Landscape Management, October 2013
83 OCTOBER 2013 LANDSCAPEMANAGEMENT NET There always will be companies taking shortcuts In the Green Industry poorly designed structures built without proper foundations and irrigation systems that stretch beyond capacity always will be problematic Be the one who teaches your community better practices But why would you want to give away your best practices This concept is difficult for some business owners to grasp They believe if they give away too much information customers will no longer need them The opposite is true When you provide enough value your business becomes invaluable by creating a desire for more When a teacher does his job well he fills the classroom the next day and every day thereafter This should be the role of all your marketing Viable methods for accomplishing this are email newsletters that teach instead of sell blogs that inspire by sharing relatable stories managers in the field to reconnect with customers social media channels for community engagement and periodic surveys to learn whats being discussed Consumers are addicted to searching online because people by nature are curious Learn to feed that curiosity to align them closely with your business After that youll have their undivided attention to accomplish something special Collaborate with your customers to create what hasnt been done Small business owners often think they have to be experts but your customers are the experts of what they want Thats why its important to ask questions and share stories to help them understand how your business can be a solution My favorite questions are the ones customers are afraid to ask such as those about price Its an opportunity to share how cost cutting measures that reduce prices often undermine the integrity of projects Answering these questions acknowledges you understand your business and your clients mindset Traditional selling can be demoralizing work with many dead ends but building relationships results in favorable returns You may not know when that will happen so persist This lesson applies to social media marketing You have to prime the pump continuously until it delivers the expected result When you help customers achieve what theyve only imagined youve progressed from a transaction based to relationship based business This is the secret for growing a business in the trust economy LM Korhan is a small business marketing trainer coach and author of Built In Social Essential Social Marketing Practices for Every Small Business Reach him via jeffkorhan com
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