Winter work

[PTS]

I am wondering what you guys from the north do during the winter? My work slows way down. Almost to a point of when they call I can do it right away because there is nothing waiting. It frustrates me, grounds hard, no leaves, lot less work for me, reallity is that price is then cheaper and no yard damage. But common folks don't think like that. They will just let it go until spring and then get frustrated when I tell them it will be a month or better before we get there. Which brings up the next question.... How do you guys educate your clients?

 

[PTS]

I tried to get in on top clean-up but no loggers around here do that. They leave it lay and that is that. Most I have talked to stated that if clean-up is required they won't take the job. We also plow snow..... when ever it does but the trend is less and less snow around here.

 

[Jumper]

I worked 2/5 days per week a few years back in Ottawa and it was not so bad....I would rather be cold and dressed for the day than dripping in sweat on a hot humid day (yes we do get them here in Canada after the snow melts late June LOL). Clean ups were quick as no leaves, plus we advised the customer there was no way we could get all the small twigs up due to snow cover. Did a lot of condo trims and some storm damage. Equipment stubborn though...saws that don't run well in the extreme cold, and starting diesel chippers always a treat. Guy I am with no doesn't do winter stuff so I am out of a job in about 4 weeks. Forget about changing their minds....most customers will leave a job until it becomes an exteme eyesore or a hazard, and then wonder why you can't make it perfect in the former case.

 

[kujoe]

I am located in the midwest. We usually slow down right around Thanksgiving and pick back up in January. Get a handful of calls during the winter from ice on limbs (usually over their wires), or people worry about the limbs over their wires. Just about the time we start worrying about the calls slacking off, it seems that it starts to pick back up.

 

[Tree Wizard]

We currently are booking new pruning/removal work into early-March. A big part of it is educating your clients that a lot of things can wait until winter. If you are pruning oaks & elms, you probably want to wait until then anyway. We also push "winter removals" with frozen ground as a way to do less lawn & yard damage. You are right though about the phone slowing down after Thanksgiving. That is probably a marketing, marketing, marketing issue.

 

[PTS]

I have really put a lot of thought into spending the money on radio and newspaper adds specifically educating the public. My frustration is that my competitors will also be very appreciative. I can't control that and those who will call them will call them but I guess I just don't want to go that route. There is just no team effort in that.

 

[alanarbor]

A mailing to your established clients offering a discount on winter work might stimulate some interest. Start thinking about winter work in June/July, that's when people are thinking about and buying tree work, and you've usually got more work coming in than you can handle. Offer that discount if they preschedule for the winter months.

For right now, you'll have to work harder, getting the word out. You will need to be more aggressive, it won't come to you at this time of year, you need to go get it.

 

[Tree Machine]

Alan took the words out of my mouth. I'm fortunate and greatful to have all of December and January booked right now. Generally my Summer season starts in February, though the Winter rates are in effect until April.

In years past I would do mailings. There is something deeply personal and connective about sending something as simple as a postcard, and the key to having it be truly personal..... sign each and every one of them by hand. I often went as far as scribbling a little sentence, a p.s. or something. I just can not tell you how effective and economical that was. People in this day and age just don't get many personal notes in the mail, especially from a treeguy.

Who do you send to? Every single estimate you did that went in the 'maybe' folder, whomever you've done an estimate for and haven't done their job, anyone who slipped through the cracks and even jobs where you got a 'no'. The reason is, you've already got their addresses and have had personal contact. Cast the net. Do not pre-judge who might and might not call you back. You will often be surprised. Then send to every person for whom you have done work. Go back years. Update your database, there's a lot of value in just doing that. These people know you, but they may not know you do work in the Winter. And they will tell their friends if, in the postcard note, you ask them to. Consider this effort your 'low-hanging fruit' campaign.

 

[Tree Machine]

Ice Storms: Strategize in advance. Write the postcards now, at least on the computer. Have them ready at a moments notice. You will use the exact same mailing list as the cards you'll send out this month. When the ice storm hits, instead of driving around hoping someone will flag you down, share a bottle of wine with your wife, she applies stamps and you sign the cards. Get them in the mail within hours, even if the storm is light. The post office delivers in rain or sleet or snow. Postcards will arrive the following day. If they have damage, and your card is in their hand, they will call you. Also, they will tell their friends. You make it so easy for them. You sent them a card. You care.

 

[Tree Machine]

Go on vacation: (This one has had amazing results for me). Write, sign and stamp the postcards ahead of your departure date, letting all your customers know you are out of town. Remember, the theme is not that you want treejobs, but rather that you care. Three things need to go on this card, 1) if you have a tree emergency and I am out of town, call ____-_____ as I have arranged for them to be there for you while I'm gone. 2) Your expected date back. 3) When I get back I will prioritize my clients in the order of when they call, starting on my return date, _-_-_. I would even let them know that the Winter Discount Rates are in effect until tax day, 2006, and the following gets written in ink, by hand: Thank You. Kyle Palmer. Take these on vacation with you and drop them in the box as soon as you get to your destination.

When you get back, the phone will ring.

If you send it, they will call.

 

[Tree Machine]

Any of these effort will cost you time, and probably under a hundred bucks and will force you to update your client address list. If someone has moved, the card will either be returned to you (scratch them off your address list) or the new owners will now have your information.

I can not stress how well this has worked for me. You will get an initial surge of calls, but the calls will also trickle in over time. As you know, sometimes all that is required to get new business is 'to be out there.'

 

[kujoe]

Mailings have helped us with repeat business and referrals as well. It seems as if it makes the customer feel like they know you on a more personal level than just business. They feel that you care about them, and they tell their friends and family anytime the subject of tree work comes up.

 

[kujoe]

I also give a few extra business cards to satisfied customers and ask them to pass them along. I don't know how many times I've done jobs for people who says "I got your card from the man that drinks coffee at the McDonalds every morning, he said you did a fine job for him".

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

There's good marketing info at these sites:


http://www.gmarketing.com/

Highly respected and often imitated!


http://www.joegirard.com/


When you can make a million a year selling CHEVYS, you know something about marketing. No, he doesn't own a dealership. That's just sales commissions.


There's good info at both sites (and yes, you should buy the books!) that applies to any line of business.

 

[Tree Wizard]

We do four newsletters a year that are mailed to everyone we have worked for in the past 7 to 10 years. This keeps your name in the forefront of their mind. Just like they have their dentist, plumber, vet, etc - you want to be their tree service.

You can't think of "tree care info" advertising as helping the competition. You have to think of marketing as "making the pie" bigger. If you have a slice of the existing tree work pie that equals 15% and you can make the pie bigger in diameter, keeping the same size slice, you have more work. If by your marketing you can also make your slice wider, you even have more work.

I have never understood Winter Discounts in northern climes. Cold weather, shorter days, snow in the trees and on the ground, clean up harder - why give a discount. If anything, you should charge more since the work is harder (and many times more dangerous) to do.

 

[Tree Machine]

We do four newsletters a year that are mailed to everyone we have worked for in the past 7 to 10 years. This keeps your name in the forefront of their mind. Just like they have their dentist, plumber, vet, etc - you want to be their tree service.

You can't think of "tree care info" advertising as helping the competition. You have to think of marketing as "making the pie" bigger. If you have a slice of the existing tree work pie that equals 15% and you can make the pie bigger in diameter, keeping the same size slice, you have more work. If by your marketing you can also make your slice wider, you even have more work.

I have never understood Winter Discounts in northern climes. Cold weather, shorter days, snow in the trees and on the ground, clean up harder - why give a discount. If anything, you should charge more since the work is harder (and many times more dangerous) to do.

Last part first. No leaves, more fits into the chip box, deadwood more visible during estimates, cooler weather, tarps slide great on snow, ear protection and helmets and chainsaw pants much more tolerable, drink less fluid. Working a little harder keeps ya warm, makes you more money. Wood is exceedingly easy to get rid of. Chips are the highest quality and easy to get rid of.

Those may not be an issue at all for many. Just HAVING the work in the Winter may be enough incentive to discount it.

I hate cold weather, but I love working in cold weather. Does that make sense?

I agree, though, for the most part with the Wiz in his last paragraph. I don't mention a discount unless the sale of the job rides on it. His first sentence is gold for those of you who are looking for valuable tips.

And the middle sentence, true, but direct mailing affects only your slice. A newspaper ad is seen once and forgotten. Once that paper is gone, your effort (and expense) is gone. People will throw a postcard in their junk drawer, or if they really like it they might magnet it to their fridge.

It's possible to attach a business card to your mailing with very little extra effort. They may toss the mailing, but keep the card.

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

You can't think of "tree care info" advertising as helping the competition. You have to think of marketing as "making the pie" bigger. If you have a slice of the existing tree work pie that equals 15% and you can make the pie bigger in diameter, keeping the same size slice, you have more work. If by your marketing you can also make your slice wider, you even have more work.

Way back in the early days of the cellular phone business, we worried a lot about the competition starting up. By 'early', I mean 1986, and the competition was THE competition - the ONLY competitor. We had had the market to ourselves for 2 years, and didn't want to see business taken away from us.

Turns out all the competition's advertising did was to increase public awareness of the service, and that pie increased dramatically. Yes, they got some of it, but there was more for us, too. This reflects a truth that sound economists have known for years, " A rising tide lifts all boats." Whatever is good for the economy is good for EVERYONE in the economy. (That's why tax cuts "for the rich" are good for the poor. The reverse is also true. That's why punishing business for being profitable is a bad way to help poor people.)

So whatever is good for the tree business is good for ALL the tree businesses.

Best thing for that marketing strategy is if you can team up with a friendly competitor and split the costs. BOTH names go on the "public service announcements", and you BOTH win.

BTW, there are some good ideas for FREE advertising in both of those books I mentioned above. Here's one:

Be THE local expert. Offer your services for interviews. Local (especially non-profit) radio stations are always looking for local interest stories. BE the expert! You don't have to have a regular show - just make yourself available for interviews. Be honest, though. Are you well spoken enough to make a good impression? If not, don't do it!

 

[tophopper]

I have never understood Winter Discounts in northern climes. Cold weather, shorter days, snow in the trees and on the ground, clean up harder - why give a discount. If anything, you should charge more since the work is harder (and many times more dangerous) to do.

Ive been waiting for someone to say that!

I couldnt agree more!

 

[TreeJunkie]

Would anyone care to share examples of what they have used for mailers in the past? I'm interested in doing one soon. I'm still looking for ideas as to what i should place on the post card. I know others in here are more creative than me.

Thanks.

 

[TreeJunkie]

any ideas out there?