Login

USERNAME
PASSWORD

Become a Registered Guest Login Help Lost Password?

From a client’s perspective, one contractor may look like any other. That is reason enough for astute contractors to educate customers — to point out that all contractors, all services, and all the ways services are provided are not created equal.

Peter Howe, CLP, sales consultant for the Engledow Group in Carmel, Indiana, has been educating customers for years. His sales presentation includes two educational pieces designed specifically to teach clients to be smart buyers. One is a PowerPoint presentation that illustrates how services that seem alike can be dramatically different; the other is a single-page explanation of the characteristics that customers should look for when shopping for a contractor.

“The PowerPoint presentation gives me an opportunity to sit down with a client for 45 minutes to detail our company and the services we offer,” says Howe. “In the process, it singles out three services in particular that can be as different as night and day. The presentation illustrates the difference between hand pruning and shearing, shows that there is more to mowing than running a machine over the property, and demonstrates the fact that there is a direct relationship between how a flower installation looks and the maintenance it receives.” As Howe points out, the customer needs not only to see the differences among various levels of service but also to understand that delivering a high quality job takes time — and that time is money.

The tip document describes four characteristics shared by reputable contractors. As Howe explains to his customers, they should, first, look for contractors who have a well-trained staff, with an ongoing continuing education program in place. The industry is ever changing and sharp contractors stay up-to-date with new regulations, new advances in technology, and new techniques.

Second, they should also look for contractors with a good safety record and with a good safety program. “Some customers,” Howe emphasizes, “will naturally be plugged into the safety regimen and require their contractors to be fastidious about safety. Others will not be as well versed and will need to understand how safety plays a key role in delivering a high level of service.”

Third, customers need to be wary of contractors who use a lot of subcontractors. Relying on subcontractors can open up a huge can of worms for customers, says Howe. Among the more obvious problems with using subcontractors are lack of accountability (finger-pointing) and lack of coordination. “As a full service landscape contractor, we do not rely on subcontractors, and I believe that gives us a competitive advantage in our market,” he adds.

Finally, contractors should be involved with their industry. Customers should look for contractors who are members of organizations such as ALCA and who actively participate by networking and staying current with industry trends.

Howe does not hard sell his education. He asks customers if they would be willing to view the PowerPoint presentation, and before showing them the characteristic “tip sheet,” he says, “You may want to read this over before making a decision on a contractor.” Everything you read says that today’s customers are more sophisticated than their predecessors. Unfortunately, that oftentimes means that they are more aware of variations in price. Truly sophisticated customers understand that there are variations in service, too, and that is where education becomes a valuable sales tool.

2/04

By Rod Dickens, ALCA Contributing Writer