December 2012

The Benchmark: The salesman’s pre-call routine

December 20, 2012By

The top salespeople in the grounds maintenance segment of the industry sell more than $1 million in new annualized contract revenue every year. The industry’s top account managers in the same segment manage more than $2 million in business with a mix that might include $1.4 million in contracts and $600,000 in additional upsells. How do they do it? First,... read more

Best Practices: Making tough calls

December 20, 2012By

“The hardest thing to learn in life is which bridge to cross and which to burn.” Owners and managers have to be willing to do things others are unwilling to do. Leaders routinely face moral dilemmas that impact the company’s future. They put themselves on the line when confronted with high-stakes decisions involving customers, employees and company values, along with... read more

A landscape company game changer

December 20, 2012By

Inbound marketing has transformed the way Weed Pro does business. If 2012 WERE A BASKETBALL SEASON for Weed Pro, it would have been a rebuilding year. But not a typical rebuilding year—when losing is the norm and the team’s pinning its hopes on landing a star in next year’s draft. It would be more like an L.A. Lakers rebuilding year,... read more

Learning from Lambert’s

December 20, 2012By
Snapshot: DBI Symposium

The Dallas company shows design/build professional from around the country how to do it right. Less than a week before Thanksgiving, dozens of design/build business owners converged on Dallas for a tour of Lambert Landscape Co. and three of its projects, as part of the Professional Landcare Network’s DBI Symposium. They made the trip to see how one of the... read more

In the know: Irrigation Show 2012

December 20, 2012By

Contractors should take note of potential WaterSense program changes, state affairs updates and innovative new products. At the 2012 Irrigation Show and Education Conference in Orlando last month, more than 4,200 contractors, distributors and suppliers convened to learn about best practices and new products. For landscape and irrigation contractors, there are a few government affairs updates to note, reports John... read more

Don’t double up on sod

December 20, 2012By

Turfgrass sod experts agree: Installing sod on an existing lawn will create more work in the end. The Internet can be a tremendous tool, especially when it comes to seeking helpful information. Unfortunately, misinformation is abundant. Consider this “advice” one website’s contributing writer offered. “Professional landscapers often apply sod directly over grass. The sod compresses the grass and limits its... read more