When starting a lawn care business, you not only need to know how to perform the work, but also know how to perform estimates. Without estimates, you cannot make sales and thus not have work to keep you busy.
I remember when I made my first estimate. It was frightening and intimidating, especially since I didn't have any idea what I was doing. I did not even know what to charge. I knew that if I didn't charge enough I was going to lose money, and if I charged too much I would never win the job. Since then I have gained confidence from practice and have learned it is not too hard.
The purpose of the estimate is to make a sale with the customer. It may take several estimates before you are finally able to convince a customer to buy from you instead of someone else. But how do you make them choose you over a competitor?
Well, it definitely helps to make a good first appearance. People will judge you a lot based off this. If you come in in a tattered shirt and aren't prepared, you wont stand a chance. However if you are well dressed, well spoken, and professional, you stand a much better chance.
After making good first impressions, you should find out what the needs are of the customer. Only once you find out the customers needs can you address what you can offer them. If the customer tells you they need to have the grass bagged to make sure it doesnt get tracked in the house, you can assure them that you will always bag the lawn.
It is also possible to sell other items at your estimate. Some customers will be looking for additional services such as aerating, fertilizing, etc. If you do not offer all the services they want they may look elsewhere for someone who does.
Another tip is to try to establish common grounds with the customer. If the customer likes you, they are more likely to buy from you than someone with the same price that they don't like.
The last thing you will want to do is give your customer a price. The price you give them may be a little high or low at first. It may take some practice before you can determine a competitive price, but once you do you will book job after job using the skills above.
There are many skills that go along with a lawn care business, and performing estimates is just one you must master. By effectively earning a customer's trust and giving competitive prices, you can successfully beat your competitors. - 15246
I remember when I made my first estimate. It was frightening and intimidating, especially since I didn't have any idea what I was doing. I did not even know what to charge. I knew that if I didn't charge enough I was going to lose money, and if I charged too much I would never win the job. Since then I have gained confidence from practice and have learned it is not too hard.
The purpose of the estimate is to make a sale with the customer. It may take several estimates before you are finally able to convince a customer to buy from you instead of someone else. But how do you make them choose you over a competitor?
Well, it definitely helps to make a good first appearance. People will judge you a lot based off this. If you come in in a tattered shirt and aren't prepared, you wont stand a chance. However if you are well dressed, well spoken, and professional, you stand a much better chance.
After making good first impressions, you should find out what the needs are of the customer. Only once you find out the customers needs can you address what you can offer them. If the customer tells you they need to have the grass bagged to make sure it doesnt get tracked in the house, you can assure them that you will always bag the lawn.
It is also possible to sell other items at your estimate. Some customers will be looking for additional services such as aerating, fertilizing, etc. If you do not offer all the services they want they may look elsewhere for someone who does.
Another tip is to try to establish common grounds with the customer. If the customer likes you, they are more likely to buy from you than someone with the same price that they don't like.
The last thing you will want to do is give your customer a price. The price you give them may be a little high or low at first. It may take some practice before you can determine a competitive price, but once you do you will book job after job using the skills above.
There are many skills that go along with a lawn care business, and performing estimates is just one you must master. By effectively earning a customer's trust and giving competitive prices, you can successfully beat your competitors. - 15246
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Visit the author's site for more information, How to Start a Lawn Care Business. On the site there is also a more in depth guide on Sales Training.
