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Why Timeline Objections Do Not Kill The Sale
00:00
Jack Jostes
Do you ever lose sales because your potential client doesn't like your timeline for getting started? They find out about your backlog and they're turned off, and just like that, they're gone. Most landscapers think the sale is dead at this point, but in today's episode, I'm going to show you why that's not true and exactly what to do about it. We're going to talk about how to follow up the right way, how to use automation in and personal outreach to stay in the game. And I'm going to introduce you to a concept called gold mining, a core theme from my upcoming book, the Tree of Good the Landscaper's Guide to Direct Response Sales and Marketing. I'm Jack justice and you're listening to the Landscaper's Guide podcast where we share sales, marketing and leadership tips to help you grow your landscape company.
Peak Season Backlogs And Why Leads Get Frustrated
00:50
Jack Jostes
So if your digital marketing is dialed in, chances are you're getting a surge of inbound leads during March, April, and especially May. That's peak season for landscape related searches on Google throughout the country. And that's a great problem to have, but it comes with a catch. At this time of year, you may be already looking at a backlog of two weeks, six weeks, or maybe even several months out. And when you tell a hot lead that timeline, some of them are not going to like it. And that's exactly what today's episode is all about. So let's dig in. During peak season, leads are coming in, the phone is ringing, Google is firing.
What Prospects Hear When They Call Other Contractors
01:34
Jack Jostes
But by this time of year, you may already have a backlog and some people aren't going to like it, especially if they've never hired a landscape company before and they don't understand why this happens. In the green industry, you get on the phone with a lead, it goes great, they love what you do, the budget's there, they're excited. And then you tell them about your installation timeline. Maybe it's six weeks out, maybe it's three months. And they say, wow, that's a long time. I was hoping to get this done a lot sooner. And they say they're going to call around. Here's what I want you to understand. If they call another reputable contractor in your area, a good one, someone who's actually busy and doing quality work, chances are they're going to hear a similar timeline from that contractor.
Why You Should Not Panic, Discount, Or Give Up
02:22
Jack Jostes
That's just the reality of the market right now. Good landscapers are booked out good. Not a problem. It's a sign that you're doing something right. And here's the other thing that happens when they start calling around. A lot of contractors don't even answer the phone because it's peak season and they're too busy. So they don't even call back. They don't get proposals out on time. And the experience of trying to hire a landscaper is genuinely frustrating for a lot of homeowners and commercial clients too. So here's how to handle it. Don't panic. Don't discount your work or squeeze them in when you're ready. And whatever you don't give up on them. Because this is where most landscapers drop the ball. They hit the first no on timeline and they never follow up again. That's where money is left on the table.
What Gold Mining Means For Landscape Companies
03:13
Jack Jostes
And today we're going to talk about how to go back and get it. I want to introduce you to something we call gold mining. This is a strategy I've personally managed at Ramblin Jackson and it's been a contributing factor to over $20 million in revenue. I just looked at QuickBooks and it's something that we not only practice ourselves, but it's a core strategy we teach our Ramblin Jackson clients. And once you understand it, you're going to start seeing opportunities everywhere. So what is gold mining? It's the practice of digging through leads, contacts and past clients you already have and finding opportunities hiding there. These aren't cold strangers. These are people who raised their hand. They filled out the form on your website, they called your office, they met you at a trade show.
Why Old Leads Are Often Your Best Opportunities
04:08
Jack Jostes
Maybe they got a proposal and for one reason or another, they just didn't move forward yet. The key word is yet. A lot of contractors focus entirely on generating new leads. And yes, that matters. You do need new leads. But if you're not working on what's already in your pipeline, you're leaving gold on the ground. Leads you already paid to get, relationships you already started, People who already know your name. So gold mining is going back for those people systematically, intentionally and with a reason to reach out. And timeline objections. Those are some of the best gold mining opportunities you've got. Because here's what often happens. They call around and nobody answers. Nobody follows up and life gets busy. And three months later, they still need exactly what you do. They might even be a little embarrassed they didn't move forward sooner.
The Two Layers Of A Great Follow-Up System
05:09
Jack Jostes
So why not be the one who picks up the phone and reaches back out first? Okay, so what does this actually look like? There are two layers to a great follow up system. The first layer is automation. You should have an email nurturing sequence that stays in touch with leads automatically over time. Could be showing off recent projects, talking about your process, sharing tips for gardening. These emails keep you top of mind without you having to manually reach out to every single person. Every week. They do the heavy lifting in the background. The second layer, and this is what actually closes deals, is the personal follow up. A real phone call, a text message, someone on your team reaching out and saying, hey, we talked a few months back about your project and we're currently starting to schedule fall installs.
A Simple Follow-Up Sequence That Works
06:09
Jack Jostes
Does, does that make sense to talk again specifically? Here's a sequence that works. Call them a couple weeks after they told you no about timeline. Chances are they've already tried two or three other contractors who never even picked up the phone. They're going to be impressed that you followed up. And if there's still not a buyer, follow up again at the end of the season and say, hey, did you ever get your backyard project completed? We're currently scheduling fall and we're also wanting to let you know that we offer maintenance and maybe they become a maintenance customer. That's it. You're going to need to tailor the message to the person. But it's not that complicated. It's just being consistent. Remember, your biggest competitor isn't another landscaper. It's doing nothing. Life gets in the way for people.
Follow Up On The Specific Problem They Had
07:04
Jack Jostes
Kids get sick, cars break down, people go on vacation. The home project list just gets forgotten. So if you follow up, you have a real shot at that sale. And if you don't, nobody does. And one more thing. Don't just check in. Don't just. I'm just following up, follow up on the specific problem they had. If they had a drainage issue and there's a big rain event coming, call them and say, hey, I was thinking about you. Did you ever get your drainage problem sorted out? And when you remember the problem that people had, people feel like you were actually listening. And that alone sets you apart from 90% of the other contractors out there. Now, all of this only works if you're organized. And I know that's the hard part. Gold mining requires keeping good notes.
Why Organization And Notes Make Gold Mining Work
07:57
Jack Jostes
Who you talk to, when, what project they wanted, what their objection was, whether that's a CRM, a spreadsheet, a notebook, some kind of combination of all of the above. You need somewhere that tracks it so when you go back, you're not calling someone and fumbling through why you're even reaching out. The contractors who are best at this are the ones who plan their follow up in advance. They block out time on their calendar, they look at who's been in the pipeline for 30, 60, 90 days and they treat it like a system, not an afterthought. And that is exactly why we built Lead Wrangler, our sales and marketing CRM designed specifically for landscape companies. It it helps you keep track of where every lead is in your pipeline.
How Lead Wrangler Supports Better Follow-Up
08:44
Jack Jostes
Send automated email nurture sequences in the background and make sure those personal follow up calls actually happen on schedule. One of the features that I really love is called Engagement Score. It tracks when a lead is visiting your website, opening your emails and clicking on your content. And it alerts you so you can follow up at exactly the right moment and when they're thinking about you. So we've rolled out Lead Wrangler at Ramblin Jackson for our Wild Frontier clients first and the results have been really cool. One of our clients, Scott Parker from Parker Landscape Design, sent out his first email campaign to his existing database and reactivated two sales from people who had gotten proposals in the past like way in the past and now they're moving forward. So that's real gold mining in action.
Jack’s Main Takeaways And Book Announcement
09:39
Jack Jostes
If you've been running your leads out of your memory or a stack of sticky notes, there's a way better way. So check out lead wrangler at ramblinjackson.com/wrangler I'll put a link to that in the show notes also. So here's what I want you to take away from today. When a lead pushes back on timeline, don't write them off. Understand they're probably going to hear the same thing from any reputable contractor. So stay organized. Set up your email nurture sequences and at the right time, make a personal call or text. Start gold mining. Look who's already in your database. See the people who called, filled out the form, got a proposal and went quiet and follow up on that specific problem they had. Ask if they got it solved, be the contractor who actually remembers them.
10:32
Jack Jostes
And speaking of gold mining, I'll be releasing my new book, the Tree of Good the Landscaper's Guide to Direct Response Marketing with updated content about AI, how consumer habits have changed since COVID what's working right now, and tons of new chapters on business strategy and direct response marketing. You do not want to miss the announcement of this book, so be sure to join my email newsletter by signing up at landscapersguide.com podcast and when you do, I'll email you my top three podcast episodes right away.
11:10
Jack Jostes
My name's Jack Jostes and I look forward to talking with you next time on the Landscaper's Guide podcast, be sure to check out the show notes to click on all the links I mentioned in today's episode and I'll talk to you next week like today's video and subscribe to our YouTube channel to get upcoming videos to help you grow your snow and landscape company. My name? My name's Jack Jostes and check out my free resources in the show notes and click the next video to grow your business.