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Marketing Hints and Tips

Entry 20: Creating Amazing Marketing Campaigns

Once you have your fall program designed, how are you going to use it to get more customers and more revenue? What is your lowest hanging fruit and what will respond best? How much data do you have to pull from? Four of the five campaigns listed below require data mining within your system but will reap you the most rewards. These campaigns draw on people that are either already customers or are canceled customers. These people are much more likely to buy from your company because they already know and trust you! If you have limited time or resources, pick from the first four marketing campaigns. Also, each campaign pulls upon the work you do for the prior project, therefore making each step easier. Just get started and once you see success, it will be easier to keep the progress up.  

Campaign #1

The first campaign focuses on existing customers with no core aeration and seed. These customers already care about the well-being of their landscape and will be more willing to expand their lawn care services. Remember to focus on current customers that are in your most profitable neighborhoods or golden streets. These customers will give you more return on your marketing dollar and will help build density and productivity.

1. First send out a letter. The letter should urge tem to get on the schedule before it's full and should contain an insert on core aeration and seeding that highlights the benefits of the service.  

• After sending out a letter, be sure to call and reach out to the customers. Ask them if they received your letter and if they would be interested in the service. 
• Be sure to call twice and to only leave a message on one of the calls. 

2. Also, don’t be afraid of getting angry customers. It’s best to talk with them to make them happier than for them to call and cancel later. Try turning their anger into a sales call. For example, if they had crabgrass break through, explain that a deep thick root system is the best defense against crabgrass. Remind them that aeration and seeding is the best way to achieve those roots. How about offering a 10% discount on that service due to the breakthrough?

• Send out an invoice note to further remind them about the importance of aeration and seeding. Consider making this invoice similar to the informational insert for repetition. After all, the more they see the insert, the more they will be thinking about the benefits of such a service.
• Remember that you have to reach out to numerous customers to gain even a single sale, so don’t lose heart if you aren’t getting the response rate you wanted. For example, 500 attempts should gain 50 customers.

    

Campaign #2

The second campaign focuses on canceled customers. Canceled customers are a great resource, especially if you can solve the problems that led them to cancel your services in the first place.

1. Send out a letter explaining that you want them back! Also include a core aeration and seeding informational insert and a prepay fall package offer. It may be best to offer a discount to entice them to join back with your company.

2. After sending out a letter, start calling. This is similar to the above campaign. 

3. Your response rate should be similar to the rate you received from the first campaign.

Campaign #3

The third campaign focuses on existing customers with other services but no fertilization.

1. Send out a letter reminding them that you offer fertilization services and explain why they should buy from you. Include an insert educating the customer on fertilization and why it’s so important for the lawn. Also include a prepay package to get the ball rolling.

2. After sending out a letter, try calling. This is similar to the first campaign.

3. Your response rate should be similar with the rate of the first two campaigns. Remember, you already have a good relationship with these customers. Adding a service strengthens that bond. 

Campaign #4

The fourth campaign should go out to anyone you have reviewed pricing with (gave an estimate at some point). This is much less effective, with a 1-2% response rate, but it is still more effective than a blast campaign (campaign 5). Follow the steps from the first campaign, but with a focus on gaining new customers that may be ignorant of the advantages of utilizing a lawn care company.

Campaign #5

The fifth campaign should be a blast to anyone and everyone. This is your last-ditch effort to gain extra customers. Try sending out postcards or signing up for Valpak, an RSVP or Hometown/Clipper. They are relatively cheap tactics that will help bring in a couple customers.