Leads Groups or, “It’s not who YOU know…It’s who THEY Know” 

The Power of Leads Groups.

LEADS or Get Out Of the Way

A great way to get sales opportunities is through a “leads group”.  This is a group of sales staff from non-competing businesses that sell products and/or services to the same customer base.  It can be a national group and on the web, or it can be a local group that meets once a month or every other week at Bob Evans for breakfast.  At that meeting the members share leads and other information about prospective clients.  When the group is working it’s a beautiful thing.  When it’s not –when some members seldom show up, when leads are not forthcoming, it’s a waste of time.  Or, if your target market is model homes/residential and the group targets corporate business or vice versa, it may be a good group, but not a good fit.  You need to ask questions in advance and visit the group in action a couple of times before making a commitment.

For example, if I were in a leads group and targeting Corporate Whatever, USA, I’d look for a group that had been around for awhile and had the following sub-businesses represented:

 You get the idea.  For Residential/Model Home targeted groups I’d look at – Residential Furniture Design, Interior Designers, Exterior Landscape firms, Pool Services, Faux Finishes, or Mural Artists, Patio Builders, High-end Décor firms.  Again, you get the idea.  Some groups can be found through the Chamber of Commerce, others by calls to some firms from the above lists to see what they do and if there are any openings.

Then, once you’ve found the right group, work it.  Go the meetings, pay the fee, eat the breakfast, share leads and info and network network, network.  Couple of cautionary words, if you find yourself giving leads and then the recipient gets jobs but the leads you receive go nowhere, something is wrong.  If  they are not giving you hot leads but just names and numbers that are dead end, there needs to be some discussion.  And do not fall into the "woe is me" trap.  Yes, the economy is in the toilet, new projects are few and far between but, you need to bolster each other up, cheerlead, and celebrate each victory.

  Leads groups – a great way to increase your business through a structured system of referral trading.  Now, more than ever, Go Out There and Get ‘Em, Tiger.

Must be something in the air.  In the last week, I’ve had three questions regarding "leasing, or, as some call it, "long term rentals'’. 

Here’s the skinny as I see it.  First, whatever you call it, the minimum time frame is for one year and renews automatically year after year.  The game plan is to price it so you always get your monthly service fee PLUS a contribution towards paying off your costs for the plants and planters.  Some compamies sell a ton of leases. others, none.  Whats the difference?  Well, many years ago an Interiorscaper (not me) gave a Pricing Seminar wherein he gave out the formula that costs should be recaptured in the first 6 Months!  Ha!  Not likely.  Particularly in todays economy.  But, because he was successful and charismatic, everyone in the room wrote the formula down and that is how they based all their quotes.

Others did their home work and realized that there are other ways to skin the cat.  They asked for longer contracts and priced out the recapture over 18 months or longer, added their customary service/replacement fees and got leases.  A lot of them?  No, but enough to make a ton more profit on those accounts over time.  Add the propensity for clients to just renew year after year and you have the basis for a very lucrative profit margin.

Key is that  the client NEVER owns the plants/planters.  You do. 

The negative is that your cash flow is negative in the initial stages, but the rewards are great.  o for PlIf you have deep pockets, I highly recommend it.  One major bit of advice.  Only lease/rent to well qualified clients.  This is not for the local hair salon or small accounts.  Only for Fortune 500 clients. 

Now, go out there and get ‘em Tigers.

We’ve all heard the phrase, "Time is Money".  According to sales guru, Jeffrey Gitomer, www.gitomer.com, we have, universally ignored it.  He states that "You already know WHAT to do, you’re just NOT doing it. 

How should you be spending your time?  Making Connections, Helping Customers, Providing value, Service in an Instant, Building Relationships, Earning Refferals, Following up hot accounts, and Making Sales.

He asks, "Are you Spending Time, or Investing Time?"  He also points out that it is not Time Management but Time Allocation.  Cold Calling?  Everyone does it.  Have you ever quantified your results?  Probably 99.9% miss, but selling based on referrals nets a 75% success.  Hmmm.  So where should you be spending your time?  Getting refferals and going after them. 

We are near the start of a New Year.  Your Sales slate is blank.  The question is "How will you spend your time?"

It may be the Employee Dining Room, or the Windows along the Reception Area.  Or, it may be a need to hang three Baskets at staggered heights in a corner.  Wherever the placement, Hanging Baskets are still used in interiorscaping.

Bad Rap. Back in the 60’s and 70’s and 80’s, Hanging Baskets were everywhere.  Restaurants had Boston Ferns, Pothos and Swedish Ivy galore.  But as fronds dropped, and silk florals became more realistic, the Hanging Basket Live turned most often to HangingBasket Artificial.  Add to that the difficulty in reaching Hanging Foliage for Maintenance and it can be seen how this once foundation plant became relagated to exterior front porches..  The final death knell for live hanging baskets finally happened in the early 90"s when the fast food chains went to artificial in their "greenhouse" additions to their restaurants.  There they were.  All those glass greenhouse extensions on McDonald’s, Arby’s, and Wendy’s with lots of emphasis on the Salad Bar and Freshness.  Still to save $$ the Chains went to Artificial, and not good artificials but pretty grubby ones as well,.  I still see some of these "beauties" with 6 " of plastic "stem" sticking above the basket, but….I digress.

Today there are still applications for Hanging Baskets in Interiorscaping.  The plastic half-bowl planter complete with wire hanger and ceiling tile strut hook take up most of the mechanics for inside, moss or coconut fiber lined for exterior.  Some of the biggest opportunities are for downtown street placement.  High above the street atop light posts, blooming hanging is a show stopper and a maintenance challenge. 

Usually, you have to maintain at low traffic hours (dead of night), and have a vehicle with a huge water tank and a very long wand or lift.  And, usually, these baskets are not your handy dandy 10 or 12 inch variety.  Nope, think humongous.  Still, it is an opportunity, just do not forget to figure in the extra equipment, middle of the night work,  and so on when quoting your fee.  And, remember your competition for this work will most probably be an exterior company who already has the water truck. 

The time to get abid in is now as Winter begins.  Think of bids, discussions, and installation by Spring.  Do your research now.and Think Spring.  Now, go out there…