How to Sell More Jobs in Person | Lawn Care & Landscaping

The easiest way to market your lawn or landscape business is in person. However...

... it’s also the easiest way to lose a sale, if you do it wrong.

Personal selling skills are critical to the growth of your lawn care or landscaping business, especially if you own a:

• Small Business
• Mid-sized Business
• Or a company focused on Commercial Accounts

Unlike the other lawn care marketing strategies, this skill is 100% free.

This article will quickly show you how to sell more lawn and landscape jobs in person - without acting like a “scammy car salesman.”

3 Classic Strategies to Sell Lawn and Landscape Services in Person

In-person sales are the perfect marketing tactic for small and mid-sized landscape businesses for a few reasons:

• Inexpensive (only costs time)
• Helps you get a better feel for what your clients want
• Allows you to get clients who would otherwise ignore your ads

It is also one of the best ways to upsell more profitable jobs to your existing clients.

Most owners shy away from this kind of advertising. They are afraid of coming off as “a sleazy car salesman.” They think it scares away clients…

…because it can.

But, follow these 3 strategies and you will go from “this guy just wants my money” to “Wow! This guy really knows what he’s talking about.”

1. Look Pretty and Talk Smart

Before we go any further, I need you to do something for me:

Blink.

That’s how long it takes to make a first impression on your clients, according to the Association for Psychological Science. 

Clients will make a snap decision on whether you are:

• Competent
• Trustworthy
• A good match

In under 0.1 seconds.

You only get one chance. How you look and how you act will determine the number of jobs you sell. You need to present yourself well.

What do clients see when they see you?

• Do you smile?
• What does your crew look like?
• Is your truck painted, or did you drive up in a rust bucket?
• Are you wearing a professional lawn care uniform or a ratty t-shirt?

To look like a true professional, we recommend you:

• Wrap or Paint your truck
• Get the right lawn care or landscape uniforms
• Keep a nice polo in your truck. Wear it when you meet a client for the first time

Nail these, and you will be up to 43% more likely to get the client.

2. What Do Your Clients Actually Want?

Clients don’t care what kind of fertilizer you use. They care about how it makes their lawn look.

Don’t talk about the products. Talk about the results.

When you talk to your clients, speak to what they actually care about:

• Greener grass
• No more bugs
• Envious neighbors…
• Flowers that stay colorful
• Mulch to make the yard “stand out”
• Edges that give the property a clean look
• A healthy yard that can survive extreme temperatures
• Child and pet-safe chemicals (better to avoid using the word chemicals, also)

3. Why You Should Never Talk for More than 60 Seconds at a Time

On the other hand, you can’t sell what people don’t want.

This why it’s imperative to LISTEN TO YOUR CLIENTS.

This post from Entrepreneur.com explains that you should never talk for more than 60 seconds at a time.

Your clients don’t want to hear a monologue. In their minds, if you know what you are doing, you can explain it quickly. Otherwise, you come off as amateur… or worse, desperate.

There are exceptions – like, if they ask you a complicated question. In essence, that is them giving you permission to talk for longer.

Your goal is to build a personal relationship with your prospective client.

Treat this relationship with care, and don’t tread on your client’s wishes by talking over them. Take cues from them – their body language, their smile, how they talk to you.

Listen to them, and they will tell you how to sell to them.

One Final Tip: Better than a Business Card

A good lawn and landscape owner will always keep business cards on hand. But cards get thrown out all the time.

If the client is worth it, try handing them something more permanent – something they would use after your conversation.

A fridge magnet, a calendar, or a mug with your logo on it can help you win more commercial lawn accounts and other valuable clients.

With these tips, it’s easy to sell lawn care and landscape services in person.

Remember, you are on the same side as your client. They WANT to pay you. You only need to show that you are focused on their satisfaction – and not on making a quick buck.

Related: The Best Way to Get More Lawn Care Referrals