Everyday it seems like things are just getting worse and worse.  First, gas prices were shooting through the roof.  Then the mortgage companies were going belly up and some of the big banks followed suit.  Then we had to deal with the bickering across the political isle as our ‘elected officials’ crammed some ‘bailout’ package down our throats that most people really didn’t want.

 

Gee, you think we’re living in some turbulent times? 

 

Do I really need to answer that question?

 

You see, it’s in times like these when we find out who the serious entrepreneurs are.  As the news media continues to spew it’s biased agenda about how bad things are and how we’re all up a creek without a paddle, it’s the smart entrepreneurs that recognize this opportunity for what it is and really make a concerted effort to grow their business.

 

In last week’s newsletter I gave you 5 things you should be doing to not only survive this troubled economy, but ultimately thrive and come out the other end of this mess as the unquestioned leader in your marketplace.  Today, I want to follow that theme and talk about would should be your lifeline and ultimate key to success in today’s market.

 

You’ve probably heard me mention this before, but let me say it again.  Your absolute, most valued asset in your possession is your list of customers.  The ones that are currently, or have recently in the past given you money to provide services for them.

 

You see, your customers are your cash flow.  Without customers, all the other ‘stuff’ you focus most of your time on isn’t necessary.  If you don’t have customers, you simply don’t have a business.  Plain and simple.

 

Unfortunately, what happens once a typical business gets a new customer?  Or how do they handle the customers that have been with them for any period of time?

 

In most cases, they try to provide a quality service, but they assume that’s enough.  They think, “But heh, I show up every week and provide a great service for them!”

 

Yes, but unfortunately that’s not enough.

 

Consider the following, according to several sources (www.salesresources.com being one of them) it’s estimated that it costs you 5-20x’s MORE to get a new customer than it does to sell to an existing customer.  Do you need to read that again?  5-20x’s more!

 

Additionally, according to Marketing Metrix the chances of you selling additional services to your existing clients is between 60-70%.  In comparison, the chances of selling just one thing to a new customer is between 5-20%.  At least a 40-50% difference!

 

So if this is the case, why is it that most businesses are in such a rush to run off and spend more money to get a new customer when it costs them so much more than simply reselling to your existing customers?

 

Listen, if you really want to thrive in this economy then it’s IMPERATIVE that you focus time, attention, and resources on existing customers.  If you’re concerned about cash flow and are frustrated with all the wasteful, unresponsive marketing methods out there, divert some of your budget into building a 100ft wall around your existing customers!

 

To help you build this ‘Fortress of Solitude’ around your customers and to isolate you from the ups and downs your competitors are experiencing, here the one thing that will solidify your business during this troubled economy more than anything else:

 

A hard copy newsletter sent each and every month via SNAIL MAIL to every one of your existing clients.

 

Now listen, I know it sounds like a HUGE hassle and expense but it’s not. For around $.80/customer and 30 minutes of time you can send a customized hard copy newsletter each month and NOTHING will do more to strengthen that relationship and ensure your customers stick with your through this storm.

 

You see, while email is a great way to stay in touch, and it’s something I highly recommend you do as well, a hard copy newsletter has something email doesn’t.  It’s tangible. 

 

That means your customers can’t easily delete it.  They can’t put it in a ‘To Be Read’ later file.  And they know you spent some time and money on the thing so they’re going to actually read it!

 

If you simply send a revamped version of your brochure, or some ‘put you to sleep’ piece about lawns or landscaping, it won’t have the desired effect.

 

You want to make your newsletter fun and informative. You want it to be something your customers look forward to getting each and every month.

 

You also want to include some type of valuable offer, giving them the opportunity to purchase more of your services.  And it’s a great way to remind them that you accept AND EXPECT them to provide you with referrals.

 

Overall, a newsletter is a powerful marketing tool that every smart business owner should have in his toolbox.  Especially with all the ‘bad news’ the talking heads are spouting off day after day. 

 

If you’d like to see a sample of the newsletter I print each month, just reply to this and I’ll gladly send you a free copy of what I provide my Champion’s Circle clients every single month. 

 

On the 25^th of each month, the members log into a secure website, download the next month’s newsletter template, and in less than an hour they’ve got a ready to go customer relationship building powerhouse that will keep them thriving and growing while everyone else is simply HOPING to survive.

 

Now, while this is a pitch for my Champion’s Circle, the idea I want to leave with you is that you MUST focus on existing customers during this time.  Yes, the news is bad, but assuming you’ve targeted your market properly and they’re weren’t already just scraping by to begin with, they have money to spend. 

 

But it’s your responsibility to make sure they spend it with you!

If you’ve paid any attention to the news this past week then you know the government is trying to push through a $700B package meant to bail out Wall Street, so to speak.  It’s basically tax payers money that will be going to help the big banks that got caught funding a whole slew of bad mortgages.

As of yesterday afternoon, the deal wasn’t approved but I’m sure at some point some type of agreement will be reached.  So how exactly does this affect you and your business?

In a nutshell, this whole mess makes getting financing extremely difficult.  Sort of.

You see, we’ve been living in a time when it was incredibly easy to get credit and financing for just about anything, homes, cars, supplies, etc. Well, part of the problem is that the people getting all this financing couldn’t always afford it.  They didn’t have the resources to pay back the credit they were given.

As a result, once all the available credit was used up, there wasn’t anymore money to lend and there’s this big pinch.  Business can’t get money to invest in growth.  Heck, some business may not even be able to get money to pay their employees, that’s how bad it may get.

All of this will eventually trickle down to us as consumers, meaning we’ll have to begin making some hard decisions about where we spend our money.  This is where you come in.

You see, you aren’t just competing against other lawn care or landscaping companies.  You’re also now competing against a new car, putting kids through college, taking a vacation, home improvements, and renewing the country club membership.  You’re competing against other ‘things’ that also take money out of your customer’s pockets.

But all this doesn’t mean it’s time to close up shop or retreat back into your shell to simply ‘ride it out’.  No.  Now’s the time to refocus and really become the dominant player in your chosen marketplace because EVERYONE’S being affected by this and it’s the savvy businesses that will turn this challenge into an opportunity.

While there are many things you could do to ensure your business continues to grow, the BIGGEST thing you need to do is refocus your efforts on marketing your business.  Because people ignore most of the marketing and advertising that’s out there today, you need to learn how to market your business effectively so when you invest in marketing, it generates a good ROI.

You also need to focus on establishing a good relationship with your existing customers.  If you’ve chosen your market properly and they have the disposable income available regardless of what the big banks are doing, then you should be fine IF you invest some time in making sure they know how much you appreciate the relationship and opportunity.

Send them a hard copy newsletter each and every month.  Yes, it costs money, but $.75/mo to maintain a $100+/mo account is CHUMP CHANGE.  If you think you can’t afford to invest $.75 each month in order to continue making $100+ each month then you need to go find a J-O-B.

Anyway, yes, the news is a bit scary as of late.  But it’s only scary for those that don’t know how to turn this challenge into an opportunity.  Be one of those that turns it into an opportunity to grow and strengthen your business!

Considering how rapidly the landscape is changing, it’s no wonder so many people are dazed and confused when it comes to marketing their lawn care or landscaping business.  It’s easy to get ‘analysis paralysis’ and end up either spinning your wheels or not doing anything at all.

So, to help cut through some of the clutter, I want to hear from you.  What’re your biggest marketing questions?  What’re your biggest obstacles to effectively marketing your business?

Are you trying to get more traffic to your website?  What about what to do with the traffic once it comes to your site?

Are tired of the same old, boring, ‘generic’ postcards, but aren’t sure what else you could send out that would generate positive results?

Whatever your questions, leave them in the comments below and I’ll do my best to answer each one of them.  Don’t worry, you don’t have to login to post your comments, but it’ll definitely help me do a better job of following up to make sure your questions were answered.

So, post your comments below about marketing your lawn care or landscaping business.

A fantastic snippet from author, speaker, marketing guru Seth Godin: