What is the most effective way to market a small business? Grass roots, front lines marketing campaigns that make you visible in the community. As you explore the idea of working in the growing commercial landscaping business, check out these tips for marketing your local commercial landscaping and lawn care franchise and becoming visible in your community.
#1 Do Quality Work
As a landscaper and professional grounds care provider, your work is visible to hundreds or thousands of people every day, acting as a referral to prospective clients. Your work needs to be crisp and clean, creating a good impression to everyone who walks or drives past it. When it comes to marketing your commercial landscaping and lawn care franchise, your work needs to speak for itself.
When you think of your work doing commercial landscaping maintenance for every client as a potential referral, that will inspire you to do your best work every time. Not only does this leave you with happy clients, but it also encourages them to recommend you to other prospects as well.
#2 Get Your Name Out There
In order to attract business, you want people to know your name. Put your company name and logo on your trucks and trailers so they draw attention as they drive around the community. Wear your logo on a nice polo shirt while you work and run errands. Print professional looking brochures to hand out to prospective clients. Essentially, anything you can do to make your name recognizable will help you bring in business.
Investing in an established commercial landscaping and lawn care franchise like U.S. Lawns gives you an advantage, because the name is already recognizable to prospective clients. Because we are a national brand with over 260 locations, you will have an easier time getting your business’s name out there. Plus, we’ve already done all the heavy lifting by creating all the marketing collateral you’ll need to promote your business.
#3 Be Proactive
If you are starting a commercial landscaping and lawn care franchise, chances are you are the kind of person who likes to get out and put your boots on the ground. That’s a good thing, because one of the most effective ways to bring in clients is to go to them…literally! Make calls, set appointments, and visit prospective clients—we call this proactive prospecting—to bring new customers to your company.
As part of our franchisee resources, U.S. Lawns has a team of salespeople—called the Sales Bullpen—who research commercial opportunities in your market, call them, and set up appointments for you. This is an amazing resource that helps our franchisees bring in new business without having to make phone calls.
#4 Present Yourself Professionally
Working outdoors is no excuse to have an unprofessional appearance when you meet with clients. Grass stained jeans, dirty work shirts, and muddy boots do not present a professional image to prospective or existing clients, regardless of the fact that they know your work is in commercial landscaping maintenance. Present yourself and your employees professionally with clean clothes and branded uniforms to set your business above the rest.
Your professional appearance should extend past your physical appearance and include any flyers or brochures you give to prospective customers. Your trucks and equipment should be clean and presentable. Your goal is to impress these commercial decision makers with the way your company is put together, so ensure that your materials and equipment do not look cheap or haphazardly put together.
Your online presence is an essential part of your local marketing strategy, and it is equally important to have a professional appearance online as it is in person. Any of your social media accounts or e-marketing initiatives should keep a professional tone in tune with the rest of your business and include your company’s logo.
#5 Get Active
When you’re marketing a small business, you need to get active in your community. Join the local chamber of commerce, local property managers’ groups, or other organizations that prospective clients have joined and, more importantly, stay active! Joining these groups is not enough to attract clients; you have to participate in the activities and make yourself known to the other businesses.
Getting involved with local organizations will help you build relationships, which in turn gives you free advertising for the undoubtedly amazing commercial landscaping maintenance services you offer.
Marketing doesn’t have to be a stressful part of being a business owner. Use these five tips as a baseline for creating a winning marketing strategy in your own market.
Joining the U.S. Lawns franchise family will give you access to all our amazing resources and our national network of franchisees. We know we are a great company to go into business with, but you don’t have to take our word for it! Check out some testimonials to see what some of our franchisees think about our commercial landscaping and lawn care franchise!