Gator University Top 10 TiPS

The No. 1 benefit of enrollment at Gator University is the knowledge you will accumulate, making you a more marketable and desirable hardscape professional. But that knowledge goes beyond instruction on the use and maintenance of the Gator family of products; it includes generalized business-building tips sure to push you to the front of the line in any economic reality. Here are ten of the best:

1. Marketing and Advertising

Promote what you do best, just do it in the right market…

Focus on your strengths and keep the message simple. Listing ten different services in one marketing piece only confuses the message and dilutes what you’re really trying to sell.

Using jobsite photos to advertise your company’s services is always helpful but try and show the whole picture: Before, during and after shots that tell a story. Try and use photos that show solutions to site-specific problems to market your competence.

Always advertise from the jobsite. Be sure to make use of jobsite signs and door hangers in the immediate neighborhood.

Try and make sure that where you advertise is the right market in order to get the best bang for your buck. You will have a tough time trying to sell a Cadillac in a Chevy market.

2. Business Development

Get out of Facebook and into somebody’s face…

Business development is about creating name recognition and building relationships.

Put together a well-crafted marketing piece explaining who you are and the services your company provides along with a short (20-minute) presentation that lets your expertise and professionalism shine through. Then hit the street.

Set up appointments with individuals or companies that have influence over developing the specs or choosing the company to perform future jobs. Target those people whose scope of business rubs up against yours: landscape architects, developers, real estate cos., facility managers, etc.

Don’t hard sell; just keep the lines of communication open. Business development takes time but it’s a solid long-term growth strategy.

3. Communications

Learn to talk less and listen more…

Seventy-five percent of a salesperson’s job, especially during the initial meeting, is listening to the customer. They are giving you important information concerning the job and their expectations. The more you listen, the more informative and specific your responses will be.

Try and make yourself as accessible as possible and always respond promptly and professionally to all phone calls and emails.

Keep the lines of communication open. Communicate with your customer throughout the course of the job. Make sure they understand all the components of the job and are satisfied with how the work is progressing.

Listening and communicating effectively will raise your level of customer satisfaction and leave behind a positive impression of your company. Everyone likes to brag about their home improvements and how they found the “perfect” contractor. Listen hard to become that contractor.

4. Information and Education Resource

Become the Wikipedia of Hardscaping…

Providing information and educating customers to help them make informed decisions is possibly the best service you can provide. Bringing the components of the job to life and providing solutions to site-specific problems makes you an invaluable resource and helps validate the cost of the job.

Invest the time to become knowledgeable on hardscaping products, applications and solutions. Position your company as an industry resource and make the information available in your proposals, on your website and in your promotional literature.

Remember, tough jobs cost more to build. The contractor who can provide the information and solutions to the problems usually gets the job.

5. Industry Alliances

Finding common ground with others who share your business goals…

Build strong relationships with manufacturers and distributors of hardscaping products and ancillary materials. Business at this level is a two-way street. They can’t sell products unless you sell jobs. The more assistance they can provide you, the more purchasing power you have.

Take advantage of the opportunities these companies afford you: Co-op marketing, seminars, DIY exposure, etc. Make certain they understand your business and your company’s capabilities, and work towards a goal that is mutually beneficial.

If they can bring you jobs, you can provide them with loyalty-driven sales. That’s what alliances are all about.

6. Productivity

Maximize your labor and minimize your overhead…

Productivity is defined as the amount of output per unit of input (labor, equipment and overhead). Increasing productivity means doing more with less.

Evaluate your crew. Make sure the skilled workers perform the skill jobs. They will be quicker and more efficient. What tasks does the last person on the crew perform? Does he really affect production? The days of the “gofer” are gone.

Evaluate your equipment. Is it the right size and type for the job at hand? Can you rent a piece of equipment that would increase your productivity and eliminate manpower? Renting a heavier plate compactor with better ground speed can have a dramatic affect on your crew’s performance.
Increased productivity will affect your bottom line and let you bid more competitively. That puts money in your pocket.

7. Quality and Value

Doing it cheaper is not the same as less expensive…

Quality and value are not just what you build into the job; they are the cornerstones that you build your business and reputation on.

Providing quality and value means that you have satisfied the customer’s needs, built the job meeting or exceeding industry specs, have installed professional grade products and have done so at a fair and competitive price.

If you need to satisfy a customer’s request and trim costs, you can still meet all these requirements less expensively by changing the size of the job or the products being used, or by doing the job in stages, etc.

If the customer wants the job cheaper, that means doing the same job for less money. The only way you can do this profitably is to take some of the core components out. There goes your quality and value. There goes your reputation.

8. Professionalism

Walking the walk affects sales and performance…

Professionalism should be what you strive for in how you present your company to the consumer. From the initial phone call to the completion of the job, customers will assess your performance based on the level of satisfaction you provide. Your company’s attire, jobsite demeanor and concerns for safety (theirs and yours) will all be reflected in the customer providing that elusive “word of mouth” referral.

Making professionalism a required part of your workplace environment will also result in your employees taking more pride in themselves and the services they provide. When employees feel good and strut their stuff, good things always happen.

9. Be Competitive

Finding the “sweet spot” in a tough market…

Low-ball bids are and always will be bad business. Nobody wins, especially the customer. On the other hand, being the highest priced bidder because of exorbitant overhead or careless estimating isn’t good business either.

Every job is always worth a little more than the customer thinks it should cost and a little less than the contractor feels it should cost. Trying to find that “sweet spot” takes time and the willingness to evaluate your failures.

Since your price equals your costs plus profit margin, you have to determine where you need to make adjustments. Is it labor related or your choice of materials? It could be that you’re demanding profits that the market won’t bear right now.

Being competitive with your estimates in a changing market is an inexact science and needs to be analyzed from bid to bid to help insure your best chance of getting the next job.

10. “Green” Innovation

Take the lead in the next generation of hardscaping…

Building future business will require the contractor to adapt to the demands of the marketplace. What will be the hardscaping projects and products of the future?

Many consumers are focused on environmentally responsible products and applications as the components for their projects. This consumer mindset will impact the hardscaping industry in forcing contractors to develop new and innovative solutions to satisfy the customer’s expectations.

Contractors have a choice to address the consumer’s environmental concerns either proactively or reactively. Being proactive requires hard work and risk, but by becoming the go-to contractor in your market for environmental hardscaping solutions the rewards will be well worth the effort.