Yes, Virginia, there really is a residential market in some cities.  Think second homes, think very expensive.   There really are homeowners who wish to have breathtaking foliage in their homes and are willing to pay for this service.   Most of the time these homes are in warm climates, very cold skitype settings or in tourist draw areas.  Entry into this market is usually effected by doing model homes or working with residential interior designers or by word of mouth recommendations from existing residential clients.  However, because there is always more than one way to skin a cat, there are some other ways to get residential work that you might not have thought about.

• Gated Communities
   Often froups of homes function as a community under the aegis of homeowner’s association or property management firm.  Consider contacting these entities to see if you can become the officially approved interiorscape services firm for that community.  Maybe in return you can provide plants and/or service for their clubhouse or sales office at a reduced fee.  For that you are also given a list of homeowners and permission to contact them, or if this is not allowed, maybe they will let you come to one of the Homeowner Association meetings and make a presentation (15 minutes, bring photos, business cards, cookies and punch). Emphasize your design skills, expertise, and how security conscious you are.
• Time Share Properties
   Again, the Sales Office is the contact point.  See above for strategy.
• Existing Residential Clients as Referrals  
  If you are already doing work for residents in the area, ask if they will put a recommendation in writing and give you permission to mail a one page marketing piece to their neighbors.  Always check to see if this is permitted if there is an association.
• Think Outside the Box
   Don’t limit your services to just the inside.  Pools, patios, and front entrances are great locations for our brand of "instant gratification" using plants and containerized blooming.  Sometimes these are just for a couple of seasons, sometimes year round.  It all depends on climate but most of these are services that high end residential can utilize.
• Light ‘Em Up
   And don’t forget the Holidays.  Inside-gorgeous trees, wreaths and garland.  Outside-Holiday lighting.  In or Out , market your full range of products and services.

Every day Interior plantscapers fight the good fight.  Most companies are of a size where the principal wears 6 different hats.  They sell, they maintain, they do some Accounting, and they put out fires.  Lots to do, so it’s no wonder that at times they can’t stop long enough to see opportunities right under their very noses.

Imagine Her Surprise
So for Debbie Brombacher of Precision Plants it was a real revelation the other day.  She was talking with a Property Manager about one building.  Up til then he had had the janitorial staff caring for the plants.  Tired of seeing failing foliage he wanted Deb’s company to fix the situation.  Then the magic happened.

Turns Out There’s More
As Deb questioned him further, she found out he had not just the one property but four (4) more.  Now she’s proposing care for the other ones.  This was a huge eyeopener.  She’s been so busy focused on individual projects that she just did’nt think about other potential jobs from the same resource. 

It Sounds Obvious, but is it?
We all get busy with the work at hand and sometimes miss other opportunities.  We work really hard at generating new leads but, often forget to mine the one’s right under our nose.

It’s 2007
So as we begin the New Year, let’s step back and look at our existing client list.  Make a "To Call" List and see what new projects or properties your current clients have added without you being aware or what additional properties they are working on.  Or, maybe, its just to let these good clients know of the other services you offer, Exterior Containerized, Blooming Programs, Holiday and so on.

Just a reminder of stuff you already know.  Now go get ‘em Tiger.

If I had a nickel for every time an interiorscaper has asked how to get their blooming florals to last longer and, still, how to maintain them less frequently, I’d be over the top rich!

I Saw the Need
So when I saw "Sippers", the reusable wick developed by Steve Reis of Leaftek, I was blown away.   I became the distributor for the product  through TOPsiders, Inc  Over the years, Sippers has become an interior plant care staple.

People Keep Telling Me
At Calscape, for example, I had Sippers out at my Booth and interior care specialists couldn’t keep their hands off of them.  Especially fun was hearing all the comments from satisfied long time users.  For instance, Tom Creedham of Tropical Computers  said that Sippers made his Blooming Program really profitable.  He loved them.

Interiorscape Tech Training Guru Loves Them Too 
Linnaea Newman  said ‘Don’t let another Holiday Season go by without using Sippers’.  Here’s an excerpt from her recent blog post.  

 "This dramatic flower only remains beautiful as long as it obtains adequate moisture–without drying out or sitting in water, both of which will lead to its early demise.  So, how does the smart plantscaper keep it looking fresh and vibrant without jeopardizing profits with twice weekly visits?  In a word, Sippers™!"

Interested in Learning More about Sippers
I’ll be happy to send you enough for two bloomers.  Just call or click here for online request.

The Wrong Words Can Kill More Than Plants
Picture this.  Your tech is caring for a plant when the client contact, Janet, comes over to chat.  "How’s it going, Sue", she asks.  "Great", Sue replies, "except for this Palm. I’m treating it for "spider". Tech Sue, bent over her task, doesn’t see as Janet’s eyes widen and her face turns pale.  "Yep, says Sue anxious to show off her fifteen years of horticultural expertise.  "If you don’t watch out "spider"can multiply really fast and soon they’ve taken over".  She smiles and moves on to the next plant.

But She Didn’t Mean to do It
Meanwhile Janet, the client, is standing there stunned.  "Spider-SPIDER!"  In her minds eye all she can see are hairy, eight legged insects as large as dinner plates crawling, creeping, crawling.  Talk about miscommunication.  Sue thinks she has just demonstrated her skill as a horticultural technician when, in fact, the client contact is thinking "Ugh, those plants have bugs in them.  Get ‘em out of here". 

What Sue should have said was "I’m treating this plant for a microscopic organism that can cause leaf damage.  It’s known as "spider mite" because these teeny, tiny critters, almost invisible to the naked eye, spin a fine web and under the microscope look like tiny spiders.  They are harmless to humans, by the way".

Preserving the Image
Now, if that had been the conversation, the client wouldn’t have turned pale and no alarm bells would have gone off.  Instead of being frightened she would have been impressed and life would go on.

An exaggeration?  I think not.  Often we don’t realized how what we or our techs say can have huge impact on both for good or bad.  That is why it is a good idea to include how to relay information in our technician training.  Try role playing this little scenario at a future meeting and include it in your training regimen.  Come up with other potential communication pitfalls.  There are a bunch.

Educate the Client as Well
Some savvy plantscape companies give each new client a little pamphlet explaing plant pests, how they are treated, and how harmless they , and the methods used to control them, are to humans. 

In other words, just as an ounce of prevention can go a long way in preserving healthy plants, so can an ounce of prevention save a positive image and a client/’scaper relationship.

 And, that’s the name of this game.

One of our posts, Where Can I Find A Menorah, has elicited more traffic than any post to date.  Methinks it is not just from interiorplantscapers searching out a menorah for clients but also from end users looking for a menorah for home or office.  We are happy to suggest menorahs from www.menorah.net.  The Lubavitchers have long provided menorahs of a size and design for use in public displays.  Along with this service, they also have a guide to the proper timing for lighting the menorah.  I suggest that you inform your clients that are displaying menorahs about their proper use. 

Chanukah (also spelled Hannukah) this year is on Dec. 15-23, 2006.
All Jewish Holidays begin the evening before the date specified.  This is because a Jewish "day" begins and ends at sunset, rather than midnight.

When
The Chanukah Lights should be kindled  or turned on at nightfall on each of the eight nights of Chanukah beginning with Friday night, December 15, 2006.  So instruct your clients to turn on the lights one each evening beginning Friday night the 15th.  By the eighth night/day, all the lights should be on and remain lit until the display is taken down.

Chanukah is a joyous and exciting holiday.  Traditionally children are given gifts each of the eight nights and special foods are eaten.

The dates it is celebrated changes each year so for 2007 you will need to give a different time schedule to your clients.

Chanukah, the Feast of Lights

Just as a FYI here is a list of the upcoming Industry Meetings for the year 2007

• TPIE Seminar amd Trade Show Jan 18-20, Ft. Lauderdale, FL          www.tpie.org
• Executive Forum (Planet)  Feb. 15-18 Bonita Springs, FL
• Ohio Short Course (OFA) Sat. July 14 Trade Show and Seminars 7/14-7/17 Columbus, OH (614)487-1117
• CALSCAPE (PIA) Sept. 26-28, Las Vegas, NV  www.piagrows.org
• MidAtlantic and Cheasapeake still to be noted here. 

Make your plans now. 

One way to pay for travel to these destinations is to pay your vendors with an airline affinity or Credit Card that gives you miles and apply these toward your travel.  See you there.