Spring will be here before we know it. And if you're a commercial landscape contractor, I'm excited to share an upcoming event to help you get ready for springtime. On January 14th, I'll be the keynote speaker at Kubota USA's virtual event, Turf Talk: Tips to Thrive in 2021. I'll be speaking with a few other people, including Tom Vachal, the Senior Turf Product Manager and Kenn Ahrens, the National Sales Manager from ECHO Incorporated. And in today's podcast episode, I interviewed Tom and Kenn with some of their tips for getting ready for the springtime, some trends that they're seeing in the industry right now, and overall a great conversation about how to gear up for spring.
My name's Jack Jostes and welcome to the Landscaper's Guide to Modern Sales and Marketing Podcast. This show is all about helping landscape contractors increase your profit and enjoy a better lifestyle as a result of sales and marketing. In today's episode, we're going to help you dial in your business ahead of springtime with our special guests. So let's get started.
Jack Jostes:
All right, everyone, we are here with Kenn Ahrens, National Sales Manager from ECHO Incorporated, and Tom Vachal, the Senior Turf Product Manager from Kubota USA. And the three of us are going to be speaking at an exciting event on January 14th. It's called turf talk tips to thrive in 2021. And you can register for that event kubotausa.com/turftalk. And today I wanted to talk with Kenn and Tom about some things that you can do to get ready for spring time. And also some trends, some things that are changing in this weird time, right? I mean, it's, it's what a, what an unusual time just in the world, but certainly in the green industry and some of the opportunities that's created. So Kenn, tell us, introduce yourself. Who are you? What do you do?
Kenn Ahrens:
Yeah, I'm Kenn Aarons with ECHO Incorporated, the National Sales Manager. And you know, it's been over the last few years. There's always trends in our industry. Clearly the trend this year has changed dramatically for everyone. The working conditions have changed. The clientele requirements are changing as well. I think that really our industry is able to capitalize on a lot of the opportunities that are presenting themselves in times like this, where people are spending more time in outside spaces, and they want those properties to be in pristine condition so that they can enjoy them with their families. Some of the things that we're seeing really this year is the diversification of the services that landscape companies are presenting to their clientele, be it commercial or residential type properties. And there's, there's a lot of opportunities out there in different categories of the industry, hardscaping, you know, leaf cleanup, especially going on right now. There's a lot of aeration going on and overseeding things like that where you can really stretch your business out to kinda capture more of your customer's attention by being more diversified.
Jack Jostes:
And for the people listening who have been, you know, maybe offering, you know, lawn mowing lawn maintenance services, and they're starting to break into offering other other services. What, what tips would you have from an account management standpoint of how to introduce those services to your existing customer base? How can you, cause that's usually one of the best sources, right. Is to upsell or offer your, your existing clients, the new services that you're offering. What are some ways that you're seeing is working for that?
Kenn Ahrens:
Yeah, sure. I, well, I think first of all, it's really important that you stay focused on what you do best. And if you do a really good job for your customers, they'll start asking you questions of maybe some things that they need done and what you're typically offering. And I would go with, what are they asking for mostly? Is it, you know, the overseeding than the duration of the fall, or is it leaf cleanup? Those are some of the best ways your customers are really your best advertisement out there. And if you're offering things that they, they are looking for, that's how you can start to grow. And I would say, you know, don't try to get into something that you haven't learned as a skill. You can learn that over time, but if there's something that you can take in and purchase tools from our industry, to be able to perform that job at a high level and do a great job, I think that's something that you should explore and, and start to offer. It just expands your importance to your clientele.
Jack Jostes:
I absolutely can. Yeah. And I think what you said is, on point of, you know, focusing on what you do best. I think what you said can be, is to the point where, you know, you want to focus on what you do best. You don't want to oversell something you can't do. And as you build up those new skills, your existing customer base is absolutely the first people you should offer it to. One of the things that we featured on the podcast recently was a story of a commercial contractor who is trying to upsell a bigger project. And they had done the work. They have the skills in house, it was a repeat client. But when that repeat client went and looked at their website, they didn't see any information about those services. They didn't see any portfolio pictures or testimonials or the things that, you know, people want to see. They want that, yes, you can do this. And so at the turf talk, we're going to be talking about what commercial clients actually want to see on your website. And one of them is if you're going to upsell them things, they're absolutely going to want to see that information.
Tom Vachal:
Well, one of the things I'd like to just say on to kind of piggyback with what Kenn is saying is we have seen a lot of people expanding their business. For example, they want to become the one-stop shop for that particular customer. So if it's like he mentioned leaf cleanup or other things, trimming trees, that's another one we see in the Texas area where, you know, if there's another truck at your customer, find out what they're doing and see if there's a way that you might be able to learn that task and be able to do a nice job at that as well. And then, you know, when they have a need, you're, you're fulfilling all of that need that. I just that's really, I think a thing that, you know, much like what we feel like with customers, looking at things, you know, I think the end customer looks at the same way. If they can just deal with one person instead of three, I think it's a win-win for them. And I think it can be a win-win for the commercial landscaper that opens up some of their,
Jack Jostes:
Yeah. And you know what, one of the ways to, to add those additional skills is to train up. You could train up your existing people, you could hire new people. Another way of growing is absolutely acquiring other companies. What are you guys seeing in the commercial industry right now? Why are you seeing acquisitions happening? Are they taking place where larger commercial companies are acquiring smaller companies? So that way they can expand those services?
Tom Vachal:
I think there hasn't been a lot of that consolidation in, in many areas around the country. Some may be a little bit more than others, but the one thing that we do see is a lot of that. And I do think you're right. It's basically one way for some to expand their customer base. So, you know, the combined company does, you know, twice as much if you will. So, you know, they become larger and larger that we've seen a lot of that occurring in some of the people that we deal directly with.
What is Kubota's Fleet Program?
Jack Jostes:
And, and what are, what are some of the ways that Kubota helps people tell us a little bit about your fleet program and how landscape companies, while they're trying to grow and expand, there's, there's a bit of capital required to, you know, offer the machinery, have the equipment in order to do these, these additional services. How does Kubota help people with their fleet program?
Tom Vachal:
Yeah. We have some great fleet programs. We've worked with a lot of both dealers and end users to develop our programs. And, and basically it's a program that, you know, the more you buy over time, the better discounts you're going to get. And, you know, we're all about trying to get, you know, as a landscaper, they would be trying to get the best value for their dollar. And that's what we're out there trying to do as well, where we give them discounts on accessories and parts and different things, you know, as being a member of the fleet program and buying under the fleet program. Another nice benefit that that does is that allows you to buy at that level for years in the future. So it's really, once you get into the fleet program, you can stay in the fleet program and continue buying in that fleet program, and you're getting the best discounts out there available.
Jack Jostes:
And how do people get involved in the fleet program? Do they need to apply? Do they need to have a purchase of a certain level to qualify? What, how do you, how do you get in right?
Tom Vachal:
Well, well, basically on our program, we kind of have a two tiered approach. I mean, someone walking in wanting to buy just one piece of equipment, that's commercial landscape, or can get a starting level discount, but obviously the guy that has 10 pieces of equipment and buys four or five pieces at a time gets a little different level of a discount. So our fleet program is very comprehensive from that standpoint, meaning that if you're going to buy one piece, you can get a special discount. If you buy other pieces, you get more discount. And like I mentioned, if you start off with the one piece and you continue to buy, you're going to get increased discounts over the more units, the Kubota units that you purchase over time.
Jack Jostes:
Great. Great. And, you know, one of the things that we were talking about before we started recording this podcast episode was how, if anything, this year and everything that's changed is in many ways created more demand for, for landscaping. We're not only for residential, but also for commercial. I'm going to share my screen here and show you, there's a tool that we use. Anyone can check this out. It's called Google trends. And what this shows is over the last five years, the, the searches in the United States for commercial landscaping. And you can see that there's a, there's a, you know, a peak it's it's, it's coming up, it's pretty high. And one of the things that we're going to talk about at the turf talk is that yes, even commercial clients are looking for you on Google. And what, what words do you need to include on your website? So you actually show up. So for those of you listening, you have to make sure you join us at kubotausa.com/turftalk.
Current Trends In The Landscaping Industry
Jack Jostes:
And, you know, aside from an increase in demand, there have been challenges in, in the green industry faced by all the closures of things, remote working, what are, what are some, some, some things that you're seeing changing and how are businesses in particular in the commercial industry, adapting, whether from a remote work standpoint, communication, what are you, what, what are you seeing that's working? Yeah.
Kenn Ahrens:
The amount of people that spend time and get educated, you know, via the internet on products, you know, before they shop. So, you know, a lot of the customers that are coming into our dealers now, they're, they're very well versed. And most of them, especially from a commercial landscape perspective, these guys are professionals. They use these products every day. They know the little things in each product that make them what to have that piece of product to, to complete their jobs. And so I think one of the biggest challenges that we see is to make sure that our dealers are out there and that they are reaching those customers, you know, just like we're doing today. Something very different than we would have done even, you know, last year we would be in person at, at the gie expo or maybe the tree industry care show and talking to our customers face to face. And so while it's presented challenges, I think a lot of the services are essential. We're considered essential business, and we're fortunate enough to, to still be able to get out and do the work clearly, some of the challenges I'm sure the commercial landscapers would always tell you is finding people that, that want to do that work in, in be an employee at a company that goes out day in and day out. And does that, does that hard work?
Jack Jostes:
Yeah. Well, so I think what you're sharing is that it's something that we're experiencing across really all industries, is that what people used to do in person, they're now doing more of online, whether it's researching products or researching the people that are going to hire. And, and you've got to have a strong internet presence. You've got to have video content. I believe even if you're a commercial landscape contractor, people are going to do more research online. And so, what people used to rely on for their in-person selling skills may now be happening online. It may be happening over zoom meetings, different things like this. And so the note about, you know, land landscaping jobs that I wanted to share is I'll reference this Google trends tool again, is that there's a big increase in the number of people finding landscaping jobs online. And so if you look for, you know, people looking for landscaping jobs near me, I'm going to share my screen again.
Jack Jostes:
This is people you can see over the last 12 years, you know, 10 years ago, hardly anybody looked for landscaping jobs near me this spring, last spring, you know, it's for several years, it's doubled year over year, people looking on their smartphone for landscaping jobs and just like a customer would look online and, and wonder, well, what's it like to work there? What kind of reviews do they have? Does it look like credible employees are doing the same thing? And at the turf talk, we're going to talk about some of the things that you can do to stand out from a recruiting standpoint.
How To Get Ready For Spring 2021
Jack Jostes:
Tom, tell us what, what are some of the things that the commercial landscapers who are listening that they can do to get ready for spring? How can people have a really just smooth start to what I'm expecting to be a pretty demanding and challenging year? Because there's so much more demand. People are working longer hours, they're running the machines harder. What can we do to get ready for the springtime?
Tom Vachal:
Absolutely. I think one of the things that, that the commercial landscape needs to do is to make sure they're ready for spring is to make sure all of their equipment is tuned up, ready to go, make sure they have fresh oil in them, in the engines, and then the hydro drives and the different things that they need to maintenance year over year. And those, those key elements, if they're taking care of those things, they're taking care of the, really, the inner piece of the landscape equipment. If you will make sure they have a good set of cutting blades ready to go so they can go in and out. So they don't have a lot of downtime checking their belts on the equipment. You know, if they are needing belts or blades, you know, go see your dealer. Now, when the dealer has a little bit more downtime, it's easier to get in and out, make sure you have the right things you need, as you get ready for spring.
Tom Vachal:
It's just basically, you know, having everything sitting in the shop ready to go much like a, the guy right now in various parts of the country with their snow equipment, you know, all their snow equipment, poised, ready to go. When that snow flies, when the ice hits, everybody's ready to go. And that's how you want to be set up for spring. And, you know, we're, we're obviously we've encouraged and put the word out to our dealers as well. And you know, our dealers stock up this time of year also to offer great incentives for people coming in, buying blades, buying belts, buying them the parts they're going to need for the next season. So it's, you know, we want to be ahead of the season. We want to have their equipment ready to go. W you know, we want to make them successful as well. Encourage that success.
What To Expect at Turf Talk 2021
Jack Jostes:
Great. Well, why should we come see you guys speak on the 14th? What are you going to be talking about? Tell us a little bit of how I'm going to be talking of course, about digital marketing and sales at the, at the turf talk, tell us briefly, what will you guys be talking about?
Tom Vachal:
Well, we're going to be talking a little bit about one of our customers. Who's who had some really great success in, in the last 10 or 12 years with growing their business. And, and one nice thing is, is they've grown with Kubota. They've done different things, so you can hear them talk firsthand at, at our event on the 14th. And I wanna put a special thing in there as well. If everyone on their registers, by the 6th of January, you're going to register for a prize pack that we're going to be giving out. We're going to be giving out the 30 different prize packages to, to the listeners that participate in, in, come and attend the event. And I wanted to just make that point out there. It's not a hard deadline. It's just a deadline for the goods, if you will. But you know, we're going to talk to that customer about some things and share some things with them as he talks about, you know, what are the things that he does in getting ready for spring as well.
Tom Vachal:
So that we're, we're, we're proud to be associated with him. He's a very good, you know, a very good customer and a very good landscaper. And I think the one thing when you see if he may have some videos that we ended up putting on the site out there, but his calling card is really the quality of work he does. And that's one of the other things I like to stress that, you know, I think the guys that really are doing well run that way, you know, their, their best calling card is the work that they leave when they pull away with their truck and trailer, if you will.
Jack Jostes:
Yeah. He really does quality work and will be excited during the Q and a we're actually going to do a live review of his website. So make sure you show up to this event and see, you'll learn some things that he's doing well, some things to improve, it should be a real blast. And Kenn, what will you be speaking about?
Kenn Ahrens:
Yeah. So a little bit about price, just some products. I'm not necessarily specific about products, but categories of products. We have a series of professional products that we came out with an echo called X series products. So I'll touch on that a little bit and the importance of, of those products to professional landscapers, and then talk about our programs. So Tom touched on the Kubota fleet program. Echo has a fleet program as well, and actually is a diverse program that really will fit any size landscaper out there. So I'll give the details of that as well during that period of time. And I'm looking forward to talking to everybody. I think that one of the things that really stuck out in my mind that was mentioned earlier was getting out early, getting that maintenance done, you know, go to your dealers while you know, their businesses are a little slower right now, before they're slammed with business. This is the time to get your products tuned up and taken care of and ready for the next season. And building on that relationship with your dealer, you might be able to find products online and get educated online, but you still need to have that relationship with your dealer and get in and, and give those guys some business over the winter and get your product ready to go.
Jack Jostes:
Yeah, absolutely. Visit your dealer. And before or after you do that, write a nice Google review for them, right? That's one of the things that you can do to support the businesses that you work with is to proactively write Google reviews for them, LinkedIn recommendations. And that's another tip that I have for people to get ready for this spring is to get Google reviews a lot. A lot of times, you know, people are so focused on during the season doing work that they forget to ask for reviews, fallen winter can be a good time to reach out, make sure your review average, Google yourself. I was meeting with a client recently and they're ranking really well on Google. Their website's doing well. And the one piece that's missing though, is they have a three star average. And I don't know about you guys, but I never buy a three-star average anything, right?
Jack Jostes:
When it was last time you went to Amazon and said, you know what? Let's just show me the three-star and below options, right? Business owners are the same way. If you're selling commercial services, they want the best they want. The best value in online reviews is, is part of that. Well, thank you both so much for sharing on the show today. And for those of you listening, join us on January 14th for turf talk, register online at kubotausa.com/turftalk. And if you register before the sixth, we have an awesome prize pack. I will be the keynote speaker at this event. I'll also be transitioning some of the speakers and things. We're going to do a live website review and Q&A. We've got a ton of bonuses and things that we're going to be giving away. So join us again kubotausa.com/turftalk. Kenn, Tom, thank you so much for being on the show today. And I can't wait to see you guys in Dallas in January.