# sales and marketing techniques



## oneils LLC

Times are tough in this economy. We have found that we must think outside the box to make sure our equipment and team stay busy. I always love to hear different selling and marketing techniques. My estimator has a much different style of selling than I do. He asks for the work and is very sales oriented. I on the other hand often sell because of the knowledge I pass on to the customers and they choose me because they feel I know what I am doing. Also, I have come up with a few different marketing strategies that seem to be working rather well. One being strategic alliances and the other mailing to select neighborhoods and offering a free service to begin.


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## Phoenix Tree

*Marketing techniques*

As far as the estimate goes, I think it has a lot to do with the bottom line and the amount of knowledge and experience the customer perceives you to have. I do marketing for my tree service, so I focus more on getting the call to do the estimate. The best way to do that is probably to be at the top of the search engines when people are searching for "tree services."


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## oneils LLC

*internet search results*

Getting to the top of the search engines it takes a lot of time, Work, money, knowledge and effort. We've had 
great success from a hungry estimator/salesman.


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## Cutler tree

I feel that taking care of customers better than they expected helps out a lot that way people are calling you and you only. I have one old customer who we did some work for refer me to his neighbors and went so far as to tell another tree service that the whole street already had someone (the other tree service was relitives of his neighbors lol) I think that's the way to go we also have internet, newspaper, and soon a yellow pages ad.


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## lxt

you might want to re-consider the yellow pages, I did a tracking number with a stats page & the results were not good!

Im actually discontinuing my yellow pages ad, for the price the return is not very good!!! 



LXT..............


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## CUCV

Fear sells! Customers don't want a tree to fall and damage something or someone and they don't want to loose a tree they love.


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## treeoptimizer

Kill the yellow pages ads. The phone companies are
http://www.thestate.com/2010/11/11/1556571/companies-yank-cord-on-residential.html Companies Yank Cord On Residential Phone Book.

The best way to grow your business is to under promise and over deliver gaining referral business. 

Websites can be used to maximize your referral potential. The internet can be used to market a business in an affordable and effective manner.

I have Tree Service sites already optimized for the following towns:
Raleigh NC
Garner NC
Timberlake NC
Cary NC
Raleightreeservicepros .com
Site was published less than 45 days ago and is already ranked 1st page for the following keywords (remember this site didn't exist 45 days ago it will be getting better rankings)
Garner North Carolina Tree Service
Timberlake North Carolina Tree Service
debris removal Timberlake NC
firewood sales Cary NC
firewood sales Garner NC
firewood sales Timberlake NC
raleigh tree service pros
storm damage removal Cary NC
storm damage removal Garner NC
storm damage removal Raleigh North Carolina
storm damage removal Timberlake NC
stump grinding Cary NC
stump grinding Garner NC
stump grinding Timberlake NC
tree removal Garner NC
tree removal Timberlake NC
tree service Timberlake NC

I'm already getting firewood requests from the site. I haven't even leased this thing yet so for right now the leads are going nowhere. I lease these things for $100.00 to $150.00 a month because just one extra job from the site a month will earn a return for my client. I don't have a contract period, it's simple you pay you play. I let my clients design the site any way they want. I don't care what it looks like I care about where it shows up because that's where the value is. I think of search rankings as real estate. Location, location, location. The rule hasn't changed the location has. I have similar sites ranked in (Greenville Spartanburg and Greer SC), (Charlotte, Concord, and Gastonia NC), and Richmond VA. I'll be adding more every month because I have seen what internet marketing has done for my current clients and the real estate I'm gathering holds value. My research has shown me that the tree service industry has some of the best conversion rates (clicks resulting in sales) of any industry out there. 

I had a great call from a small retail flooring store I have as a client today. This is a small 3 man shop that sells carpet hardwood floors etc. The salesman told me today he has been selling flooring to customers as far away as the middle east. Some of our great soldiers while away on deployment have homes to take care of here in the US. They have been buying flooring from his business because they find them on Google. The world sure has gotten smaller. One of my tree service clients here in Columbia SC got a client from NY that owned 50 homes in the area and needed tree work done on most of them. The internet is an amazing thing and if your not taking advantage of it you're behind. Just make sure whomever you hire to handle this service for your business treats you like a client and not a customer. Make sure you can form a relationship with your marketer because working together makes it work. You may uncover markets you never dreamed of.

Just my 2 cents.


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## Phoenix Tree

Yes, yellow pages are very bad nowadays. You will not usually get a good return on your investment. You pretty much have to be high on the search engines to build your business in this economy. It is very difficult, though, that is true.


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## kajudude

So let me get this right,from what you folks are sayin tat nice add in the yellow pages is not doin it for you?i live in east texas and was thinkin the same thing.it seems like my add keeps goin up and my calls are goin down.anybody have any numbers on any of this or are you goin with the results of the calls that your getting or not getting?


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## Buckettruckbabe

*Advertisers migrating from paid Yellowpages ads to optimizing local search listings*

Even if you don't currently have a website (though you should) make sure you create and claim your Google Places local listing. In addition, there are several other "free" local listing options available to you as a small business.

Local Search and Social are the dominant online factors right now, including the mobile web.


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## jefflovstrom

Buckettruckbabe said:


> Even if you don't currently have a website (though you should) make sure you create and claim your Google Places local listing. In addition, there are several other "free" local listing options available to you as a small business.
> 
> Local Search and Social are the dominant online factors right now, including the mobile web.


 
Dang! Are you still here? !! :hmm3grin2orange:
Jeff


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## ducaticorse

lxt said:


> you might want to re-consider the yellow pages, I did a tracking number with a stats page & the results were not good!
> 
> Im actually discontinuing my yellow pages ad, for the price the return is not very good!!!
> 
> 
> 
> LXT..............


 
I've never hear good things about YP adds. NEVER NEVER NEVER.


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## jefflovstrom

ducaticorse said:


> I've never hear good things about YP adds. NEVER NEVER NEVER.


 
I hear ya! Big fat heavy, turning pages, finding your glasses, blah, blah, etc... YP is dead.
Jeff


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## Buckettruckbabe

*Ha ha!*



jefflovstrom said:


> Dang! Are you still here? !! :hmm3grin2orange:
> Jeff


 

Yup, I'm still here, though probably not as often as you are. 

Currently working on our mobile website. How are things with you? 

Don't waste your $ on YP, do something constructive and FREE with HotFrog and Google Places.


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## jefflovstrom

Buckettruckbabe said:


> Yup, I'm still here, though probably not as often as you are.
> 
> Currently working on our mobile website. How are things with you?
> 
> Don't waste your $ on YP, do something constructive and FREE with HotFrog and Google Places.


 
We never had YP. Never will. We re-launched our website last year and it is better than before. We market.
Jeff


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## bulldoglover

Tried a YP ad this past year. It was a smaller more local company so the price was right, I was able to do 1/4 page for cheap $. We got 1 call from that, and didn't even get the job. They wanted me to re-up this year, no thanks. Google places gets a good number of calls, facebook gets my name out there, but referrals are were its at.


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## Buckettruckbabe

jefflovstrom said:


> We never had YP. Never will. We re-launched our website last year and it is better than before. We market.
> Jeff


 
Oh I figured you did Jeff, glad to hear it's working for your business. I was initially making the statement for the folks that don't have a web presence. There are too many free options out there not to take advantage of it. As a business any way it can be promoted and be found is a plus, especially if you're hyper-local. 

Lookie, I got my first reputation badge!


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## Blakesmaster

I don't think I'll ever get rid of the YP ads. Too many people still use them. I also feel it offers some legitimacy to your brand. I did however use getlisted.org to help optimize the website and started a facebook page with my off time the past few days. Pretty simple stuff if you're somewhat computer savvy and there's a good chance it'll help bring in business.


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## jefflovstrom

Buckettruckbabe said:


> Oh I figured you did Jeff, glad to hear it's working for your business. I was initially making the statement for the folks that don't have a web presence. There are too many free options out there not to take advantage of it. As a business any way it can be promoted and be found is a plus, especially if you're hyper-local.
> 
> Lookie, I got my first reputation badge!


 
Look again, I repped ya, I see what you are saying.
Jeff


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## Grace Tree

*My new promotion. I'm climbin' in kilts*

Welcome to Facebook


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## Toddppm

I know next to nothing about facebook, have only recently been checking everything out through my wifes account. 
If I set up a facebook business page how will people find it? I've never seen a business listing on anybodys page? I have seen people listing their "likes" like a band etc. it shows up. So if noone adds you as a "likes this" thing and just as a friend or something you'll probably never be seen right?


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## Grace Tree

Toddppm said:


> I know next to nothing about facebook, have only recently been checking everything out through my wifes account.
> If I set up a facebook business page how will people find it? I've never seen a business listing on anybodys page? I have seen people listing their "likes" like a band etc. it shows up. So if noone adds you as a "likes this" thing and just as a friend or something you'll probably never be seen right?


People find the page through the usual methods of networking. That page then shows up on other peoples Facebook page with the possibility of exponential growth. I'm not sure how well that works but I do know it helps to have as many people as you can read your name and know your name. 
Here's Arborwear's Facebook page:

Arborwear | Facebook


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## jefflovstrom

Toddppm said:


> I know next to nothing about facebook, have only recently been checking everything out through my wifes account.
> If I set up a facebook business page how will people find it? I've never seen a business listing on anybodys page? I have seen people listing their "likes" like a band etc. it shows up. So if noone adds you as a "likes this" thing and just as a friend or something you'll probably never be seen right?


 
This might sound weird, but actually freind each other. You may live a thousand miles away and still get a referral. ( you know who you are). but free and interesting and fun.
Jeff


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## jefflovstrom

Small Wood said:


> People find the page through the usual methods of networking. That page then shows up on other peoples Facebook page with the possibility of exponential growth. I'm not sure how well that works but I do know it helps to have as many people as you can read your name and know your name.
> Here's Arborwear's Facebook page:
> 
> Arborwear | Facebook


 
Gotta stay in the loop!
Jeff


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## jefflovstrom

We do, kinda cool.

Welcome to Facebook
Jeff


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## Buckettruckbabe

*Thanks Jeff!*

Thanks for the rep...

If any form of marketing works for your business, by all means use it. We have a Facebook page as well, and also have the "like" button on our website pages. It's just another way that the search engines perceive your relevancy, authority and popularity.

Traditional marketing (phone, flyers, direct mail & print ads) coupled with internet marketing - free classifieds, email marketing, online magazines and trade associations, banner ads and of course, social media - Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr, etc. All of these help in building your brand and visibility.

Plus, I "liked" all your facebook pages.


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## treeoptimizer

I just went over the data for 2010 from our tree service sites.

Estimate requests from search engines:
15 - 35 a month. Interestingly clients in higher educated more affluent areas receive more requests. This factor is more important than actual population.

Facebook estimate requests:
1 all year. Although this is harder to quantify as I don't get to see traffic numbers and rely on my clients to give me the info. 

In 2010 the number one response when asked how they found them was Google.

Social media definitely plays a roll in your overall internet marketing strategy my recommendations are to focus on traffic you can monetize. Facebook itself cannot monetize its traffic very well. Here is a quote from a recent article.
"Facebook can target ads to users based on their interests, but these users generally are not looking for or seeking out the advertisement at the time it is displayed. Just because a Facebook user is a Yankees fan doesn't mean that when he logs into Facebook he is interested in buying Yankees tickets. This is in direct contrast to Google, which targets ads to a user at the time they are seeking a given product or service." Facebook's $70 Billion Valuation Is Way Too High

I guess no matter the medium as a business owner it is a good practice to focus on the things that are working for you presently with a keen eye on the horizon to see what might be coming next. Put some money aside to try out new marketing methods, new tools, new employees etc. If they work, use them more. If they don't, try something else.


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## victoria stiles

A lot of money can be saved this way because you can eliminate unnecessary services and hassles. Take advantage of the every door direct mail resources available on the internet that you can use to plan, design, print, and mail your menus. When deciding among several options, choose an "all inclusive" service that can produce and mail your EDDM menus for a low cost. By doing so, you will ensure that you generate a higher ROI once your offers deliver into homes. Doing anything else would be not only a waste of money, but also of your valuable time. EDDM is the best technique to increase your sales.


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