BUSINESS
Make COVID lemonade
It's the perfect time to expand your business by Dr. Richard Ludwig, Landscape Design Workshops With everything going on in the world right now, one may believe the LAST thing people are thinking about is their landscape. No, no, don’t believe that! In so many ways we are in a perfect storm to attract new customers and expand our business. Now is the time to make lemonade out of this horrible Tania Pereira on Unsplash COVID virus lemon. Folks are chomping at the bit to First, Americans are saving money at an make their home-centered lives more all time high and fulfilling. Now’s a perfect time to have lots of pent-up start serious marketing to attract new yearning to spend it. business. Folks are chomping at the bit to use it to make their home-centered lives more fulfilling. Now’s a perfect time to start serious marketing to attract new business.
UAC MAGAZINE | SPRING 2021
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Key point: We sell beauty. We sell things people want in their lives but don’t have to have in their lives. It’s an emotional decision to buy our products and services and customers use discretionary dollars to buy from us. Understanding that is important because we are generally not at the top of the list on how folks spend this type of income. Dining out and travel vacations are our real competitors, not the company down the street. And now, because of COVID, folks are not spending on these items. Take advantage of this situation!
Here’s a few design/build marketing tips that can set you apart from the crowd:
1.
customer- vs. designer-centered A approach. Many of us (including me) are plant dweebs! We have our favorites and too often try to impose them on the site of a new client. Try a customer-centered approach. Focus soley on the needs/wants of your client and select plants based on their function/purpose. Trust me, most clients don’t care if it’s a bread and butter Indian Hawthorne or some exotic new variety. They want the plants to make their outdoor experience more enjoyable. Focus on specific form, color and texture decisions that evoke intended emotions and solve problems. For example, coarse-textured plants around the perimeter of a space appear closer than they actually are, creating a more cozy, intimate area. Upright plant forms can act like a punctuation mark to draw attention and arrest the eye - a great choice to draw attention to the front door or focal point. Warm colors energize and stimulate - great choices for family gathering areas. In other words, select plants based on what they do vs. picking your favorites. Customers love this approach as it shows you’re listening and doing whatever you can to meet their needs.
2.
Teach as you sell.One big reason folks resist purchasing our products and services is fear of failure. Surprisingly, there’s quite a bit of angst with potential customers on whether the new landscape will thrive, barely survive or die. Help them with the establishment and care of their purchase. Give them clear directions on how to water and maintain their new landscape. Or, install an irrigation system and provide maintenance services. Above all, offer some type of guarantee. Yes, there’s some risk but I’ve
