How to advertise?

[exotion]

Lucky we don't have many specific sub divisions here. I do not put flyers on no soliciting houses. And usually people just throw them away. But because your targeting a specific area if you get one customer from it it pays for your initial investment and now you have another stop within a few blocks of the first. And up here flyers seem to work quite well

 

[Ric]

Lucky we don't have many specific sub divisions here. I do not put flyers on no soliciting houses. And usually people just throw them away. But because your targeting a specific area if you get one customer from it it pays for your initial investment and now you have another stop within a few blocks of the first. And up here flyers seem to work quite well

Well most here are that way, that's the reason people move to those types of sub-divisions as not to be bothered. Flyers and those type of things are good if you can get them in the right areas. The problem is you can't without catching a lot of grief, and the areas you can get them in are with people you don't want for customers or there not willing to pay for lawncare.
Advertising with flyers is a lot like running ads on craigslist and I tried that years ago and found out it doesn't work. The only people who respond are people who aren't willing to pay and when you do get a number of clients you'll spend more time and money on the road driving from one to the other than you'll make, it's a waste of time.

 

[exotion]

Seems to have worked for me. There are a few "craigslisters" where I just tell them to find someone else. I Target specific neighborhoods even with my craigslist ads. And flyers seems I'm lucky I don't have more than a few mins drive between jobs most times I don't even have a full 2 mins.

Word of mouth is the best. Friends or family of your current customers are more willing to pay because you work with their friends and don't wanna have the embarassment there.

 

[superiorGRASS]

Im not scared of getting grief for trying to provide for my family. I mean the worst thing they could do is say no lol. Thats fine but even then you find those people that do respond and i paid $6 for 100 flyers so its worth it even if i get only one customer. And that one customer could be someone who dont have a computer and dont have away to reach out like alot of elderly people. So if it wasnt for handing out flyers that would be one less house and like i said before, for $6 its worth a shot. And im guessing you own a business ric. Or at least it sounds like you do. Where and how did you start? Im starting at rock bottom like a lot of people have and at this time you cant really be picky. If youre at the bottom you should do anything and everything to try and get business and make money. And that also helps get word of mouth business so i dont understand how you can dis this and that. I bet if you handed out flyers you would get customers and since youre against it i bet you missed out on customers but then again if youre busy with business all the time then ya id agree it wouldnt be worth it. But the fact is even the lowest level of advertising could work especially for bottom of the ladder

 

[exotion]

You'd be surprised the worse they can do is far worse than say no. I have had dogs sicked on my, gun pulled on me, people chasing me down blocks away to bitch about litering their property.

That's a common misconception about starting at the bottom. Do not do what you don't wanna do, do not undersell your self. That's how you get taken advantage of, people will not pay you and you can't do anything about it, well legally.

I started with a front drive craftsman mower, homelight trimmer and blower. Loaded in the back of my old jeep Cherokee. I still have most of my customers from back then it is very much about the quality of the job, the inter personal relationships you build.

Treat your customers like family, don't forget to say hi and take the time to chit chat with them even if your in a rush. This makes them feel like you care and are apart of a family. It's harder for them to leave you when they feel that way.

Offer something nobody else does. Me personally I include free fertilizer to all my weekly customers in Exchange for proper watering. Nobody else does that, does it cost me? Ya about $150 a month but worth every penny.

Professionalism and appearance of you, your truck, and your equipment are just as important as the quality of the job. Do you look, act, and maintain your equipment like a professional?

 

[superiorGRASS]

I do as much as possible. And as far as doin a good job, ive always been that person who puts there all into there work. And im really good with people, im always been respectful until theres a reason i shouldnt be. And i have under sold my self a few times but learned very quickly afterwards

 

[Ric]

Im not scared of getting grief for trying to provide for my family. I mean the worst thing they could do is say no lol. Thats fine but even then you find those people that do respond and i paid $6 for 100 flyers so its worth it even if i get only one customer. And that one customer could be someone who dont have a computer and dont have away to reach out like alot of elderly people. So if it wasnt for handing out flyers that would be one less house and like i said before, for $6 its worth a shot. And im guessing you own a business ric. Or at least it sounds like you do. Where and how did you start? Im starting at rock bottom like a lot of people have and at this time you cant really be picky. If youre at the bottom you should do anything and everything to try and get business and make money. And that also helps get word of mouth business so i dont understand how you can dis this and that. I bet if you handed out flyers you would get customers and since youre against it i bet you missed out on customers but then again if youre busy with business all the time then ya id agree it wouldnt be worth it. But the fact is even the lowest level of advertising could work especially for bottom of the ladder

Ok if your happy spending $6 for 100 flyers and spending a day running around putting the things on doors, have at it. I never in my life handed out a flyer and never will. Personally I spent $25 and used one business card, went home and did a few lawns around my home while my business card hit 1500 to 2000 homes in one day or maybe two. Within a week I had 27 clients. Now we work three and a half to four hours a day six days a week and run 70 plus clients weekly in the same sub-division all within a three mile radius of my home. I use my time mowing lawns not driving a truck all over gods creation wasting time and gas. You will soon learn that in the lawn care business time is money and if you ever want to make any money in the business you'll learn to use your time and money efficiently.

 

[superiorGRASS]

Well see thats info that can be used instead of saying not to do something say what you did that worked

 

[superiorGRASS]

And thank you thats all i wanted to know is what worked for everyone else. Even if everyone has did something different that worked its still good info

 

[bfleming98]

What are some things that you have tried so far?

How have they worked out?