In the years during the pandemic, many landscape companies experienced a surge in business as numerous customers decided to invest in their landscapes. In many cases, all you had to do was pick up the phone in order to win business.
Yet as the economy shifts, it’s important for landscape professionals to become ‘order makers’ rather than complacent ‘order takers.’
What Is An Order Maker?
“An order maker is constantly looking for opportunities; they aren’t someone who sits back and waits for sales to happen, they go make them happen,” says Marty Grunder, president and CEO of Grunder Landscaping Co. based in Miamisburg, Ohio. “They do a multitude of things, all designed to get more opportunities to quote and sell work. They network, they send notes, they ask for the sale.”
Frank Mariani, chairman of Mariani Landscape, based in Lake Bluff, Illinois, says being an order maker isn’t just one simple thing. It’s a combination of everything you do, starting with the basics like doing the right thing, being on time and being courteous. He says marketing, advertising and participating in your community are all different ways to increase your leads. You can also offer referral rewards to clients.
“In a lot of cases, our clients really don’t want anything, but they sure like it when we make a donation in their name to a local hospital or to their church or to the community,” Mariani says.
Part of being an order maker is taking ownership of a client’s project and looking out for their best interest.
“If you’re really good at being an order maker, you’re really engaged with the client and there’s a relationship there, you’re going to do whatever it takes to meet their expectations,” Mariani says.
Mariani prefers to call order makers client representatives because they are doing what’s right for the client by protecting and enhancing their investment.
“An order maker is someone who goes and makes things happen,” Grunder says. “When a client knows you will always do what’s best for them, that helps. I want my doctor to tell me all the things I can do to live longer, we want our clients to know all the things we can to do make their property look better, be safe, be more enjoyable.”
Grunder notes that order makers look for work everywhere.
“Recently, we won two very large projects that were a result of networking with someone I had known for 25 years but never called on,” Grunder says. “Over a $67.22 lunch, I asked them if they had anything and they did – that’s a pretty great ROI on lunch. I can promise you if you sit around and complain about the situation, that will not help. Get out there and find them. Do marketing. Keep up on your social media….be an order maker.”
How to Stop Being an Order Taker
Meanwhile, an order taker is a company that isn’t going to grow as you can’t simply wait for customers to seek you out.
“If you’re not an order maker, eventually the phone will stop ringing, or it’ll ring less frequently,” Mariani says. “You better be prepared to do less work, you better downsize your expectations, and you better downsize your workforce.”
Grunder adds that consumers are more inclined to work with the contractor who indicates by their actions, their hustle and their attention to detail that they want the business. He advises avoiding weak, unassertive language like could, should, would.
“Statements like ‘I’ll get back to you (no date)’,” Grunder says. “‘Whatever you want.’ The best landscaping companies know what they are best at and what type of a situation will lead to success. Don’t tell a prospect you can do something you think you might not be able to deliver on.”
Grunder says you should also avoid conversations about landscape features, but instead talk about the benefits.
“In other words, don’t sell the tree, sell the shade,” Grunder says. “Selling is all about proving you are bringing more value to the table than all other options they are considering.”
Advice for Others
Mariani says the first step to being a true order maker/client representative is to be present, walk the property and look the client in the eye.
“How you can represent a client if you’re never at the property or if you’re simply waiting for the client to call, to ask for something, or to complain you’re late,” Mariani says. “There should be a regular cadence.”
Grunder says if you want your sales team to be order makers, you have to be one yourself.
“You have to get out and demonstrate the behaviors you want them to partake in,” Grunder says. “You have to hustle. You have to look for leads. You have to congratulate those who are being order makers. You have to be a great teammate.”
