular column or “tip of the week” gig with the paper. Third-party endorsements from the media are as good as referrals, he explains. For contractors not experienced in media relations, Morrison recommends the Web site www.WorkInPR.com. “It lays out everything you need to know about writing press releases, who to send it to and how to get them to actually print it,” he says, noting the key is to ensure what you send the news outlet is actually newsworthy.
Another idea Morrison introduced was “buzz marketing,” or simply getting people to talk about your company. This concept permeates every aspect of a business, from employee and vendor relations to whether or not you send thank-you notes, he explains, adding that honoring customers with plaques when their project wins awards is one way his company would appeal to clients. “Make it easy for people to talk about you.”