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Marketing for 2009
1 Nov, 2008 By: Janet Aird Landscape Management
Landscapers have learned to tread carefully when it comes to talking to customers about using chemical pesticides and fertilizers. Many consumers are shying away from chemicals, even when they may be the best solution for a given landscape problem.
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"Many homeowners say they don't want to risk having any chemicals on their property — and at the same time they want a landscape that's both aesthetically pleasing and functional," says Paula Johnson, a marketing consultant based in Pasadena, CA. "Unfortunately, while composting and using jalapeno pepper tea is lovely, sometimes you have to use chemicals to clear the decks."
Understand your customers
It's helpful to understand the risk/benefit process your customers are facing, and reassure them about the risks, says Johnson, who has done marketing consulting work with a variety of businesses since 1984. Often, she says, the customer may not know the differences among different chemical products, or even how significant the dangers are.
"It isn't always rational," she adds. "Sometimes it's almost an 'enviro-snob' thing. They don't want to be the kind of person who uses chemicals."
Know when to give up, she warns: "When you find people who are really adamant, they aren't going to choose you."
The benefit of using these products, of course, is having the landscape they want. Chemicals eradicate weeds, pests and diseases that might be well entrenched.
If you have customers whose landscapes need serious chemical control, tell them that selectively using insecticides, herbicides, fungicides and fertilizers on the front end can keep their landscape on an even keel. Later, when insects, weeds and diseases are under control, they can transition to integrated pest management (IPM).
"Tell them it's a trade-off," Johnson says. "If you use more serious chemicals now, you can have the option of using more natural alternatives down the road."
For customers whose landscapes need only occasional help from chemicals, tell them you'll use the least-harmful product, as little of it as necessary and only when necessary, in an environmentally sound way. Tell them if you use IPM, and explain that it includes biological, cultural, manual and mechanical controls in addition to chemical options.
Educate yourself
Staying on top of the latest technologies, chemical and otherwise, will let you educate your customers and allay their fears, Johnson says: "The bottom line is that many people have been told chemicals are bad, but that's all they know. If a landscaper comes across as someone who has more information than they do, they might listen."
Get information from manufacturers' representatives and Web sites. Ask questions of your suppliers and distributors. Read trade magazines regularly to keep up with the latest information. Join a professional association such as the Professional Landcare Network (PLANET), as well as local groups to know what's going on in your market. Take industry classes and attend conferences.
Be able to tell your customers what you'll be using, what it does and why they need it. Explain that the products have been tested and approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for residential use. Tell them how long children and pets should stay off the lawn, and especially, according to Responsible Industry for a Sound Environment (RISE), not to let pets drink from puddles or eat granules after an area has been sprayed.
Brand your business
Let your customers know if you recycle green waste, use fuel-efficient vehicles or do anything else that shows your concern for the environment.
Join at least one local association, Johnson suggests. It can be related to landscaping, such as a rose or orchid society, or a business organization like a chamber of commerce. Talk to other members and pass out business cards. Have your name — and if possible, a Web site listing — in the directory.
"If someone finds you through an association or organization they already belong to, it makes you look more legitimate," she says. "But you can't just join and do nothing. You have to be visible at meetings and involved in the organization." A good way to get people to know you and your work, she adds, is to donate some time on a landscape project for the group.
Being active in these organizations shows you're trustworthy, she says. It creates affiliations, which can develop into relationships with people who might hire or refer you. It also might make that conversation about using chemicals easier.
Having marketing materials shows professionalism, Johnson says. In addition to business cards, have a brochure and a Web site. Show photos of projects you've done. List your qualifications, such as degrees, credentials or certifications, and the organizations to which you belong. Point out that your applicators are trained and licensed. Give information about the chemicals you use to show you've done due diligence on them.
But above all, be ethical, Johnson says. "All the things you do are going to come back to either help you or haunt you."
— The author is a freelance writer in Altadena, CA. Contact her at
info@landscapemanagement.net.
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